I ran across some good things online this week, particularly relevant to writers. But if you're not a writer, it's still good stuff to read:
1. Samantha Mabry blogged about the Tuscon United School District's banning of the Mexican American Studies program. Teachers actually snatched books away from children at school. They're "storing" away those dangerous books by Cisneros and Urrea (and many others), and chocking in some Shakespeare and Sherman Alexie (a brilliant Native American writer) because those guys also make people think for themselves (a dangerous and seditious mental activity). Bullies. Sandra Cisneros was THE writer who made me believe in myself as a writer, made me believe that stories about women and girls mattered, too. Samantha's short response to the Tuscon United district is spot on. Read it.
2. On the lighter side, in case you're thinking about dating an essayist, hop over to BARK and read this fun list of reasons "not to sleep with an essayist." Particularly relevant to people who have never attended a creative writing (or creative non-fiction writing) program.
3. My old (and dear) friend Greg Allen won the first round of the MeeGenius picture book story contest by popular vote late last year. Now, his story about a boy with autism and a great imagination has been illustrated by an appointed artist and is up for votes again; this time, he's up against 14 other stories that the MeeGenius crew selected from the batch of entries. Please vote for Greg's story.
If you have some good stuff to share with me, I'm always up for a distraction.
