Author: Jesmyn Ward
Publication Information: Scribner. 2020. 64 pages.
ISBN: 1982131322 / 978-1982131326
Book Source: I listened to the audiobook as a fan of the author's work.
Opening Sentence: "Good morning y'all."
Favorite Quote: "I realized education wasn't one choice. It was a lifetime undertaking."
I have loved Jesmyn Ward's fiction and nonfiction work ever since I was introduced to it through a book club reading Men We Reaped. She was born in California, raised in Mississippi, and now is a professor of creative writing at Tulane. She is the winner of the National Book Award in Fiction and of the MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship. Her books tell compelling, emotional stories. In fiction and nonfiction, Jesmyn Ward contributes to an important conversation - one that I definitely want to be part of. If I had the opportunity to hear her speak, I would definitely take it.
To some extent, that is what this book brings. It is only 64 pages in length. It encapsulates Ms. Ward's 2018 address at the Tulane commencement. The audiobook is eighteen minutes in length and read by the author. The printed book with its beautiful illustrations is clearly designed to be a gift at graduation or other moment of inspiration.
The message of lifelong learning and about doors closing and doors opening is an important one. "Success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step after step after step after step. It requires choice after choice."
The message of your stars is also an important one. We are, each one of us, on our own individual journey. We must identify our destination and then chart our course through our stars.
As designed, the book will make a lovely gift and a reminder to keep on the shelf when we find ourselves going off course or we make the decisions to change course all together.
If reflective, meditative, inspiration is for you, so is this book.
Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.
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