LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA'S LIFE: A Book Review

March 03, 2021 in BOOKS, Breast Feeding, Death and Desperation, Death and Dying, Empathy, EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLING, Grief, Health and Fitness, Health Inequity, Human Rights, Infant & Child psychology, Social Commentary, Social Justice, Child Psychology, Marriage and Family Thera, Childrens Books

Belinda Hernández Arriaga and Veronica Castillo’s children’s picture book, LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE, is a bold and beautiful addition to the cannon of children’s literature. That boldness is in prose, art, and therapeutic concept. LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE acknowledges that adults can try to run away from the reality that their children live in a disparate world — but they cannot hide from it forever.

It is a children’s book for a child, but for parents, older siblings, friends, and teachers— it is a road map. It is a way to build an emotional safety net for children and families who are disproportionately affected, by forced deportation, incarceration, and early death. This book is not for “the faint of heart”.

As a Bioethicist — I am aware that writings on loss involving children usually are directed at parents who loose children. LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE acknowledges that there are whole generations of children who loose their adults, and siblings, who also need support and protection from the most virulent consequence of their valid fears, the allostatic load of oppression, and potentially devastating grief.

LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE is available in all the usual places including your local independent book dealer.This is the link for more information about Dr. Belinda Hernández Arriaga’s work.

September Williams Author of Chasing Mercury: A short film on mercury in the body →

November 01, 2019 in Bioethics, Baby Boomers, BOOKS, Breast Feeding, Chasing Mercury the Novel, Echo Boomers, Environmental Justice, free grassy.net, greenaction.org, Health and Fitness, Human Rights, ipen.org, mercury pollution, Minamata disease, Nutrition, Peace, Resistance

There is a new very short film on mercury in your body from the Minamata Convention on mercury. There are a whole series of short films on the subject produced by UNESCO with the Convention secretariat. On YouTube under the tag #MakeMercuryHistory there are several short films that might answer questions you have about mercury. People are still asking me about it over the fish couters in various markets.

Remember Governments may come and go, and a million people are tweeting about the USA excutive officer while he gives a life feed speech in Mississippi — but heavy metals are here to stay so the Mercury Convention folks are working internationally to: contain mercury, reduce technology that uses mercury, find alternative technologies to replace them, remediate the environment and the improved or compensate lives that have been damaged by this particular heavy metal. Also, I’ve been updating the Mercury and Minamata Convention on Mercury page of my website. So have a look. And use that #MakeMercuryHistory.

September Williams Author of Chasing Mercury & The Elephant in the Room... At The California Book Club Opens Monthly Author Season →

August 22, 2019 in Bioethics, BOOKS, Breast Feeding, Chasing Mercury the Novel

Join Us September 15, 2019 doors open at 12:30 — public welcome

https://cwc-berkeley.org/2019/08/19/9-15-19-speaker-causes-cross-genres-with-september-williams/

Some people find understanding through technical language and academic conveyance. But almost all people can learn through well-constructed Aristotelian Plot Curves.

Using accurate scientific, medical or other precise technical information to inform fictional narratives is not for the faint of heart. It does not mean “dumbing down” …

September Williams Author of Chasing Mercury & The Elephant in the Room... Thanks Book Passage and Marin Magazine!

July 12, 2019 in Bioethics, Baby Boomers, Breast Feeding, Echo Boomers, Feminism, Health and Fitness, Human Rights, Health Inequity, Infant & Child psychology, Librarians, Peace, Pregnancy and Prematurity, Waking up in Syria

Thanks Marin Magazine for the Shout Out About the August 3. 2018 reading of the Elephant in the Room. at

Book Passage, Corte Madera !

https://www.marinmagazine.com/event/september-williams-the-elephant-in-the-room/

September Williams' 'The Elephant in the Room: Bioethical Concerns In Human Milk Banking' is reviewed by Grady Harp on Amazon

October 31, 2018 in Bioethics, Breast Feeding

Grady Harp is one of the top reviewers on Amazon and he has written a review of The Elephant in the Room: Bioethical Concerns in Human Milk Banking which truly warms my heart. I know the whole thing with babies is that they are magic anyway you look at it. But I’m glad Grady caught all the bells and whistles I could hope for a reader to recognize. He is a top contributor of reviews in Children’s books and so it makes sense that he should care deeply about a subject that affects children and families so profoundly. Despite Reading thousands of books over his reading career — he managed to dig out less apparent jewels in the little monograph with the gigantic title. He got it. it is a story for the average person — and I dare say as he did— a story for “The MAN in the street.” Things that men may not think of made the read worth while for for Grady.

September Williams Author of Chasing Mercury- Blood River, Summer 1965-1968 vs Watts Community Health Center 2017.

September 02, 2017 in Baby Boomers, Bioethics, Breast Feeding, Chasing Mercury the Novel, Echo Boomers, Environmental Justice, Human Rights, Peace, Resistance

“HOT ENOUGH TO BLISTER THE skin, the Santa Ana Winds ravaged Los Angeles. Sirens raced down Manchester to the hospital on the other side of the cul-de-sac. They were loud and frequent, stopping us from opening the windows to let even the hot breeze blow through. From the ranch house picture window we could see black clouds from fires burning eight miles south. Newscasters called it a riot. Later, the people who lived in that part of the city, and history, would call it The Watts Uprisings.

BREAST MILK IS SAFER THAN FORMULA EVEN IF THERE IS MERCURY CONTAMINATION

April 12, 2017 in September MD-Writer, Breast Feeding

What we do know is that Breast Feeding improves the health of both mothers and babies which far outweighs any toxic effects of mercury-- in most circumstances. IF you are worried and are in an environment where there is know to be high Mercury levels see a clinician. Know that if Mercury is present ( and there is some everywhere) Levels go down within in 2-3 months after birth -- and again there is more mercury in cows milk based formula's than in human breast milk. The damage of not breast feeding an infant is far more lethal in terms of disease than mercury. However-- an environment where a mother is exposed to high levels of mercury during pregnancy -- can be dangerous and cause Minamata disease --but that mercury is passed across the placenta into the blood stream of the baby. But Mercury is poorly transmitted to and through breast milk. If you have the luxury of avoiding mercury ingestion by all means do. But if you have to choose between breast feeding and not -- mercury contamination is not your biggest problem. You might see the film Breast Milk and follow journalist, writer health communicator Kimberly Seals Allers (author of the Big LetDown).