The Book Lover's Corner

literature meme | prose writers [2/6] Margaret Atwood

Margaret Eleanor Atwood, (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history. She is a winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award and Prince of Asturias award for Literature, has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize five times, winning once, and has been a finalist for the Governor General’s Award several times, winning twice. She is also a founder of the Writers’ Trust of Canada, a non-profit literary organization that seeks to encourage Canada’s writing community.

One of my very good friends, Logan Henderson, is in need of financial assistance to fund his top surgery which will hopefully take place this December.  He is a transgender young man who has always shown kindness to me and everyone that he encounters. He has been extremely active in raising support, awareness, and enacting change for LGBTQ youth and works exceptionally hard for all forms of equality and resistance to oppression. Logan is one of the most amazing and wonderful people who I have had the privilege to call my friend over the last six or seven years, and I would really appreciate any and all help that you could contribute to his fundraising campaign, even if it’s just by reblogging this or sharing his fundraising page on other social networking sites.  He needs to raise $10,000 for his surgery and surgery related costs, especially since the surgeon who is going to perform the operation does not accept health insurance. Here’s a brief bit of information from Logan’s page on youcaring.com:

My name is Logan Henderson and I need your help to attain chest surgery. I am a transgender young man; I was born female and identify as male. Chest surgery, clinically known as a double mastectomy with free nipple graphs, will align my physical body with how I perceive myself.

I have created this campaign to fund my surgery. I intend to have surgery with Dr. Charles Garramone in December. This plan has been in thought and in process for the past 3 years. I initially decided to have surgery prior my journey to college but extenuating factors prevented this from happening.

Since, I am going to Dartmouth College in the Fall, the surgery date will fall in line with our winter break. Chest surgery at the start of my educational career will allow me to be most successful as a Dartmouth ‘17, for unlike the time I spent in high school, I will not be distracted, blinded and hindered by my self-consciousness and body dysphoria. I will be a complete person and immerse myself in change to be the social justice activist I long to be!

….

I have lived on the street, out of cars, struggled with depression, and the obstacles that stem from systemic oppressions as a low-income, transgender, youth of color. Yet, I am quite privileged and grateful to have achieved the amount of success that I have.

I have been waiting and hoping to have chest surgery for the past 5 years. However, I recognize that there are many other people who are older than me and/or have been waiting longer than I have to get surgery and will continue to wait.

I intend to provide opportunities for success for other marginalized youth through my future academic endeavours and achievements. I will be most successful the earlier I can get surgery in my college career.

Logan is one of the most wonderful people you could ever hope to know, and this surgery will be a huge step for him in accomplishing his goals to assist other marginalized youths and helping them achieve the success that they deserve. Any and all contributions are welcome, as well as any form of sharing this. Thank you!

literature meme | poets [5/5] Adrienne Rich

literature meme | poets [4/5] Nikki Giovanni

literature meme | poets [3/5] Robert Frost

literature meme | poets [2/5] Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda (July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda. In 1971 Neruda won the Nobel Prize for Literature.