Author Archives: Carol

“Bird by Bird” and Leaf by Leaf

Two, only peripherally related topics come to mind.  The first is my own response to the book, Bird by Bird:  Some Instructions of Writing and Life (given to me for my 69th birthday); and the second are some observations of … Continue reading

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Our Perceptions of Gender Relations—Current and Potentially Future

My colleague had read and reviewed my article on gender and governance in Sulawesi, and I could almost hear the irritation, though I was actually reading an email.  I was accused of bias, of making generalizations without evidence.  This response … Continue reading

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Remembered Images of Beauty

“Imagine a beautiful scene”.  “Keep that image of beauty in your mind.”  “Stop the mind-chatter with the lovely scene”.  These were my cousin’s repeated admonitions, as she led us through our twice-weekly yoga class.  She knew I was struggling with … Continue reading

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Rough Roads and Smooth

We took a road trip, my husband and I, driving from Ithaca, New York to Lovingston, Virginia.  It’s a 9 hour trip, driving through parts of five states:  New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia.  A pretty drive, the … Continue reading

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On “The Will to Improve”

Tania Li wrote a book, The Will to Improve: Governmentality, Development, and the Practice of Politics (published in 2007, Durham University Press), which I have meant to read for some  time.  Her fieldwork was in Sulawesi, very relevant for my … Continue reading

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A New Year’s Resolution – 2014

Waking up on the first day of a new year, I remembered a thought that came to me yesterday. I was thinking about the changes that have happened in terms of women’s options during my own lifetime. We (in the … Continue reading

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Memories of Beading

Relaxing on Boxing Day, I see the snow falling softly outside and hear the sounds of some easy listening music.  I have almost finished a wide peyote stitch beaded bracelet for my future daughter in law.  The design is geometric, … Continue reading

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The Memories Assembled on a Christmas Tree

Until I was 34 years old, I spent every Christmas at my parents’ home.  That year, 1979, I was in rural Borneo, experiencing a Kenyah Dayak Christmas, complete with American carols translated and taught by fundamentalist Christian missionaries and a … Continue reading

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On Political Involvement in the US

We’ve been invited to a political fund raiser tonight, one at which the organizers will probably want us to do something significant (beyond making the already requested financial donation).  The funds raised will contribute to the election campaign of a … Continue reading

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Snow and Approaching Christmas

My first glance out the window this morning revealed silently falling snow.  The colors of the landscape were muted, with the sheen of white dominating everywhere.  The pines, green yesterday, were fringed in white, the greyness of the sky turning … Continue reading

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