Last year we discussed the importance of buying books by women, and many of us went out and bought a bunch. Here's another chance to do it again, and it's a twofer: not only help a woman writer (albeit in this case writers who are already selling plenty of books!) but also, and more important, help provide classroom copies of books for the Little Wound High School on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

As you probably know, Pine Ridge is one of the poorest places in the US, with many serious problems, from low life expectancy (only 50 years) to 80% unemployment. Teenagers are in real trouble, with high dropout rates and high suicide rates. Schools do their best but lack funds. I belong to Friends of the Pine Ridge Reservation, an on-line group of people from all over (mostly women as it happens) who help supply needed items and sometimes money for the social service organizations, schools, clinics etc on the reservation, Check us out at www.friendsofpineridgereservation.org.

Little Wound High School just sent us a big wish list for 20 copies each of books by Louise Erdrich, plus The Secret Life of Bees, My Sister's Keeper, The Lovely Bones, and more. (There are also some lesser=known Native American authors --oh and two novels by john Steinbeck, for those who want to see more classics out there.) You can see the whole list here:
http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/projects/Classroom_Books_D...

Anyway, FoPPR has a small group of active members, many of whom, interestingly, don't have a lot of money themselves but want to help others. So this drive is a big challenge (especially coming right after Christmas, when FoPPR had a lot of drives going -- presents for kids in foster care, for elders, and a HUGE last-minute drive to support the new students-helping-the-community group at Little Wound HS etc). So I'm wondering if some SheWrite members might be willing to send a book or two? (New books only for this drive, because the books will be used in classes for years.) All the info you need is on the page for the drive, complete with handy Amazon click throughs.

And we would LOVE to have more members. With the terrible economy, we slowed down quite a bit last year compared with 2008. Even postage to mail a small package is a struggle for some members. You can participate totally at your own rate and give only what you like, when you like-- there are drives for books, clothes, blankets, toys, school supplies, OTC meds for clinics, even food and tools (big drive right now to supply tools so that residents can build their own houses.) There is no pressure, and it's a nice bunch of people. I've learned a lot about life on the reservation from my years on FoPPR.
If you'd like to join, go here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FriendsofPineRidgeReservation/

IMPORTANT: If you send a book, we need to know about it so it can be added to the tally. So don't forget to e mail the list manager, chris, at foprr@earthlink.net. CC to me, so I can feel happy.

Thanks for reading this,
Best wishes for 2010.
Katha

Questions? email me at kpollitt@thenation.com