Radical Acts of Empathy

Dear Lovelies,

Happy Friday.  How did Jordan do?  Was it fabulous????  I hope you had a good day at school and were able to enjoy your hours of learning.  I certainly missed my normal Friday full of laughter and feeding my brain, but I'm sure you survived.

Jazmin inspired me with her SAS yesterday and I got to thinking of generating a book list for those of you who are interested in further feeding your brain and prepping for the AP Language test...and for life, if you ask me.  There's nothing scarier than an empty mind and an empty soul...

So, if you are inclined, take a lookie loo at the list below and read if you want.  Or not.  These are some of my favorites and they represent a literary canon that is quite reflective of my personal bias as an educated woman of color.  Most of these books and authors were introduced to me by teachers and professors and/or former teachers/professors in my life.

Happy Reading!
Beltran

p.s. - I won't be asking if you read any of these for a grade but for those of you interested in prepping for the exam, I will quote a Cal student who scored a 5 on the exam a couple years ago.  "There is no systematic way to prepare for this test other than to read."  (A few test prep books wouldn't hurt either but the real work is on your shoulders for we can't turn the class into a dungeon of doom...)

A Feed Your Brain/Feed Your Soul Book List

AKA Engaging in Radical Acts of Empathy

Toni Morrison – any novel

Zora Neale Hurston – Their Eyes Were Watching God

Richard Wright – Native Son

Rudolfo Anaya – Bless Me Ultima

Sandra Cisneros – The House on Mango Street

Ha Jin – Waiting

Lorraine Hansberry – A Raisin in the Sun (a play)

Khaled Hosseini – A Thousand Splendid Suns

Gish Jen – Typical American

Jane Smiley – A Thousand Acres

Joyce Carol Oates – We Were the Mulvaneys

Amy Tan – The Joy Luck Club

Barbara Kingsolver – any novel though I’m partial to The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees and Prodigal Summer

Alice Walker – The Color Purple