Diary of a Word Nerd

2023 marked the highest number of book bans yet

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Julia Tomiak / 2 Comments

Happy Banned Books Week! This week, September 22-28, 2024, the American Library Association (ALA) will lead the country in discussions about book banning. And with good reason. In the past few years, book challenges have grown exponentially, with individual people or groups of people challenging multiple titles at one time. This trend has sparked increased concerns among book lovers. I want to highlight a few of the trends and share a review of a book that has made the top ten banned book list for several years, Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. First, let’s look at some data.

Book banning trends in 2023

Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), a part of the ALA, collects data about book challenges based on reports from librarians and news stories. When a person or group asks for a book to be removed from a collection or classroom, that’s a book challenge. When the material is removed, that’s considered a book ban.

2023 was a significant year for book banning. Persons or organizations targeted 4240 unique titles for removal from libraries! That’s half the number of books in my local middle school library! The number of challenges jumped by 65% over the data from 2023. The increase alone is concerning, but the OIF noted four trends:

Groups challenged multiple titles at once, which is a new, but growing, trend.
There were more challenges filed a public libraries in 2023- an increase of 92%. School libraries and classrooms aren’t the only targets.
Almost half of the challenges were of books that featured LGBTQIA characters and/or themes OR people of color.
There were at least 100 books challenged in 17 states. That’s one third of our country, and includes my home state of Virginia!

For more details on the data, visit the American Library Association website.

Banned book review

A librarian friend shared a copy of Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. The YA novel is based on Alexie’s own experience, being born with hydrocephalus and growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Spokane, Washington. I knew it had been challenged frequently over the past few years and decided it was time I learned more about this novel that won the National Book Award for young people’s literature in 2007.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian has been challenged for several reasons, including profanity, sexually explicit content, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author. I confirm the book includes frequent swearing, and on more than one occasion, the main character references masturbating. And according to NPR, around 2018, several woman accused the author Sherman Alexie of inappropriate sexual behavior. He publicly responded that “there are women telling the truth” and apologized for hurting people.

Despite the controversial content, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is an insightful book that offers thoughtful reflections on the challenges of growing up on an American Indian Reservation and choosing to deviate from what everyone in your culture expects you to do.

What I liked

Arnold, the main character and narrator of Part-Time Indian, endures many challenges. His father drinks too much and disappears on occasion. In fact, alcoholism plagues many of his friends and family on “the rez.” And he was born with hydrocephalus, which caused seizures and made his head big. As he says in the opening chapter,

My head was so big that little Indian skulls orbited around it. Some of the kids called me Orbit. And other kids just called me Globe. The bullies would pick me up, spin me in circles, put their finger down on my skull, and say, “I want to go there.” So obviously, I looked goofy on the outside, but it was the inside stuff that was the worst.

Arnold has a lot going against him. However, he’s very smart, and very brave. In high school, he decides he wants something more for his life. He transfers to an all white school in the all white town of Reardon so he can get a better education. Some days, when his dad doesn’t have money for gas or the wherewithal to drive, Arnold hitchhikes from the rez to get to school. His choice to attend Reardon gets him shunned by his Indian tribe and bullied by the white kids at his new school. Despite the obstacles, he persists.

Throughout his trials, Arnold makes astute observations about life and people. Regarding addiction, he says, “There are all kinds of addicts, I guess. We all have pain. And we all look for ways to make the pain go away.” Another time, after a new friend from Reardon drives him home, Arnold says, “If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty amazing.”

After his grandmother dies, Arnold finds very constructive ways to deal with his grief without any support from the adults in his life. Primarily he makes lists- of people who bring him joy, of musicians who play joyous music, of his favorite books. He is a resourceful and observant character, and one I loved reading about.

What I didn’t like

I could have done without the cussing or the sexual commentary, however, I also know some teens use vulgar language. Part Time Indian portrays the life of a Native American teen with unapologetic realism – the dialogue and habits of its characters fit the context.

Word Nerd Recommendation

Despite some objectionable content, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian offers some thoughtful and nuanced observations on the challenges of growing up as a Native American on a reservation. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in learning about understanding people different from themselves and who like a good underdog story. (The book ends well for Arnold. 🙂 )

Have you read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian? What did you think? Have you read any other books that have been targeted for banning? See my reviews of some other commonly banned and challenged books via the links below.

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Improving vocabulary

What I find helpful to remember the meaning of ambivalence

Posted on September 13, 2024 by Julia Tomiak / 1 Comment

I’m now old enough for my children to teach me things. But, who are we kidding? A wise person is open to the wisdom of children her entire life! Anyway, recently, one of my sons, who is going through leadership training and is big on introspection, schooled me on the meaning of ambivalence.

When he asked me what it meant, I said being wishy-washy, or non-committal. “That’s what I thought too!” he exclaimed. But neither of us were right. A Word Nerd needs to pay attention to the prefix- ambi .

ambivalence: borrowed from German Ambivalenz, from ambi- + -valenz.

Think about words like ambidextrous, which means able to use BOTH hands skillfully. Ambi comes from Latin roots, ambō, ambae which mean “two of a pair, both.” It was introduced into English around the turn of the 20th century in the the field of psychology.

Ambivalence has a few meanings:

simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (such as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action
continual fluctuation (as between one thing and its opposite); uncertainty as to which approach to follow (perhaps this is where my incorrect assumption of “noncommittal” comes from.)

According to Merriam Webster:

The prefix ambi- means “both,” and the -valent and -valence parts ultimately derive from the Latin verb valēre, meaning “to be strong, be effective, have worth.” Not surprisingly, an ambivalent person is someone who has strong feelings on more than one side of a question or issue.
“Ambivalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambivalent. Accessed 13 Sep. 2024.

Now you know. Seems a good word to ponder in this environment of political debate and a time when everyone needs to do a better job of holding more than one idea or feeling at a time! Take “ambivalence” into your weekend and impress someone with your Word Nerd knowledge.

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Words and Technology

The Anxious Generation offers helpful ideas for teen mental health

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Julia Tomiak / 1 Comment

Since 2010, the suicide rate for girls increased by 167%. It increased by 91% for boys. Do you know what also happened around 2010? The proliferation of smart phones.

Some people claim iPhones and Tik Tok will cause the downfall of humanity. Others think the role of smart phones in mental health is overhyped. Whatever your stand, everyone needs to pay more attention to how smart phones are affecting our culture and our health, especially when children are concerned.

I’ve been interested in the relationship between humans and technology for years, but everything came to a head this summer when Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia issued Executive Order 33, which has direct bearing on my role as a school board member. The order said:

“Creating a cell phone-free education environment in public schools is not only a prudent measure but an essential one to promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn.”

The Virginia Department of Education held listening sessions around the state to gather feedback from parents, teachers, administrators, and public officials about the best way to pursue Cell Phone Free Education. I attended a session in Abingdon, Virginia, and early in the conversation, people mentioned a book by Jonathan Haidt called The Anxious Generation. Administrators and school boards were reading it. People quoted disturbing statistics, like the ones above.

I downloaded the audio book and started listening on the drive home. Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, has some interesting data and theories about the affect of smart phones on children, and I think his book is worth your time, especially if you are a parent or teacher.

Premise

Haidt breaks The Anxious Generation into four parts. First, he presents LOTS of data about teen mental health trends over the past few decades. In Part Two, he discusses the decline of what he calls “Play Based Childhood.” Haidt claims that older generations had much more freedom to interact in the real world, which helped them develop better social and coping skills. In the late 1980s and 1990s, parenting became more restrictive, and children’s interactions in the real world were much more limited and structured.

In Part Three, Haidt describes “The Great Rewiring” or, the rise in a Phone Based Childhood. He points out four ways phones have affected child development, including social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction.

Finally, in Part Four, Haidt offers solutions for addressing the problematic issues our culture faces, and he stresses the need for a collective, holistic response. His suggestions are challenging and thought provoking.

What I like

I appreciate how much data Haidt includes in The Anxious Generation. He even has a website that includes links to Google Docs that are continuously updated with data and notes. His approach is logical, and he does address some arguments against his stance.

The Anxious Generation explores issues and situations very relevant for our time. I could relate to much of what Haidt shared. My parents did turn me loose outside for hours on end without supervising me when I was a child. I walked to friend’s houses and had lots of interactions with adults other than my parents to make my way through Girl Scout meetings, sports practices, and time with friends. I cannot deny my children had less freedom and more structure growing up. And now I wonder how that has affected their development.

The relevance of The Anxious Generation makes it a compelling read, and one that inspired me to think a lot about my relationship with technology and how my children have come to manage their use of smart phones. (Currently, one is considering getting a phone that doesn’t have internet access. Another often leaves his behind and actively fights phone addiction.)

What I don’t like

Haidt’s suggestions are at times unrealistically optimistic. He spends a lot of Part Four discussing “Collective Action for a Healthier Childhood,” breaking down tasks for parents, schools, and governments. His ideas are definitely worth pursuing, especially the importance of educating parents, children, and policy makers about the dangers of excessive phone use. However, some of his ideas didn’t seem logistically possible, especially in our litigious society. He acknowledges he’s calling for drastic and fundamental change. It’s going to take a lot of will to get where he wants us to go.

Recommendation

I highly recommend reading The Anxious Generation. Even if data doesn’t directly implicate smart phones for the rise in mental health issues and educational challenges, we all can agree that smart phones are changing us. This is another important read for considering the relationship between humans and technology. I also recommend Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport and The Glass Cage by Nicolas Carr.

What do you think about “Cell Phone Free Education?” Have you been affected by changes in your community schools?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Who I Am

Three reasons why you should visit gorgeous Acadia National Park

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Julia Tomiak / 1 Comment

I’ve never visited New England, and with good friends summering in Maine and many recommendations to visit Acadia National Park, we decided that family travel this summer should land us in the middle of Mount Desert Island, Maine. (That’s where Acadia is, for those of you, like me until this spring, who don’t know.)

Planning for the trip and finding lodging was super easy. We reserved a great house via Air BNB on the west side of the island, away from the crowds of Bar Harbor. Getting to Maine was more painful. I live in Virginia, a solid 15-hour drive away from Acadia that would include venturing on I-95 through DC, Baltimore and New York. Yuck. Despite my mishaps on the Amtrak this spring, we decided to take the train up to Boston (and squeeze in a tour of another city we’ve never visited) and take a rental car up to Acadia.

No matter how you get there, (many I’ve spoken to fly to Portland, ME) I highly recommend a visit to Acadia. And if you can, take a bike. Here’s why.

View of Bar Harbor, ME from The Loop Road around Acadia National Park

Majestic views

The geography of Maine is different from, but as beautiful as, the mountains of southwest Virginia. Maine boasts smaller mountains, but also tons of trees and a crisp freshness in the air. One morning of our trip, we drove the Loop Road around the island that encompasses most of Acadia National Park, and the views were gorgeous. Along the coast, deep green blue waters of the Atlantic crashed against rocks, while pine trees stretched up toward the blue sky. The variety of textures is breathtaking.

Upon the request of child #4, who loves orcas, we booked a whale watching tour that took us over 50 miles off of the coast. The four-hour adventure was worth the time, money, and mild queasiness. We didn’t spot orcas, but eventually we saw a huge basking shark and several humpback whales splashing their flukes on the surface of the water and showing off with partial breaches. Seeing those giant creatures, and hearing the depth of their blows, filled me with wonder. No pics. I chose to live in the moment.

Cleansing of the mind and spirit

The open air and open space of Acadia cleansed my mind and spirit. The wind rushing through the pines reminded me of water rushing through river rock, clearing debris out of my thoughts. While in Acadia Park, we biked the gravel carriage roads and enjoyed paddling on Long Pond. As I age, I appreciate more and more how time in green, outside, improves my mental health. Acadia was the perfect place for restorative rest.

There are many, many hiking trails in the park. Sadly, we only visited one. Guess we will have to go back!

New adventures

I’m so glad we invested in a trip to this part of the United States, and the family agreed we’d like to return. Preferably, with our own bikes. (How we will get them up there is a problem for another day.) While visiting, we took a bike tour guided by a National Park Ranger. The Ranger offered more education than biking opportunities (Fortunately, Acadia Bike, the rental company we booked with, allowed us to keep our bikes for the rest of the day) but we learned much about the native people who have lived near Acadia for hundreds of years. Our guide pointed out how the development of the park has changed the landscape (for the good and the bad), and how important it is to preserve such a beautiful space.

She posed an interesting question to our group: What can the park service do to maintain public access to this national treasure while still preserving its natural beauty and resources? That is quite a conundrum. I thought the park felt crowded, especially in Bar Harbor and along the Loop Road (which we didn’t visit until 11am), but apparently it wasn’t peak season yet. The park now requires visitors who want to travel to the Cadillac Mountain Summit to purchase a timed admission pass. That’s one way to ease traffic. Island Explorer provides free bus shuttle service (with financial support from LL Bean) around the island. Riders just need to show proof of purchase of a park pass. However, the stops are spread far apart and parking at the stops is limited. We only used the shuttle once because it was too far to walk to a stop.

People should visit Acadia to appreciate natural beauty and relax in nature. However, the millions of visitors to Acadia also deplete resources and bring trash and car exhaust. Maintaining access to parks while protecting nature is a tricky problem for the National Park Service. Our tour group didn’t have any viable solutions, but it’s something I’d like to learn more about.

Word Nerd Recommendations

Maine is gorgeous, and Acadia is worth the trip. I recommend venturing out to hiking trails or bike paths early, as things get crowded after 11am. My son biked the carriage roads all the way down to Jordan Pond, one of the popular destinations in the park. “Too touristy” he declared upon return. HE much preferred Bubble Pond.

Book reviews

Seven fabulous book recs from my summer reading exploits

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Julia Tomiak / 1 Comment

This summer, I’ve paid more attention to the cleansing power of nature. How early morning hours spent ripping out weeds and nurturing seedlings soothe my rumpled thoughts. How an evening walk spent listening to the wind rustle through tree leaves cleanses my mind, leaving open space for creativity and wonder. How an afternoon spent reading in the breeze of my screened porch expands my breaths and my thinking. With that extra head space, I’ve finished several books this summer, and I want to share them with you. Get ready for my summer parade of books

Inciting Joy by Ross Gay

First, the book with the most ties to nature and gardening – Inciting Joy by Ross Gay. I’m a huge fan of The Book of Delights, also by Gay, and I saw him speak at the Virginia Festival of the Book last year. He’s a careful soul, full of deep thoughts and humorous quips. Inciting Joy is a collection of 14 essays covering everything from grief to creativity to the importance of connection.

In “We Kin (The Garden: The Third Incitement),” Gay ponders the constant chatter among gardeners, “asking what you need, asking for help, asking do you have any, asking could you use this… Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth it goes.” Gay goes on to say, beautifully:

And why is this back and forth– another word for which is sharing; another phrase for which is mutual aid– the gardener’s disposition or, maybe more to the point, practice? Because a garden– a healthy, thriving garden– tells us to… We’re just emulating the garden, which is s repository of sharing…

…we should all be able to get into a garden or a forest or an orchard if we want… What would happen if we acknowledged that none of this is privilege, but rather it is as it should and could be?And what if we figured out, together, in a million different ways, how to make it so? Or to say it another way: rather than cursing the darkness, what if we planted some seeds?

The essay is an ode to the beauty of gardening, and how it can, and should, pull us closer together.

picture of a purple spiderwort plant — Avid gardener friends gave me this spiderwort plant last summer. It survived a three hour trip in the car and a transplant! I’m a huge fan of purple.

Perhaps you can sense from this quote, and all of the ellipses peppered throughout the words I shared (ellipses are those three dots that indicate I left out some words from the text), that Gay has a tendency to ramble. In the essays of Inciting Joy, Gay constantly interrupts himself, launching into digressions and run on sentences that I sometimes had to reread to understand. He also uses plenty of foot notes, some of which take up half of the page of text! So you have to pay attention, but his words are worth attending to.

I highly recommend Inciting Joy, the perfect source for an essay to read relaxing on the porch in August, especially if you love poetry, pausing, and pondering. 4/5 stars

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

I listened to the audiobook of Tom Lake, narrated by Meryl Streep, because a friend (also a mother of several children) said Streep did an excellent job. Of course she did. Tom Lake is the first published “COVID Book” I’ve read, and it chronicles how a mother and her three adult daughters interact after the children return to the family cherry orchard during COVID lock down. While performing the tiresome work of picking cherries, the girls beg their mother to recount the details of her long ago affair with the handsome young actor (eventually turned superstar) Peter Duke.

I could relate to the protagonist, Lara, the mother of grown or nearly grown children, having her family unexpectedly back home thanks to the pandemic of 2020. Her observations hit so close to my own experience that I often laughed or teared up while listening to Tom Lake. For example, in one scene, Lara’s daughters correct her (who can relate?), telling her when she describes her old flame Peter Duke as “nuts,” that she’s using a pejorative term, and she needs to come up with a “better word.”

Maisy gives a long exhale, which means that I am old, and she can’t explain anything to me.

Raise your hand if you know that kind of exhale.

In all, Tom Lake is an entertaining book, probably better for 50+ people who are parents. I don’t see 20-30 year olds getting the humor and resonance. Tom Lake has a lot to say about appreciating what you have. 4/5 stars

What Were We Thinking by Carlos Lozada

I enjoy Lozada’s cerebral contributions to the Matter of Opinion podcast, and after he mentioned his book What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era, and since Trump might again find his way into The White House, I decided to take a listen.

Around the time he wrote What Were We Thinking, Lozada worked as a non-fiction book reviewer for The Washington Post. He has since joined The New York Times opinion section. In Thinking, Lozada pulls from150 pieces- books, essays, articles- to compile this intellectual history of the Trump presidency. I found it at times horrifying, at times enlightening, and at times a little slow. Recommended for those who care about politics and the cultural and political ideas that percolated during Trump’s years as America’s president. 3/5 stars

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

Birnam Wood was a nominee for best adult fiction in the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards. My daughter recommended it to me, and I finished it (again, audio book) in less than a week. Described as a psychological thriller, Birnam Wood puts renegade squatter gardener Mira into an unlikely collaboration with a wealthy entrepreneur named Robert Lemoine. As daughter and I agreed, we didn’t necessarily like any of the characters, but their dialogue was clever and the ideas of Birnam Wood intriguing. The whole time listening, I had an uneasy sensation, kind of like I did while watching Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. And that’s where I’ll leave you… 3/5 stars

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

The Box in the Woods is book #4 of Johnson’s Truly Devious mystery series. It was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for YA fiction in 2021. The Box in the Woods has a particularly summer feel, as Stevie Bell, amateur sleuth, sets out to solve a cold case from 1978: four camp counselors were murdered in the woods outside of their camp in a quiet New England town where “nothing ever happens.” This short book is a nice addition to the series. I still enjoyed Stevie and her quirky friends. The mystery is interesting with out being too far fetched, and once again, I didn’t see the ending coming. Think of this solid series from Maureen Johnson as Agatha Christie for 21st century teens.

4/5 stars

All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord

All That’s Left to Say, a YA contemporary by Emery Lord, gives another view of opioid addiction, this time through the eyes of a teen who has lost a beloved family member. Hannah MacLaren was shocked by death of her cousin Sophie and never suspected Sophie used drugs. In the wake of Sophie’s sudden and tragic death, Hannah embarks on a quest to discover who gave Sophie the pills that ended her life and why. Hannah goes to extreme efforts to solve the mystery of her cousin’s death, including transferring to a new school, changing her looks, and even using a burner phone- all while falling in love with her debate nemesis. In the process, Hannah comes to terms with some of her own flaws and learns how to process emotions in healthier ways.

In All That’s Left to Say, author Emery Lord uses alternating timelines to keep up the suspense for readers. The story flips back and forth between Hannah’s junior year – when she was drowning in grief and struggling for answers- and her senior year, when Hannah employs more calculated efforts to reveal who is at fault for giving Sophie the pills that killed her. Some reviewers find the timeline flips confusing; I think they work to maintain tension. Lord also uses unanswered questions to keep readers turning pages: who gave Sophie the pills? What happened between Hannah and Sophie’s best Gabby, and why aren’t they speaking any more? And, for those who like a little romance, will Hannah and Christian Daly get together? 3/5 stars

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

People We Meet on Vacation won the Goodreads Choice Award for best romance in 2021. I found it at random on my Kindle app, I think because my daughter got it. The vacation theme of this book, in which best friends travel together each summer, is fun and flirty, a quick indulgent read. Poppy is a care free writer who works for a travel magazine and delights in the unexpected. Alex, a high school teacher, prefers life predictable and quiet. They met at college and have surprisingly maintained a loyal friendship, that includes their annual vacations. But after they cross a line between friends and lovers, everything changes. This summer, Poppy wants to set things right. It’s a classic, predictable friends to lovers trope, but enjoyable. 3/5 stars

What have you read this summer? Any recommendations? Please share in the comments!

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Improving vocabulary

Curious terms from the news you might wanna know

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Julia Tomiak / 0 Comment

Two terms have come up more than once in my podcast feed the past few months, and I’m wondering if you, like me, need a little help understanding them.

Ever heard of a trial balloon? How about what it means for something to be in parity? Let the Word Nerd clue you in, just in time for your weekend social engagements. You’ll be the smartest nerd at the party!

Trial balloon

I’ve heard the “new to me” term “trial balloon” used most recently by news commentators talking about how various November election candidates, including Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, are launching various campaign trial balloons to see how they go over with the public.

According to Merriam-Webster, a trial balloon is a “a project or scheme tentatively announced in order to test public opinion.” I guess that makes sense, right? It’s like sending out a test idea to see how it floats. However, you might be surprised to learn the term trial balloon was first used way back in 1826!

Parity

Parity came up months ago on the Forward podcast, hosted by Andrew Yang, to describe the state of the potential presidential race between then assumed candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Yang talked about votes or polling results coming “to parity.”

With the opening of the Olympic games, I’ve heard parity used more often. A story on NPR described how American swimmers, once dominant in the pool, were struggling in this year’s Olympic events. American swimmer Ryan Murphy, who won gold in the 100 meter backstroke in Rio in 2016, earned bronze in that same event this year. About rising competition around the world, Murphy said, “Really the parity internationally, it’s really competitive right now.”

Interestingly, parity has also gotten attention because the 2024 Paris games are the first to achieve “gender parity,” meaning there will be equal representation of male and female athletes. Notably, the 1900 Olympics, also hosted in Paris, were the first to allow women to participate. Now, 124 years later, there are finally the same number of women as men performing at the games, and women’s sports continue to get more recognition.

Parity comes from the Latin paritas, from par equal. It’s a noun that means he quality or state of being equal or equivalent. It also has a ton of meanings related to currency, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. It was first used in 1572! (Merriam-Webster)

If you’re interested in learning more about the history of women’s involvement in the Olympics, check out this article on NBC’s Olympics website. Pretty interesting, and it’s about time!

What interesting terms have you heard lately, from the Olympics, or otherwise?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!