May 2021
The memoir of a remarkable Kenyan activist, a delicious raspberry dessert, and some organizations that could use your donations
Hi friends,
I’m a week late with my monthly newsletter, but I have been busy with two delightful weddings of two dear friends in which I had the honor of being a bridesmaid. Now that I’m done with a whirlwind few weeks, I’m getting my ducks in order including getting my newsletter out to you! I hope you are staying cool and getting in plenty of post-vaccine hugs.
Thanks for your presence here,
Holly
Bookshelf
Between my anti-racist reading series and Show Me The Women book club, I’ve got quite a bit of nonfiction reading on my plate. But, as always, doing my best to sneak in fiction to balance it all out. The month of May came in just shy of 1,000 pages read!
Reads in May
Unbowed by Wangari Maathai | ★★★★☆
Dr. Wangari Maathai was an environmentalist and activist in Kenya. Unbowed chronicles her life, from birth in the rural highlands, through her education in both Kenya and the US, into her early professional life as a professor, and through to her advocacy work for environmental issues, democracy, and human rights. She speaks of her life with a combination of humility and clarity, showing that a single-minded commitment to what is right and good can truly drive large-scale change. Her efforts with the Green Belt Movement & pro-democracy activism deeply impacted Kenya, with an eye towards generational change and stewardship. The writing in this book is forthright and plain, very much a recounting with only snippets of philosophizing or moralizing. Dr. Maathai has remarkable confidence in her voice and actions, clearly speaking from a place of peace with her choices and assurance in her stances. I was particularly moved by her commitment to the “long arc of justice” and to the next generations.
Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin | ★★★☆☆
Home Cooking — a collection of essays by the food writer and novelist, Laurie Colwin — is what would have happened if, when Midge Maisel took a brisket to the bar to get Joel on the set list in the pilot of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, she got discovered by a magazine editor and became a food writer instead of a comedian. One who is particularly obsessed with baked chicken, might I add! On the whole, this book was funny and lighthearted but not particularly memorable and a bit un-relatable.
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw | ★★★★☆
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a collection of short stories that spotlights Black women of various ages as they push against prescribed narratives & wrestle with purpose, sexuality, and worth. One endorsement described the collection as “cheeky and insightful” and I second that. I was surprised (perhaps I shouldn’t have been, given the word ‘secrets’ in the title) by how heavily sex factored in nearly all the stories. It was never gratuitous or explicit, but it did play a much larger role than I had anticipated. And, while I did laugh a number of times, most stories left me feeling rather melancholy. Each protagonist faces some significant strain — emotionally, relationally, etc — and I would have loved at least one story to be robustly joyful. I can’t say every story was for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed How to Make Love to a Physicist, Peach Cobbler, Snowfall, and Instructions for Married Christian Men. The stories are rich, artistically diverse, and deeply human.
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
Sharing a go-to dessert that is perfect this time of year given all the fresh berries! The recipe below specifies raspberries, but you could swap in another type or do a mix. Bonus: it’s vegan.
Raspberry Oat Crumble
From Oh She Glows | Yields 12 squares
Ingredients
• 3 cups raspberries
• 1/2 cup maple syrup, divided
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds, divided
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbsp brown rice syrup
• 1.5 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup oat flour (note: can make yourself by pulsing rolled oats in a food processor)
• 1 cup almond flour (not meal!)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
In a medium pot, stir together the raspberries, 3 Tbsp maple syrup, and 2 Tbsp chia seeds until combined. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the raspberries break down and the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and place into the freezer for about 20 - 30 minutes to cool.
Meanwhile, in a small mug, mix together the remaining tablespoon of chia seeds and 1/4 cup of water to make a chia egg. Set aside for a few minutes until thickened.
In a large bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, the brown rice syrup, and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla. When the chia egg has thickened, stir that in, too.
One by one, stir in the rolled oats, oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt until the there are no dry patches left. The dough will seem too dry at first, but if you keep mixing, it’ll eventually come together!
Set aside 1 packed cup of dough for the crumble topping. Spoon the remaining dough into the prepared pan. Use lightly wet hands to press the dough down and cover the bottom of the pan.
When the raspberry jam has thickened and cooled, pour it on top of the oat mixture in the pan and spread it out evenly. Crumble the remaining cup of crumble dough over the jam layer.
Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is lightly browned and semi-firm to the touch.
Place the pan directly on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes, and then place it in the fridge until completely cool (about 30 more minutes). Slide a knife around the edges. Carefully lift out the slab and slice into squares. Serve squares on their own or with ice cream.
Store any leftover squares in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
For snippets of my home cooking with occasional tips & recipes, follow along at @fromhollyskitchen.
Miscellany
Given the recent devastation in Gaza, I wanted to re-highlight two of my favorite organizations: Preemptive Love Coalition & World Central Kitchen. Both are working in the area to provide aid and care in the aftermath of the latest fighting. Relatedly, a long-standing beloved bookshop & library in Gaza was demolished by the airstrikes. There is GoFundMe in the works to raise funds for its restoration.
Another giving opportunity: the Indian Residential Schools Survivor Society supports Indigenous people who are dealing with inter-generational traumas wrought by the boarding schools. Given the news about the the mass grave discovered in Kamloops, British Columbia, the need is particularly pronounced.
I thought this article in The Atlantic about so-called “low-skill” work was really insightful, especially after the talk of “essential workers” during the peak of the pandemic shutdowns.
I’m planning to join Lisa Sharon Harper’s upcoming national bible study: Decolonizing The Bible. She is one of my favorite theologians. It starts this Wednesday!
These Spark matches are so cute. That’s all. No backstory, I just love them.
Multiple moments of delight this month! This dog doing yoga is so pure I’ve watched it numerous times. This thread of the official Ted Lasso twitter account giving out compliments will hit you right in the feels. And this brilliantly savvy three-year-old will make you cackle.
Thanks for being a part of this little community. See you next month.
Warmly,
Holly