14 Comments
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Katie's avatar

I struggle here. I wouldn’t choose either one as my candidate and I love how you phrased things. My problem is that I think one will make things even worse in Ca, where it is already ROUGH for middle class, and the other one helped our small business prosper. I have seen how we lived in comparison. However, 4 years of self praise seems unbearable…..

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Amy Makechnie's avatar

This is very insightful and I appreciate your personal perspective! No one person or candidate solves everything for us...thank you, Katie.

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Sarah Allen's avatar

Yes yes yes to all of this. Including Ruta. She's amazing.

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Amy Makechnie's avatar

She's amazing. Makes me want to find the lost and important stories, too...

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Sarah Allen's avatar

Yes!! And man the research that must go into it. I’ve been doing a tiny bit of that for a contract chapter book I’m working on, about women journalists during the Vietnam war, and they’re incredible.

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Amy Makechnie's avatar

THAT sounds amazing. I will read it. I’m writing a picture book about my family’s experience with Vietnamese refugees (two became adopted members as children…looking for a Vietnamese illustrator to work with if you know of anyone :)

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Sarah Allen's avatar

Oh my gosh that’s amazing!!! What a cool project. I’ll definitely keep my eyes out for an illustrator.

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Amy Makechnie's avatar

<3 good luck with all of your projects! And…Happy Halloween!

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Laurie Brown's avatar

Brava! It's not easy stepping up and take a stand in such a contentious race. I stand with you in NH and support Kamala Harris. I hope we can return to a place of compromise, where we can talk about politics, at least a little bit, and listen to what our friends and neighbors are saying with grace and open minds.

Another book that mirrors where we are a little too perfectly is Philip Roth's THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA, a dark, alternate history where Lindbergh wins the White House.

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Amy Makechnie's avatar

Thank you, Laurie. I, too, hope we can have compromise and clear heads and actually put people first instead of power. I haven’t read that Roth book, but I’m sure I would like it! (or…not :)

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Sarah McCraw Crow's avatar

Thank you for this post, Amy--you said it so well. I'm so worried and stressed (and frankly baffled and so disappointed as to how we are where we are)... I haven't read Ruta's novels but have heard a lot of praise from friends for Salt to the Sea. Adding her to my TBR list!

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Amy Makechnie's avatar

Baffled, disappointed…yes.

And I think you would love Ruta’s books!

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Greg Johnson's avatar

Current blathering (mine, that is):

My reaction to the recent incarnation of the Washington Post: Bawwwk, cluck, cluck, cluck.

The "other": My definition of spirituality is radical awareness and acceptance of the experience of the "other" - another person, another mode of being, another time or place in the universe.

Fiction is how we communicate truth, which may have happened or not.

If you go to jail I'll break in.

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Amy Makechnie's avatar

hahaha thank you for breaking in! I’ll never forget your kindness :) and…I like your definitions!

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