Did you realize that the Killileas lived next to Jean and Walter Kerr? When Jean Kerr writes things like "I don't care what Rory's mother says, you can't walk on the furniture," in essays like "Please Don't Eat the Daisies," she's talking about Rory Killilea.

I hadn't known that.

I'm also somewhat amused by the way Marie talks about a woman they know who has CP and is a lawyer. There's a lot of "If Frances could do that, then Karen could, too" about getting an education and being self-supporting and stuff, and Frances gets all sorts of honors and awards and things, but I think the only one to get an exclamation point in this book is when she goes from wearing flats to wearing shoes with small heels.

This book is also reminding me how many childhood illnesses I avoided just by being born late enough. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book, and Karen's older sister has already had rheumatic fever and TB.

This book is also reminding me how many childhood illnesses I avoided just by being born late enough. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book, and Karen's older sister has already had rheumatic fever and TB.

Thanks to the whack-ass anti-vaxers, today's kids can experience the joy of horrific diseases, AND they can pass them on to their friends! Truly we live in a golden age.

Measles cases are popping up all over Utah. Somebody went to Poland without getting any shots beforehand, and came back with a gift that keeps on giving.

"Karen" was, when I read it as a teenager, both surprisingly modern and wacky and old-fashioned. But since then, I've blogged so much about the disability experience that I no longer fall upon every memoir like it has some answer I'm missing. I guess I'm glad the whole "bad and dirty" thing has moved to the subconscious level at least.

Thanks to the whack-ass anti-vaxers, today's kids can experience the joy of horrific diseases, AND they can pass them on to their friends! Truly we live in a golden age.

NO shit. I am not particularly neutral on this point. I want to go screaming into the street. One of my student's relatives didn't vaccinate, and figures that's okay because she lives in rural Georgia.

I said, "it might be okay unless the person happens to travel anywhere. Not to mention immigration patterns that will bring all kinds of people to rural areas."

figures that's okay because she lives in rural Georgia

Sure, nothing bad ever happens in the rural South. Because if one of the virulent nasties gets loose there, the government and tea baggers will be damned sure to get the help they need right quick to those folks in the rural South.

Linda Holmes, SO GOOD on the WSJ YA thing: [link]

jeepers ... I grew up before a lot of the vaccines came out - I remember getting polio booster shots (ow!) and still have a scar from an early smallpox vaccination. I had measles, and mumps, and chicken pox; the measles came close to doing some serious damage - I seem to be missing some basic immunities. The Salk vaccine came out and they lined up every kid in town and gave us sugar cubes and that was the end of that. No problems with going to the public pool in the summertime, no polio scares. Yay for science!

Linda Holmes, SO GOOD on the WSJ YA thing: [link]

Really good.

And, seriously, Johnny Tremain, which I read in middle school? Shudder.