Literature Link for Feb.27, 2022- Finding Your Powerful Voice
• “An Anthem” by Sonia Sanchez. “Our vision is our voice / we cut through the country / where madmen goosestep in tune to Guernica.” Amanda Gorman, U.S. youth poet laureate, says about this poem: “For lack of a better phrase, she communicates how we are all stronger together. After reading this poem that weaves the duty of the “I” with the power of the “we”, you will emerge courageous and ready to breathe fire.” https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/an-anthem-2/
• Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson. “Piecing Me Together focuses on the junior year of Jade Butler, an aspiring collage artist, photographer, and lover of the Spanish language. She is also a working-class African American girl who is isolated at her elite prep school where few of her classmates share her experiences. Although she lives in a neighborhood that is low on resources and her mother struggles paying the bills, Jade is surrounded by loving family and friends. She bristles at being singled out for a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls. [Young adult novel, middle school & up] One reviewer says this author “ somehow gets at the toxicity of sympathy, the unquenchable thirst of fear, and the life-changing power of voice and opportunity, all wrapped up in Jade.”
• “Confidence: Stories About Finding Your Voice. This week we present two [short] stories about people finding strength in their own voice. “ A parent-teacher conference leads Eugenia Duodu to question whether she can be a scientist. “Eugenia Duodu is the Toronto-based CEO of Visions of Science, which inspires kids from low-income and marginalized communities to pursue careers in STEM. As a youth born and raised in a low-income community, she strives to maintain a strong connection to her local and global community by being a mentor and advocate. Her goal is to help make a long-lasting positive impact in communities through STEM engagement and in-turn allow youth to unlock their potential. Eugenia holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Toronto.” Short, non-fiction & a grippingly honest. The audio of Ms Duodu telling her story is so inspiring. https://www.storycollider.org/stories/2019/4/29/confidence-stories-about-finding-your-voice
In faith,
Dale Dunnigan