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Navigate Your Stars
A revelatory, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated meditation on dedication, hard work, and the power of perseverance from the beloved, New York Times bestselling, and two-time National Book Award–winning Jesmyn Ward.
For Tulane University’s 2018 commencement, Jesmyn Ward delivered a stirring speech about the value of hard work and the importance of respect for oneself and others. Speaking about the challenges she and her family overcame, Ward inspired everyone in the audience with her meditation on tenacity in the face of hardship. Now, in book form, Ward’s moving words will inspire readers as they prepare for the next chapter in their lives, whether, like Ward, they are the first in their families to graduate from college or are preceded by generations, or whether they are embarking on a different kind of journey later in life.
Beautifully illustrated in full color by Gina Triplett, this gorgeous and profound book will charm a generation of students—and their parents. Ward’s inimitable voice shines through as she shares her experience as a Southern black woman and addresses the themes of grit, adversity, and the importance of family bonds. Navigate Your Stars is a perfect gift for anyone in need of inspiration from the author of Salvage the Bones, Men We Reaped, and Sing, Unburied, Sing.
For Tulane University’s 2018 commencement, Jesmyn Ward delivered a stirring speech about the value of hard work and the importance of respect for oneself and others. Speaking about the challenges she and her family overcame, Ward inspired everyone in the audience with her meditation on tenacity in the face of hardship. Now, in book form, Ward’s moving words will inspire readers as they prepare for the next chapter in their lives, whether, like Ward, they are the first in their families to graduate from college or are preceded by generations, or whether they are embarking on a different kind of journey later in life.
Beautifully illustrated in full color by Gina Triplett, this gorgeous and profound book will charm a generation of students—and their parents. Ward’s inimitable voice shines through as she shares her experience as a Southern black woman and addresses the themes of grit, adversity, and the importance of family bonds. Navigate Your Stars is a perfect gift for anyone in need of inspiration from the author of Salvage the Bones, Men We Reaped, and Sing, Unburied, Sing.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2020
24 people are currently reading
13.4k people want to read
About the author
Jesmyn Ward
26 books9,220 followersJesmyn Ward is the author of Where the Line Bleeds, Salvage the Bones, and Men We Reaped. She is a former Stegner Fellow (Stanford University) and Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi. She is an associate professor of Creative Writing at Tulane University.
Her work has appeared in BOMB, A Public Space and The Oxford American.
Her work has appeared in BOMB, A Public Space and The Oxford American.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 523 reviews
October 25, 2024
i'm sorry but. could this title / cover / author combo hit any harder.
this is of that weird subgenre of books that you give people when they graduate from college. the ones they sell in the gift aisle instead of the book section at target. they're usually adapted from a commencement speech and are roughly 65% illustration, 35% words.
it's weird to review a book that by many metrics is not a book, but this is pretty good for what it is. inspiring. a unique perspective. it's basically the same themes as one of those viral facebook posts that's like "oprah didn't start her show until age whatever," but a little more up my alley.
bottom line: the best (published book) of the worst (kind of gift to receive).
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
this is of that weird subgenre of books that you give people when they graduate from college. the ones they sell in the gift aisle instead of the book section at target. they're usually adapted from a commencement speech and are roughly 65% illustration, 35% words.
it's weird to review a book that by many metrics is not a book, but this is pretty good for what it is. inspiring. a unique perspective. it's basically the same themes as one of those viral facebook posts that's like "oprah didn't start her show until age whatever," but a little more up my alley.
bottom line: the best (published book) of the worst (kind of gift to receive).
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
December 2, 2024
“I realized that education wasn’t one choice; instead, it was a life-time’s undertaking.”
Navigate Your Stars is a short, illustrated speech—Ward delivered this speech at the 2018 Tulane commencement.
Ward shared her personal experience with hardship and setbacks. After college graduation, Ward was driftless, returning home, working retail jobs to make ends meet. She ended up going to the University of Michigan, writing a book, and taking three years to finish it.
“Hold your dreams tightly to you, and do everything you can do to realize it within reason.”
*Thanks, Scribner, for the free book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Hardcover Text – Free from publisher
Video of speech – Free on YouTube
Connect With Me!
Blog Threads BookTube Facebook Insta My Bookstore at Pango
Navigate Your Stars is a short, illustrated speech—Ward delivered this speech at the 2018 Tulane commencement.
Ward shared her personal experience with hardship and setbacks. After college graduation, Ward was driftless, returning home, working retail jobs to make ends meet. She ended up going to the University of Michigan, writing a book, and taking three years to finish it.
“Hold your dreams tightly to you, and do everything you can do to realize it within reason.”
*Thanks, Scribner, for the free book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Hardcover Text – Free from publisher
Video of speech – Free on YouTube
Connect With Me!
Blog Threads BookTube Facebook Insta My Bookstore at Pango
June 6, 2020
Having read Ward's two most recent novel, I was curious to read this commencement speech she delivered in 2018 at Tulane University. Just like in her novels, the honesty and raw beauty of her words are moving. Her message is vital for those about to enter the 'real' world; but just as important for us who are already there but may need to be inspired again. Most don't find success on the fast track. Hard work, perseverance, and even hardship will help us achieve our goals.
I feel like I know Jesmyn Ward better having read this very short book. Having read it will allow me to see deeper into her very autobiographical and poignant novels.
"Hold fast to your oars, hoist the sails to the wind, read the pictures in the stars, look beyond the horizon to that which you can't see but dimly sense in your future: the curving inlet, the sandy beach. Know that even those calm waters may harbor boulders, craggy rocks intent on rending the bottom of your boat; that when you land, you may find your legs too weak to walk well, still shaky from the sea, and that the soil may have its own perils. But know that this is life."
"Success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step, after step, after step, after step. It requires choice after choice, it demands life-long education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience."
I feel like I know Jesmyn Ward better having read this very short book. Having read it will allow me to see deeper into her very autobiographical and poignant novels.
"Hold fast to your oars, hoist the sails to the wind, read the pictures in the stars, look beyond the horizon to that which you can't see but dimly sense in your future: the curving inlet, the sandy beach. Know that even those calm waters may harbor boulders, craggy rocks intent on rending the bottom of your boat; that when you land, you may find your legs too weak to walk well, still shaky from the sea, and that the soil may have its own perils. But know that this is life."
"Success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step, after step, after step, after step. It requires choice after choice, it demands life-long education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience."
January 31, 2021
Jesmyn Ward has written a powerful commencement speech, now in book form, that teaches the reader about the importance of education, not just in the formal classroom sense but also the education that life experiences teach you. Ward uses her unique backstory of coming from Mississippi and the limits that were placed on her black family members, how education was not enough, and how working was crucial to her current success. This speech is for those who don't get the lucky breaks. If you need inspiration, read this book. Get lost in the beautiful illustrations by Gina Tripplett. Although it's a perfect message for graduates, I think people of all ages will find this little but powerful book influential. Read it and read it again, and again. Then continue to work hard and persist as Jesmyn advises.
Favorite Quotes:
Completing university was not an ending, but instead was the beginning of finding my way to doing something meaningful.
I realized that education wasn't one choice, instead, it was a lifetime's undertaking.
Success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step, after step, after step, after step. It requires choice after choice, it demands life-long education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience.
Persist, work hard, face rejection, and weather the setbacks until you meet a gatekeeper who will open a door for you.
If you are bewildered and clinging tenaciously to some course you love, be patient. Work hard. Hold your dream tightly to you, and do everything you can to realize it within reason. Take a step that will lead you toward the realization of your dream, and then take another, and another, and another.
Favorite Quotes:
Completing university was not an ending, but instead was the beginning of finding my way to doing something meaningful.
I realized that education wasn't one choice, instead, it was a lifetime's undertaking.
Success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step, after step, after step, after step. It requires choice after choice, it demands life-long education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience.
Persist, work hard, face rejection, and weather the setbacks until you meet a gatekeeper who will open a door for you.
If you are bewildered and clinging tenaciously to some course you love, be patient. Work hard. Hold your dream tightly to you, and do everything you can to realize it within reason. Take a step that will lead you toward the realization of your dream, and then take another, and another, and another.
February 8, 2020
Navigate Your Stars is one of those books that comes out around graduation time; it is itself a commencement speech the author delivered in 2018 at Tulane. A lot of these sorts of speeches are expanded upon for the book version, but this one doesn't seem to be—it is a very small amount of text, spread out over a pretty small amount of pages. The message is also a fairly basic one: We all find ourselves in varied circumstances in life and constantly have to make choices; we should try to follow our curiosity, work hard, and persist. It's very prettily illustrated by Philadelphia artist Gina Triplett. Honestly, Jesmyn Ward seems awesome and I want to read some of her full-length books, but this one isn't really worth buying for yourself. I do think it would make a good gift for a graduate, especially if you enclose a check with it, but I always think a book is the best gift so consider the source.
I won this ARC in a Shelf Awareness GLOW (galley love of the week) giveaway. Thank you to the publisher.
I won this ARC in a Shelf Awareness GLOW (galley love of the week) giveaway. Thank you to the publisher.
May 17, 2024
Navigate Your Stars
Jesmyn Ward won the National Book Award in 2011 for her second novel, "Salvage the Bones". In 2017, Ward received a MacArthur "genius" grant together with her second National Book Award for her third novel "Sing, Unburied, Sing". Ward delivered the commencement address at Tulane University, where she is a professor of creative writing, in 2018. Her speech has been published in this beautiful short book, "Navigate your Stars" with illustrations by the Philadelphia artist, Gina Triplett. I loved Ward's novels and read her address both for itself and for the insight it might offer into her life and her writings.
The Tulane graduates were fortunate to hear Ward speak. But readers are, perhaps, more fortunate to be able to have the book in hand to read and to think about what she said. Ward's speech offers a brief autobiography in which she reflects on her family, her education, and her decision to become a writer. She also offers wise, inspiring counsel to her audience and to her readers.
I found much to ponder in this little book, prepared for a formalized occasion. Ward describes how she learned that education was a life-long project, rather than a process which ended with a diploma. She describes how she came over life to an appreciation of her family members who were uneducated and who made what they could of the situations that life presented to them. Perhaps the most important lesson Ward learned occurred when she returned to rural Mississippi upon received her degree. When her brother was killed in an automobile accident, Ward "questioned all that I thought I knew, shocked at the unpredictability of life, the irrefutable fact of death." Ward tells a story of perseverance and of the long, difficult path of finding and realizing her dream in becoming a writer:
"Sometimes you are twenty when you stumble upon an open doorway. Sometimes, you are thirty. Sometimes you are forty, or fifty, or sixty. I remembered this when I felt like giving up, when I thought I'd pack all my notebooks and stories into plastic bags and put them away, when I thought I would resign them to the recycling bin."
Readers will find Ward's address and this short book inspiring as part of a lifelong attempt to learn and to navigate one's stars.
Robin Friedman
Jesmyn Ward won the National Book Award in 2011 for her second novel, "Salvage the Bones". In 2017, Ward received a MacArthur "genius" grant together with her second National Book Award for her third novel "Sing, Unburied, Sing". Ward delivered the commencement address at Tulane University, where she is a professor of creative writing, in 2018. Her speech has been published in this beautiful short book, "Navigate your Stars" with illustrations by the Philadelphia artist, Gina Triplett. I loved Ward's novels and read her address both for itself and for the insight it might offer into her life and her writings.
The Tulane graduates were fortunate to hear Ward speak. But readers are, perhaps, more fortunate to be able to have the book in hand to read and to think about what she said. Ward's speech offers a brief autobiography in which she reflects on her family, her education, and her decision to become a writer. She also offers wise, inspiring counsel to her audience and to her readers.
I found much to ponder in this little book, prepared for a formalized occasion. Ward describes how she learned that education was a life-long project, rather than a process which ended with a diploma. She describes how she came over life to an appreciation of her family members who were uneducated and who made what they could of the situations that life presented to them. Perhaps the most important lesson Ward learned occurred when she returned to rural Mississippi upon received her degree. When her brother was killed in an automobile accident, Ward "questioned all that I thought I knew, shocked at the unpredictability of life, the irrefutable fact of death." Ward tells a story of perseverance and of the long, difficult path of finding and realizing her dream in becoming a writer:
"Sometimes you are twenty when you stumble upon an open doorway. Sometimes, you are thirty. Sometimes you are forty, or fifty, or sixty. I remembered this when I felt like giving up, when I thought I'd pack all my notebooks and stories into plastic bags and put them away, when I thought I would resign them to the recycling bin."
Readers will find Ward's address and this short book inspiring as part of a lifelong attempt to learn and to navigate one's stars.
Robin Friedman
January 12, 2023
"موفقیت نتیجهی یک انتخاب خوب و یک قدم درست نیست. موفقیت واقعی نیاز به برداشتن قدم پشت قدم پشت قدم دارد."
April 20, 2020
Why did I get super emotional reading this? I don't know! No matter how long or short her books are, Ward just has a way with words. The art work in this book is so beautiful.
July 5, 2020
“I didn’t understand that my mother and father had given me an outrageous gift because I didn’t have to choose between eating and my education. (...) All I saw was the promise of my one perfect choice, the promise inherent in education.
Achei extremamente inspirador mas muito modesto e realista este discurso que Jesmyn Ward, autora afro-americana já galardoada com dois National Book Awards, proferiu na universidade onde lecciona Escrita Criativa. Filha e neta de pessoas pobres com pouca instrução escolar, a autora, tal como eu, acredita que o curso superior é a saída para o ciclo de pobreza, mas por experiência própria, percebeu que, para os menos felizardos, é apenas o início de uma longa batalha até que as portas certas se abram.
“My years in college and afterward taught me this: success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step, after step, after step, after step. It requires choice after choice, it demands lifelong education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience.
Achei extremamente inspirador mas muito modesto e realista este discurso que Jesmyn Ward, autora afro-americana já galardoada com dois National Book Awards, proferiu na universidade onde lecciona Escrita Criativa. Filha e neta de pessoas pobres com pouca instrução escolar, a autora, tal como eu, acredita que o curso superior é a saída para o ciclo de pobreza, mas por experiência própria, percebeu que, para os menos felizardos, é apenas o início de uma longa batalha até que as portas certas se abram.
“My years in college and afterward taught me this: success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step, after step, after step, after step. It requires choice after choice, it demands lifelong education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience.
April 20, 2020
I needed this beautiful reminder.
There's a new beginning in every moment.
Keep on keeping on.
There's a new beginning in every moment.
Keep on keeping on.
June 11, 2020
Okay, perhaps because I am hearing this in her own voice, or perhaps it's just the mood I'm in, but this speech made me tear up. I didn't even have to look at illustrations. I think this is a speech that I should listen to when I need encouragement, or when I get into a rut and need a push to keep on going. This book would probably be a great gift for a high school graduate, but I think that its inspirational message could work for any of us getting ready to start something new. This is the first piece of writing I've read/listened to by Jesmyn Ward and it makes me very curious what her fiction is like. I think I'll be cracking open her Sing, Unburied, Sing soon as it has been on my TBR pile for awhile now. I really love her prose and get the feeling I will enjoy her fiction as well.
June 13, 2024
(Thanks to @scribnerbooks #gifted.) Do you ever love a book just for its sheer beauty? That’s how I felt the moment I opened a book mail envelope and saw this gorgeous copy of 𝗡𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦 by Jesmyn Ward. This book was originally published in 2020 and contains the 2018 commencement speech she gave at Tulane.
Her speech is everything a commencement speech should be. It tells a story, it gives advice, it shows gratitude, and it’s inspiring. (Plus, it never once uses the word “homemaker.”) Her speech is laid out with incredible artwork done by Gina Triplett.
𝘕𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 would make a beautiful gift for any graduate, whether high school or college, but I think it would be especially meaningful for those interested in creative pursuits.
“𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘰, 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦: 𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘺. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭. 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮y 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦: 𝘐 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥.”
Her speech is everything a commencement speech should be. It tells a story, it gives advice, it shows gratitude, and it’s inspiring. (Plus, it never once uses the word “homemaker.”) Her speech is laid out with incredible artwork done by Gina Triplett.
𝘕𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 would make a beautiful gift for any graduate, whether high school or college, but I think it would be especially meaningful for those interested in creative pursuits.
“𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘰, 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦: 𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘺. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭. 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮y 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦: 𝘐 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥.”
December 24, 2020
Jesmyn Ward gave this beautiful, compassionate, inspirational speech for the first time as a commencement address at Tulane University in 2018. Her words were made available for other readers and listeners in her book, Navigate Your Stars. This was a beautiful listen.
April 27, 2021
An amazing testament to the power of lifelong learning. Jesmyn Ward's writing is so persuasive and inspiring that I'm excited to read some of her fiction and other non-fiction works.
July 25, 2023
The pictures were stunning and her words were inspirational. Very quick read!
May 22, 2022
I loved this book because how they presented the text content is amazing. Each page is designed, and the text is engraved very beautifully. Jesmin Ward attempted to tell her life story in a few words, but the readers can feel the pain, struggle and battle she fought within the short period of time. In the end, she won. Yet, she still tells us that success cannot be achieved within the blink of an eye but it is a step-by-step process. And education too is a never ending process.
I should appreciate the illustrator of this book, Gina Triplett, who did a great job.
I should appreciate the illustrator of this book, Gina Triplett, who did a great job.
January 1, 2021
Beautiful little book 🥰
August 20, 2020
wow did i read this at the perfect time
January 1, 2023
“Take a step that will lead you toward the realization of your dream, and then take another, and another, and another.”
Beautifully illustrated by Gina Triplett, this Tulane University commencement speech is a shining star of inspiration. I love Jesmyn Ward and am so thankful she persisted to become the success she has become, so she can inspire the rest of us. She weaves in her life story as she tells her listeners to keep hoping, keep working, and to follow the example of her grandmother:
“When I was young, her life looked like a failure, a result of bad decisions, something to be averted. When I became an adult, I realized her life couldn’t be described in such glib terms, that life was a tumultuous sea, and that my grandmother had spent her days afloat on a raft, and that she’d paddled and bailed water, and read the map of constellations in the sky to find land, reprieve, and to survive.”
Important words for all of us, and the perfect way for me to start this new year.
Beautifully illustrated by Gina Triplett, this Tulane University commencement speech is a shining star of inspiration. I love Jesmyn Ward and am so thankful she persisted to become the success she has become, so she can inspire the rest of us. She weaves in her life story as she tells her listeners to keep hoping, keep working, and to follow the example of her grandmother:
“When I was young, her life looked like a failure, a result of bad decisions, something to be averted. When I became an adult, I realized her life couldn’t be described in such glib terms, that life was a tumultuous sea, and that my grandmother had spent her days afloat on a raft, and that she’d paddled and bailed water, and read the map of constellations in the sky to find land, reprieve, and to survive.”
Important words for all of us, and the perfect way for me to start this new year.
August 5, 2020
This was pretty generic advice on the importance of perseverance and hard work. Good, but not necessarily unique.
January 14, 2023
تصویرگری کتاب رو بیشتر از متن و محتوای کتاب دوست داشتم💫
در واقع، خلاصهای از زندگیِ نویسنده بود که به تلاش و ادامه دادن تأکید میکرد
ازین ژانرا که: تسلیم نشین و دنبال رؤياهاتون برین و این داستانا
نمیتونم بگم کتابِ امیدوارانهای بود و انگیزه میده رو به جلو حرکت کنین و فلان و بهمان ولی خب قدرتِ کلمات برای هر کسی فرق داره و ممکنه تشویقتون کنه برای ادامه دادنِ راهتون.
اما چیزی که میخوام بگم اینه که لطفا اگر قصدِ خوندنش رو دارین، نسخهی الکترونیکیشو بخونین🥲
من از اونجایی که عاشقِ درختام، همیشه دغدغهی مصرفِ الکی کاغذ رو داشتم و این ترم که درسِ "شیمی سبز" دارم حتی حساسیتم به طبیعت بیشتر شده😅
این کتاب هم جوریه که توی هر صفحه یه پاراگراف اومده و بعضی صفحات حتی متنی رو نداره و صرفا تصویره.
پس بوس بهتون اگه هوای درختای قشنگمونو دارین و سعی میکنین تا جایی میشه کمتر کاغذ مصرف کنین💙
در واقع، خلاصهای از زندگیِ نویسنده بود که به تلاش و ادامه دادن تأکید میکرد
ازین ژانرا که: تسلیم نشین و دنبال رؤياهاتون برین و این داستانا
نمیتونم بگم کتابِ امیدوارانهای بود و انگیزه میده رو به جلو حرکت کنین و فلان و بهمان ولی خب قدرتِ کلمات برای هر کسی فرق داره و ممکنه تشویقتون کنه برای ادامه دادنِ راهتون.
اما چیزی که میخوام بگم اینه که لطفا اگر قصدِ خوندنش رو دارین، نسخهی الکترونیکیشو بخونین🥲
من از اونجایی که عاشقِ درختام، همیشه دغدغهی مصرفِ الکی کاغذ رو داشتم و این ترم که درسِ "شیمی سبز" دارم حتی حساسیتم به طبیعت بیشتر شده😅
این کتاب هم جوریه که توی هر صفحه یه پاراگراف اومده و بعضی صفحات حتی متنی رو نداره و صرفا تصویره.
پس بوس بهتون اگه هوای درختای قشنگمونو دارین و سعی میکنین تا جایی میشه کمتر کاغذ مصرف کنین💙
September 20, 2022
کتاب قشنگی بود من نسخه الکترونیکی داشتم و خوندم اما خیلی دوست داشتم نسخه فیزیکی میخوندم اما این کتاب برای حال الان من خیلی زببا بود طراحی کتابم نگم براتون پر از رنگ انرژی بود.
چون چاپ رنگی و جلد سخته یخورده قیمتش بالاست اگه دوست داشتید میتونید از طاقچه یا فیدیبو بخونید^^
چون چاپ رنگی و جلد سخته یخورده قیمتش بالاست اگه دوست داشتید میتونید از طاقچه یا فیدیبو بخونید^^
July 29, 2020
I found that too banal and a bit cliché.
December 8, 2020
“What would I do with this love of words that would not leave me?”
Short and sweet but definitely moving. This speech speaks to the power of not just education but of passion and a desire for more when it comes to realizing your dreams, those things you wished upon stars. They do not have to be so distant, so far-removed from you. Ward speaks about the almost magical power of perseverance in the face of seemingly overwhelming circumstances. It is so easy to give up, to accept the cards we’ve been dealt, to roll over. It’s hard to even imagine more for yourself when it’s never been possible for anyone else you’ve known.
This is a beautiful call to persevere, to follow your passions, to navigate towards your stars, your wishes and hopes for more. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs a reminder to not give up~
Short and sweet but definitely moving. This speech speaks to the power of not just education but of passion and a desire for more when it comes to realizing your dreams, those things you wished upon stars. They do not have to be so distant, so far-removed from you. Ward speaks about the almost magical power of perseverance in the face of seemingly overwhelming circumstances. It is so easy to give up, to accept the cards we’ve been dealt, to roll over. It’s hard to even imagine more for yourself when it’s never been possible for anyone else you’ve known.
This is a beautiful call to persevere, to follow your passions, to navigate towards your stars, your wishes and hopes for more. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs a reminder to not give up~
June 15, 2020
A very nice brief book, a synopsis to Men We Reaped. Concise, she succinctly talks autobiographically about her own story, her “fog of grief”. Ward’s struggles and defeating and triumphant memories have always touched me. Now having read 4 books, I cannot wait until this Tulane professor’s new one on New Orlean’s historic slave trade finishes and publishes. I love her love of reading and writing, and her steel, indomitable will! In the end, I cried walking alongside her story. Even though I had read Men We Reaped, she has a lyrical, spiritual way of narrating her own brief book.
August 27, 2021
A strong and powerful commencement speech we can all now read in book form; that encourages the reader to push forward and reminds us the importance of education and the strength in perseverance.
"Success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step, after step, after step, after step. It requires choice after choice, it demands life-long education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience."
"Success is not the result of making one good choice, of taking one step. Real success requires step, after step, after step, after step. It requires choice after choice, it demands life-long education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience."
April 16, 2020
The illustrations throughout this are gorgeous. In it, Ward shares valuable wisdom learned from her life. She reminds us that we should persist and persevere as we follow our dreams, not to give up if something doesn't come easily, and to see the value in the way others have lived their lives. Moving words + beautiful imagery = fantastic short work.
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March 1, 2021This book is a raw confessional or testimony delivered by Jesmyn Ward as a commencement speech about navigating the rocky uncharted waters of life. Like every person aspiring to escape institutional poverty, she devoted herself to education at a world-class institution but faced the griefs of a millenial job search, the lightning-strike misfortune of the passing of her brother, and the committed pursuit of a financially perilous passion -- writing and becoming a published author. Throughout she was sustained by the fire of conscious choices and persistence in the wake of rejections. It's a generous and encouraging expose of the struggles that underlie success.
March 22, 2024
So Ward gave a commencement speech about how college did literally nothing to help her in her life, but somehow spending $160,000 for a useless piece of paper is the only thing standing between you and a life of *gasp* hard work! or worse! being a mother!! Ahhhhh!!!!! She has a good speaking voice, though.
April 24, 2020
Sweet, though not particularly original. In her defense, what can one say that is new in a commencement address? The take home seems to be: college is not the end of the road for learning and hard work, but only the beginning. One would hope that any college graduate would already get this, but just in case....
The illustrations are wonderful and apropos. A brief and easy read from one of the best authors writing today.
The illustrations are wonderful and apropos. A brief and easy read from one of the best authors writing today.
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