If you've been following me, you may already know that I have a history of chronic illness. COVID wasn't kind to me, and it left me with functional neurological disorder, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and small fiber neuropathy. These are all conditions that will probably never go away, but I'm working toward improved symptom management.

I've been spending some time putting together a small collection of children's books for our son. He's only four weeks old, but our household likes to read, so we are readying our home for one more reader. On nights when he gets a little fussy, I pull one of the books off the shelf to read to him. The most recent one I read was Black Boy Magic by Tex Stanly.

As of writing this, All Boys Aren't Blue has been banned or challenged at least 86 times! Let's take a few mintues to explore some of the themes discussed by this book.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a popular, live-action Marvel miniseries that introduces Sam Wilson as the next Captain America and his journey to taking on the mantel. It's been recognized for it's efforts to address the nuances of being a Black American and a superhero. But there's another character named in the title. Although it's rarely addressed, the Winter Soldier also represents certain minority groups - disability and queerness. In this essay, I discuss how The Falcon and the Winter Soldier deals with these two communities -- if at all.

** Please note that this essay most definitely contains spoilers for the 2024 television miniseries, The Penguin.

***Please note, this essay most definitely contains spoilers for the mini series, Agatha All Along.

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya won the Premio Quinto Sol National Chicano Literary Award and is considered a classic work of Chicano literature, but it has also consistently made the American Library Association’s list of most frequently banned books. At least one ban of this book resulted in the burning of this book. In this essay, I share some of my thoughts about Bless Me, Ultima, and I welcome you to share your own thoughts. Please be respectful in the comment section. Thanks!

Pour One for the Devil is a Gothic novella written by Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. A student of the Gullah language and a lecturer on indigenous American history, Dr. Van Vierlans is invited to speak to an historical society on the nature of certain shell circles located on an island off the coast of South Carolina. His host, Miss Lizzie would be at home in the antebellum South, the descendant of wealthy plantation owners. She even expects the three Black, Gullah women she employs as cooks and housekeepers to dress and act in a manner reminiscent of abject servitude. The Gullah women, though they humor her by dressing the part, have commanding presences and speak with confidence. It's an odd environment for Van Vierlans to navigate as a stranger, made worse by the Devil who visits him in his dreams and makes bids for his soul. As he gets deeper into his stay in Miss Lizzie's plantation house, he gets sucked into the house's secrets and caught between these four, strange women and the Devil who wants his soul.

I finally read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. In this blog post, I discuss some of my thoughts on the book. Share your own thoughts about this book in the comments (please be respectful). This book deals with difficult mental health topics including suicide. Please keep this in mind as you decide if and when to read the book as well as this essay. Below, are some mental health resources in case you or someone you know are in need of them.

I recently read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. This science fiction book uses alien encounters as a way to delve into a discussion of gender, social constructs, and identities. These are really complex topics that we regularly discuss as a society today, so let’s talk about The Left Hand of Darkness and its place in the conversation.

Before we begin, it’s important for me to mention that, although I am a member of the disability community, I am neither blind nor have low vision. So, I’ll be sticking a little more to what I know in regards to the disability umbrella, but I’ll do my best to refer to blind sources when I’m talking specifics. And, if you’d like to read further on this topic, please visit the sources I have listed.