Colbert Nembhard

Friday November 25th New York Times wrote about a Bronx librarian, Colbert Nembhard, a librarian, whose mission it is to help homeless children develop a love of books. How can that happen when these same children do not even have a home?. At the Crotona Inn Homeless shelter, he has opened a library, so books can be a constant in these young children's lives. In eight years he has signed on countless children and parents for library cards. The children love him and--as far as I am concerned--this is the meaning of the word, hero.

When There is a Will, There is a Way

Are domestic responsibilities at odds with being a great writer? I am not certain, since I write; I love to write; I have been writing my whole life, but I am not regarded as a great writer. My children never stopped me; in fact, they enhanced me, since I realized how precious time was, and this made me get down to business when they napped or when they went to school. There was no room for procrastination. In the NYT Book Review, two writers, both of whom have children--Siddhartha Deb (a single father) and Dana Stevens, discuss that there are some people who do whatever work possible in whatever circumstances they find themselves in. Dana Stevens finds herself able to write with an unknown but truly impressive quantity of rainbow sequins scattered across the floor. When my children were little, I hated the clutter, but it did not derail me from getting my work done. There is a cliche--when there is a will, there is a way. I always had the will, so I always found the way!

Taking Words Seriously

As a writer, I feel like whatever I say and use in my text matters. It is not like I have misused words (and sentiments), but I try not to. I try to keep meanness to a minimum, though I am sometimes guilty of not succeeding.

This is one--among many reasons--Donald Trump's presidency presents too many problems. He has said he would give his business to his children to operate, and he is already using the presidential platform as a means to enhance his millions (God knows how much he owns, since this is one area he has remained mute). He says he is against climate change one minute, and the next minute admits there is a possibility it is real. When his golf course in Florida floods, he might feel differently. He also says overturning Roe Vs. Wade is not a problem-handing it over to the states, since women can easily go to another state to have an abortion. Easily? Does he understand a poor, pregnant woman does not have the means to take a plane to NYC to take care of medical matters, particularly if she lives in the middle of the country?

What you say matters, Mr. Trump. Unless you are so far removed from reality, you need to get that there are some people out there who will listen to your words, and try to make sense of them.

I, for one, am not one of them. Once you ignited fire at your rallies by using divisive and dismissive words; once you made fun of a disabled reporter; once you said derogatory words about women, immigrants, Blacks and Latinos, I realized I could never take your words seriously, ever.

You are living proof that not everyone takes WORDS as seriously as I do. You can call yourself president, but sorry, the Emperor is way more naked than anyone who has come before him.

Great News From Fortify Rights!

Great News! In a news release given by Fortify Rights on November 25th, 2016, two environmental defenders, who were previously charged trespassing on an open-pit gold mine, were acquitted of all charges. Because of insufficient evidence that Tungkum Limited possessed the land at the time of the incident, charges had to be dropped. For more information on this decision, please visit http://www.fortifyrights.org/publication-20161125.html

Standing Up For What is Right

I want to feel positive. I want to wake up feeling better. I want to believe maybe Trump will not be as bad as we imagine. But then Trump selects his cabinet: "A man associated with white supremacy and misogyny as the White House strategist; a man rejected for a judgeship because of alleged racism will be attorney general and an Islamophobe who has taken money from Moscow as a national security advisor." (Kristof, 11, NYT, 10/20). Not encouraging.

I have signed up for the Muslim Registry in the event they decide to deport and question Muslims in this country, many of whom are my students and friends. I went to a Muslim wedding just the other week. And I said, when people questioned me, I understand the Civil Rights movement, how people were willing to go to jail for a cause, and yes, I am not Black, but does it matter? How many Whites marched to Birmingham alongside Martin Luther King; how many Jews ended up in jail, since once upon a time, Jews stood up for human rights, since they understood them intimately; they had suffered the elimination of six million relatives in the Holocaust.

The older I get, the less frightened I become. I am becoming that little girl told by her father (mine) that I could do and be anything; that the world was my oyster, that-according to Franklin D. Roosevelt, "The only thing to fear is fear itself."

I feel fearless in the face of social injustice, since what do I have but my voice? If that sends me to jail, so be it, though I still believe that would never happen. As an only child, I have many brothers and sisters in the world to defend, and defend them I will, and I can only pray some kind God up there will defend and commend me for standing up for what I believe in!

South Carolina by Jacqueline Woodson

This piece in the Sunday magazine section of the New York Times brought me to tears, how Jacqueline Woodson, famed author of the National Book Award winner BROWN GIRL DREAMING, among other significant children's books, talked about waking up and the grief of her son's down-cast form when he heard the result of the election. He is eight. He has only known a Black president. His response, "This wasn't supposed to happen."

And what does his Mama say to him? "It was time to tell him the deeper truths of our country. It would be time to tell him what I saw this year: the Confederate flags in my own childhood home of South Carolina and in Alabama, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Virginia, Georgia-even in his home state of New York. It would soon be time to tell him that this country's earliest history is one of unkindness. That the blood of his ancestors was expendable, priced along with stocks of cotton and gold. Will they really build a wall? he asked. Will they really send my friends away?" But then she concludes with the positive-you have always made a way out of no way. We'll get through this."

I pray!

A Message from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

November 20, 2016

A Message from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Dear Students:

After the harsh and ugly rhetoric of the campaign, many of you are concerned about what might happen next.

Let me be clear: This is the State of New York, not a state of fear. We will not tolerate hate or racism.

We have been and always will be a place where people of many backgrounds have come to seek freedom and opportunity. Almost all who live here can trace their roots to someplace else.

We cherish our diversity. We find strength in our differences. Whether you are gay or straight, Muslim or Christian or Jewish or Buddhist, rich or poor, black or white or Latino or Asian, man or woman, cisgender or transgender, we respect all people in the State of New York.

The Statue of Liberty is a proud symbol of American values, and she stands in our harbor. We feel a special responsibility to make her offer of refuge and hope a reality every day.

As long as you are here, you are New Yorkers. You are members of our community, and we will stand up for you.

The State of New York has strict laws against hate crimes and discrimination and we fully and firmly enforce them. It is illegal in this state to target, harass or discriminate against a person because of his or her race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation. We are a tolerant people, and cannot and will not let our freedoms be undermined. ​

New York State has a toll-free hotline where people can report incidents of bias and discrimination. Our responsibility is to protect all who are here, whether native-born or immigrant, whether documented or not. The hotline strengthens our efforts. Contacting us will not affect your immigration status.

New Yorkers who have experienced bias or discrimination should call the toll-free hotline at (888) 392-3644 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.

If you want to report a crime or fear for your safety, call 911 immediately.

New Yorkers feel a particular affection for young immigrants. For centuries, our state has thrived on the energy and ambition of the young people seeking to build their lives here. Your intelligence, your creativity, your idealism enriches us all. You are welcome here.

Sincerely,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Poem About Trump

Trembling Ghosts

It didn’t matter

that women were silly putty

shaped in your hands,

discarded;

nor did it matter

that this Muslim had a name-Assad,

and a wife and a daughter

who whispered American dreams.

The only America you know

was your brand-

big, blustering, bombastic words:

“Make America great again”

worn on your silly baseball hat,

forgetting America

is the Mexican

standing by the wall,

(built by whom?)

and who to keep out:

my Holocaust ancestors

the Irish and the poverty of potatoes

the Sudanese lost boy who has walked

miles in the blazing hot desert,

the Syrian doctor

whose children were doused to death

with chemicals,

the African Americans, who once were slaves,

and if some have their way

in this topsy-turvy law and order world,

will be slaves once again.

The ghosts and skeletons

burned and buried

tremor in disbelief:

This is not America.

America is not free.

“America never was

America to me.” (*)

Langston Hughes

Book Giveaway!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Ronit & Jamil

by Pamela L. Laskin

Giveaway ends February 28, 2017.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Happy Birthday, Samantha

Happy birthday, Samantha. Dad and I feel we have been blessed with terrific children, and this has helped us get through these hard days, post-election. And today is your birthday, so this is what I (we) have to say. I need to tell you, when I look at you I marvel and muse: how did I get a daughter like you? You are the quintessential do-gooder, values Dad and I have given you, but you take it to another plane.  You have already been to Namibia to teach, on a search and rescue mission on the Adaman Sea, and working for Capital Appeals Project in New Orleans. This summer you will be working for ACLU. To say we are proud of your convictions, your moral compass, is an understatement. You are the quintessential idealist, and make us daily want to be better people. Changing the pronoun to WE, since Dad feels the same way. We admire your fire, your passion, the causes you advocate for. But today, your birthday, there are other things which make us proud: your sense of humor; your love of family; your generosity and your warmth. A smart person once told me, when you go to sleep at night you have to feel you have made the world a better place, even in some small way. Samantha, you have made the world a better place in so many small and big ways. On this day we wish you the world-and more. We love you! Mom and Dad

Idealism

I am a proud idealist. In my twenties, I was extraordinarily idealistic, going to marches, fighting for different causes, but then I had children, worked hard and grew complacent. I was just too busy.

Now, I feel on fire again. Working as a teacher with young people helps. They are on fire; they are motivated. They want to see a better world, and they are not often self-serving. I am a proud parent of children who are decent people. And I am finding myself caring about important causes in much the same way I did when I was younger. I am grateful to be married to a man who has worked in healthcare in an inner city hospital his whole life, one who feels Obamacare was as good as it could have been, considering how obstructionist the Republicans have been. He loved President Obama the way I did, and I feel he has grown increasingly more liberal with time.

I have wonderful friends and family, all of whom are liberal the way I am-and poised for the fight. Samantha, I have YOU to thank for the ferocity of your convictions and idealism; you daily make me a better person. When I ask my husband where Samantha came from, he answers, with pride, "from you!"  And this will be the fire that guides me. All of you, thank you; you are woven in my heart!

ECONOMICS

I do not profess to know as much as I should. My colleague, who knows a lot, has already told me the Trump presidency will force her to work a few more years, and she is now already past 65. Our pensions will suffer, she has told me, and I believe her. In Friday's NYT, Stephen Ratner, a Wall Street economist, has said TRUMP Economics: FIRST: DO HARM. Interest rates on treasuries have already risen.The Affordable Health Act-gone-but what will it be replaced with-Medicare. Where is the money coming from? He will not tax the rich, since many of those are his core voters. Do not forget, he has not paid taxes for how many years? And then he quotes: "Mr Trump's single issue was immigration, where he promised deportation. Immigrants, including undocumented workers, play an important role in our economy, doing jobs that many native born won't, and PAYING TAXES. His deportation plan will cost four hundred to six hundred billion."

Aside from the clear and apparent DAMAGE he is doing to our economy, I want to ask his voters: were you a child or grandchild of an immigrant? What if post War-War II-or after the Russian programs-your family was told there was no room for you on American shores? That was, after all, the LASKIN legacy. My grandpa Sol, bless his soul, was a Zionist and a Socialist.

But my grandfather was lucky, that the world was a kinder, more compassionate place then. Now? If not for my very wonderful immediate family, I would leave this country. My money would be better served somewhere else.

Thoughts for the Horrified: Paul Krugman: NYT, November 11th, 2016

I am horrified. I am mortified. I am crying. And Paul Krugman is saying so much of what I believe that this emperor is SO NAKED. And so I quote: "Remember, that elections determine who gets the power, not who offers the truth. The Trump campaign was unprecedented in its dishonesty; the fact that the lies didn't exact a political price, that they even resonated with a large bloc of votes doesn't make them any less false. No, our inner cities aren't war zones with record crime. No, we are not in the highest taxed nation in the world. No, climate change isn't a hoax promoted by the Chinese. Once you get past the lies, everyone has to face up to the unpleasant reality that a Trump administration will do immense damage to America and the world."

I am terrified, and I do not need Paul Krugman to tell me, for example, the climate damage a Trump administration may spell out may be irreversible. And the supreme court. And the way we are seen in the world.

I am mortified, embarrassed and depressed. I continue to wear a safety-pin to indicate a nationwide appeal-You are pinned, in safety, to like-minded people. This is not about race, class or economics. It is about VALUES. If yours are mine, I am with you all the way!

Never doubt...

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Presidential Nominee, 2016

"Never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue your dreams."

Ella, the world is your oyster. Dream on; your family will support you and support a better world for you!

Proud Mama and the ACLU

Guess where my daughter is working this summer? THE ACLU. Guess who took out a full-page ad in the NYT on November 11th? The ACLU. So proud of her and her commitment to social justice. So proud of my children, period, for what they are about. So proud of this organization. So they have said, in the ad, all of Trump's promises: to amass a deportation force to remove 11 million undocumented immigrants to ban the entry of Muslims and to institute aggressive surveillance programs targeting them; to restrict the right for a woman to have an abortion; to reauthorize water boarding and other forms of torture; to change the nation's libel laws and restrict freedom of expression, are un-American, wrong-headed and-more importantly, unlawful and unconstitutional. ACLU will fight them and so will the many people in this great nation who still believe that human life and law is sacred.

What is Your Moral Compass?

Everyone has to have one. When you go to sleep at night, you have to think, what have I done to make the world a better place? This means that you have to have inner convictions. The statement resonates: If you stand for nothing, you fall for everything.

My daughter asks: How could a woman vote for Trump? That is a conviction. In our discussion what emerges is it is not okay to denigrate women and grope them for recreational leisure. No one should behave this way. And now, this is our president.

The issue runs deeper. What about denigrating others? When my children were little, if they bad-mouthed people or attempted to bully, they were punished. I had higher expectations for them. I expected for them to become moral citizens of the world, which they have become. The debates were a mockery of civil behavior, when Trump started discussing the size of people's hands.

Yes, what if the president of your country is not civil?  What is he has a son who compares immigrants to Skittles? Then what? I have heard elementary school students crying because their president is a mean man. "Will he get punished, Mommy?" a young boy asks his mother, my colleague. And the answer is no-no consequences. How can that be? My grief is about my naive assumption that there are HUGE consequences for bad behavior. Religious leaders-the pope-has reiterated people just don't speak that way; no one does, no one should.

Or perhaps, others do, and Trump has given license to an amoral world, where it is okay to speak language which incites. The consequence? Getting elected to a presidential office-a narcissist's dream of power. And half our country put him in this place. CONVICTIONS? MORAL COMPASS? 

Tell that to your children when you put them to sleep at night, then look yourself in the mirror.

Baltimore

Went to Baltimore to a friend's wedding and spent a few days seeing the city. Wow! The architecture was just spectacular. I saw brownstones the likes of which I had never seen before. We visited the aquarium, which I would say rivals the one in Boston, and I could not believe how mesmerized I was by the fish. We walked miles, passing John Hopkins University-a spectacle in itself, and finally landing at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where we saw an amazing exhibit: The work of Matisse and Diebenkorn, an American artist inspired by Matisse. Such a wonderful weekend in so many ways, including the wedding, which I will write about next.

Ghost by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just finished the most spectacular middle-grade fiction, GHOST by Jason Reynolds, nominated as a National Book Award finalist. It is a book about running, but running as in the metaphor of "running away from." GHOST, whose real name is Castle Crenshaw, ends up on the track team, since the coach spots an extraordinary talent in the young boy who faces challenges in school and in life. With his Dad in jail, he harbors a frightening secret, which manifests itself in unbridled anger. His coach recognizes Ghost's rage, but also something else-desire-to shed his secrets, to belong, to be freed up from the "baggage" which haunts him. Told in gritty, authentic diction, GHOST promises to cut to the chase with a voice at once sparking and always wholly real!


View all my reviews

Kirkus Review

So excited to have RONIT AND JAMIL reviewed by Kirkus! Check it out: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pamela-l-laskin/ronit-jamil/

Marilyn Nelson

A strange beautiful woman

   met me the other night in the mirror.

   Hey,

   I said

   What are you doing here?

   She asked me

   the same thing.

    Marilyn Nelson

I see this wonderful poem, but a poet whose work I love, so many times on the train. It always makes me happy!

Exciting RONIT AND JAMIL Events

Many wonderful events are starting to happen regarding the publication of RONIT AND JAMIL, due out February 21st, 2017. First of all, the book has been getting some good preliminary reviews. Secondly, I have been holding auditions for a staged reading of the book, to be held at Aaron Davis Hall at City College on February 28th. I am already scheduling two book launches, ones in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan; I will be a featured reader at a Women Writers in Bloom series and also a Turnstyle read at CCNY's Graduate Center. I am scheduled for May 4th to be part of the Presidential Conversation, Politics and Social Issues in Young Adult Literature. And finally, there will be two young adult panels, in which I am the moderator, both at AWP, Washington, DC. I feel my hard work and perseverance has paid off. I am excited for the next chapter to begin. Follow me at twitter@RonitandJamil for updates!

13th

Last night Ira and I saw the most amazing documentary about the criminal justice system directed by Ana DuVernay, 13th, which refers to the 13th amendment. It is centered on race in America, and features interviews with such notables at Henry Louis Gates Jr., Jelani Cobb, Angela Davis and Bryan Stevenson. It is powerful, overwhelming, frightening and brings to the forefront things we know about racial inequality, but makes it so much more real. What is so terrifying is though it is a historical perspective, the racial imbalance does not seem so much better than it was, let's say, in the sixties. In addition to enjoying the film, (and learning from it) this made me so admiring of the work my daughter is doing on behalf of our challenged prison system. This is a must see film and you can see it on Nextflix.

Pushing the Envelope

The other day I came home from babysitting and proceeded to talk to my husband, Ira, about some memories I had from when I was young. Some of these were stories my father told me, since how could I possibly remember when I was two. These stories were so relevant, since I was the toddler who was friendly, outgoing, loved to sing and dance and was told I was very funny. I see these same qualities in Ella; she always makes me laugh. And she loves when I sing, the only one in my family who does, since I can no longer sing well. And when I sing, she dances. I was also told, I was not always a great rule follower, though I was a "good girl", a quality I also see in Ella. Interestingly, I lost some of those qualities when I was growing up, but they have returned as an "older" adult, simply because I am less afraid of being myself, and I am that outgoing, somewhat fearless, somewhat kooky little girl-grown up. I am hoping Ella continues to be who she is, and the world does not diminish her fearlessness and individuality; it is such a wonderful quality. My guess is she might be able to maintain her individuality for a very long time, perhaps forever, since she is a very loved child. I, too, was loved, but my family circumstances were NOT good growing up, so I had to keep my personality under wrap much more. Nevertheless, I still recall trying out for Bye, Bye Birdie in middle school, belting out the song and thinking I would get the lead, which I did not. I also recall being wait-listed for Binghamton in college, and sending them the portfolio of my writing, insisting they should take me off of the wait list, since I had talent as a writer. It worked! I am not saying it always works to push the envelope, but sometimes it does, and what is important is to feel free up enough to be yourself.

I am myself again, now that I am sixty. Ella, always to thine own self be true, since what you have is truly remarkable. And you are so loved by your parents and everyone else who comes in contact with you! Lucky little girl and lucky for the people around you!

Marilyn Nelson--Winner of Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature

Excited to report that Marilyn Nelson, a poet and children's book author, has just won the Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature. this is a HUGE award, akin to the Nobel Prize in literature. It is international in scope, and acknowledges authors who have generated a significant body of work. Not only is Marilyn a wonderful poet (she was our featured guest poet for Outreach in 2016), but she is a wonderful children's book author, which is what this award is for! When I teach A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL in my graduate children's writing class, the students are crying and so am I, even though I have read it dozens of times before. This book is a royal crown of sonnets, and was ground-breaking when it first came out; it challenged the way in which YA stories could be told. What a story teller! What a mensch! What a talented and amazing artist! So proud of Marilyn Nelson!

Two Must-See Plays

Saw two amazing plays this past weekend. I need to start with FALSETTOS, which I had seen over thirty years ago-off-Broadway, and as two separate plays. Lincoln Center theater decided to combine the two pieces and create one longer work, which celebrates love in the time of AIDS. Given its historic context, I had feared that the play would not be as relevant. The play was revolutionary in its time, with its focus on one Jewish family where the father leaves to start a relationship with a man, but his partner becomes part of one big, extended family. The concept of family not necessarily being those biologically related and learning to open up your mind and heart are just as relevant today as they were decades ago, for a different reason. Now our world is so divisive, that it is always crucial to realize love still matters, even when a family is split apart. And the children, somehow, survive when that love is significant in the equation. 

The other play, KINGDOM COME, is at the Roundabout Theater Company, and is about love, but also loneliness. Two lonely women, cut off from the world for different reasons, form an online attachment, and grow extraordinary close, but with fictional identities. This is a story about alienation, affection, despair, but also happiness-how everyone exists in her own world with so much painful longing. It is poignant, funny, tragic and so well-acted. I laughed and cried and it always felt authentic, real in a way only good dramatic theater can be!