Latest news with #TheCovenantofWater
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Harvard Holds Graduation In Shadow Of Trump 'Retribution'
Harvard began its annual graduation ceremony Thursday as a federal judge considers the legality of punitive measures taken against the university by US President Donald Trump that threaten to overshadow festivities. Hundreds of robed students and academics squeezed onto the steps of the campus's main library early Thursday as Trump piles unprecedented pressure onto the university, one of the most prestigious in the world. He is seeking to ban it from having foreign students, shredding its federal contracts, slashing its multibillion-dollar grants and challenging its tax-free status. Harvard is fighting all of the measures in court. The Ivy League institution has continually drawn Trump's ire while publicly rejecting his administration's repeated demands to give up control of recruitment, curricula and research choices. The government claims Harvard tolerates anti-Semitism and liberal bias. "Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect, and all they're doing is getting in deeper and deeper," Trump said Wednesday. Harvard president Alan Garber, who told National Public Radio on Tuesday that "sometimes they don't like what we represent," may address the ceremony, which will be attended by as many as 30,000 people. Garber has acknowledged that Harvard does have issues with anti-Semitism, and has struggled to ensure that a variety of views can be safely heard on campus. "The Covenant of Water" author Abraham Verghese will be the commencement speaker and will receive an honorary degree in front of crowds wearing academic garb. Ahead of the ceremony, members of the Harvard band sporting distinctive crimson blazers and brandishing their instruments filed through the narrow streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts -- home to the elite school, America's oldest university. A huge stage had been erected and hundreds of chairs laid out in a grassy precinct that was closed off to the public as the event got under way. Students wearing black academic gowns also toured through Cambridge with photo-taking family members, AFP correspondents saw. Madeleine Riskin-Kutz, a Franco-American classics and linguistics student at Harvard, said some students were planning individual acts of protest against the Trump policies. "The atmosphere (is) that just continuing on joyfully with the processions and the fanfare is in itself an act of resistance," the 22-year-old said. Garber has led the fightback in US academia after Trump targeted several prestigious universities -- including Columbia, which made sweeping concessions to the administration in an effort to restore $400 million of withdrawn federal grants. A federal judge in Boston will on Thursday hear arguments over Trump's effort to exclude Harvard from the main system for sponsoring and hosting foreign students. Judge Allison Burroughs quickly paused the policy which would have ended Harvard's ability to bring students from abroad who currently make up 27 percent of its student body. Harvard has since been flooded with inquiries from foreign students seeking to transfer to other institutions, Maureen Martin, director of immigration services, said Wednesday. "Many international students and scholars are reporting significant emotional distress that is affecting their mental health and making it difficult to focus on their studies," Martin wrote in a court filing. Retired immigration judge Patricia Sheppard protested outside Harvard Yard on Wednesday, sporting a black judicial robe and brandishing a sign reading "for the rule of law." Basketball star and human rights campaigner Kareem Abdul-Jabbar addressed the class of 2025 for Class Day on Wednesday. "When a tyrannical administration tried to bully and threaten Harvard to give up their academic freedom and destroy free speech, Dr. Alan Garber rejected the illegal and immoral pressures," he said, comparing Garber to civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Harvard's 374th commencement to kick off as usual, in unusual times
The commencement, during which thousands of students and parents will pack Harvard Yard, caps the end of a tumultuous academic year for Harvard amid unprecedented threats by the federal government to both its autonomy and bottom line. The Trump administration this year launched an array of investigations into Harvard, terminated billions of dollars in research grants, is seeking to bar it from enrolling international students, and has threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. Advertisement The ground continued shifting under Harvard Yard even this week, as federal agencies were told on Tuesday to Related : Early on, Trump officials said the steps are a response to a failure on Harvard's part to address antisemitism on campus. Recently, the administration has accused Harvard of violating antidiscrimination laws during its admissions and hiring processes. Harvard has said in lawsuits and public statements that it believes Trump's actions toward the university are unlawful. 'These terminations are putting a stop to lifesaving research and, in some cases, losing years of important work that the federal government has previously designated as a priority when the funding was appropriated by Congress,' Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said. 'We will continue to fight against unlawful terminations.' Advertisement Stanford physician and author Abraham Verghese is set to give the 2025 commencement address. Verghese, born in Ethiopia, wrote the best-selling novel 'The Covenant of Water.' This post will be updated with reporting from the commencement ceremonies. Material from previous Globe stories was used in this report. Spencer Buell can be reached at
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Review: The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao
Ruthvika Rao's The Fertile Earth is a beautifully narrated tale of cruelty, power imbalance, and love that brings to life Telangana's feudal past and the rise of both the CPI(ML) and Hindutva in the region in the 1960s. Surendra Deshmukh lives with his family in a gadi, a traditional fortified mansion, that towers over the village in Irumi. As landlords, the Deshmukhs' 'authority… and their power over the lives of those who lived in Irumi was absolute.' Surendra has two nieces, Vijaya, a pre-teen girl, and four-year-old Sree. Their mother showers Sree with love and despises Vijaya, who assumes this hatred is because she is dark skinned while Sree is pale. As a result, Vijaya dislikes her sibling. Sree, unaware of this dynamic, often tails her older sister everywhere. Ranga and Krishna are sons of the washerwoman at the gadi. Ranga, the elder sibling is trusted deeply by the Deshmukhs. Krishna and Vijaya are classmates and become friends when he stands up for her against the school bully. Krishna wants to impress her, which leads him to agree to her proposed expedition into the forest to catch a man-eating tiger. Things go horribly wrong for both sets of siblings, and the incident becomes the turning point of their lives. Ranga takes the blame and is punished with the cruellest of whippings by Surendra Deshmukh in the presence of his mother and other workers. Krishna is sent away to Hyderabad to pursue his education on condition that he never return. The novel begins with the shocking image of the heads of members of the Deshmukh family on pikes. The year is 1970 and by then, the public execution of landlords by the people's court of Naxalites is a common occurrence. The book then traces the events that lead the Deshmukh family to this grisly end, taking the story back to 1955 when Vijaya and Krishna had just befriended each other as kids. Their friendship and budding yearning for each other becomes the frame within which the events unfold. Rao's writing is descriptive, sharing a vein with recent books such as Abraham Verghese's The Covenant of Water and Tejaswini Apte-Rahm's The Secret of More. Unlike Verghese, Rao's intricate detailing isn't targeted at a non-Indian readership. She creates vivid landscapes, describes the architecture, and shows the everyday life at the gadi. She even includes a few Telugu and Marathi dialogues without translating them for English language readers. It is difficult to grasp the exact meaning but the context nonetheless allows you to interpret the words. Occasionally, however, the beauty of the writing is overshadowed by errors such as a mention of the Arts College at Osmania University having five floors (it has two) or of a full moon on Diwali, which is only ever celebrated on a new moon night. Still, the reader is able to ignore these and focus on the story. Interestingly, the most powerful family in Irumi has only daughters and doesn't mourn or long for sons. The Deshmukhs are quite content with their women, even if somewhat controlling of their interaction with the outside world. As always, associations of upper-caste women with men who are not from their strata are severely frowned upon and those involved are punished. Women, despite their high status, do not have the agency to choose who they want to be with, whereas the converse is somewhat acceptable — in fact, associations between upper-caste men and lower caste women are conveniently ignored despite the negative consequences. Often, lower-caste women are sold for two rupees and a bag of grain, which leads many of them to join the Naxalite movement in search of respect. In a drunken state, Surendra Deshmukh once acknowledges the brilliance of Ranga and Krishna and wishes they too were upper-caste. It is this realisation that is the basis of his cruelty towards them; social inferiors were not supposed to be brilliant in skills and thinking. 'Two aberrations! Two who do not fit into the moulds created for them. One? One can be broken, sanded down, made to fit. But two? Two's too many, Ranga. What to do then? Break them both? No. It won't work,' he says. 'No. What you do is break one and make the other watch. Sever what binds them. That's how you get them to fit.' And so Surendra Deshmukh is completely cruel to Ranga, and to all others who need to be controlled. Krishna isn't as transgressive as his brother. In fact, when he comes to the forefront of the Hindutva movement questioning land rights in Hyderabad in the 1960s, he chooses not to participate. His friend Gagan, the one who starts the movement, reminds him of his past in Irumi, a past that separated him from his family. But Krishna simply wants to live a decent life, get his doctorate, and marry Vijaya, if she agrees to spend her life with him. Rao writes all her characters with empathy; she shows all sides of a situation through them without advocating for right or wrong. Even when she describes Surendra, she ensures that his unspoken love for his nieces is apparent. No one is villainised or glorified. They are presented in all their (in)humanity, which frees the reader from seeing them only through the binaries of good and bad, right and wrong. The novel incorporates a lot of research on the feudal system and the politics of the Telengana region in the 1950s and '60s. However, Rao prioritises telling a good story with its many twists and turns over putting her research efforts on display -- a temptation that many experienced authors worldwide cannot resist. A real page turner, The Fertile Earth is a spectacular debut. Akankshya Abismruta is an independent writer.
CNN
24-03-2025
- General
- CNN
This form of therapy involves doing something fun
Summary Bibliotherapy, the practice of reading for wellness, provides a powerful way to relax and gain personal insights. Licensed clinical social worker Emely Rumble has prescribed books to clients for 15 years as therapeutic tools. Reading can trigger emotions that offer valuable self-knowledge and help people see different perspectives. Therapists often use books to help patients process trauma through fictional characters rather than direct questioning. Despite declining reading rates nationally, experts recommend focusing on enjoyment rather than quantity of books read. Like most parents, I'm exhausted from juggling the needs of my family and work in the 21st century. But after the kids fall asleep, I've been escaping to southern India in the early 20th century. It's warm there, I'm surrounded by water and the air smells like jasmine. I've been pulling this off with Abraham Verghese's gorgeous book 'The Covenant of Water.' It's been just the opportunity to relax that I've badly needed. During a particularly rough spell in which my kids and I were constantly ill this winter, I read Glynnis MacNicol's 'I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris' and vicariously traipsed through Paris as a single person. So-called bibliotherapy can be a powerful wellness practice, according to Emely Rumble, a Springfield, Massachusetts-based licensed clinical social worker who has been prescribing it to her clients for 15 years. For most of us, 'there's not really too many opportunities to slow down and turn inward,' said Rumble, who teaches a course on bibliotherapy at Queens College in New York City. She is also author of 'Bibliotherapy in the Bronx,' a book to be published in April. Reading offers a break from work and caring for other people, she said, and it can also be a way to gain personal insights. What stories teach us about ourselves Books often have powerful effects on people, making readers cry or causing them to get angry. 'If an emotion comes up for you while you're reading, there's some information there for you,' Rumble said. If readers stop and think about what's making them have the reactions they're experiencing, they can gain valuable knowledge about themselves. Similarly, she said, if readers find themselves connecting emotionally with certain characters, they should consider what's making them attach to those individuals. Rumble recommended readers keep journals on hand to write down what they learn about themselves. Reading about and reflecting on a topic also can provide an opportunity to see things from other people's points of view and even to reconsider your beliefs, Rumble said. 'We can realize that, OK, maybe I am thinking about something in black-and-white terms. Or maybe I am catastrophizing a little bit too much,' she said. 'Sometimes we read something (to help) reframe our perspective.' Rumble said stories also remind readers that they're not the only ones who are suffering. 'We're all impacted by the same societal ills, maybe on different levels, in different ways,' she said. This realization can help people feel less alone. Knowing who you are as a reader is important, whether you're a fan of historical fiction, science fiction, biographies, romance, young adult fiction or something else. Your local librarian or a site like Goodreads can help. The device for reading is your choice. Some people like audio books, while others read hard copies or use e-readers. What matters is that it's enjoyable for the person. Reading with a professional While some people like me find reading to be a way to relax and gain insights on our own, Rumble said therapists also prescribe books to their patients as a form of learning and healing. 'Traditional talk therapy, having a therapist ask you very personal questions or details about traumatic experiences, can feel really harrowing,' she said. 'When you're looking at it through the lens of a fictional character,' she said, 'it becomes a lot easier to talk about some of those painful memories or to consider different experiences that you've had.' Don't set book goals Despite the benefits of books, people have been reading less. The average American read 12.6 books during the previous year — the lowest number since 1990 — according to a 2022 Gallup survey. As a college professor, I find that, overall, my students read less now than they did when I started teaching a decade ago. But Rumble advised that it's best not to set goals for how many books you'll get through in a week or a year. Once we start focusing on how much we're reading, 'we take the joy away from the benefits of slowing down,' she said. Rumble recently spent two months reading Imani Perry's book 'Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People.' As she read along, she listened to blues music and checked out other books that Perry referenced. 'I feel like that's when reading gets really enjoyable because you're really engaging, not just with the text, but you're having fun with what the author is trying to impart to you as a reader,' she said. When I want to escape to Italy, I love soaking in Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels and Jo Piazza's 'The Sicilian Inheritance.' Reading Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch' recently reminded me of the power of art and prompted me to take my young daughters to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they were mesmerized by artifacts from ancient Egypt. Reading can be a powerful way of escaping, relaxing and realizing truths about ourselves and the world. That's why I'm heading back to India tonight.
CNN
24-03-2025
- General
- CNN
This form of therapy involves doing something fun
Summary Bibliotherapy, the practice of reading for wellness, provides a powerful way to relax and gain personal insights. Licensed clinical social worker Emely Rumble has prescribed books to clients for 15 years as therapeutic tools. Reading can trigger emotions that offer valuable self-knowledge and help people see different perspectives. Therapists often use books to help patients process trauma through fictional characters rather than direct questioning. Despite declining reading rates nationally, experts recommend focusing on enjoyment rather than quantity of books read. Like most parents, I'm exhausted from juggling the needs of my family and work in the 21st century. But after the kids fall asleep, I've been escaping to southern India in the early 20th century. It's warm there, I'm surrounded by water and the air smells like jasmine. I've been pulling this off with Abraham Verghese's gorgeous book 'The Covenant of Water.' It's been just the opportunity to relax that I've badly needed. During a particularly rough spell in which my kids and I were constantly ill this winter, I read Glynnis MacNicol's 'I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris' and vicariously traipsed through Paris as a single person. So-called bibliotherapy can be a powerful wellness practice, according to Emely Rumble, a Springfield, Massachusetts-based licensed clinical social worker who has been prescribing it to her clients for 15 years. For most of us, 'there's not really too many opportunities to slow down and turn inward,' said Rumble, who teaches a course on bibliotherapy at Queens College in New York City. She is also author of 'Bibliotherapy in the Bronx,' a book to be published in April. Reading offers a break from work and caring for other people, she said, and it can also be a way to gain personal insights. What stories teach us about ourselves Books often have powerful effects on people, making readers cry or causing them to get angry. 'If an emotion comes up for you while you're reading, there's some information there for you,' Rumble said. If readers stop and think about what's making them have the reactions they're experiencing, they can gain valuable knowledge about themselves. Similarly, she said, if readers find themselves connecting emotionally with certain characters, they should consider what's making them attach to those individuals. Rumble recommended readers keep journals on hand to write down what they learn about themselves. Reading about and reflecting on a topic also can provide an opportunity to see things from other people's points of view and even to reconsider your beliefs, Rumble said. 'We can realize that, OK, maybe I am thinking about something in black-and-white terms. Or maybe I am catastrophizing a little bit too much,' she said. 'Sometimes we read something (to help) reframe our perspective.' Rumble said stories also remind readers that they're not the only ones who are suffering. 'We're all impacted by the same societal ills, maybe on different levels, in different ways,' she said. This realization can help people feel less alone. Knowing who you are as a reader is important, whether you're a fan of historical fiction, science fiction, biographies, romance, young adult fiction or something else. Your local librarian or a site like Goodreads can help. The device for reading is your choice. Some people like audio books, while others read hard copies or use e-readers. What matters is that it's enjoyable for the person. Reading with a professional While some people like me find reading to be a way to relax and gain insights on our own, Rumble said therapists also prescribe books to their patients as a form of learning and healing. 'Traditional talk therapy, having a therapist ask you very personal questions or details about traumatic experiences, can feel really harrowing,' she said. 'When you're looking at it through the lens of a fictional character,' she said, 'it becomes a lot easier to talk about some of those painful memories or to consider different experiences that you've had.' Don't set book goals Despite the benefits of books, people have been reading less. The average American read 12.6 books during the previous year — the lowest number since 1990 — according to a 2022 Gallup survey. As a college professor, I find that, overall, my students read less now than they did when I started teaching a decade ago. But Rumble advised that it's best not to set goals for how many books you'll get through in a week or a year. Once we start focusing on how much we're reading, 'we take the joy away from the benefits of slowing down,' she said. Rumble recently spent two months reading Imani Perry's book 'Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People.' As she read along, she listened to blues music and checked out other books that Perry referenced. 'I feel like that's when reading gets really enjoyable because you're really engaging, not just with the text, but you're having fun with what the author is trying to impart to you as a reader,' she said. When I want to escape to Italy, I love soaking in Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels and Jo Piazza's 'The Sicilian Inheritance.' Reading Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch' recently reminded me of the power of art and prompted me to take my young daughters to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they were mesmerized by artifacts from ancient Egypt. Reading can be a powerful way of escaping, relaxing and realizing truths about ourselves and the world. That's why I'm heading back to India tonight.
