Earth Day and a new essay

Happy Earth Day! As you’ve probably noticed, the planet needs some TLC now more than ever. (Check out this BBC story about images from space that capture how 50 years of climate change has affected our beloved planet.)

I’m not a Catholic, but I appreciated climate activist Bill McKibben’s tribute to the late Pope Francis as a champion of the earth and its inhabitants:

I think Francis’s project for the earth—a recovery of fellow feeling, with a special attention to the poor—is the only thing that can save us over time.

Worth a read this Earth Day. I hope you’ll be kind to yourselves, each other, and the planet today and every day.

I’d forgotten that I planted some Joe Pye Weed (a pollinator fave) in the garden last year, so it was a nice surprise to see it springing up.

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New writing: I’m so pleased to have an essay, “Home Range,” out in the world this month. It’s about a college road trip I took to California with my son in the pandemic summer of 2021, soon after my mother died, with lockdown and the J6 insurrection casting long shadows. Birds (hummingbirds and swallows) make an appearance too.

I haven’t written such a personal piece before, and I’m grateful to the editors of South 85 Journal for giving it such a good home. If you’ve lost a parent and/or launched a kid into the world, you’ll probably recognize some of the feelings I describe. Here’s a taste:

For a long time, I thought of home as a place that does not change. But the comings and goings of that summer reminded me that home reshapes itself into something new, over and over. Even if you never leave, it will change around you, as the people who made it familiar make their exits. My mother has left for good. My children now come and go, each return a little more fleeting than the last. I’m still here, for now.

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This morning I went over to the Supreme Court for a rally in support of inclusive education, organized by a coalition that includes Authors Against Book Bans. (I’m a member; if you’re an author, please consider signing up.) Why today? The court was hearing arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case that could have significant implications for what books—whose stories—are deemed acceptable for school kids.

SCOTUSblog explains:

“In Mahmoud v. Taylor a coalition of parents from Montgomery County, Md., contend that requiring their children to participate in instruction that includes LGBTQ+ themes violates their religious beliefs and thus their First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion.”

This afternoon I’m going over to my neighborhood indie bookstore to pick up a copy of Jacob’s Room to Choose, one of the books cited by the plaintiffs. It’s published by Magination Press, the publishing arm of the American Psychological Association, which filed an amicus brief in the case:

A substantial body of research indicates that inclusive instructional materials that acknowledge LGBTQ+ people and stories as part of the general curriculum reduce student victimization in schools and ameliorate associated mental health issues for student populations. As the largest professional association of psychologists in the United States, the APA is deeply concerned about the mental health effects on students of limiting instruction using books that feature LGBTQ+ characters.

Hats off to the APA, the AABB, and everyone else standing up for inclusivity and diverse stories. Let the kids read.

Cheers,

Jen