Tiffany Painter

Summer is here and the reading is in full swing. I read a lot year round, but there is something special about summer reading. Sitting in the shade with a good book is the best! Most of my reading is fiction, and some gives off complete beach read vibes, but recently I picked up a nonfiction book that was getting recommended everywhere. The author is someone who is known for his YA books like The Fault in Our Stars, so I was skeptical when his book Everything Is Tuberculosis was getting such high praise. I can tell you after reading John Green’s book, I am won over. I admit I got the book with some reservations. Did I really want to read a book about the deadliest infection? That seems like a bit of a summer downer. I can tell you if all history books were written by John Green, there would be more history majors. Green humanized the topic by introducing us to Henry who has spent most of his life fighting a curable and preventative disease. We are talking about a child born in this century, or at least near. Tuberculosis is not some terrible disease from the past. Over a million people died from it in 2023. The book highlights worldwide healthcare inequalities and that because of the desire for profit over lives we have chosen to live in a world with tuberculosis when we don’t have to. The book is not all about the modern day issues, but also looks at the history of this disease. When it was called consumption it was romanticized more and accepted. By the time it became known as tuberculosis there was a stigma attached to it and people who were fighting the disease were often shunned. SAME ILLNESS! When you read this book, don’t skip the footnotes. Green gives extra information with just the right amount of sarcasm. If I had footnotes I would add that John Green is brothers with Hank Green and the two are behind the fun science YouTube videos Crash Course that I often used when I was teaching. Before this book I had no idea he was the same John Green. I guess nonfiction isn’t so bad after all.

6/11

sun shines from above
weight of winter pulls away
feel myself grow tall

6/14

silence of the day
broken with the melody
turtle swims in breeze

6/17

don’t let her fool you
instigator of trouble
sweet little kitten

6/19

defying nature
afternoon storm did its best
couldn’t quell the bloom

6/21

best part of the walk
sitting in the shade after
enjoying summer