Heal the World

Discrimination in race, age, and s*x is evident up until today. In The National in the Global by Anne Margarete Ong, you will witness the constant struggle of each individual as they are faced with a dilemma of whether to conform or abstain the dictates of society.

As an individual, student, teacher, friend, family, oppressor, or oppressed, how do you feel that despite all the actions taken to eradicate inequality amongst people these actions still remain ineffective?

LINK: http://tinyurl.com/TheNationalintheGlobal

This story of "The Sacrificial Egg" by Chinua Achebe is about a young African boy named Julius Obi, and the arising conflicts between two cultures. Achebe, uses these two very different cultures to demonstrate the clash it produces in this young men’s life and, how no matter how hard he has embraced the western culture he was always going to go back to his own beliefs.

The story is portrayed unrealistically. However, many cultures around the world still believe in the spiritual side of illnesses and diseases.

Please take the time to read and reflect on the story that takes place in a very small village in Africa called Umuru.

Immigrants.

Edward Said, most known for his book Orientalism, exploring the perceptions of the West on the East still has a fair share of his own followers despite his death in 2003. His writings are still currently being discussed and openly explored in many academic circles. However, like many writers his works, while typically discussed in a positive manner, have also been critiqued by a various number of literaries as well.

This article by New Humanist explores these criticisms. Politics, ideologies, and literary leanings all coincide to form opinions against the work of Said. While Said’s concept are currently relevant, there is importance in exploring every square of the spectrum in order to make clear the picture. Go through the link to find out more.

https://newhumanist.org.uk/1908

Dangerous mind?

Meetup.

Poet, professor, novelist, and critic, Chinua Achebe still stands as one of the major literary authors of the present despite his recent death in 2013. Winning the Man Booker International Prize in 2007, his major works include many of which are read as some of the most recognized in Nigerian literature. In addition, his writing includes heavily illustrations of the oral traditions of the Igbo people and African culture. As such, he interweaves a number of folk tales into the fabric of his stories. For example, in his short story The Sacrificial Egg, the perceptions of African natives on colonialism and the spread of infectious diseases throughout the continent were explored.

In this excerpt 1994 article by Paris Review, Chinua Achebe was written about and interviewed on his thoughts during that moment in time as well as his past history as a writer and professor. Go through the link to explore further.

https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1720/chinua-achebe-the-art-of-fiction-no-139-chinua-achebe

Chinua Achebe, The Art of Fiction No. 139   Chinua Achebe was born in Eastern Nigeria in 1930. He went to the local public schools and was among the first students to graduate from the University of Ibadan. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation as a radio producer and Director of External Broadcasting...

Poet and novelist, Naomi Shihab Nye was born in St. Louis Missouri in 1952 and is now a published author of 30 books, all of which include collections of poetry, short stories, children’s literature, and novels. In 2014 she received the NSK Neustadt Prize for children’s literature and continues to write today. Throughout her writings she has explored her experiences growing up as a child of a Palestinian father and American mother and how the mixture of her cultural identity affects her and how that situation is present in many households as well.

In the article below, San Antonio Express released an article on Nye and her career, including some quotes from herself and a number of her colleagues. Go through the link below to explore the article.

https://goo.gl/H5P6xv

Naomi Shihab Nye a bright light of S.A. lit Naomi Shihab Nye has since published some 30 books — without a literary agent, she points out — including poetry collections, short stories, novels, children's and young-adult literature, and essays.

Dead.

Edward Said was a professor of literature at Columbia University and a prolific writer. Being a cultural critic, he is most known for his book Orientalism where he critiques the cultural representations of how Western Society perceives the orient. Here in this article, the Nation, reposts one of Said’s essays from 1998 regarding how the West perceives Islam. Included in the article is Western media’s obsession with Islam, Orientalist reactions to it, and the implications of these perceptions. Delve deeper into the thoughts of Edward Said by clicking the link below.

https://www.thenation.com/article/islam-through-western-eyes/

Islam Through Western Eyes

Feminist, gay activist, and writer, Gloria Anzaldua was and is currently still one of the leading landmarks of present day literature. Known most for her 1987 book Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, she explores a reflective imagery of her immigrant past and her identity as a Hispanic-American le***an. While she has passed away, her work is still continually being studied and quoted today. Moreover, given the circumstances of today’s socio-political environment, her writings have become ever so relevant.

This 2017 article by ThoughtCo, a reference cite with a collection of over 40,000 articles written by multiple writers explores Anzaldua’s background and her prolific writing career. Delve yourself deeper into her world by going to the link below.

https://www.thoughtco.com/gloria-anzaldua-3529033

Gloria Anzaldua: Multi-Identity Chicana Feminist Writer Read about Gloria Anzaldua, self-described Chicana, Tejana, le***an, feminist poet, writer and educator whose work won many awards.

When colonization hits hard.

In this excerpt, PBS interviews Naomi Shihab Nye, an active prolific author of poetry, children’s fiction, and novels. Here she explores poetry and how it can be used to connect individuals regardless of culture, nationality, or ethnicity. Through stories and insightful words, Nye detailedly delves into mutual desires and needs of people despite cultural differences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUp5zfUJyDQ

Extended Interview: Naomi Shihab Nye For more poetry coverage, visit our Poetry Series page: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/entertainment/poetry/ Poet Naomi Shihab Nye talks more a...

Brexit?

Edward Said, a prolific writer and cultural critic, known best for his work on Orientalism, is explored in this short video excerpt. His thoughts regarding the politics of stereotypes in the media, the narrative of colonialism, and the representation of the East is delved into. With the power to represent their colonial ‘other’ the West has, and at times currently is, doing so. Go through the link to explore further.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QYrAqrpshw

Edward Said - Framed: The Politics of Stereotypes in News Palestinian-American literary historian Edward Said showed how the West had the power to represent the colonial ‘other’ - while simultaneously leaving them s...

In this 2008 interview by PBS, Chinua Achebe, author of the world renowned book Things Fall Apart, discusses his career and the impact he strived to make. He explores his past, his career, and what led him on his work in literature and the exploration of culture. Moreover, his work and writings have been and still are currently relevant. As such, his works are still academically studied in the present. Go through the link to watch the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHF_w0gkyiI

Achebe Discusses Africa 50 Years After 'Things Fall Apart' A half century after Chinua Achebe penned 'Things Fall Apart', Jeffrey Brown discusses Africa's ongoing story with the famed author. Originally aired May 27,...

A new century leads to new experiences. The increasing rise of globalization in the 21st century has lead to new identities, some of which have been molded by a combination of two concurrent cultures. Individuals born as a mixture of ethnicities are coming to terms with cultural expectations and stereotypes.

Michelle Navarro, a professor of history at Richland College speaks about ethnic marginalization and its challenging experience. Navarro, currently earning a doctorate focusing on Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies, explains ways to courageously come to face with these situations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSsK9kiYsQ

Moving Beyond the Chicano Borderlands | Michelle Navarro | TEDxMountainViewCollege Ethnic marginalization can be a challenging experience. This talk will explore ways to courageously mold an ethic identity that transcends cultural expectati...

From mispronouncing his name to admiring his great works, Johann von Goethe was a critical individual in shaping literature as we know it. A literary celebrity in his 20's and a legend on his own rights upon death, his extensive works and evident creativity was and is still being extensively studied today.

But who is he? And why is he so important to literature as we know it? This video explores his life and works and why he is so very much revered.

LITERATURE - Goethe Goethe is one of the great minds of European civilisation, though his work is largely unknown outside of the German speaking countries. He deserves our renew...