modcasters

Leigh Ann’s Recs No. 2 – Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law

If you want to exercise your ability to walk a mile in another’s shoes, reading this book is a great opportunity.

The Undeniable Horrors of Reading…

Look, I’m just saying reading is hard. Reading is hard because most of the time it’s not accessible. Meanings are too intense, too hard to grasp, too much to handle! I try. I mean technically I have to try being a student of English Literature. But, most of the time I barely scrape by. IContinue reading “The Undeniable Horrors of Reading…”

Opinion: Accessibility and Accountability

Against a red background, a person with short black and a black shirt and pants scratches their head as they look at a sheet of paper they are holding. A white dialog box shows the viewer what is on the paper. Three emoticons from left to right are frowny, smiley, and neutral. Each face has an empty red checkbox beneath it. Source: http://www.digital-web.com/articles/accountability_of_accessibility_and_usability/

Everyone should be held accountable when it comes to accessibility. We’re all living in the same world, but we’re all experiencing it in vastly different perspectives. It only makes sense to ensure everyone can access those perspectives.

On My Bookshelf: Community Recs No. 1

I’ve always been an avid reader. I love all kinds of books – non-fiction, fantasy, romance, science fiction, historical fiction, and more. But like so many others, this pandemic has made it harder for me to focus, and it takes a lot more these days for me to immerse myself in a fictional world. ButContinue reading “On My Bookshelf: Community Recs No. 1”

Let’s Talk About Books, Baby

Book cover for Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis. At the top left is a young woman sitting with her knees drawn up, legs engulfed in the flowing dark pink folds of her sleeveless dress, which spill across the ground around her. In the upper right corner is a quote attributed to Bookish, who say "It was beautiful. It was creative. It was amazing." Below that, in text the same color as the dress, is the subtitle, "The Daughters of Zeus, Book One." Under the hem of the dress in white calligraphy is the title "Persephone," and beneath that in pink text is the author's name, Kaitlin Bevis. Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15724908-persephone

So, recently, I have discovered that I have great skills in the art of hair dyeing. Now, I know that everyone said to not dye or cut your hair during the quarantine, but I have. 12 times in fact. I am sitting on my bed typing this up with a clementine white claw and greyContinue reading “Let’s Talk About Books, Baby”

Leigh Ann’s Recs No. 1 – The Odyssey

A middle-aged smiling white woman with shoulder-length auburn hair, wearing a colorful sleeveless shirt. In the foreground, her translation of the book The Odyssey by Homer is displayed.

Understanding both history and intersectionality is key when reading any work of literature, and recognizing the many roles Odysseus plays in his self-titled story can help develop that understanding.

Author Interview: Alex Z. Salinas

Book cover. Text on cover is purple, with main title written in lowercase cursive. Title: "Dreamt or the Lingering Phantoms of Equinox." Poems by Alex Z. Salinas. The cover is soft yellow, and centered is an artistic portrait of a two-faced woman. The center eye, dripping a tear, is shared by them, and their individual eyes are leaking smoke, which floats horizontally towards the edges of the cover. There is a rainbow headdress centered over their forehead, and their hair is coiled up under wounded ribbons. They are wearing a high collar and black bow around their throat.

Poet Alex Z. Salinas joins the Modcast team to discuss his writing and latest publication DREAMT, or The Lingering Phantoms of Equinox.

Pandemic Pivot: Searching for Structure

Line drawings on a blue-lined yellow paper background. Various sketches include: a globe; a whiteboard with the equation e = mc squared; a treble clef; an apple; a soccer ball; musical notes; books; depiction an atom; the comedy and tragedy masks; paintbrushes; a computer mouse; a curved pencil writing 1 +1 equals; the numbers 1, 2, 3; and the letters A, B, C. Source: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/blog/visual-timetables-all-ages

How do we find structure in chaos?

Pandemic Pivot: Holding on Tight

Black and white photo of two wooden art manikins embracing. Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/vzFTmxTl0DQ

I had just finished a busy week when spring break started – and when cases, shutdowns and cancellations increased exponentially. At first, it was a relief that spring break was extended. I got to take a breather. But as I continued to watch the news and closely monitor Twitter, I realized the breath I wasContinue reading “Pandemic Pivot: Holding on Tight”