Jump, jump into your joy!
[Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist by Jasmin Graham hardcover book with 3 black & white images of the author on the front; then the following books with their spines facing outward - Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, Business Casual by B. K. Borison, The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey, Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan, The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson]
Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Scientist by Jasmin Graham
non-fiction memoir & scientific research
Pantheon, July 2024
Seeing the author during a recent appearance on CBS Mornings made me curious to learn more about her life and her scientific pursuits. To quote a passage from chapter 13, "As is so often the case in science, you go looking for the answer to one question and end up with another unanswered question altogether."
Throughout the prologue, thirteen chapters, and epilogue filled with thoughtful personal and professional observations, field notes from excursions on research vessels, photos and drawings with amusing captions, Sharks Don't Sink offers readers an intimate personal memoir, glimpses into the sociopolitical swampland of academia and conservation, and intriguing scientific inquiries. Emotionally fraught and ultimately optimistic, this book's brisk pacing reads like an adventure novel narrated by someone who's brave enough to reveal her human vulnerabilities in order to encourage others to prioritize their own well-being while pursuing their intellectual and creative passions.
another passage from chapter 13:
...I've learned over the past year that there's always a workaround--I can leverage community resources, collaborate, and use plain old duct-tape-and-zip-tie-style innovation...My mental health and my joy right now is more important than putting myself in another environment where I might be prone to the Husk taking over, with her anxiety and panic attacks.
Wanting to know more about the author led me to Sharks Don't Sink. Now I also want to know more about the reasons for the differences between female and male bonnethead sharks!
And here's one more passage, this time from the prologue, that sums up the overall vibe of this book:
It's a story of my journey to become a shark scientist as a young Black woman from a family rooted in the South, whose members have fought for our right to exist peacefully for centuries. And, importantly, it's a celebration of sharks--all they can teach us about how to live, how to survive and thrive, and how it's up to us now to help them continue to swim, lest we all sink.
"New Fiction" and "New Books" are the irresistible siren calls from public libraries to booklovers. Looking at you, Anne Arundel County Public Library and Prince George's County Memorial Library System.
[a three-picture collage of "New Fiction" shelves at a public library featuring Frederick Douglass, A Nest of Vipers, Daughter of the Merciful Deep, The Band, Chicano Frankenstein, Lost Ark, Isabel and the Rogue, Loyally, Luke]
[three shelves of library books with a "New Books" sign on the top shelf next to four books with spines facing outward: Never Meant to Stay, Ne'er Duke Well, The Game Changer, My Season of Scandal]
D.J. Jazzy Jeff (with an awesome guest rapper whose name escapes my sieve of a memory), Paula Abdul, and New Kids on the Block delivered a spectacular music entertainment extravaganza of epic nostalgic proportions to a crowd of thousands of fans decked out from head to feet in 90's neon, retro concert shirts, Blockhead gear, and off-the-charts enthusiasm! All of us were singing every word while pumping our fists and dance, dance, dancing.
[a three-photo collage of "MAGIC SUMMER" neon sign unlit, then lit in 2 different combinations of colors and surrounding graphics]
Happy pursuit of your interests and the things that expand your joy!
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