Incarceration and Families

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud Interview: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=7/31/2008

Too often, we think of incarceration as only an imposition on the individual. But few inmates are islands unto themselves, lacking spouses, children, or other family members. Shirley Klein and Stephen Bahr help us explore all sides of this tale: the bigger family picture of incarceration and the story of the concentric rings that move outward from the offender to the lives of those nearest and dearest.

Breaking Dawn

A stay-at-home-mom of three boys Stephenie Meyer found herself writing after a dream she had. When she sat down at her computer and began, she found that she couldn’t stop. The piece she created, which centered on her dream, became Twilight, a novel. In an era of Harry Potter and the immediate success of writers willing to bring their readers into mystical and magical worlds, Twilight was immediately successful. Written for young girls, it became popular with all people- and thus began the craze. The story centered on protagonist Bella, a high school student who moves to the sleepy Pacific Northwest town of Forks, Washington. Shortly into the book Meyer introduces Edward, who becomes Bella’s love, and oh- he also happens to be a vampire. Meyer twists and weaves the plot into a series of dramatic and gripping events. It is almost impossible not be entranced by the world and romance of the characters she creates. Two books later in the series, the saga continued. Unlike many sequels, New Moon and Eclipse, the second and third books in the series, drew more readers into the lives of Bella, Edward, Jacob, and the host of other characters. Why these books have created such a strong response, and gained readers around the globe can perhaps be found in the careful and well-weaved stories that ensues.
For students at Brigham Young University the books hold special meaning. Stephenie Meyer graduated from BYU and her books are sold not only at the student bookstore in the Wilkinson Center, but also at Deseret Book, a Latter-day Saint book store. When the news broke that Meyer was working on a fourth book in the series, and the last in the saga to be written by the point of view of Bella, fans scrambled to pre-order, and wait in anticipation. Breaking Dawn, was thrust into even more of a spotlight when it became know that a Twilight Movie would be coming out into theaters December 2008. Many die hard fans re-read the first three books waiting for Breaking Dawn, while following website and blog posts about movie updates.
On Saturday August 2nd at 12:02 am the first copies of Breaking Dawn went on sale. The Brigham Young University celebrated by holding, ironically and comically, a blood drive as well as a party in the student bookstore. Copies could be found at bookstores everywhere, and fans flocked to pick up multiple copies. Hosting a series of concerts and celebrations including one in Times’ Square, Meyer and fans celebrated the debut of the fourth book. While the movie is still in the works, and a book written by the point of view of Edward is due to be released in the future, Twilight fans are satisfied for the time being.

-Katherine Harris

Feminazis or Ardent Advocates?

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud Interview: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=7/30/2008

When tracing the genealogy of human rights activism, it’s hard to know precisely where to begin. But in the English speaking world, the lineage of human rights as it relates to women can almost certainly be traced back to one Mary Wollstonecraft today. We’ll examine a tradition of rhetorical prowess, from Wollstonecraft to Virginia Woolf.

Happy Birthday William Clark

Classical 89 Thinking Aloud Interview: http://www.classical89.org/thinkingaloud/past.asp?d=8/1/2008

Today is the birthday of William Clark, a giant among American explorers. He helped connect our young East to our expansive West, leaving behind an overwhelming amount of detail in his journals. His role in the Lewis and Clark expedition assured him a place in American myth. But has history been too kind to Clark? He was only thirty-six when he returned from his trans-continental journey. What about the other thirty years of his life? Historian Jay Buckley treats the explorer's later life in his new book, William Clark: Indian Diplomat .