Review #FierceConvictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More–Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist

Hannah More enjoyed a brilliant literary career among the London literati in the late 1700’s, was an equal among William Wilberforce’s cohorts in ending the British slave trade, and brought to fruition what the Protestant Reformation boldly stated in theory:Fierce Convictions in order to understand the Scriptures, all should learn to read. So why is it that her poems, essays, pamphlets, and fiction as well as her pioneering work in education are little known today? In part it is due to her immediate friends; in part it is due to her subsequent enemies, states Karen Swallow Prior in her biography Fierce Convictions: the Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist.

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Apathy: Slow Descent back into Depression

Just over a month ago, I had my gall bladder surgically removed. I thought my present inertia, low motivation, and low energy were due to a slow recuperation. The slow recuperation included my digestive system shutting down and being kept overnight at the hospital instead of being released the same day. It also included feeling like I was drunk for over a week from the anesthesia. It has been just over a month and I am appalled at how sluggishly I proceed through my days.

This past week, I’ve made more of an effort to get back to “normal.” Although, honestly, I no longer know what normal is for me. It has been difficult to begin and to follow through on that which I want to accomplish. My mood has been: Meh.

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