heart sigh
As my taxi flew along the BQE late last night, I realized just how reassuring the Manhattan skyline can be, especially the arc of white lights atop the Chrysler Building. If I see those lights in the distance, I know that I’m back in Brooklyn and will soon be home. I’ve been on the go a lot this week, so I’m sorry if I missed some blog posts and Facebook links. It’s hard to keep up with things when you’re on the road, and the interview process can leave you so drained you don’t even WANT to check your email. I did, however, receive one message from Jodie that I just couldn’t ignore—believe it or not, whitewashing strikes again—this time it’s Cindy Pon’s YA novel, Silver Phoenix (shamefully, I never fully reviewed it, but loved it). Here’s the hardcover and the new paperback:
Start with Jodie’s post at Bookgazing and then head over to Reading in Color; as always, Ari’s on it and has posted a great response. I’m reading Moribito right now (thanks, Edi!) and am loving it—especially the illustrations, which represent Balsa perfectly—she’s an a**-kicking bodyguard who runs toward danger and fears no man…there are quite a few issues with the representation of Asians right now—there’s the Airbender debacle, of course, and I so wish that Dev Patel would comment on it as he does the circuit of morning talk shows. The reviews so far don’t seem to be good, either…and as Elana Kagan goes through the torturous confirmation process, I wonder why no one ever talks about putting an Asian judge on the Supreme Court. Those Metro PCS commercials are SO offensive, and I always think to myself, “That would never air in Canada!” But lately my country’s been disgracing itself in other ways…here’s Marlene Nourbese Phillip’s take on the recent “riots” that occurred during the G20 meeting in Toronto:
This country has carried out unspeakable acts of violence against its first nations peoples, the Truth and Reconciliation Committee notwithstanding. That violence continues today in many, many ways, not least of which can be seen in the disproportionate numbers of first nations women who go missing and are believed murdered, and in the breakup of first Nnations families by the removal of their children.There is the daily violence with which communities of colour are policed here in Toronto and Canada-wide. There is the violence wreaked on low-income families in this very city when their dietary allowances are cut. And whenever some big attraction rolls into town, whether it be the Vancouver Olympics or the Toronto G20 conference, it is perfectly acceptable to move the homeless, the poor, the downtrodden out and away. This, too, is violence, perpetrated against people, not property, but very few people complain about it. And when, through the actions of speculators, bankers and investment houses, thousands lose their homes or their jobs because someone somewhere thought it was oh-so-clever to develop some new way of bundling and selling mortages, that too is violence.
I need a day of silence, but it won’t come until Sunday. I’m grateful for all your positive vibes that no doubt helped me through the interview process…will keep you posted on the results.
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