I haven’t done this in a while. As a refresher, my “5 Things” posts were my way to share things that interest me without creating a bunch of individual posts on social media. I constantly toil in reading and other things, and obsesses about the meaning of it all. It is a small club of those who want to join me in those discussions, so I consolidate these shares for that smaller audience.
Much of my writing the last 10 years has ultimately centered around love, and these 5 Works of Love moved me.
1. Few people can go on late night TV and deliver a solid comedy bit that doubles as a eulogy for her recently deceased mother. But Maria Bamford can do anything. Highly recommend watching the bit (video within the link below), before reading the article.
Maria Bamford’s Incredible Stand-up About Her Mom’s Death (vulture.com)
2. I heard about Foreverland because there was a fuss about the author saying she hates her husband. This interview was so compelling I had to read it. It is the loveliest meditation on a marriage I’ve read to date, especially the part about hating her husband.
Heather Havrilesky on the ‘divine tedium’ of a long marriage | MPR News
3. Imani Perry’s interview on her new book includes a lovely discussion on what it means to raise African American boys in our current climate. “It is not a terror, it’s a gift.”
Imani Perry’s ‘South to America’ reflects on the region’s problematic history : NPR
4. I don’t understand why everyone isn’t a fan of women’s college basketball, but this is a game and a story worth highlighting, even if you don’t share my love of the sport. LSU narrowly beat the much lower seed Jackson State University. LSU Coach Kim Mulkey was a class act in praising the JSU team and coach, but JSU coach Tomekia Reed had a great response on why that wasn’t the compliment Mulkey intended. Great to see a coach with such talent, commitment, and purpose. I cannot wait to see all Reed accomplishes in the years to come.
5. Lastly, Minneapolis Public School teachers have been on strike for most of the last three weeks. As my children near graduation, we have had the great fortune of 13 years of MPS teachers in our lives, and we are better because of their influence. When 97% of 4,500 educators are willing to forfeit their paychecks because of working conditions, I believe their concerns are valid. Thank you, Minneapolis teachers, for holding the line, fighting for educational supports and smaller class sizes, but also working to find a deal so everyone can get back to the classroom. We love you!
Sally Vardaman 