Just the big-ticket topics for you this week: death, race, reading…and Cecil the Lion! Hope you enjoy the articles. (Also, subscriptions doubled. Iserotope Extras is becoming a minor movement!)

Death

My Own Life

In February, Dr. Oliver Sacks found out he had terminal cancer. This essay (like the one I shared last newsletter) helps me with clarity, with how I want to spend my time (and with whom, and about what). Dr. Sacks writes, “I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. There is no time for anything inessential.”

When I’m Gone

Rafael Zoehler’s father died early — and left him powerful words of wisdom. (Though part of me, the skeptical part, says this piece cannot be true, I kept reading it over and over this week. Even if it’s fabricated, I want it to be true.)

“I Am Cecil” — oh my.

Cecil the Lion

Of Lions and Men: Mourning Samuel DuBose and Cecil the Lion

I couldn’t resist stories about Cecil the Lion this week. Writer Roxane Gay tweeted, “I’m personally going to start wearing a lion costume when I leave my house so if I get shot, people will care.” Ms. Gay expresses outrage that we seem to care more about a dead faraway lion than about many dead nearby human beings.

From Cecil the Lion to Climate Change: A Perfect Storm of Outrage Oneupmanship

But why does outrage have to be a competitive sport? “It’s hard to think of a more innocent name than Cecil,” Dr. James Hamblin writes. “Had the lion’s name been Satan or Derek, the international firestorm might have been attenuated.” His conclusion: “You don’t know what to care about. I know what to care about.”

Race

The Man Who Shot Michael Brown

Officer Darren Wilson, exonerated of the killing of Michael Brown, says he wants to stop thinking about what happened in Ferguson. “Everyone is so quick to jump on race. It’s not a race issue.” Like many white people, Mr. Wilson thinks race doesn’t count because he has decided it doesn’t count.

The Kids Of Ferguson Rise Up - MTV

One year after Michael Brown’s death, America’s most infamous suburb is looking for redemption — led by its very own teens. Here’s the untold story. (If you’re an educator, your students will like this article.)

The Problem We All Live With

Every August, This American Life dedicates at least one show on education. This episode, which focuses on desegregation as a strategy to promote equity, gets at the heart of why our public schools are so messed up. Warning: Much of what you hear will upset you.

Reading

Hoping to reduce summer learning loss, city turns to iPads loaded with books

A program called SummerSail is distributing iPads to help 400 New York middle school students read over the summer. (This reminds me of a certain Bay Area reading program that will serve 600+ students this year. :) )

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