In this compelling, emotionally complex novel, a college friendship sparks a life-changing sacrifice that connects two women forever–even as it shatters their closeness . . .
“Let her go. I’ll stay.”
There are some decisions you can never unmake. You can only atone for them—or try to. During her senior year of college, Clare Michaels takes a spring break trip to Florida with three other girls, including her best friend, Lee. She’s hoping for adventure and a few stories to share back at school. Instead, a string of bad choices leads to a horrific encounter, and Lee offers herself up so that Clare can escape.
In the weeks and months that follow that fateful incident, Lee, once so dynamic and ambitious, flounders and withdraws. Clare was the only person to whom she’d ever confided about her troubled past. For Clare, that role felt like an honor—until it became a burden. Now she’s trying to make amends for her momentary selfishness by taking care of Lee—just as she’s been taking care of her high-strung mother, whose bestselling novel has been both windfall and curse. Years pass, circumstances change, and contact between Clare and Lee ebbs and flows, but the events of that night in Florida are impossible to escape. They keep dragging Clare back—forcing her to confront what really happened, and her part in it, in hopes of untangling guilt from loyalty and earning forgiveness at last . . .
“I’ll Stay is a heart-pounding, addictive portrait of how one split-second choice can twist our whole lives—and how the patterns of our lives lead us to those choices. A smart, compassionate, psychological spellbinder of a book—with one of the scariest scenes you’ll read anywhere that’ll stay with you forever!”
–Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers
Karen Day is the author of three middle grade novels. I’LL STAY is her first novel for adults.
Selected as a Buzz Book 2017-2018 by Publishers Marketplace, I’LL STAY is a compelling and complex look at friendship and trauma. Hope to see you there!
We are thrilled to reveal the cover of How To Coach Girls!
Volunteer parents and experienced coaches alike will find invaluable advice on creating a successful team that motivates girls to stay in sports beyond the middle school years. Twenty-two chapters cover major issues, including how to pick captains, the importance of growth mindset, issues around body image and puberty, as well as the challenges of coaching your own daughter.
In addition, fifteen professional coaches from a range of sports, including former Olympian athletes, give their advice on what girls need from a coach to allow them to flourish in sports, and most importantly, have fun.
2 Chapter GIVEAWAY of How To Coach Girls
We am giving away two chapters of How To Coach Girls. You can download it here.
Pre-Order HOW TO COACH GIRLS
How To Coach Girls comes out March 1, 2018, but it’s available for pre-order HERE! Thank you so much for your support!
My daughter in 12th grade tells me that the Leadership class is studying racism against Asian Americans and that my posts on Newton North High School’s musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, is a big part of that curriculum. I’m glad. This conversation is long overdue.
I wanted to share the videos I shot of the Community Talk Back centered around Thorough Modern Millie right after the show ended at Newton North High School. The Boston Globe front page article emerged after this Talk Back.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Performance
Adam Brown, director of Theatre Ink at Newton North High School, invites audience to read page 59, disclaimer on racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie performed March 2014.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie 2014 Production
Scene with Mrs. Meers about to sell girl into white slavery. 2014 production.
I would like to note that then principal Jennifer Price made promises regarding a new vetting plan that included people of color during this Talk Back that she never followed up on. There may be a new plan in place but she promised to give a written document to the public that has yet to be revealed.
I would further note that director and NNHS English Teacher Brad Jensen made further comment during the year and year after in his classroom that he did not believe that Thoroughly Modern Millie is racist in any way. This is concerning to me that an ENGLISH teacher is unable to do read between the lines and draw inferences from written material.
Finally, I would suggest Cilla-Lee Jenkins, Future Author Extraordinaire by Susan Tan for a middle grade book on micro-aggressions against Asian Americans, and mixed-race Asian Americans in particular.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back 1
Racism discussion about Throughly Modern Millie performed by Newton North High School, 2014.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back 2
About teaching racism in books versus theatre.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back 3
A white 17-year-old Newton North High School student speaks out against the programming choices.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie Talk Back 4
Jenny Chou and her husband talk about how their son felt that he could not participate because he did not want his Chinese American grandparents to be subjected to the racism in the show.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 1.5
The vetting process for selecting a musical both for Thoroughly Modern Millie and moving forward.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 5
An Asian American father asks about ability to modify script. When Brown Middle School did the Sound of Music, they changed the Nazi Flag to a cross in order not offend their audience. Please note also that Newton North High School CHANGED the script to reflect that one of the Asian Characters is white. They also added in the mother of the two Asian characters at the end.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 6
Joy Bautista, Academic Dean and Science Teacher at Boston Arts Academy on why Thoroughly Modern Millie hurt her.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 7
Charlene Beh, English Teacher at Newton North High School and advisor to Thoroughly Modern Millie on how this process and show made her feel marginalized.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 8
Why wasn’t Thoroughly Modern Millie modified to remove the racism?
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 9
Michele Leong, English Teacher and Director of the Office Human Rights at Newton North High School weighs in on Thoroughly Modern Millie. Co Advisor of the Asian Culture Club.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 10
NNHS student speaks out about how White Privilege socialization denies Asians and Asian Americans the right to feel pain from the racism, the roles Asian Americans are offered at NNHS, and that Newton North’s letter of not doing enough concerns her.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 11
On the right to feel pain from the racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 12
When does a play or musical cross the line?
Thoroughly Modern Millie Newton North High School Talk Back 13
Archena Szpak and why Thoroughly Modern Millie goes against the Anti-Bullying teachings in the Newton School System.
Newton North High School Thoroughly Modern Millie
Ching Ho and Bun Foo scene. Did you know that these are not real Chinese names? These are made up names.
Let me draw a parallel. Imagine if these two characters were gay men instead of Chinese immigrants. In the first version of Thoroughly Modern Millie, these characters were named Oriental 1 and Oriental 2. Asian Americans find this term offensive so let’s rename the characters Faggot 1 and Faggot 2. Then, in the rewrite, two nonsensical made up names were inserted instead to make it less offensive.
Ching Ho and Bun Foo are not real names so in our parallel, let’s call these two characters Pitcher and Catcher. I hope you can understand why Ching Ho and Bun Foo are equally racist and offensive. Saying the names in a respectful tone of voice does not eliminate the repulsiveness of the names.
These are all related posts on Thoroughly Modern Millie at Newton North High School:
My Take onThoroughly Modern Millie
Talk Back: Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS
NNHS Responds to Concerns About Thoroughly Modern Millie
MTI Advises How to Squelch Dissent on Thoroughly Modern Millie
Throwndown NNHS: Talk the Talk or Walk the Walk? Regarding Racism in Thoroughly Modern Millie
Rebuttal to ‘Millie in Newton: Turn Stereotypes into Lessons
More Than 50% of Asian American Teens are Bullied in School
White Privilege and Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern MillieEnd of School YearTakeaway
These are other articles and posts related to Thoroughly Modern Millie at Newton North High School:
The Boston Globe: School Play’s Stereotypes Bring Outcry and Apology. “Millie” touches nerve in Newton by Ellen Ishkanian
A case study published by UMass Peter Kiang almost 20 years ago (see pages 9-13), parallels almost exactly what happened at Newton North High School. ScholarWorks at UMass Boston, We Could Shape It: Organizing for Asian American Student Empowerment by Peter Nien-Chu Kiang.
The Notebook: Racism isn’t entertainment: Why “Thoroughly Modern Millie” didn’t belong on CAPA’s stage
3 white ppl on @GreaterBoston unhelpfully discuss HS prodns of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” cc: @pragmaticmom
Pawprint: Millard West Student Newspaper: Through with Thoroughly Modern Millie
The Washington Post: Twenty-Three Skiddo: ‘Modern Millie’ Doesn’t Dance
It’s an attempt, sort of, at a parody of the old-style musicals of the ’20s and ’30s, the sort jerry-built out of cheerful songs, convoluted plots, elaborate tap demonstrations and derogatory stereotypes.
In the Spring semester at school, the Musical Theater Department put on Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was overflowing with racism in its portrayal of Asians. I must say, I was thoroughly upset about the whole thing. First, the guys playing the Asians, I believe they were supposed to be Chinese immigrants, had white face makeup and slanty eyes. I couldn’t help but think that if they’d dressed in blackface, surely there’d be an uproar (Of course, they are putting on Ragtime this year, so we’ll see how they handle that– they’re already sending out emails about how they want the black students to try out for roles because there aren’t many black people in the musical theater department *eyeroll*). That wasn’t the only bad thing about the musical, however, the villian was a white woman pretending to be Asian who pronounced her L’s as R’s, and said she used soy sauce to clean a stain. Of course, she also treated the two Asian immigrants who worked for her as if they were stupid, and the silently and humbly submit in front of her, though behind closed doors they argue in Chinese (I guess it was real Chinese), with subtitles projected above the stage. And then one of the Asian men falls in love with one of the white women in the musical, blonde hair, blue eyes, you know the deal. At the end of the musical, they get together, as if his reward for working hard and being submissive, for being mistreated, is the gift of white womanhood, the pinnacle of creation. So yeah, I was pretty pissed about that whole thing.
Myvanwy: Review of Thoroughly Modern Millie
Someone sent me video of a local comedian’s youtube video of a character I’ve seen him portray once before. To call it infantile and racially insensitive would be a gross understatement. For the targets of his ridicule, it’s every bit as offensive as a mean-spirited performance in blackface. But because it’s against one of the few groups for whom bigotry, hostility, and ridicule is still acceptable (Chinese Americans and others of Asian and/or Pacific Island descent), it’s seen as okay by most and even encouraged by other local comedians. Kevin Marshall’s America
Zak Keith: Hollywood Asian Stereotypes
Racism against Asians is often “unawares”—a form of racism that flies under the radar due to its widespread acceptance as the norm. Its interactive dynamic resembles that of an unwritten social contract. Asians in the West are expected to accept patronizing remarks and racist taunts so demeaning that perpetrators would think twice before dishing them out with such unwavering consistency to any other minority group, such as Latinos or African Americans. Asians who object to such treatment are typically met with befuddlement and offense at their audacity to make an issue out of it.
It’s been a busy year for Nonantum’s Marc Gargaro, co-owner of Nonantum Boxing Club. This past summer, he got married, had his first child, opened a second Nonantum Boxing Club location in Hingham, and trained the U.S. Elite Men’s Boxing Team at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to ready them for the World Boxing Championships in Germany.
The U.S. Elite Men’s Boxing Team had an impressive result in Germany, earning two bronze and a silver medal. This is the team that will represent the United States at the Pan American and Olympic Games.
Right before Thanksgiving, U.S. boxing asked Marc back, this time to train the U17/U18 Elite Girls for the World Boxing Championships held in India.
The U.S. Olympic Boxing is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the Olympic Development center with a full-time head coach, and another boxing trainer that lives there year round.
Boxers on the U.S. Elite Boxing Teams can live there as well, but most opt to stay where they are in order to work or go to school. They travel to Colorado Springs for a week of intensive training before important boxing tournaments where they represent the United States. Two or three guest coaches are invited to help train for these events.
The schedule is grueling, staring with 6:45 am weigh-ins and continuing for twelve hours. Students, such as the girls U17 and U18, then meet with tutors in a study hall in order to catch up with their classwork.
For Marc, training the U.S. Elite Boxing Team at the Olympic Training Center is the culmination of a decade of producing national level fighters out of his gym here in Newton. He was the New England coach for the Nationals multiple times as well.
He also thinks it’s his willingness to learn and improve as a coach that is getting him return invites to Colorado Springs. At 38 years old, he’s by far the youngest guest coach, and he’s learning the strategy and systems of the Olympic Head Coach Billy Walsh has established to make the team more competitive at the international level.
Looking forward to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, U.S. Boxing is preparing to make a charge. Right now, the U.S. Elite U17/U18 Girls Team are in the final rounds of the World Boxing Championships and will come away with at least two bronze medals. Marc Gargaro is taking back with him lessons of how to train elite boxing athletes able to compete at the highest levels. Expect future Olympians to emerge from Nonantum Boxing Club because while 2017 was a great year for Marc, he’s just getting started.
My high school daughter has taken classes with Amy for five years and my daughter raves about her. What is great about Amy is that she encourages creativity in a gentle way, creating a safe space for kids to express themselves.
Because she graduated from a highly competitive art school (Cooper Union had a 6% acceptance rate when she attended because it was 100% free tuition), she also understands what it takes to create a portfolio for kids who want to attend art school.
A mother of two kids, she is really great at relating to kids. Her students tend to stay with her until they graduate high school and go off to college, but come back to visit her when they are home. She’s that kind of teacher!
1) Teen/PreTeen Art Classes with Amy Nichols
Why should you sign your teen/preteen up for Art Class?
Because meeting other creative people, and honing their skills together can help them find their tribe.
Because communicating through images is a powerful tool they’ll use for the rest of their lives, whatever path they are on.
Art Class for 7th grade – 9th grade
When: Wednesdays, 4pm – 6pm
Session One: November 1 – December 20 $210
Session Two: January 3 – February 14 $245
Session Three: February 28 – April 11 $245
Session Four: April 25 – May 30 $210
Session Five: June 6 – June 20 $105
2) Portfolio Development Class for High School
Why should you sign up for Portfolio class?
Communicating through images connects you with the communal mind across language, cultural, and geographical barriers.
Portfolio Class: 10th grade – 12th grade
When: Fridays, 4pm-6pm
Session One: November 3 – December 22 $210
Session Two: January 5 – February 16 $245
Session Three: March 2 – April 13 $245
Session Four: April 27 -June 1$210
Session Five: June 8 -June 22 $105
3) Adult Experimental Studio Class
Experimental studio class is a multimedia class designed for adults who want to paint, draw, and connect with other creative people.
When: Tuesday mornings, 10am – 12pm
Session One: Nov 7 – Dec 19 $245
Session Two: Jan 2 – Feb 6 $245
Session Three: Feb 27 – April 10 $245
Session Four: April 24 – May 29 $210
Session Five: June 5 – June 19 $105
Classes are held at Amy Soderberg Nichols Studio:
115 Manchester Road
Newton Highlands, MA 02461
To sign up or find out more, please contact Amy Nichols via email, amynichols@verizon.net, or telephone 617-549-7911.
Amy Nichols has a BFA from Cooper Union and a Masters in Art Education MSAE from MassArt.
She’s taught art at Montserrat College of Art, Westwood Public Schools, Brookline High, the New Art Center and in her private studio (consecutively) since 1995.
Fleuri Designs, is hosting a Fall Open House this Thursday and Friday (details below). There will be lots of great vendors and Fleuri Designs will be offering fall plants, fresh flowers, succulents, permanent botanicals and more! Event is free and open to everyone.
Join us for a Holiday Pop Up Market at Common Ground in Arlington (319 Broadway, Arlington, MA 02474).
Common Ground in Arlington
Third Annual Holiday Pop Up Market
October 15th, Sunday
from 11am-3pm
Arlington Recycling Committee: Advocating and supporting local initiatives to promote solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and more.
ArtSpan – Munroe Center for the Arts: Wheel thrown and hand built pottery by professional instructors and students.Assortment of unique cups, bowls, plates, vases.
Beverly Bees: Handmade local bees wax candles from or own bees.Our local raw honey from our treatment free hives.Local beeswax hand & body lotions, lip balm and salves.
Black Walnut Fiber Arts: Hand-dyed shibori art-to-wear clothing, scarves and sarongs in silk, wool, cotton and rayon.Dyed using indigo, black walnut, acid dyes and fiber-reactive dyes.
Bonprise Designs: Unique jewelry made from eclectic, quality components including gemstone, pearl, crystal and one-of-a-kind artisan beads as well as handcrafted metal findings.“Bejeweled” felted wool hats, warm and luxurious and decorated with hand-selected component.All hand crafted by Sue Doctrow in Arlington, MA.
Bottle Branch: Botanical photography and papergoods: cards, gift tags, stickers, as well as larger photographic prints suitable for framing.
Brianna’s Handmade Soap: Soap that is 100% vegan and free of synthetic fragrances and dyes.Olive oil is used for a moisturizing quality, palm oil for rich lather and coconut oil for cleansing strength.Essential oils and plant based special ingredients are added for healing and calming properties.Our soap is long lasting and washes away cleanly due to the precise ratio of oils used in each recipe.
Dagmarka: Unique wearable art.Upcycled handmade wool scarves , fingerless mittens and legwarmers made from old felted sweaters.
Dana Designs: Custom Knits & Crochets: Large variety of crocheted stuffed animals, loveys, rattles, hats and other kids items.Also knitted hooded cowls, scarves, hats, legwarmers and custom work from orders.
Food Link: Food rescue non-profit based in Arlington.Food link seeks to educate the public about how they can reduce food waste.The organization will plan to sell magnets outlining how consumers can reduce food waste as well as the organization’s t-shirts.
Indigo Clothing Co.: Upcycled vintage & modern pieces recreated with 100% natural indigo dye for a modern take on Japanese shibori dying techniques.
Joli Savons and HYDE & GEMS: Handmade soaps, beauty products & candles.Handmade leather jewelry-real gold & sterling silver and gem stones as well as silk scarves, wool & cashmere knits.
K + K Market: Wool mittens with fleece lining all made from recycled wool sweaters and fleece.Wool ornaments or small creatures.
Longstreet Jewelry: Genuine stone jewelry, rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces (including Keishi pearls) all on Sterling Silver.
Phoenix Soul Fire: I practice meditative art, the practice of healing and mediation through Mandala and dot painting.I offer a variety of hand-painted Mandala artworks on different mediums including but not limited to: wood, canvas, glass and slate.
Sock It To Ya: Handmade knit socks from wool and wool blend yarn for boots, hockey, winter sports and clogs.
The Sweetest Thing Cakery: The Sweetest Thing Cakery offers handcrafted decorated cookies, cakes and more!
Water House Wellness:In addition to offering chair massage, gift certificates and memberships, we are selling our in store wellness related products like eye pillows, sage, yoga mats and clothing by Spiritual Gangster.
Winter Hill Jewelry: Lightweight, affordabel and unique jewelry by 3D printing designs that are first hand-drawn.Hand-drawn designs are manipulated in a 3D modeling program and then 3D printed in PLA, an environmentally friendly plant-based plastic and wood filament.
Massachusetts Has the Best School Systems in America according to a Wallet Hub study.
In order to determine the best school systems in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 21 key measures of quality and safety. The data set ranges from pupil-teacher ratio to dropout rate to median standardized-test scores.
Quality & Safety of Schools in Massachusetts (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
Newton-Wellesley Hospital has announced that online registration is now “live” for the eighth annual Hope Walks event to be held on Sunday, October 1, 2017. One of Newton-Wellesley’s most beloved traditions, Hope Walks is a 3.3-mile walk to benefit patients of the Vernon Cancer Center.
Proceeds from the fundraiser support access to clinical trials and research, nutrition and genetic counseling, art therapy, yoga, psycho-social services, patient navigation, survivorship initiatives as well as the Pappas PACT (Parenting at a Challenging Time), a parent guidance program for patients with children impacted by a cancer diagnosis.
The Hope Walks route begins and ends at the Hospital. All ages are welcome. Check-in begins at 9:00 AM, with opening ceremonies starting at 9:30 AM. The walk will start at 10:00 AM. Each walker is encouraged to raise a minimum of $100.
NEW THIS YEAR:Register by September 15th to save $10 and pay a reduced fee of $30. After September 15, the registration fee is $40. Online registration is now open at www.nwh.org/hopewalks.
Arissa Oh @arissaoh 1h
