Gail Bush

A breathtaking collection of poems that address social justice in America, touching on challenges faced by a tapestry of oppressed cultures in our nation. Many familiar names are here: Maya Angelou, Kenneth Rexroth, Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, Amiri Baraka - but I was equally if not more so taken by the poets whose names were not familiar.

The poems are chaptered by loose subject matter (We Are All Getting Burned, The Secrets We Give, The Next Thing To Happen, etc) that give some thematic context, but truly, one could pick this book up, read any two or three random pages/poems and have some mighty fuel for the next leg of the journey.

There are a lot of truths here - some ugly, some inspiring. All necessary for us to embrace if we are to progress as a people and a nation. It may be naive to believe that poetry will somehow provide a path out of the miasmatic tumult we find ourselves in, but I do believe it can shine a light, both on our feet and in our hearts. And that gives strength for the journey, both in our bones and in our souls.… (mer)

When AASL introduced the concept of dispositions in the 2007 edition of standards for school library media programs, much of the profession did not understand what was being talked about and I think they still don’t. What are dispositions? In their chapter about the concept, Bush and Jones begin by saying they are the remarkable qualities we all remember in the teachers we have had over a lifetime. Then they describe those qualities as defined by a number of writers in the field. First are the dispositions that are the characteristics of professionals and then the dispositions as we attempt to teach them to students. For professionals, they list the AASL ones that include the display of initiative, engagement, emotional resilience, Persistence and curiosity among others. To teach dispositions, the professional must say them, model them, organize for them, support them, enforce the, and express them. However, while the authors list the dispositions that others have presented, they do not give us a clear synthesis of what they are recommending as the two main focuses and characteristics of either possessing these dispositions as professionals or their own list of conveying those dispositions to those we serve, whether adults or students.. Had they don that, the book could have concentrated first on developing our own dispositions and a second part in teaching them. What follows are a series of chapters, some by the authors, and some by guest writes on various topics. The first topic is aimed at developing instructional strategies designed to help the professional develop competence in instructional design. This is followed by a chapter about information literacy and why it is import to help students acquire that concept. This is followed by a chapter about assessment; what it is and why it is important. These are followed by chapters on reading, diversity, intellectual freedom, communication, advocacy, collaboration, resiliency, leadership and professional ethics. Each chapter is a good brief summary of the topic being introduced and would provide the basis for a great discussion with colleagues but as a whole, we are left still confused about what dispositions should be acquired by the professional and how we can deliver those qualities to those we teach. Having said that, this is a good first step in the professional literature in examining a role that has not been developed well thus far. We would encourage others to develp better and better guides to this whole arena of thought.… (mer)