Beacon Buzz: Praise for Prairie Silence
January 14, 2013
Notable Mentions
Prairie Silence: A Memoir by Melanie Hoffert
Minneapolis Star Tribune review: "Hoffert's bittersweet and compelling memoir recalls her struggles at ending her silence and creating a fuller life for herself.”
St. Paul Pioneer Press review: “ ‘Over the last ten years I have been trying to resolve a seemingly simple dilemma: how to tell the state of North Dakota that I am gay.’ That's the heart of this involving memoir by a woman who grew up on a farm near Wyndmere, N.D.”
Kirkus Reviews: “The author's mostly quiet narrative includes a wealth of haunting images and ideas that will linger long after the last sentence.”
MinnPost: “Melanie Hoffert Writes Her Way Back to North Dakota”
Interview on WUWM’s Lake Effect (Milwaukee)
Shelf Awareness trailer of the day
Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious by Chris Stedman
CNN’s Belief blog: “’Atheist’ Isn’t a Dirty Word”
Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender, and the End of Normal by Jack Halberstam
Popmatters review: “Welcome to the Gagapocalypse”
Fanpire: The Twilight Saga and the Women Who Love It by Tanya Erzen
Religion Dispatches review: "With the release of its final film, Twilight is already being emptied of its religious significance. But it will always have boys without shirts."
The Lonely Solider: The Private War of Women Serving
in Iraq by Helen Benedict
OSCAR NOMINATION FOR THE INVISIBLE WAR, a documentary film inspired in part by Benedict's journalism.
Benedict received the Ida B. Wells Award for Bravery in Journalism from Women’s eNews
Benedict nominated for Womens eNews 21 Leaders for the 21st Century
Coming Soon
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis
Library Journal review Jan 2013: “Verdict: This meticulously researched book is for everyone; advanced middle school and beyond.”
Snob Zones: Fear, Prejudice, and Real Estate by Lisa Prevost
“In Snob Zones, Lisa Prevost elegantly reveals the senselessness of NIMBYism, and the myriad ways in which affluent communities, in the name of self interest, harm themselves and American society. A must-read for people who give a damn and want to gain insights on how we can do better, for ourselves and our children.” -- Sheryll Cashin, author of The Failures of Integration
Divided we Fail: The Story of an African American Community that Ended the Era of School Desegregation by Sarah Garland
Booklist review: “a compelling look at the complexities of race and class in the continued struggle for racial parity and high-quality education.”
Light Without Fire: The Making of America's First Muslim College by Scott Korb
“With the warm generosity of an
attentive host, and the critical yet respectful eye of a keen journalist, Scott
Korb has given us an entertaining and illuminating look into the nation’s first
Muslim college.”
—Wajahat Ali, author of The Domestic Crusaders and
lead author of the investigative report “Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the
Islamophobia Network in America”
“A moving portrait of a little
known but hugely significant coordinate in America’s spiritual geography. For
this journey into the heart of 21st-century Islam, Scott Korb is the perfect
companion—not just a tour guide with ready answers to any question, but a
fellow pilgrim leading the way to deeper understanding. Light Without Fire
is at once a fascinating account of Muslims living their faith in the US, and a
universal story of the call to make tradition new.”
—Peter Manseau, author of Songs for the Butcher’s
Daughter