Category Archives: For Love of History

Book-Banning Befuddles Me

Posted on September 4, 2023 by sheilawill

In the Sept. 3 New York Times I read”This Summer, I Became the Book-BanningMonster of Iowa” by Bridgette Exman. A former high school English teacher, now the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for public schools in Mason City, Iowa, … Continue reading →

Posted in America WTF?, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History, politics, Read, Read, Read, The inconvenient truth about education | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Adults can still read what they want, right?

Posted on August 27, 2023 by sheilawill

Politicians are clamping down on freedom to learn in schools. Isn’t that why schools exist, or is it to promulgate parents rights bullshit? There’s no systemic racism in the United States, these politicians claim. Slavery taught the oppressed some beneficial … Continue reading →

Posted in America WTF?, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History, politics, Read, Read, Read, The inconvenient truth about education | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Banning and Censoring Books is UnAmerican!

Posted on August 19, 2023 by sheilawill

I’m so dismayed by the banning and censoring of children’s books I’m going to recommend new titles as often as I have a few minutes: First is The Giver by Lois Lowry, published in 1993. One of my all-time favorites, … Continue reading →

Posted in America WTF?, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History, politics, Read, Read, Read | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hugging Saguaros

Posted on January 28, 2023 by sheilawill

I love being in Tucson, where the saguaros welcome us on the edge of Gates Pass. The mornings have been chilly. But by noon the sun shines down on the back patio. A trickling waterfall soothes me with one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bopping Around Tucson, For Love of History, Managing Minneapolis, Nature Girl, Old friends, Out West, politics, Spunky Writing Hints | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Serving Up Democracy

Posted on December 7, 2022 by sheilawill

It’s the questions, Stupid! Back in Bill Clinton’s day it was “It’s the economy, Stupid! That’s not the case anymore. We’ve gotten ourselves mucked up with too much political hypocrisy, lies, and general incompetence. (Look at Herschel Walker, an incompetent … Continue reading →

Posted in America WTF?, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History, politics | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

International Menopause Day!

Posted on November 17, 2022 by sheilawill

Stunned as I listened to NPR the other day. Yes, It was International Menopause Day! Who woulda thunk it?! Corporation heads and business people lamented missed opportunities to help their employees traverse menopause — mood swings, hot flashes, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Baby Boomers, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History, Mount Desert Island/Maine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Kansas, Oh Kansas!

Posted on August 4, 2022 by sheilawill

We’re steeped in Doublespeak. In the late 1970s I gave a talk at the Southwest Harbor Library on George Orwell’s “1984,” a prescient masterpiece that I’ve taught to high school students. Did I ever imagine that historical lies would become … Continue reading →

Posted in America WTF?, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History, politics, Read, Read, Read | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Book Power in Minneapolis

Posted on December 23, 2021 by sheilawill

Walking around Lake of the Isles last week I pulled my scarf up over my mouth. I’d never done that before but that’s how they do here. I’m starting to feel like a local, as my scarf blocked the cold … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Matters, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History, Managing Minneapolis | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Why does it take so long?

Posted on November 12, 2021 by sheilawill

A balanced life is knowing that most of it is over, without morose or dwelling in the useless land of regrets. “A Balanced Life” is the name of a Pilates website I follow. Young Robin Long, the mother of four … Continue reading →

Posted in America WTF?, Family Matters, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History, Managing Minneapolis, politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Getting ready to vote in Minneapolis…

Posted on October 29, 2021 by sheilawill

When I was a teenager I read Photoplay magazine religiously. I didn’t want to be a celebrity but I was interested in how the rich and famous lived their lives. I cared more about being smart than popular or pretty. I … Continue reading →

Posted in America WTF?, Fight wimpiness, For Love of History, Managing Minneapolis, Out West, politics | 2 Comments