Review by Rebecca Brown Asmo In The Prettiest Star, Carter Sickels tells the story of Brian, a gay man living in 1980s New York City who, dying from AIDS and no longer able to care for himself, is forced to return to his small hometown in Ohio. Told from the perspectives of Brian himself, his younger sister Jess, and his mother … Read More
Celebrating Asian and Pacific Ohioans’ Stories
From awarding grants to organizations like Midstory to develop a virtual gallery highlighting the experiences of AAPI individuals and communities across Ohio to listening to the fifth episode of Amended, a podcast from our friends at Humanities New York that tells the story of Mabel Lee, a teenaged immigrant from China who led a New York City suffrage parade on horseback … Read More
Honoring Black Stories
This month, we join the rest of the country in celebrating Black History Month. Black Ohioans have made invaluable contributions to our state and our nation. There are countless ways to share Black stories, and we strive to highlight this crucial history in our programming throughout the year. Here is a list of some of our recent favorite books about … Read More
Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood by Dave Parker and Dave Jordan
Review by David Merkowitz As a Cincinnati Reds fan in the 1980s and 1990s, the experience was almost like a fable out of Greek mythology. Once, giants strode the earth, but that was in the time before. Now, our ballplayers were mere humans. In the 1970s, Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine dominated the National League, winning two World Series, making two appearances in … Read More
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds
Review by Diane Schroeder Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You is a reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning. Author Jason Reynolds provides historical context for the ingrained racism in America, exploring our history from the formation of the United States to the 21st century.