MIGRAINES AND POOR sleep have been plaguing me this past week and hijacked my work time so this is a short note in honor of what would have been James Baldwin's 100th birthday (the actual day was last Friday, August 2nd). Probably everyone has their own first-encounter-with-Baldwin's-genius story; for me it was the extraordinary essay "Stranger in the Village" from Notes of a Native Son. I love picking apart this essay with students and seeing their changing facial expressions as Baldwin's brilliant words awaken them to the complexity of American race relations.

About five years ago I tried teaching myself how to paint and made this portrait of Baldwin. It's not very good but I think his concentration comes through.

I'm going to leave it there for now; hopefully I'll be back on my feet next week and have a longer message ready to go.

Stay healthy,

Claire