 We were both so green then
in the heat of summer when we reach for that blue sky, tendrils and hopes flung high. Now we've both turned sour and grayer by the hour. We in our paler versions-- after the autumn incursions which bared the country's perversions-- fear this wicked excursion of moral retroversion. But you remind us of what is good, and what can be if we only would unite to remove the rot of the trump-musk Gordian knot. I'm sorry, pickles, that this has turned out to be more of a lament than an ode to you.
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I used to like Goodreads as a way to keep track of books I read...that was 20 years ago. But shortly before it was bought by Amazon, I noticed that the app wasn't working as well as it used to. Plus, there were all sorts of problematic bullying and other weird issues. And then Amazon bought it. Not only did nothing improve but now it has the stain of Bezos (anyone else think "The Stain of Bezos" makes a great title to a horror story?) I'd tried twice to go with my own spreadsheet, and that works pretty well when I remember to do it. But when I read this article on The Guardian about a Black-owned alternative, I knew I had found a good alternative to Goodreads.  StoryGraph, here I come!
Anyone else on there? It's such an honor to be interviewed by the multi-talented Dr. Diane who created the Adventures in Learning podcast where she showcases authors, scientists, educators, and more.  Here's a description of the episode that I'm on that releases today:
What do starry nebula, Bruce Lee, and disgustingly cool science facts have in common? They are all products of the creative mind of author Teresa 何 Robeson. In this episode, we welcome back Teresa Robeson, a busy author with a rich background in science and storytelling. Teresa unveils her upcoming books, including Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story; Disgustology: The Science of Gross; and a graphic biography, Who Smashed Hollywood Barriers with Gung Fu?: Bruce Lee. Teresa shares insights into the art of storytelling through visuals and the collaborative process of bringing science and historical moments to life. Our discussion ventures into the mesmerizing realms of astronomy and science literature, with highlights from NASA's stunning imagery that fueled her recent book, Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us. We also delve into the importance of diverse narratives, cultural acceptance, and the role of literature in building empathy. Plus there's a fun lightning fill in the break taken from listener questions (What language does Teresa speak to her chickens? What are the most disgusting facts she hasn't written about yet?) This episode celebrates diverse narratives, cultural tales, building our empathy muscles, and the transformative power of storytelling. Download on all podcast platforms, YouTube, or https://www.buzzsprout.com/2019975/episodes/16730026 On the one hand, with the country in complete chaos, I feel like this is a terrible time to have a book launch. On the other hand, because of the hateful lunacy that is going on, there's probably no better time to remind people that this country belongs to all immigrants (and honestly, the country belongs to NO immigrants either since we are all squatting on land stolen from the Indigenous population who was here first). But since we immigrants are here, let's celebrate our unique identities and our place in North American history. Today is the Ching Ming (also known as Qing Ming or Qing Ming in Mandarin) Festival. It's been celebrated by the Chinese for over 2,500 years. My fond memories of celebrating it as a child in Hong Kong have never faded over the past five plus decades, and some years ago, I wrote a story that incorporated my warm, fuzzy feelings about it with a fictional Chinese family that had lived in America for several generations. It's the story of my heart but it took a while for the right people in publishing to appreciate it. Author and historian, Leonard Marcus, wrote some very kind words about the story which ended up winning Silver in the Astra International Picture Book Competition, and it was ultimately bought by Astra Young Readers for publication.  Astra found the most incredible illustrator for the story. William Low is a fine artist whose work is evocative and dreamy. He completely elevated the story and breathed such life into the characters.
One of my all time favorite poems is about Ching Ming (清明). Written by the poet 杜枚, who lived in the late Tang Dynasty, it goes: 清明時節雨紛紛， 路上行人欲斷魂。 借問酒家何處有， 牧童遙指杏花村。 There's a translation for the poem as well as a short video of a cute kid reciting it on the Cantonese for Families site. If you want to find out more about this very cool holiday, you can check out this brief Smithsonian article, or read my book, CLEAR AND BRIGHT, which comes out today to coincide with Ching Ming! |
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