Jola Naibi

Writer and amateur photog. I seek to inspire and inform with the words I write and share and the photos I take. I have written a book of short stories: Terra Cotta Beauty, and I am working on a lot more. Reading and writing fuel my energy. In reading, I explore this vast and diverse world, in writing, I employ my over-active imagination and address the 'what-if' questions that life often throws at us.

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May I recommend.

By on January 12, 2007

My previous blog entry was inspired by a young lady who wrote an article in Newsweek in a column called My Turn. The way it works is Newsweek gives regular joes and janes a chance to talk about their life and issues that they feel strongly about or issues that have built their character, etc.

I recommend reading these, whenever you get a chance…you’ll probably be glad you did. Thankfully you don’t have to be a print subscriber to be able to read the anecdotes of these colorful and eclectic group of people…they are available online for free on the Newsweek website and an archive is maintained so you can go back and read some of the more interesting and memorable ones.

There is John De Constanza ‘s sentimental piece on the lessons he learnt about human beings in the years he has spent managing a gas station in his town and Mama Lumumba-Kasongo’s experiences as an African female doctor who is assumed to be anything but – talk about the stereotypes that are attached to people. Speaking of stereotypes, you’ll probably enjoy reading Eileen Button’s writing about her life as a the pastor’s wife who refuses to be turned into the paragon of moral virtue and writes to ‘dispel a few stereotypes’ associated with ‘pastor’s wives and calls on people to get to know her and discover that she’s ‘working through the same faith and life issues as everyone else’ . Liza Monroy piece on working in the American embassy in Mexico subtly tackles the issues of how far people would go to get a piece of the American dream. It also has a tint of humor – I still smile anytime I remember her description of the lady who had applied for a visa in order to take her kids for six months in Disneyland –Pero solamente quiero visitar a Mickey

Well, don’t take my word(s) for it…if you are looking for a little light non-fiction reading from a regular person like you and I are on issues which are sometimes contemporary and often not celebrated in the media – may I recommend clicking on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11884162/site/newsweek/

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