Fighting for Democracy: Some Inspiration from Egypt

Octavio Roth artwork depicting right 26 from
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It has taken me a few days to start paying attention to the images and stories emerging from the protests in Egypt. After listening to the voices of a people silenced for so long, I felt inspired to do something. I want to fight for democracy and give a voice to those going unheard. Today I made the connection between the pro-democracy movement in Egypt and what is going on in public education.

It is not very democratic that those is the position to make decisions about education policy rarely enroll their children in our public schools. Local communities should be able to make the most basic and important decisions about their local schools.

It is not very democratic that education policy ties funding for public schools to unproven reforms. Education is a right, not a race.

It is not very democratic that corporations are allowed to take over public schools in the name of "reform" and without regard to school community input. Every child should have equal access to quality education. 

Fight for democracy in your community. Support public education!

One Young Adult Memoir Coming Up!

A couple of excerpts from the YA memoir in graphic form.

I'll admit I've spent some time in bookstores browsing through the N section to see where my books will someday sit (somewhere after Nabakov). I usually find myself in fiction but recently I've discovered many of my favorite books in the young adult section (I highly recommend The Book Thief and The Hunger Games).

When I first started shopping Through Eyes Like Mine to agents and publishers, a few noted that it might read well as a young adult book. Back then I wasn't so sure, but as this genre continues to expand and sell, well, I think they might be right!  Except that there is no "Young Adult Memoir" genre. There isn't a YA Memoir section at your local book store so I'm not sure where people would look to find my book. Who am I kidding? There's hardly a local bookstore anymore let alone a shelf in the Young Adult Memoirs section.  But you know what, there should be local bookstores and there should be a shelf where adults and young adults alike could find my book in autobiographies, or memoirs, or local authors, or wherever a bookstore might put me.

But before I start reorganizing imaginary local bookstores and establishing new literary genres, I'd like to know what you think.  Where would you shelve Through Eyes Like Mine in your local bookstore or library?

Oh, and if you haven't hunted down a copy just yet, you can go to the on-line bookstore in the sky (Amazon) or you can ask me and I can get you a copy. I'll even sign it for you. I'm all about options.