7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #796: Featuring Juana Medina
May 29th, 2022 by jules
I have sat here a long time, trying to figure out how to start this post. I had planned on writing about a book, as usual, but I decided instead to share this image from author-illustrator Juana Medina — shared earlier this week on Instagram with the note: “Enough.”
I honestly feel hopeless about the possibility of legislative action on gun control because of the power-hungry GOP, whose hands are dirty with the blood of everyone who has perished this year in a gun massacre (and, truly, so much more). It feels like an exercise in insanity anymore to say that it’s important to reach out to your representatives, because we are living under a minority rule. But I encourage you to do so anyway. And to try to find glimmers of hope where you can, despite how hopeless I sound today.
On that note, here’s an attempt …
Note for any new readers: 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. New kickers are always welcome.
1) Dr. Roxane Gay’s New York Times’s piece from Wednesday nailed it. 1,000% nailed it. (Oddly enough, the NYT has changed her headline a few times this week. But whatever. Read it anyway if you have access. If you don’t, let me know, and I’ll get it to you somehow.)
2) Chris Murphy.
3) Speaking of Juana, the newest picture book she has illustrated, Joanna McClintick’s ‘Twas the Night Before Pride: “To know that we matter, / to show all we exist / and that any oppression / we must always resist.”
The book also has DELIGHTFUL surprises in the endpapers:
Okay. I was able to guess four out of five. Then I really really peered at that paper the last guy was holding and I got it. @juanamedina’s endpapers, for the record, will amuse you all day with games like this. pic.twitter.com/uUz2YPzMod
— Betsy Bird (@FuseEight) May 5, 2022
4) And speaking of Betsy, I enjoyed this interview and that a poet turned to board books.
5) I saw this from illustrator Lian Cho earlier in the week, and it made me laugh.
6) The 2022 Tiny Desk Concert winner, Alisa Amador. That voice.
7) The new Obi-Wan series and a certain ten-year-old character.
What are YOUR kicks this week?
It has been a horribly sad week, with each new update making things even worse, unimaginable as that seems. It is hard to find joy in such times. And yet, we still try.
So my small moments of good, or joy, or light:
1) The collective grief & outrage across the country has been palpable – the pandemic has changed things and I am hopeful this means politicians will HAVE to act.
2) My little seeds I’ve started in the garage are starting to sprout.
3) Getting out on a walk and seeing a family of deer.
4) Calling and emailing my senators and rep every day this past week. (They support gun reform, but I am outraged the Senate went on vacation when we are in a national crisis, and I politely left messages saying I expected more from them.)
5) Watched Corrina, Corrina on Friday to remember Ray Liotta, and while some big issues are simplified in the movie, he and Whoopi had great chemistry and did beautiful, quiet, subtle work together in a movie with a lot of heart.
6) Having work to throw myself into.
7) The grace of people like Zeneta Everhart and her son Zaire. Zaire was one of the victims of the Buffalo shooting who survived, and now he and his mother made a booklist of books they are collecting and will distribute in their community in Buffalo, NY: https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/buffalo-strong/family-of-buffalo-mass-shooting-survivor-collecting-books-on-racism-and-black-history-to-distribute-to-community?_amp=true
7.5) Pinky Pie the feral kitty has been a welcome and comforting presence this week.
Bonus kick: We Feed People, the documentary about Chef Jose Andres is an uplifting watch and reminder of people doing good in the world.
Hoping everyone has time to rest and recharge and find moments of joy.
Hi Imps! Thank you for being a bright light in a heavy news week. I hope you and yours are safe and sound.
Jules: That song is so pretty! Thank you for sharing.
Rachel: Hello to the deer and to Pinky Pie! Please give the kitty hugs and pets on my behalf if they are receptive.
My kicks:
1) Taking action
2) Conversations
3) Truth
4) Seen
5) Movies
6) Music
7) TV series
I fervently hope you’re right about #1, Rachel (seeing change, that is). I also saw a deer RIGHT in front of me on a walk this week. That should have been a kick of mine! Love that seventh kick. And LOVE PINKY PIE. Hugs to you, Rachel.
Hear, hear to #1, Little Willow. Love to you.