#it does not help that ive been researching the universe again and read the Foundation comic today for the first time

[autobotmedic]

[ taps my fingers together as I debate making a live action / tyran verse as i considered one time when the bee movie came out but did not

[jen-19-blog1]

My TTP Story

I wrote this and submitted it to a foundation that helps fund research to know more about TTP. I was diagnosed with TTP on Halloween of 2017. This is my story:

My name is Jennifer Rivera. I live in a very small town named Beasley in Texas. It is so small that if you drive by it and blink, I promise you will miss it. I am currently 24 years old, a recent college graduate from the University of Houston, and live with my parents. I have an older sister and a younger brother, which makes me the middle child. I am also in the process of getting hired as an elementary school teacher in a nearby district. I majored in Education because I finally decided to stop doing what everyone told me to do and followed my heart.

Halloween of 2017 is a day that I will never forget. I woke up with what I thought was a sinus infection, but I couldn’t go to the doctor at the time because I had to go to my Literacy for Children class. I decided to suck it up because I thought it was just a sinus infection since I always struggled with allergies. I honestly just remember feeling as if my head was going to explode because I had a really bad headache and flu-like symptoms. I got to class and felt like I was going to scream because of how much pain I was experiencing at the time. I had to leave in the middle of class because I could not handle how much pain I was in. I decided to go to urgent care because I did not feel well, but I was not comfortable driving because of how much pain I was in. So, I decided to call my sister because she, an accountant at the time, was off that day. She picked me up from school, and she drove me to the nearest urgent care.

When I got to urgent care and finally got in to see the doctor, I explained to her my symptoms. I was luckily wearing sandals at the time, so she was able to see the petechiae on the tops of my feet. She also noticed the gnarly bruise I had on my arm. Because of these symptoms, she decided she would run a CBC (complete blood count) on me. My platelets were at 11K at the time. Yes, you read that right, 11K. They are supposed to be above 150K. I did not know what she meant by this. I thought, “Okay, maybe I need to eat more protein?” Boy, was I wrong. She told me that I had to go to the hospital’s emergency room department immediately. Of course, I started hysterically crying. No one in the entire world wants to hear that they are to go to a hospital immediately.

Upon arriving at the hospital, I did not think I would get admitted. I thought I would just get checked out, be given medicine, and sent on my way. The weird thing is, that I saw a woman drinking tea out of a big hospital cup and told my sister, “I wonder how you get one of those cups. Do you think they’re just for patients? I really want a cup like that because it can hold so much water.” Literally 30 minutes later, a doctor came in to tell us that I was being admitted. When I got into my room, I finally did get a cup but I did not want to get a cup that way. The following hours were spent being wheeled around and getting tests done. I had a chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, an MRI, and what felt like dozens of tubes of blood being taken out. I noticed the bruises that I was left with when blood would get taken out of me. I looked like I got into a fight with a boxer and lost miserably.

Hours later, my parents and brother came to join my sister and me in my hospital room. My mom brought me some of my favorite things like my fuzzy socks and trail mix, and my brother made sure to take my backpack out of my car so I could watch Netflix on my laptop. I was so happy to have them with me. My mom looked like she had been crying, which definitely hurt my heart because no one wants to see their mom cry. My dad looked mortified to be in a hospital because he does not like (even more so now) hospitals. A few minutes after my parents arrived, my hematologist came in to talk to us. She sounded very serious, which scared me. She told me that my platelets were at dangerous levels and that I could have easily bled out if I were to get a minor cut. She also told me that with the lab tests that the hospital staff ran, I had an autoimmune disease called TTP. She told me that the best treatment option would be for me to get an intrajugular catheter and go through plasma exchanges. Of course, I did not know what any of that meant at the time. Later that night, after my family left, the catheter was inserted into my intrajugular vein which runs through the neck. When the catheter was being inserted, I was crying the whole time because of how much pain I was in. I thought the headache that I had experienced was awful pain, but the insertion of the catheter was much, much worse. My nurse that evening, Nurse Beth, was rubbing my hand reassuring me that it was almost over. When the catheter was in, I remember feeling so low. I thought I looked hideous with the catheter in my neck, and I remember being so uncomfortable. I think I got about 30 minutes of sleep that night.

The next day, I was alone because I told my parents I did not want them to spend the night in the hospital with me because I knew I was going to be miserable. I woke up crying. I missed being at home, I missed being in class, I missed my pets, and I especially missed not being connected to an IV machine. That night, I underwent my first plasma exchange. My nurse, Tony, gave me Benadryl which knocked me out. I was asleep through this first plasma exchange, so I do not remember much about it. I just remember waking up as the Astros won the World Series and that I had to wear a hideous mask for most of the treatment. The following days resulted in being visited by my family, me watching TV, me doing homework and the gruesome plasma exchanges. I was happy that my platelet count was going up, but I was sad that I had to endure the plasma exchanges.

Day four of five of being in the hospital was a nightmare. I was going through my plasma exchange. For every plasma exchange, I was given 10 bags of plasma. I was given the Benadryl so I would not have an allergic reaction to the plasma, but bag 9 out of 10 gave me a horrible reaction. I looked at my palms and they were breaking out into hives. My nurse, Jen, had to stop the machine and gave me the other half of the Benadryl shot. The hives were not getting any better, but luckily I could still breathe. I remember being SO itchy and having hives all over my body. I could not stop scratching, which would make it worse. I was given the maximum dosage of Benadryl, but it would not work. Between the hives, the pain I had with the catheter, and the Prednisone that was making me swell up, I was not a happy person.

I was very fortunate enough that the hives were the only pothole I endured at the time. I was released on November 5, 2017, which is now the day I celebrate my remission anniversary. The following months after my hospital release was consumed by anxiety that I was going to relapse again. It was also consumed by lab tests and hematologist follow-ups. I was getting labs done every week, but I am now getting labs done every 3 months. I was on Prednisone from November to March of the following year, which was a big factor in the depression that I had following the hospital. I ultimately gained about 50 pounds because of Prednisone. I knew that I should have been fortunate to be alive and that I should take this as a second chance at life. While I tried to make a conscious effort to look at it this way, my depression did not let me.

The day after Christmas, I was in a head-on collision. My mom was the one driving, and I was the passenger. This caused my depression to be even worse. I thought to myself, “Okay, well I almost died twice, why didn’t God just kill me?” It took me about 8 months after our accident for me to get help for my anxiety and depression. TTP is something that I still think about a lot. I am always worried about relapsing, and I am always nervous when I get blood work done. I cannot relax until my hematologist calls me and tells me that I am still in remission. I know that while I do have it better than most because I am a survivor and did not die because of TTP, I still cannot help but be nervous for the future. I try to take it day by day, and some days I completely forget about TTP. Other days, it is a constant in my mind.

I am fortunate enough to not have relapsed as I am writing this. I am fortunate that I have the hematologist that I do. She is definitely the best hematologist that I could have asked for. I am fortunate to have had the medical team that I did in the hospital. I am thankful that I am alive. I am thankful to still be in remission as I am writing this, and I am especially thankful for the second chance that I was given at life. I am not letting TTP bring me down. I am continuing on with my life and making the best out of it. I am looking forward to the future that I have. I am looking forward to teaching little humans the wonders of the world, and I am hopeful that one day in the near future we will know more about TTP. I know that in the future, I may relapse but I think that if I can kick TTP’s butt once, I can do it again. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

[filtration-products]

Damian Prosalendis – Telling The Truth?

I first encountered “Damian Prosalendis” when he was featured in “Bold and Determined” – a blog by Nick Kelly/”Victor Pride”.

Going under the guise of “Damian Pros”, he started posting results from a Fiverr business he set up, eventually claiming that he’d made $40k+ in a single month from the platform. This was followed by a post on “TheFastlaneForum”.

He also operated a website called “Dare and Conquer” which I perused at the time as well.

Now… the important thing to note here is that what I’m about to write is not some sort of vendetta against the guy, or anything like that. I respect what he’s done and continue to read his content.

However, it’s become painfully obvious that the majority of what he’s posting now is either rehashed nonsense or wholly incorrect. Further, there have been a number of instances where a number of his claims have been proven to be entirely false.

This is important, as it’s a direct indication of his character, and whether you should believe what he says or not.

It’s especially important considering the “anti university” stance he has taken to; continually telling people to avoid higher education, through his Twitter feed. This is extremely dangerous for the next generation, and what I wanted to address with this article.

“Millionaire”

The biggest gripe I have with him is that he’s labelling himself a “millionaire”, and latterly a “multi millionaire”.

I don’t know how much money he has, and it’s not really my business, but I’ll tell you now that if someone is a “millionaire”, they won’t typically spend all day on Twitter or try and convince everybody of the fact.

Real wealth speaks for itself. And real wealth typically leaves clues – business dealings, associates and other things.

Prosalendis has none of this, bar a Fiverr account which I’ll explain in a second.

The point is that the “millionaire” tagline – like most things I’ve observed from Prosalendis – is likely a ruse for something else; a spin on words designed to paint himself as prolific as possible.

Being a “millionaire” isn’t about having $1m+ in cash – it’s about having access to, or control over, $1m+ worth of assets.

Many people are millionaires on paper, but their capital is locked away in property or some other illiquid asset base.

Labelling yourself a “millionaire” is highly indicative of someone who either doesn’t understand what it means to be legitimately worth over $1m, or is trying to gain attention.

Fiverr

To explain who Prosalendis even is, he apparently set up a “Fiverr” business when he was in college and eventually made enough to quit and focus on it entirely himself.

Whilst commendable, someone later discovered the business (SPXMAC) and it appears that it’s a legitimate outfit.

The foundation of Prosalendis’ story is based around the idea that his “Fiverr business” was able to generate $1m+ in revenue within the first two years of its founding.

This is a great achievement by any standard, but should not get in the way of reality – “Fiverr” takes 20% of any money earned through its platform, as well as the various expenses the business would have incurred as a result of its growth.

In other words, whilst the $1m ideal sounds good, it’s not the net profit of the business.

The reason this is important is because it gives a perspective on the character behind the persona. You can’t fake a business’ profile, and whilst he tried to keep it all covered up, it’s pretty much the case that most people know about it now.

Fake

The reason I felt it pertinent to write this is to help anyone looking to research the guy.

There have been a number of instances where he outright lied to people in order to make them think he was more successful than he was:

Dubai Penthouse –

Around 2016/2017, he started claiming that he’d been living in a Dubai Penthouse.

His website was highly suggestive – “From a cockroach-infested dorm room to… a luxurious Dubai penthouse” – giving the impression that he’d indeed become so wealthy that he’d been able to buy a penthouse in one of the most glamorous cities in the world.

Whilst this would have been commendable, it was later discovered that all the pictures he’d taken were from a room in the Sofitel Dubai (hotel), which someone even identified as being just a normal room (not the “penthouse” as claimed by Prosalendis).

The reason this is important is because of the picture it painted before it was discovered. Anyone looking at his stuff could easily have been mislead into thinking he was a serious player – when in reality, he was just a tourist staying for a couple of weeks.

Personal Chef –

In 2017, his Twitter feed started to mention that he’d hired a chef + maid to “save his time”.

Like most things he espouses through Twitter, he was emphatic about how “his” chef provided him with meals etc. Like the Dubai Penthouse, the implication was that he’d actually gone out and hired a chef who came to his residence to prepare his meals for him. After all… that’s what a “personal chef” does, right? Well… not according to Prosalendis. His idea of a personal chef is one of those “delivered meal” services, where you pay a monthly or daily fee to have meals prepared + delivered to you.

The tell was when someone asked him about how many people his chef cooked for – to which his reply was that he “didn’t give a damn”… essentially suggesting the notion that he’d just signed up to one of these “meals on wheels” services.

Again, the blurred lines between fact & fiction are extremely thin here.

Instagram Followers –

In 2018, he opened a thread on the popular “FastlaneForum” – where devotees of the author MJ DeMarco like to hang out to discuss ideas etc.

Whilst the forum has a large blend of different individuals, there are many veterans on there who can see clearly through any false / highly inflated comments posted.

Prosalendis’ post – “1,000,000 Followers On Social Media: How I Am Doing It & How You Can Too” was initially welcomed by many on the forum.

However, due to a lack of actual content, several members began to question the veracity of what he was posting, eventually leading to a “showdown” about his Instagram account.

The question arose as to how he’d been getting Instagram followers, to which Prosalendis replied that he’d been featured by several large accounts.

Further inspection of what he’d been posting later highlighted that he’d been using “Comment Pods” – essentially where people comment on each other’s posts to get them onto the “Discover” section of Instagram (and hence more followers).

The problem with this was not about the method itself… but rather the dishonest nature that Prosalendis used as a response. Using vitriolic responses to try and berate the respondents, he tried to browbeat his point that he was “correct” and that he was being misunderstood.

Even the forum’s owner had to step in to try and gain assurance that he wasn’t trying to falsify his claims to anyone, to which Prosalendis responded that he hadn’t (a lie) and that he’d now be leaving the forum to focus on his business.

No one cared that he had left… but the whole episode highlighted the way in which he had tried to hoodwink his way to gaining reputation and influence… and – as highlighted by many on the forum at the time – an attempt to get more people into his “funnel” so he can sell them consulting or some other products later on.

Personal Branding –

“Featured on Forbes, INC, Entrepreneur Magazine, HuffPost” would be something to be proud of for anyone… but only if you’d earned it.

The problem with Prosalendis – like many things we’ve posted – is that the “interviews” posted on those sites seem highly questionable.

Indeed, there was even an allusion by a popular marketing magazine to “Brian Rashid” – an author on Forbes who’s known for posting some quite “interesting” content that you have to question the origin of.

Nonetheless, the idea stuck – and Prosalendis used his “interviews” as a way to position himself as a “successful entrepreneur”.

I have no problem with the method behind this (it used to be called PR) – but to do it dishonestly is a major issue.

If the interviews were paid, they’d be a dishonest proposition in my opinion.

“Model” –

Had to add this one too – his latter claims of being a “model” are actually comical.

Models are a special breed; you can tell who is, and who isn’t, one relatively quickly.

And whilst it used to be the case that you had to be signed to a modelling agency to even be considered one; the truth is that “real” models are paid to pose. Prosalendis pays someone to follow him around & take photographs.

The point of this is that whilst this isn’t uncommon in the “selfie” generation, it is a problem when you’re using it to try and make people think you’re better than what you actually are.

Millionaire –

Lastly, coming back to the “millionaire” claim.

Millionaire is a very loaded word – it means many things to many people.

In the modern world, I typically consider a “millionaire” as someone with a number of assets (perhaps property and/or a business) which is worth $500k/$650k and the rest either in cash or some other “liquid” form of capital.

The notion/idea is that if you liquidated your entire asset base today, you’d be left with $1m+ in the bank after tax etc.

Whilst Prosalendis may have this, I really don’t consider his claim of being a “millionaire” to either be valid or legitimate.

Again, this is mainly speculation – but judging from his past discretions and his Fiverr story – I’d surmise the following to be the case:

SPXMAC has made revenues of $1m+ through Fiverr since its inception in 2015

Of these revenues, money would have to have been paid in employee expenses + any further provisions the company may have used (IE is not take-home profit)

The SPXMAC business doesn’t really have a presence outside of Fiverr – further adding to questions of its veracity

Ultimately, I’d suggest that his allusion to his Fiverr $1m revenue is where the “millionaire” idea came from.

If that’s the case, he most certainly isn’t a “millionaire”… at least in my definition.

A good example of this is that I know a guy who has a business turning over ~£3m per year. Since he sells physical products that he doesn’t manufacture, his operating profit is £650k and net profit comes out at around £300k after everything has been paid for.

You may argue that this guy is a “millionaire”, but I’d suggest otherwise. He still goes to work every day and is continually trying to build the business up (as if his competitors would take him out).

He may label himself as a “millionaire”, but I don’t think so. There are too many variables working against him.

Pattern?

All of this basically highlights a pattern of behaviour.

He likes to over-inflate even the smallest achievement, even to the degree of being dishonest about what actually happened.

I adore success and honor those who become truly successful… but you have to put things into perspective.

Truly successful people don’t sit back on other people’s inventions / ideas, they create their own.

They don’t do everything necessary to persuade others of how much they’ve achieved; they continue doing what made them successful in the first place.

Of all the people I’ve seen / met who have been worth significant amounts of money – the one thing they had in common is they basically did what “they” wanted to do… and kept doing it (even when they became wealthy).

Whilst they may allude to their wealth, it really doesn’t bother them how much money they have. They use money as a tool, and continued to develop as much value as possible – typically because they cared about what they were doing.

In terms of Prosalendis, I get a very superficial feel from him.

I also get a sense of someone out of their depth; rather like a young Justin Bieber trying to cope with the Paparazzi.

I would not trust most of what he puts out on social media.

If you are interested in anything he’s selling, you will need to get verification of his results if you really want a perspective on what he’s going to deliver.

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[pittlit2018-blog]

Olaudah Equiano and Slavery

As a high school student, I was never taught in depth about slavery, the Abolitionist Movement or the key figures involved. If you are a teacher in the Pittsburgh area looking to educate or further educate your students on these topics, you’ve come to the right Tumblr post. In this post I look at and analyze two different versions of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano and one edition of the Slave’s Friend. I have included materials that direct attention towards works for elementary as well as high school students. I have incorporated different resources that teachers can use to further their knowledge and present to their class. There are online resources such as digitized copies of additional works from this time period, which can be found on “WorldCat”. It is important to keep in mind however, that will these resources can be extremely helpful, they come with limitations. The Hillman library does not offer much on Olaudah Equiano, but it does have other works that focus on relevant topics, like slavery. If you would like more knowledge about Equiano himself, it would benefit you to branch out to other libraries and look at multiple online sources. It is my hope that I can help teachers provide information to their students about an important event in history, one that I was not educated on.

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-life-of-olaudah-equinao

-     This is an image of the of the second edition, volume 1 of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Gustavus Vassa, the African. He published this successful autobiography in 1789. This picture can traced back to the online archive at The British Library Collections, where it is being held . Throughout this tumblr post, I will analyze and describe an adapted children’s book version, as well as a later publicized and edited version of Equiano’s Narrative.

-     For those of you who need some background information about Olaudah Equiano, I have included a short summary. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is a story about an ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. Olaudah Equiano was born into the Ibo tribe, part of the Nigerian village of Isseke in 1745. At the age of eleven, Equiano and his sister, were kidnapped by slave traders and forced into a life of slavery. The siblings were separated and young Olaudah never saw his family again. He spent ten years as a slave in the West Indies, America and British Navy. He experienced many life-changing events such as: the religious revival in Europe and America, an expedition to the Arctic, an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, battles in the Seven Years’ War and the initial divisions of the American Revolution. He eventually saved up enough money from his personal trade business, that he bought back his freedom in 1766. He wrote his autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano in 1788 and it was published in 1789. His novel is one of the earliest slave narratives. The book was an imperative foundation of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which terminated the African trade for Britain and its dependencies. Olaudah Equiano was part of the Sons of Africa, an abolitionist group which was composed of eminent Africans who lived in Britain.

The Kidnapped Prince

-     The Kidnapped Prince is a version of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Published in 1994, it tells the story of Equiano, however, it does so in a more simplistic way. This edition of Equiano’s Narrative was written predominately for an audience of late elementary/early middle school students. This book was written by Equiano, but then adapted by Ann Cameron with an introduction by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Since the intended readers were younger children, the novel was modernized and some of the language was shortened for a better understanding and comprehension. This adaptation version was cut short, ending two-thirds of the way through Equiano’s original publication, at the point where he regains his freedom. The goal of this revised version of Equiano’s Narrative was to provide children with a text in which they could easily apprehend but one that also preserved the essence of the author’s time and some of his original language.

-     This version of Equiano’s Narrative is a hardcover copy. On the front cover, there is an illustration of Equiano as a young boy. He is clearly depicted as a slave, with his hands cuffed together in front of him, and he is standing in front of a slave ship. The text inside the book is large and spaced out, it is obvious to assume that it was written for children. The condition of the book overall is well-kept. There is no damage to the pages or the cover. This shows that the book has been taken care of and handled gently.

-     I took this picture from the middle section of The Kidnapped Prince. Pictured above is a map that shows the travels in which Olaudah Equiano embarked upon during the years he was held captive as a slave. I found the design of this map to be very intriguing. Most maps from the 18th century do not include such distinct topographical features as this one does. I have encompassed below, a map you would typically see in the 1700s. The one displayed in The Kidnapped Prince isn’t as intricate to follow. This allows your elementary/middle school students to easily understand the significant message the map is showing.

-     This is a more accurate depiction of Equiano’s travels, one that we might expect to see from an 18th century time period. After doing some research, I found that this map was drawn by a cartographer and composed by a historical geographer. Edward Oliver (the artist) and Miles Ogborn (the preparer) were both intellectuals that worked at Queen Mary, University of London. This is just a ‘thumbnail’ image of the map, and if you’d like to look into further detail about Equiano’s travels, I recommend reading Miles’s article “'Global historical geographies, 1500-1800’ in B.J. Graham and C. Nash (eds) Modern Historical Geographies (Harlow: Longman, 2000).” 

The Slave’s Friend

-     For the students you are teaching to gain a thorough grasp and understanding of the discussed material, it would be beneficial to compare it to a similar text. In this post I chose to analysis The Kidnapped Prince and The Slave’s Friend together. I wanted to relate an edition of Equiano to another work published during the same time period that centered around the same topics. I went to the Special Collections section of the Hillman Library, where I found The Slave’s Friend.

-     The Slave’s Friend is a collection of anti-slavery writings. Written and published by R. G. Williams in 1839, this book was a typical abolitionist periodical aimed at representing Africans, slaves and freemen. R. G. Williams wrote these collections for the American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS), focusing on pro-Christianity and anti-slavery. This anti-slavery press was a principal part in the crusade against slavery in America. The Slave’s Friend was originally an abolitionist magazine targeted at a young audience in the United States that ran between 1836-1838. The directed audience for this text were young elementary students age 6-12. The content in The Slave’s Friend was full of stories, anti-slavery poetry, religious passages, relevant news items for other sources and original writings. The magazines were inexpensive, with a price of one cent per copy. During the first year, over 200,000 magazine printings were distributed. Due to financial instability, the magazine version of The Slave’s Friend had to halt production in 1838; the last issue made was Volume IV, No. II.

-     Hillman’s Special Collection had in their possession, the small pocketbook version of The Slave’s Friend. This book was very small, measuring only 4.5X2.75 inches. The front and back covers were a light brown with the spine being darker. The pages were a tan color with a darker discoloration around the edges. It was clear to see that this piece of writing was extremely old. The spine and binding were broken, and the pages were tarnished. The wear and tear on this book show that it has been handled an extensive amount of times. The pages are thin and on each there are two-page numbers, this indicates that each volume was paginated more than once. The poems, hymns and volumes are showed on pages of different colors. Most of the messages to the readers and poems appear on yellow or blue pages, where the beginning of a new volume is often displayed on an off-white page. Although The Slave’s Friend is a typical piece of children’s literature that you would see during the 19th century, I was surprised with its layout. In my opinion, this book didn’t feel or look like something a child would like to read. The pages and text were very small and the pictures were not colored. This book also didn’t have an appealing cover page, one that might be intriguing to children and pull them in. However, I thought that the different colored pages did bring some flavor and brightness to the publication, making it more enjoyable to read. I couldn’t find concrete evidence depicting the significance for why The Slave’s Friend was published the way it was, so I thought I’d include some insight of my own thoughts and feelings. It was interesting to see how children’s literature has changed so much over time. Today, we see large, colorful books with easy to read words on each page, along with colored images.

-     Pictured above is the Hillman Library’s Special Collection copy of The Slave’s Friend in the palm of my hand. This image shows an accurate representation of the true size of this book.

https://safe.txmblr.com/svc/embed/inline/https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2F5IuT7hjOj3M#embed-5be0b331109f2688067128

-     This video shows a glimpse inside the pages of The Slave’s Friend.

-     A recurrent theme found throughout The Slave’s Friend was cruelty. The stories were often very blunt and illustrated violent behavior the slaves had to face. This relates to The Kidnapped Prince and Equiano’s Narrative, as he recounts stories of his enslaved friends and how they were sadistically tortured and punished. This book relates further to Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography because it incorporates strong religious appeals. Numerous articles in The Slave’s Friend don’t focus on slavery and the abolition movement as much as morality and the importance of religion.

-     The significance of The Slave’s Friend was that it familiarized the youth with controversial subject matter and issues. It was the hope that by making them aware of the horrors of slavery, they would see the need to abolish it.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano

-     The title The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano holds great significance in itself. Equiano titles his autobiography this way for a particular reason. He included his own name to establish to readers his African roots. The full title of his original print of this book is The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African. The added Gustavus Vassaidentifies his slave name and The African as a depiction of his people. Readers can gain a lot of knowledge about this narrative just from the title alone.

-     The published version of Equiano’s Narrative shown above, is intended for a high school student audience. This isn’t one of Equiano’s original prints, it is the text of a Bedford Books edition which follows the first American printing. The editor of this publication, Robert J. Allison didn’t make a lot of significant changes to the text. There were only minor changes in the spelling and punctuation, insertion of paragraphs, and he added notes to the text to help explain to today’s readers, Equiano’s late eighteenth century event portrayals.

-     This edition of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is a 1995 paperback copy. It is roughly 5.5X8.25, contains a comprehensive introduction, illustrations and a chronology. The book is in very good shape, there are no tears or any discoloration of the pages. The pages are an eggshell white and the text is typed out and easy to read for students.

http://www.briefhistories.co.uk/olaudahequianotimeline.html- 

-     This image is a timeline of the significant events in Olaudah Equiano’s life. It is important because it gives readers a brief history of Equiano’s life with exact dates for a better understanding of the chronology of his experiences. I provided the link above, in case of any additional interest or curiosity.

-     This description of a slave ship was distributed by Thomas Clarkson with his 1786 Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species. This diagram of a slave ship is an iconic image in the world of the early British Abolitionist Movement. This image was submitted as parliamentary evidence in the filing of the bill that was eventually passed for the Abolition Act. I located this picture to its source, the British Museum’s online collection.

III.

TO THOMAS CLARKSON,

On the final passing of the Bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, March, 1807.

Clarkson! it was an obstinate Hill to climb: How toilsome, nay how dire it was, by Thee Is known,—by none, perhaps, so feelingly; But Thou, who, starting in thy fervent prime, Didst first lead forth this pilgrimage sublime, Hast heard the constant Voice its charge repeat, Which, out of thy young heart’s oracular seat, First roused thee.—O true yoke-fellow of Time With unabating effort, see, the palm Is won, and by all Nations shall be worn! The bloody Writing is for ever torn, And Thou henceforth shalt have a good Man’s calm, A great Man’s happiness; thy zeal shall find Repose at length, firm Friend of human kind!

-     I have included the congratulatory sonnet that Wordsworth wrote to Thomas Clarkson for his success in the passing of the Bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. This poem holds significance because it shows that Equiano and his story connects to a larger movement and affects a diverse population.

-     This photograph of a medallion represents the anti-slavery movement symbol. This image is featured in the last few pages of Equiano’s Narrative, the 1995 version. It was designed and manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood, as early as 1787 and adopted as the seal of the Society for the Abolition of Slavery. I gathered this information from the Library of Congress. This image persisted as the symbol for the abolition movement through the American Civil War. The question “Am I not a man and a brother?” appeared on the title page of Equiano’s autobiography, the 1815 edition. While the slogan “Am I not a man and a brother?” can be seen on the 1815 edition of Equiano’s Narrative, it did not originate from there. This design was circulating as an image of abolition before Equiano’s Narrative. Later publishers put this symbol on title pages of stories with similar plots to tell readers that this book is part of a familiarized movement. I continued my research on this symbol through the Library of Congress, and learned that this figure sent a powerful message across the globe. The kneeling man with outstretched hands and shackles around his wrists and ankles, represents an enslaved African. Across the top the words read, “Am I not a man and a brother?”. This image was replicated onto multiple items during this period. It is known as the first and most distinguishable image of the 18th century Abolitionist Movement. It was and still is today, viewed as a powerful object that signifies morals, principles and the benevolent mission of the abolition movement. 

-     While reading this narrative, to see things through the eyes of Olaudah Equiano, it is crucial to know and understand the arguments he had against slavery. He had multiple arguments against the slave trade; it destroyed lives and families, it was morally wrong and the trade didn’t make sense economically. In later parts of the narrative, we see how Equiano’s new Christian views shape his negative belief of slavery. Bible verses are significant to this novel because they are one of the most convincing areas of his argument. He encourages slave traders and slave owners to become more knowledgeable of the Bible and all that it offers and to apply it to their own lives. In addition to his religious reasoning, Equaino used economic arguments. He created an argument that slavery should be abolished not only because of the inhumane cruelty, but because the British economy would benefit. He argued that, “Population, the bowels and surface of Africa, abound in valuable and useful returns; the hidden treasures of centuries will be brought to light and into circulation. Industry, enterprise, and mining will have their full scope, proportionally as they civilize. In a word, it lays open an endless field of commerce to the British manufacturers and merchant adventurer. The manufacturing interest and the general interests are synonymous. The abolition of slavery would be in reality an universal good.” (Equiano, 194).

-     The above picture is one that I took while at Hillman’s Special Collections. It includes all of the literary works discussed in this post, side by side. I thought this was a good visual that showed the differences and significance of each work. It is clear to see that The Slave’s Friend (far left) holds the biggest difference of the three publications. This book is much smaller and older than the other two, which would make sense since it’s an original copy (1839). The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (middle) and The Kidnapped Prince (far right) share more similarities, as they range close to the same size and they both were published within a year of one another (The Kidnapped Prince, 1994/The Interesting Narrative, 1995). As time changes, literature becomes more modernized. From what we know about The Slave’s Friend and the modernized editions of Equiano’s Narrative, it’s easy to see how literature has developed overtime. All three of these publications give students supplemental material which will more strongly develop their knowledge, not only on Equiano and slavery, but also literature throughout the years.

Works Cited:

“Aboard a Slave Ship, 1829,” EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2000).

Cameron, Ann. “The Kidnapped Prince.” Children’s Books , 2011, www.anncameronbooks.com/nonfiction/the-kidnapped-prince.html.

Equiano, Olaudah, and Ann Cameron. The Kidnapped Prince The Life of Olaudah Equiano. Aflred A. Knoph, Inc, 1995.

EQUIANO, OLAUDAH. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Written by Himself. Edited by Robert J. Allison, Bedford Books, 1995.

Geist, Christopher. The Slave’s Friend: An Abolitionist Magazine for Children. Ohio State University Press, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/20771128.pdf.

Olaudah Equiano’s Travels - a Map, Feb. 2002, www.brycchancarey.com/equiano/map1.htm.

“Olaudah Equiano Timeline.” BRIEF HISTORIES, www.briefhistories.co.uk/olaudahequianotimeline.html.

Onion, Rebecca. “How an 1830s Children’s Magazine Taught Hard Truths About Slavery.” Slate Magazine, The Slate Group, 27 Jan. 2016, www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2016/01/27/how_an_1830s_children_s_magazine_taught_hard_truths_about_slavery.html.

“The Slave’s Friend.” The Slave’s Friend | Teach US History, www.teachushistory.org/second-great-awakening-age-reform/resources/slaves-friend.