Books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to…
ESSAYS
ESSAY: “Noah Is Still Here”
There are no easy choices when it comes to the care of medically complex conditions like trisomy 18. And yet people on both sides of the abortion debate often simplify these conversations. I was surprised and encouraged to find this essay from the NYT that offered nuance, depth, and complexity in reporting on families raising children with trisomy 18. Sheri Fink masterfully conveys the value and meaning of children like Noah, who has trisomy 18, while also offering reasons why parents might choose not to continue life in the ways his parents have. For anyone wrestling with the complexities of medical ethics and choosing life in a broken world, this essay offers great insight without easy answers.
BOOKS
BOOK: The End of Average by Todd Rose.
This fascinating book explains why there is no such thing as an average person. It also explains how the idea of averages came to rule our schools and workplaces, how we began to understand some people as “better than” and “worse than” average, and how we can instead begin to value individuals for who they are and what they bring rather than needing them to conform to an illusory idea of average.
PODCASTS
PODCAST: Floodlines
I’ve been listening to Floodlines, a podcast about Hurricane Katrina twenty years ago. It is both heart wrenching and fascinating coverage of a tragic story.
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