LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA'S LIFE: A Book Review

March 03, 2021 in BOOKS, Breast Feeding, Death and Desperation, Death and Dying, Empathy, EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLING, Grief, Health and Fitness, Health Inequity, Human Rights, Infant & Child psychology, Social Commentary, Social Justice, Child Psychology, Marriage and Family Thera, Childrens Books

Belinda Hernández Arriaga and Veronica Castillo’s children’s picture book, LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE, is a bold and beautiful addition to the cannon of children’s literature. That boldness is in prose, art, and therapeutic concept. LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE acknowledges that adults can try to run away from the reality that their children live in a disparate world — but they cannot hide from it forever.

It is a children’s book for a child, but for parents, older siblings, friends, and teachers— it is a road map. It is a way to build an emotional safety net for children and families who are disproportionately affected, by forced deportation, incarceration, and early death. This book is not for “the faint of heart”.

As a Bioethicist — I am aware that writings on loss involving children usually are directed at parents who loose children. LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE acknowledges that there are whole generations of children who loose their adults, and siblings, who also need support and protection from the most virulent consequence of their valid fears, the allostatic load of oppression, and potentially devastating grief.

LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE is available in all the usual places including your local independent book dealer.This is the link for more information about Dr. Belinda Hernández Arriaga’s work.

* September Williams supports Thousand Cuts Virtual Livestream Q &A w/Christine Amanpour, director Ramona Diaz & Maria Ressaa →

August 03, 2020 in Baby Boomers, Bioethics, Cove International, Echo Boomers, Human Rights, New Media, Resistance, Social Commentary, Social Justice

This is one to see — my review will follow but I wanted my followers to have a chance to buy tickets from the link on the website for the virtual opening. It is a bone-chilling film and yet so familiar in these times of the USA.

A THOUSAND CUTS produced and directed by Ramona S. Diaz is about the work of journalist Maria Ressa. After studying molecular biology and theater at Princeton she applied for a Fulbright fellowship with which she completed her Masters in Journalism. She has been a journalist in Asia for nearly 35 years. Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, the top digital-only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. As Rappler's executive editor and CEO, Maria has endured constant political harassment and arrests by the Duterte government, forced to post bail eight times to stay free. Rappler's battle for truth and democracy is the subject of A Thousand Cuts.

For her courage and work on disinformation and 'fake news,' Maria was named Time Magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year, was among its 100 Most Influential People of 2019, and has also been named one of Time's Most Influential Women of the Century. She was also part of BBC's 100 most inspiring and influential women of 2019 and Prospect magazine's world's top 50 thinkers.

September Williams supports Curd Williams-Hertz/Unique Realms' short film "Splash Mountain-Insensitive Fun"

August 02, 2020 in Film, Social Commentary, Animation, New Media, Amusement Parks, Art for Change

SPLASH MOUNTAIN: INSENSITIVE FUN, Read and see this short film on the Curd Williams-Hertz blog, Unique Realms. As it happens, the entry includes a reference to a photograph of which I own a copy, and just finished hanging in the bathroom of my new apartment. It would seem an odd choice to those who don’t know me well, as other artwork in the room is a Miro poster supporting Human Rights, a copy of a child’s drawing where stick figures overthrow a military tank to end War. Though I do believe that access to clean water for bathing is a human right, this was a light-hearted way of making the point in my bathroom. However — the blog entry on Unique Realms, “Splash Mountain: Insensitive Fun” takes the Human Rights, including the eradication of racism dialog to the next step.. it shows honestly how lights go on in people’s heads that facilitate change that is often for the better. And when Disney reopens with the new Splash Mountain, and maybe you’ll see Curd there commenting on changes for a more just society.