Although this is far from my often inspirational videos that I feature on my blog, I include this Vice investigative report on Brazil and corona virus because I think it illustrates very clearly the dangerous mechanisms of fake news and the sinister role social media plays in propagating lies that are at the core of the attack on democracy in our country and around the world. I also have personal interests in this story: 1) my assistant Poli is Brazilian and I am suffering with her as I watch her family living through these very dark times of President Bolsonaro and 2) I know the gutsy, amazing investigative reporter behind this report: Roberto Ferdman, a member of my extended family, correspondent for the Emmy award winning Vice News Tonight, a true rising star in the field of journalism. It is incredible to watch the excellent work he is doing in his field. (Look for his groundbreaking reporting on Breonna Taylor as well).
To get the most out of this blog,click images & underlined words for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.
three things we love
Maira Kalman illustration from her children’s book, What Pete Ate A-Z. (courtesy of Julie Saul Gallery, New York).
Maira Kalman has written different kinds of books, all in her own style, related to such varied topics as history, biography, cooking, grammar and children’s stories.
Kalman’s wonderful illustrations have graced many a New Yorker cover over the years. This one might just be her most popular.
This picture book for adults is about democracy and was inspired by the 2008 election of Barak Obama.
From Kalman’s book, Max Makes a Million (courtesy Viking Penguin)
I can't believe it has taken me this long to write about Maira Kalman. Of all the things I love in the world, she is right up there near the top. What can I say about her? That she has been one of my heroes for many years, that she is zany, smart, and talented as both an illustrator and a writer, and that she speaks to me in a language I know and understand as if it were my own voice. I fell in love with her when I first discovered her children’s book Hey Willy, See the Pyramids on the sale shelf at a local bookstore. I spent countless hours reading all her kids' books to my daughter Morgan when she was little and I am not sure who enjoyed the books more. Our favorite was Sayonara Mrs. Kackleman, part of her travel series introducing kids to other cultures (the other title we loved is called Swami on Rye (about India). Married to the late and legendary in the graphic design world Tibor Kalman, Maira is original and unabashedly herself in her work. I love her eclecticism and she has now gone on to write and illustrate a real variety of books, many of them explicitly for adults, including a remake of Elements of Style (the only time a grammar book made the bestseller list!), historical biographies, cookbooks, dog books, and her latest, a collaboration with David Byrne entitled American Utopia. Pick up any of her books and I guarantee you won't regret her unique take on life. And if you want more, here is her Ted Talk and some thoughts of hers on taking a walk.
Maya Angelou, writer and civil rights activist
Portrait of Maya Angelou by Jovilee Burton
Maya Angelou Obituary 1928-2014
Still I Rise
by Maya Angelou
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror a
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
From And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. Copyright © 1978 by Maya Angelou. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc.
Not My Idea, beautifully written and illustrated by Anastasia Higginbotham.
I am not as much a news junkie as I used to be. I have made a conscious decision to stay away from the constant 24/7 cycle and listen to more music--always good to reduce levels of stress. So I haven't been paying that much attention and found myself wondering what was meant by critical race theory when I heard a debate on it on morning news the other day and decided to look into it more. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is a "concept based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of colour. Critical race theorists hold that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans."
So in that discussion on Morning Joe, one person, whose name I don't even care to mention, talked about how outraged he was about a certain book that was being taught in schools. The book was called Not My Idea by Anastasia Higginbotham. Being a fan of children's books and anxious to understand what made him so upset, I found Jim Jimerson to read it to me on the internet. It's short and well worth the listen/read. Higginbotham, a mother from Brooklyn, New York in consultation with her sons' teachers, wrote and illustrated it in an attempt to educate children on what has been the reality of black people in America and to help them make sense of the news all around them. She believes kids "navigate trouble with their senses sharp and souls intact" and her hope is to start early in helping to dismantle white supremacy, bringing out into the open and acknowledging how we, as white people, are brought up in that racist soup. In the words of Ann Santori, children’s librarian at the Cook Memorial Public Library District, Higginbotham's book is “a smooth, loving ‘on ramp’ for white families engaging in discussions of race.” "When grown ups try to hide scary things from kids, it is usually because they are scared too." Judge for yourself. I for one think this is a very valuable book.
Michelle Goldberg wrote a good opinion piece entitled The Maddening Critical Race Theory Debate for those who would like to learn more about this subject.
paintings of the week
Pam Smilow Dress Series 1-10 mixed media on paper 30” x 22” $1500 each
Charity of the Week:
Anti-Defamation League
Please donate if you can to this very worthwhile organization by clicking the image above.
Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.