i'm speaking!

new DVD

"Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we'll ever do."

To learn more about the DVD and to purchase, click here.

my books
  • I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power
    I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power
    by Brené Brown
  • The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
    The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
    by Brene Brown

    Now available for pre-order!

curriculum now available!

on my nightstand
  • When You Reach Me
    When You Reach Me
    by Rebecca Stead

    Our August mother/daughter book club pick. Ellen just finished it and she absolutely loved it!

  • A Whole New Mind
    A Whole New Mind
    by Daniel Pink
  • The Ice Princess: A Novel
    The Ice Princess: A Novel
    by Camilla Lackberg

    Sounds promising.

  • Juliet, Naked: a novel
    Juliet, Naked: a novel
    by Nick Hornby

    Loving this.

  • The Fabric of Her Dancing Shoes
    The Fabric of Her Dancing Shoes
    by Terri St. Cloud

    Terri is one of my favorite soul poets! She's the woman behind Bone Sigh Arts and several of my all-time favorite quotes, including: "Maybe being brave is no more than staring down the 'less than' feeling and stepping up to the 'i am worthy' feeling."

  • One Day
    One Day
    by David Nicholls
sing & dance
  • Archive Series 2
    Archive Series 2
    by Don Walser

    There's nothing like a good yodel and he's the best.

  • Exile on Main Street
    Exile on Main Street
    by Rolling Stones

    If you could only listen to two RS songs for the rest of your life, what would they be?  For me . . . Waiting on a Friend and Beast of Burden. No question.

  • Down in New Orleans
    Down in New Orleans
    by The Blind Boys of Alabama

    One of my favorite versions of "I'll Fly Away."

give credit

Illustration Nicholas Wilton
Css Design Krystyn Heide
Cool Signpost David Robinson
Sky paper Weeds & Wildflowers
Background paper Sande Krieger  

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Tuesday
Dec022008

we must become the change

jody and brené (fall 2008)

The end of the fall semester has finally arrived. It's been a long, tough road. We just really never recovered from Hurricane Ike. The lights came back on and the streets were cleared, but the anxiety and stress lingered. It's tough for anyone to lose one month in a three-month semester, but it grueling for graduate students trying to manage their classes, their lives, and their mandatory internships.

Jody Williams and I teach a course on Global Justice every fall. In 1997, Jody won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with The International Campaign to Ban Landmines and is now working for peace with justice through the Nobel Women's Initiative. She flies in from DC (where she lives) during the semester so we can meet with the students.

Earlier this year, I asked my students in Shame Resilience to create blogs as part of their group projects. I was blown away. We borrowed that idea and had the Global Justice students create blogs to track and report their advocacy projects. They did an amazing job - check them out!

This group put a curriculum together based the book written by Jen Lemen and Odette Umurerwa. For those of you looking for classroom projects, mother-daughter book club ideas or girl scout activities - this rocks! It offers everything from math problems that teach the concept of microlending and geography lessons to African recipes that kids make together. You can buy Jen and Odette's book here!

If you haven't seen Born into Brothels - you should. It's an amazing story of resilience and hope. This group held a campus-wide screening of the film and raised money for Kids with Cameras - an organization that believes that photography is an effective tool in igniting children's imagination and building self-esteem. This group exceeded their fund-raising goals and changed some lives. Check out their blog.

Jody and I were both "schooled on corn" by this group. Everyone has heard of the big push for using corn for a fuel source, but did you know that the implication for using corn for fuel is dangerously affecting the world food market? In fact, we learned that the corn used to fill one SUV tank with ethanol could feed an adult for 365 days! 

Last, if you're looking for a way to teach peace or integrate peace and justice ideas into your parenting or teaching - this is an incredible resource. I've already send this link to several teachers and the response has been fantastic.

Here's to all of the UH GCSW students who survived Ike and Fall '08! Thanks for being the change!