July 1, 2021
Of Jamaican and Nigerian heritage and a resident of both London and Brooklyn, PEN Ackerley Prize--winning poet Daley-Ward explains how we can become our own best and truest selves in The How. A principal dancer at the New York City Ballet who starred on Broadway in On the Town, plus a podcast host, MBA student, and mother of three, Fairchild explains The Ballerina Mindset that lets her do it all with apparent ease. In parlous times. Stoic philosophy is suddenly trending, and Fideler's Breakfast with Seneca provides an accessible overview. The first woman and first Black minister at the progressive Collegiate Church in Manhattan, which dates from 1628, Lewis shows how we can cope with today's divisive culture by discussing her own reckoning with racism, her interracial marriage, nine daily spiritual practices that have sustained her, and the importance of Fierce Love. In The Power of Fun, award-winning science journalist Price argues that treating fun as an important part of your life--and she doesn't mean binge-watch your favorite TV shows--will make you happier and more productive. In Saving Grace, Powers leans on her experiences as a CNN senior political analyst and USA TODAY columnist to explain how we can maintain mental well-being without deserting our own convictions during conflict-ridden times. Author of the New York Times best-seller and Reese's Book Club pick Fair Play, Rodsky urges women to rethink their priorities and claim essential healing time for themselves in Find Your Unicorn Space. Having left their New York desk jobs and moved to Montana, leading culture journalists Warzel and Petersen see today's pandemic-driven work-at-home situation as a cobbled-together compromise and explain how we can create true Out of Office work schedules benefiting both workers and employers.
Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 20, 2021
Poet Daley-Ward (bone) wonders, “In a world so filled with voice, how to ever be sure of your own?” in this gratifying exploration of self. Daley-Ward excels at describing the indescribable: depression is referred to as “the thing that lurks” and loneliness is “a mix of several unspecified, blue things.” To deal with these and other negative feelings, she practices self-care by spending time alone, saying, “ ‘Selfish’ has horrible press, and yet this inward focus, this business of feeling good, is vital when it comes to the wealth of the mind.” She draws inspiration from the magic of the universe and the power of nature, which Daley-Ward suggests teaches “the largest acts of love” because “it shows us itself again and again and asks us for nothing.” This work defies genre and features a beautiful blend of lyrical prose and bold poetry: “We are human, and often we think of ourselves as lone, separate entities, forgetting that we are connected to this odd and expanding universe, forgetting that we are part of something vast and unexplained.” Amid her musings, Daley-Ward also weaves in affirmations and prompts for self-reflection. This is a tender, hopeful meditation.
September 15, 2021
A heartfelt, artful manifesto focused on living fully and authentically. Poet Daley-Ward addresses readers directly and speaks for them collectively, in addition to sharing her own experiences, in an earnest effort to offer them a reflection of themselves as well as their potential. "We must know," she begins, "there are no truths but the ones that we arrive at on our own." This admittedly indirect path--what she describes as "the great work of meeting yourself"--defines this book. The author includes exercises and affirmations designed to help readers examine and redefine "what we think life is all about...what we think work is, and to release the idea that we must suffer and struggle for the things that we want." She addresses feelings such as restlessness, dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression, insecurity, isolation, romance, self-compassion, gratitude, and grief, proposing solutions such as simplifying, writing down one's dreams, and taking time every day away from the phone. She suggests myriad practices of self-inquiry to attune readers to their inner wisdom and joy. "If you are not spiritually fit right now," she warns, "running anywhere else is pointless. The next place will never save you." Other tidbits of advice include: "Just be more you: that's the solution"; "We should always be letting go"; "You have to save yourself and worry about the rest later"; "Expression is relief, and surefire medicine." Throughout this slim book, the author strikes a balance between self-help and confession. For example, when she shares her own knowledge that she can never look to anything external as a way out of herself--although that doesn't stop her from trying--she opens up space for readers to reflect on their own accounts of avoidance and/or real desires. She creates connections, much like a circuit closing, and invites her audience on a voyage of self-discovery. By turns simplistic, elegiac, and illuminative.
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December 1, 2021
Poet Daley-Ward (The Terrible; Bone) urges readers to rediscover and redefine their own true desires and aspirations. The how is about removing the filters of others and meaningless activities to find what personally resonates. Daley-Ward offers encouragements, questions for journaling, and meditations to help unearth one's true essence. A particularly interesting exercise asks readers to think about the music, books, and poetry they like, and identify the main themes that run through them to find insight into their lives. VERDICT Ideal for writing prompts for solo journaling or for self-realization discussions.
Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.