If highlighting means anything at all, I wanted to highlight the entire essay.

Like another commenter, it made for a brilliant early morning read. Refreshing.

With the toxic reemergence of fascism all over the world in many aspects of life, and in some cases horrific fascism, as a writer myself, it alarms me to see this constricting trend in prescribed teaching of literature in institutions. I’m all for social justice naturally. I’m a Muslim brown woman (the comatose Muslim in me dashed the veil of somnolence away in the face of Muslim-bashing in the west) and I totally get it. But as far as literary education goes, I agree kids must have the widest portal to step through to bigger minds and souls.

Reading a short story I wrote, a friend looked aghast — you can’t publish this! It’s politically outrageous to have a character speak in pidgin English. Sigh! Back to the drawing board for me. Or not. It’s okay for me to commit to paper a character who speaks like my Muslim great aunt!

Brilliant essay. Let’s have more please.

Be safe

🙏🏼