Diane comments in NYT:We often find what we need in the stories we read.
July 22, 2014
I am working with a young woman who never ceases to amaze me with her capacity to feel and act compassionately toward others. And I am also struck on how hard this woman is on herself, with standards she would never inflict on others. My hope was that through the compassion she felt for the characters she met in a story, she would find her wellspring of compassion that could also extend to herself.
Together we read a human-interest story, The Afterlife by Ted Gup, about his experience of losing a 21-year-old son to drugs and alcohol. When the young woman and I were done discussing this piece, I was moved by how she was able to see the contrast between the empathy and compassion she felt for this grieving father and the harsh way the father chose to frame a habit he began in response to his grief.
I was glad to see where this young woman’s thinking took her in response to this story. And I myself wanted to say something to Ted Gup, hence my Letter to the Editor of the NYT (7.15.14)
Once again, I am in awe of how stories teach us to ask the questions we need to ask, to be the best people we can be. Read more>>
A story within a story—the magic of coincidences.
July 14, 2014
I recently had the pleasure of presenting my Conversational Reading approach to a statewide group of CT Librarians. This was a dream come true audience for me since it satisfied a long held fantasy of mine—to know something about what people in my audiences actually do with the ideas I present. As part of the […]
A Reading Fairy Godmother—books open hearts
June 29, 2014
“ Summer Reading for Parents” (WSJ) addresses the challenges parents face in choosing the right book for their child but I see more confusion ahead with the publishing industry’s attempt to label books, hoping to inform parents to make better-informed choices. Here are some simple guidelines to follow. A just right book pairs a child […]
Fathers reading to their chidren
June 15, 2014
While reading an article about how fatherhood informs a writer’s life, I found myself imagining my ideal father. My ideal father would not necessarily have to be capable of writing stories such as The Real Thief and T.H. White’s, The Once and Future King who created Merlin, my dream father, but he would be my […]
Summer Reading
June 4, 2014
According to Chartbeat, 55% of visitors spend fewer than 15 seconds on a website. This statistic has me thinking about what it takes to absorb an idea— 15 seconds is not even enough time to stretch out a muscle let alone ponder and reflect on an idea. Concentration and mindfulness are in short supply when we […]
