Education and Muslim Identity During a Time of Tension explores life inside an Islamic Center and school in present-day America. Melanie Brooks’ work draws on in-depth discussions with community and school leaders, teachers, parents and students to present thoughtful and contemporary perspectives on many issues central to American-Muslim identities. Particularly poignant are the children’s voices, as they discuss their developing identities and how they navigate the choice of being American, Muslim, or both. The book covers topics ranging from establishing the community and the considerations involved, the management of diversity within the community, and approaches to modern opinions on and experiences of gender and extremism in the western world. Based on focus groups, interviews and observations collected over a two-year period, this book serves as a fascinating and informative insight into the culture and experiences of modern American Muslims. This is essential reading for students and researchers interested in education, religion, politics, sociology, and most particularly in contemporary Islamic studies.

Education and Muslim Identity During a Time of Tension (Routledge Research in Education)

Education & Teaching

Brooks, Melanie

Schools & Teaching

Routledge

Some of the country’s most admired authors—including Andre Dubus III, Mark Doty, Marianne Leone, Michael Patrick MacDonald, Richard Blanco, Abigail Thomas, Kate Bornstein, Jerald Walker, and Kyoko Mori—describe their treks through dark memories and breakthrough moments and attest to the healing power of putting words to experience. What does it take to write an honest memoir? And what happens to us when we embark on that journey? Melanie Brooks sought guidance from the memoirists who most moved her to answer these questions. Called an essential book for creative writers by Poets &amp; Writers, Writing Hard Stories is a unique compilation of authentic stories about the death of a partner, parent, or child; about violence and shunning; and about the process of writing. It will serve as a tool for teachers of writing and give readers an intimate look into the lives of the authors they love. Authors profiled in Writing Hard Stories: Andre Dubus III, Sue William Silverman, Michael Patrick MacDonald, Joan Wickersham, Kyoko Mori, Richard Hoffman, Suzanne Strempek Shea, Abigail Thomas, Monica Wood, Mark Doty, Edwidge Dantict, Marianne Leone, Jerald Walker, Kate Bornstein, Jessica Handler, Richard Blanco, Alysia Abbott, and Kim Stafford Insights from Writing Hard Stories “Why we endeavor collectively to write a book or paint a canvas or write a symphony...is to understand who we are as human beings, and it’s that shared knowledge that somehow helps us to survive.”—Richard Blanco “Here’s what you need to understand: your brothers [or family or friends] are going to have their own stories to tell. You don’t have to tell the family story. You have to tell your story of being in that family.”—Andre Dubus III “We all need a way to express or make something out of experiences that otherwise have no meaning. If what you want is clarity and meaning, you have to break the secrets over your knee and make something of those ingredients.”—Abigail Thomas “What we remember and how we remember it really tells us how we became who we became.”—Michael Patrick MacDonald “The reason I write memoir is to be able to see the experience itself...I hardly know what I think until I write...Writing is a way to organize your life, give it a frame, give it a structure, so that you can really see what it was that happened.”—Sue William Silverman “After a while in the process, you have some distance and you start thinking of it as a story, not as your story...It was a personal grief, but no longer personal...[It’s] something that has not just happened to me and my family, but something that’s happened in the world.”—Edwidge Danticat “Tibetan Buddhists believe that eloquence is the telling of a truth in such a way that it eases suffering...The more suffering that is eased by your telling of the truth, the more eloquent you are. That’s all you can really hope for—being eloquent in that fashion. All you have to do is respond to your story honestly, and that’s the ideal.”—Kate Bornstein “You can never entirely redeem the experience. You can’t make it not hurt anymore. But you can make it beautiful enough so that there’s something to balance it in the other scale. And if you understand that word beautiful as not necessarily pretty, then you’re getting close to recognizing the integrative power of restoring the balance, which is restoring the truth.”—Richard Hoffman

Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma

Literature & Fiction

Short Stories & Anthologies

Beacon Press

Book by Blatherwisk, Jim and John; Brooks, Melanie; Brown, Charlie; and Others

HMCS Discovery - 60 Years on Deadmans Island 1943 to 2003

And Others

Brown, Charlie

Blatherwisk, Jim and John

HMCS Discovery 60th Anniversary History Committee

A small dog, Spenser, and his mother explore the history and geography of El Paso, Texas. He learns about the Rio Grande, mission trail, and smart desert plants. He visits the White Sands National Monument, H&amp;H Car Wash and Cafe, and a Cinco de Mayo party in Mexico. He enjoys an aerial tram ride in the Chihuahuan Desert and handing out boxes of food with the West Texas Food Bank. This is the fourth in a series of children's books that offer children and the adults in their lives fascinating, challenging, and compassionate learning experiences about different cities and regions of the United States. These stories of Spenser base their appeal on his personality and the fact that he does very cool things with his traveling companion, his mother. Spenser possesses character traits that children can relate to and that adults want children to emulate: curiosity, compassion, and a sense of adventure. He details his travels so children can learn the history, culture, and geography of different parts of the US. Spenser practices environmental stewardship and models good citizen behavior. Activities and tasks in the book offer the opportunity to earn points. A 100% point score enables the young reader to become a member of Spenser's Honor Roll. This and other activities including free lesson plans for teachers can be found on his website at www.spensernation.com.

Spenser Goes to El Paso (Spensernation)

Children's Books

Brooks, Spenser

Geography & Cultures

Simple Fish Book Co

A small dog, Spenser, and his mother explore the history and geography of El Paso, Texas. He learns about the Rio Grande, mission trail, and smart desert plants. He visits the White Sands National Monument, H &H Car Wash and Cafe, and a Cinco de Mayo party in Mexico. He enjoys an aerial tram ride in the Chihuahuan Desert and handing out boxes of food with the West Texas Food Bank. This is the fourth in a series of childrenAEs books that offer children and the adults in their lives fascinating, challenging, and compassionate learning experiences about different cities and regions of the United States. These stories of Spenser base their appeal on his personality and the fact that he does very cool things with his traveling companion, his mother. Spenser possesses character traits that children can relate to and that adults want children to emulate: curiosity, compassion, and a sense of adventure. He details his travels so children can learn the history, culture, and geography of different parts of the US. He encourages children to participate in community activities to feed hungry children like the West Texas Food Bank. Spenser practices environmental stewardship and models good citizen behavior. In this book, Spenser learns about conserving water by turning off the faucet while brushing his teeth, something every child can learn to do. Activities and tasks in the book offer the opportunity to earn points. A 100% point score enables the young reader to become a member of SpenserAEs Honor Roll. This and other activities including free lesson plans for teachers can be found on his website at www.spensernation.com.

Spenser Goes to El Paso - Spanish edition (Spensernation)

A small dog, Spenser, and his mother explore the history and geography of St. Louis, Missouri. He discovers fun animals: bald eagles, butterflies, and Clydesdale horses. He visits the Gateway Arch and the new Cardinals baseball stadium. He enjoys frozen custard at Ted Drewes and learns about the Mighty Mississippi River. This is the second in a series of childrenAEs books that offer children and the adults in their lives fascinating, challenging, and compassionate learning experiences about different cities and regions of the United States. These stories of Spenser base their appeal on his personality and the fact that he does very cool things with his traveling companion, his mother. Spenser possesses character traits that children can relate to and that adults want children to emulate: curiosity, compassion, and a sense of adventure. He details his travels so children can learn the history, culture, and geography of different parts of the US. He encourages children to participate in community activities to feed hungry children like the St. Louis Food Bank. Spenser practices environmental stewardship and models good citizen behavior. In this book, Spenser learns about conserving electricity by turning off the lights, something every child can learn to do. Activities and tasks in the book offer the opportunity to earn points. A 100% point score enables the young reader to become a member of SpenserAEs Honor Roll. This and other activities including free lesson plans for teachers can be found on his website at www.spensernation.com.

Spenser Hearts St. Louis (Little Friend Series)

Spenser Hearts Portland (Little Friend Series)

A small dog, Spenser, and his mother explore the history and geography of El Paso, Texas. He learns about the Rio Grande, mission trail, and smart desert plants. He visits the White Sands National Monument, H &H Car Wash and Cafe, and a Cinco de Mayo party in Mexico. He enjoys an aerial tram ride in the Chihuahuan Desert and handing out boxes of food with the West Texas Food Bank. This is the fourth in a series of childrenAEs books that offer children and the adults in their lives fascinating, challenging, and compassionate learning experiences about different cities and regions of the United States. These stories of Spenser base their appeal on his personality and the fact that he does very cool things with his traveling companion, his mother. Spenser possesses character traits that children can relate to and that adults want children to emulate: curiosity, compassion, and a sense of adventure. He details his travels so children can learn the history, culture, and geography of different parts of the US. He encourages children to participate in community activities to feed hungry children like the West Texas Food Bank. Spenser practices environmental stewardship and models good citizen behavior. In this book, Spenser learns about conserving water by turning off the faucet while brushing his teeth, something every child can learn to do. Activities and tasks in the book offer the opportunity to earn points. A 100% point score enables the young reader to become a member of SpenserAEs Honor Roll. This and other activities including free lesson plans for teachers can be found on his website at www.spensernation.com.

Spenser Hearts El Paso Pb (Little Friend Series)

Education and Muslim Identity During a Time of Tension explores life inside an Islamic Center and school in present-day America. Melanie Brooks’ work draws on in-depth discussions with community and school leaders, teachers, parents and students to present thoughtful and contemporary perspectives on many issues central to American-Muslim identities. Particularly poignant are the children’s voices, as they discuss their developing identities and how they navigate the choice of being American, Muslim, or both. The book covers topics ranging from establishing the community and the considerations involved, the management of diversity within the community, and approaches to modern opinions on and experiences of gender and extremism in the western world.  Based on focus groups, interviews and observations collected over a two-year period, this book serves as a fascinating and informative insight into the culture and experiences of modern American Muslims. This is essential reading for students and researchers interested in education, religion, politics, sociology, and most particularly in contemporary Islamic studies.

Education and Muslim Identity During a Time of Tension: Inside an American Islamic School (Routledge Research in Education)

"A profound and riveting journey through shame and grief, A Hard Silence is, quite simply, unforgettable." Monica Wood, author of When We Were the Kennedys 
In the mid 1980s, Canada's worst public health disaster was unfolding. Catastrophic mismanagement of the country's blood supply allowed contaminated blood to be knowingly distributed nationwide, infecting close to two thousand Canadians with HIV. Among them was Melanie Brooks's surgeon father who, after receiving a blood transfusion during open-heart surgery in 1985, learned he was HIV positive. 
At a time when HIV/AIDS was widely misunderstood and public perception was shaped by fear, prejudice, and homophobia, victims of the disease faced ostracism and persecution. Afraid of this stigma and wanting to protect his family, Melanie's father decided his illness would be a secret. A secret they'd all have to keep. They did not know that her father would live past that first year, but he did. And for ten years before his death in 1995, from the time she was thirteen until she was twenty-three, Melanie's family lived in the shadow of AIDS. She carried the weight of the uncertain trajectory of her father's health and the heartbreaking anticipation of impending loss silently and alone. It became a way of life. 
A Hard Silence is an intimate glimpse into Melanie's memories of coping with the tragedy of her father's illness and enduring the loneliness and isolation of not being able to speak. With candor and vulnerability, Melanie opens her grief wounds and brings her reader inside her journey, twenty years after her father died, to finally understand the consequences of her family's silence, to interrogate the roots of stigma and discrimination responsible for the ongoing secret-keeping, and to show how she's now learned to be authentic.

A Hard Silence: One daughter remaps family, grief, and faith when HIV/AIDS changes it all

Biographies & Memoirs

Professionals & Academics

Vine Leaves Press

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Books by Brooks, Melanie