Comments on: Trumpet, Jackie Kay

By: Aarti

Aarti — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 00:47:00 +0000

I don’t know when I became as open-minded as I am now about all the types of love and relationships that can exist in the world without threatening other loves and relationships. I don’t think I was as open-minded in 1998 as I am now. In fact, I’m sure of it. I was raised pretty sheltered, and I think when you’re young, it’s really easy to make all-encompassing statements and feel really superior to other people because you haven’t really encountered much else. It’s only as you get older or meet new people and understand other perspectives that you become a better person, I think. So I’m glad your friend was open to that. I don’t know that it was Rent for me, but somehow, I became very liberal over time 🙂

By: Dana Huff

Dana Huff — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 21:23:00 +0000

You know, the last statement at the end of your post doesn’t surprise me. Sometimes it takes something we really love, and typically it is a story, for us to really empathize with and understand people we have “otherized” in the past. I hate to say this because it doesn’t make me look very good, but it took the movie Brokeback Mountain for me to really understand that gay love relationships were the same as straight ones. That sounds awful, and I wish I had always been an enlightened person, but it’s pretty much true. Now, I will say this about myself: I always did think homophobia was wrong, and I did try to be an ally. However, even through all of that so-called support, I still didn’t understand.

By: Nishita

Nishita — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 07:58:00 +0000

In reply to Stefanie@SoManyBooks. @Stefanie: Nothing wrong with a little Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, I enjoy them too. Fun, light songs :)

By: Nishita

Nishita — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 07:57:00 +0000

Your post reminds me of a similar discussion I had with a friend from college. It’s funny that moment when best friends suddenly realize that they are actually poles apart. We both gaped at each other in shock for a while, and it took some time for our friendship to return to some sort of normalcy.

I am still in touch with her off and on, but now I know not to discuss some things with her.

By: litlove

litlove — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 12:37:00 +0000

I think you would love Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay, if you haven’t read it already.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 12:32:00 +0000

A musical changed someone’s mind about something in the real world? Yes!!!!!

By: Memory

Memory — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 23:00:00 +0000

This sounds really good, and my library has it. Hurray!

The thing I remember most about 1998 is how there weren’t any flying cars, even though Isaac Asimov promised. Blah. My school didn’t have a Gay/Straight Alliance because my school was more or less a joke, so I missed out on the homophobia stuff.

I don’t even know how I feel about jazz. I know I’m not big on the smooth stuff because I’m not big on smooth anything (well, anything musical), and I basically evaluate the rest of it on a case by case basis.

By: Stefanie@SoManyBooks

Stefanie@SoManyBooks — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 17:00:00 +0000

Wow, 1998, I don’t recall much of anything about that year. But way cool about this book. Not too many books written like it these days but they are happily becoming more common and I hope it continues. As for jazz, I don’t hate it but I am not a fan. Some of it I like — Ella and Armstrong are good and a few others — but it is not something I choose to listen to. This is much to the disappointment of my husband who thinks I am some kind of heathen because I like cheesy pop in the form of Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.