April 2021
Some excellent anti-racism reads, a delectable spring soup, and a variety of links from throughout the internet
Hi friends,
I hope your April showers are actively sowing May flowers. Around here, Jackson is now fully vaccinated and I will be, too, come Tuesday! Yay science! Another wild thing? This is the twelfth issue of From Holly, meaning I’ve been landing in your inbox for a year now. I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about my reading and cooking adventures and maybe found something useful amongst my miscellaneous links.
Thanks for being here,
Holly
Bookshelf
It was a mixed bag reading month with a few notable non-fictions. I’m halfway to my reading goal for the year!
Reads in April
White Tears / Brown Scars by Ruby Hamad | ★★★★★
This book is excellent. Ruby Hamad writes with clarity and conviction about the ways that White Feminism has failed to honor the needs — both material and emotional — of women of color around the world. She incorporates significant historical lessons about white women’s roles in oppressive systems over time and how white tears are regularly weaponized to silence (or even endanger) the marginalized. She also shares a number of personal anecdotes and interviews that further accentuate her point. Someone described this to me as Hood Feminism 201, and I think that’s an apt characterization. I strongly recommend this read if you are interested in anti-racism work, especially if you’ve already started doing some learning in the area.
Dear White Peacemakers by Osheta Moore | ★★★★★
* Publishing May 18th, 2021
I’m honored to be a part of Osheta Moore’s launch team for her forthcoming book, Dear White Peacemakers. Osheta is a Black activist & pastor based in the Twin Cities. Her book discusses her approach to anti-racism and invites in white people who wish to be part of robust change. Rooting all of her work in the concept of the Beloved Community, Osheta is remarkably grace-filled and honest as she shares her journey and her dreams. It’s the sort of book that leaves you feeling cared for and empowered to be part of good trouble. I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite quotes on my bookstagram account over the next few weeks leading up to publication day, if you’d like an idea of what the book is like.
The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny | ★★★★☆
The fifth installment in the Inspector Gamache series did not disappoint. This one returns to Three Pines when a body is found in the bistro off the town square. If you haven’t heard me talk about the series before, Louise Penny writes murder mysteries based in the Eastern Townships of Canada. The main character, Inspector Gamache, is an attentive, compassionate unravels the mystery while also bringing out truths about the people around him. The books are a delight and I cannot wait to read the next one.
Lookout: Love, Solitude, and Searching for Wildfire in the Boreal Forest by Trina Moyles | ★★★☆☆
This memoir tells the story of Trina Moyles who, after about a decade in the international development sector and three years living in Uganda, returns to her home country in hopes of carving out a life for her and her fiancé. Moyles takes a job in Northern Alberta as a fire tower lookout, and uses the book to reflect on her experience scanning the horizon for smoke and sorting though her needs and priorities. From a nature writing perspective, the book is lovely and descriptive. I also learned quite a bit about life as a fire tower lookout. That said, I felt the memoir fell flat, like one that was written too soon. Moyles rarely owns her decisions, sometimes feigning vulnerability without actually being particularly vulnerable. I also listened to this as an audiobook on LibroFM, and though I usually like when authors read their own books, I found Moyles performance a little grating. Overall, not a bad book, but not one I’d readily recommend.
Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan | ★★★★☆
This is a charming, fable-like novel follows the lives of a small rural mountain community in Armenia. Translated from the original Russian, Three Apples Fell from the Sky is melodic and atmospheric, telling the intertwined stories of the elderly population as they uphold traditions and support one another even after countless years of tragedy. This is definitely a character-driven novel with a loose, slow plot and a couple spatterings of magical realism to move the story along. The various townsfolk are gossipy, eccentric, superstitious, and deeply caring. I enjoyed the tender storytelling about this adorable little town.
For regular posts & reviews, follow along at @fromhollysbookshelf and in my Bookshop storefront. For my monthly staff picks, visit my WORD page.
*Note: Links listed above are to Bookshop, where I'm an affiliate. I make a small commission off any purchases using those links, and Bookshop uses its profits to support local bookstores. If you have a favorite indie shop, please purchase from them instead!
Kitchen
Continue soup obsession, but make it springy! This soup is super flavorful and goes great with a fresh loaf of sourdough bread.
Asparagus & Fennel Soup
From Cooking for Jeffrey | Serves 6-8
Ingredients
• 2.5 Tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 5 cups fennel, tops & cores removed, 3/4-inch diced (approx. 2 fennel bulbs)
• 3 cups leeks, white and light green parts, chopped (approx. 2 leeks)
• 2.5 cups yellow onions, chopped
• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed
• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 8 cups good chicken stock
• 3 large sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
• 2 Tbsp Pernod liqueur (Note from Holly: we sometimes skip this and only use if we have some on hand already!)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Grated Parmesan
Directions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the fennel, leeks, and onions.
Cut off 8 (2-inch) tips from the asparagus and reserve. Slice the remaining stalks 1/2-inch crosswise and add to the pot. Cook the vegetables for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender.
Add the rice to the vegetables and pour in the stock. Add the thyme bundle, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is very tender. Off the heat, stir in the basil and Pernod. Fish out & discard the thyme bundle.
Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the reserved asparagus tips. Cook for 2 minutes, drain, and transfer into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
Once the soup has cooled slightly, puree with an immersion blender (or a regular blender, working in batches). Stir in the half-and-half. Taste for seasonings, and reheat over low heat. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with leftover julienned basil, Parmesan, and a blanched asparagus tip.
For snippets of my home cooking with occasional tips & recipes, follow along at @fromhollyskitchen.
Miscellany
Mother’s Day is in a few weeks! I’m on the board of a nonprofit called Rise and one of our annual fundraisers is via cards for this holiday. If you’re interested in supporting, you can learn more here. You get a digital download that you can print at home or use Ink Cards to send. There are options for all sorts of relationships and situations.
Don Norman, one of the founders of the field of usability (my nerdy wheelhouse), wrote about how present-day design is particularly frustrating and does disservice to our ever-aging population.
I found this piece by Anne Helen Peterson particularly prescient: the ‘capitalism is broken’ economy.
Know any educators? WORD is celebrating Teachers Appreciation in May by helping to fulfill wishlists for classroom books (a thing I wish didn’t have to exist in the first place, but alas). Pass it along to anyone who you think might benefit!
Professor Esau McCaulley wrote a powerful piece about talking to his kids about the Derek Chauvin verdict.
A couple moments of whimsy for you this month: A mafia man is brought down by his love of cooking & this giggle-worthy explanation of how the mRNA vaccine works!
Thanks for being a part of this little community. See you next month.
Warmly,
Holly
P.S. Twyla says hi.
Oh, Twy! How sweet!