Author: Maria

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Review: Poems Every Child Should Know

Book Review: Poems Every Child Should Know, compiled by Joseph Pearce

I love Joseph Pearce’s collection, Poems Every Child Should Know. This beautifully curated collection elegantly presents classic poetry that will shape hearts and minds and serve as an entry point into the sometimes daunting world of poetry.

When I was a freshman in college, I had a composition professor who assigned more literary reading to us than the literature professor. We were required to memorize a poem from a list, and I chose “Daffodils” by William Wordsworth. The rhyme and rhythm made it easy to memorize. I just wanted a quick solution to the assignment. I never expected that decades later, I can still recite the poem. It has been part party trick and part prayer to be able to recite this poem at various times in my life. Not only did it introduce me to the joy and challenge of poetry, but it showed me that it can have spiritual roots, too.

Reading good classical poetry contributes to a well-rounded education and creates a foundation for a lifelong love of literature and learning. This collection, designed for children, is really for anyone who wants to embrace the universal language of poetry. Its beauty, in carefully selected poems, is representative of the richness of the poetic literary tradition. Each section dedicated to an author’s work also provides a thematic context for the reader.

Some of my favorite selections include a section on so many beloved Mother Goose rhymes, poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins, and of course my favorite, “Daffodils.” It also has the lovely William Blake, and the touching A.A. Milne. I am enjoying revisiting many of the poems in this season of my life, and sharing my favorites with my grandchildren.

Within the pages of this lovely book, one can find echoes of the Catholic literary tradition, too. Poems exploring themes of love, compassion, and the wonders of creation are presented in a way that aligns with the moral and spiritual values often associated with the teachings of the Catholic Church. The collection serves as a subtle guide for parents and educators seeking to impart not only the joys of literature but also enduring virtues to the next generation.

Highly recommended.

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ TAN Books (March 21, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Imitation Leather ‏ : ‎ 344 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1505126303
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1505126304
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Taking a Mulligan as a Grandparent

I have the pleasure of being featured at CatholicMom.com with a reflection on being gifted the opportunity to do things differently as a grandparent. No longer driven by all the responsibilites of a household, I can slow down a little and just be silly and present.

I spend much too much time telling social media algorithms that I love baby memes and grandparent videos. And I continue to feed into it by watching every single one of the reels and videos that pop into my feeds. There’s probably a better use of my down time. I could take up the piano or write the Great American Novel.   

Alas, the videos win every time…. 

One of the funny bits that comes up often is the adult child pointing out that the mother-turned-grandmother is unrecognizable. My own daughter has said this on occasion when I’ve taken a fussy child aside and showered him with attention instead of sending him to a time-out, or when I give two small boys wooden spoons and set them loose in an explosion of flour and eggs to make cookies with no regard for the clean-up….  

read more at Catholicmom.com
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Book Review: Tears of Gold

I just finished reading Tears of Gold: Portraits of Yazidi, Rohingya, and Nigerian Women by Hannah Rose Thomas (Plough Publishing House, 2024). I read it in one sitting, stopping only to wipe my tears and compose myself before turning the page to a new portrait and a new story of loss and courage.

Thomas, a portrait artist, captures the myriad expressions of women who suffered unspeakable violence. These portraits are not just paintings but written records of the violence perpetrated against these women. Tears of Gold gives a voice and a face to these tearful stories.

From Suffering, ART

In the aftermath of the inhumanity experienced at the hands of ISIS, and violence in Myanmar and Nigeria with the Boko Haram, the women featured in these pages have their humanity restored and celebrated. Their suffering is not exploited, but rather, shared and documented in the visages of women who have survived.

The book opens with a lovely treatise on the dignity of the human person. In the first chapter titled, The Art of Attention, Thomas draws from philosophers and saints, poets and popes, to make the case we must observe and see the other to recognize ourselves and our shared humanity. It is breath taking.

Years ago, when I was teaching at a technical college in Atlanta, we experienced several waves of immigration from Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. In fact, many of the students we served were refugees from war-torn and oppressive regimes. My personal history as the granddaughter of Basque Spaniards fleeing the Civil War in Spain, and then my parents and I leaving Cuba as exiles seeking religious and personal freedom, I had a profound sense of empathy for my students, particularly because they were predominantly women. In retrospect, this book speaks to the suffering of some of my students. Perhaps that is why it hits so hard.

The Healing Power of Art

We connected on the common experience of finding ourselves in a new culture, reconciling the opportunities ahead of us while still nursing the emotional and physical wounds of violence perpetrated against us. Part of my curriculum included keeping a journal, and I soon found that my students were eager to share their stories. Somehow, it took their power back. I’ve never forgotten them or their stories.

Hannah Rose Thomas understands the healing properties of art, whether on the canvas or the page. This poignant collection captures the beauty of tears of gold, as each woman tells her story, often accompanied by a self-portrait. I am moved by how they see themselves, and what Thomas captures in their portraits.

Highly recommended.

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