Springtime Reads!

Elisabeth Tova Bailey found herself bedridden, and doctors had no idea what was going on. So went her year, and she spent most of it having to lay completely still. This stillness made time seem to pass more slowly. In disabilities studies, we call this “crip time,” which just refers to how disabled people can experience time differently. Bailey found herself watching the small world around her, eventually noticing that a snail had made itself a home in one of her potted plants. She found herself mesmerized by the comings and goings of her new friend. Bailey shares with readers how she was grateful for this part of her experience being bedridden. She found herself noticing the wonders of the natural world she wouldn’t have seen otherwise. As someone who is often stuck in bed or on the couch, I appreciated Bailey’s take on this and found myself following Bailey’s lead and appreciating my surroundings.

I love a good essay collection! And as a long-time resident of the South, I’m always looking for new perspectives on the complex region I call home. Anjali Enjeti writes about her experiences living as a South Asian American woman in the South. When people not from the region think of the South, they often have a lot of assumptions. Enjeti tackles a lot of the stereotypes of folks in the South, and writes about the dangers of white feminism, the rise of Christian Nationalism, and the difficulties of organizing in the South. Her essays are so insightful, inviting readers to examine the South in a new way.