A friend of mine, Anindita B Sempere, was a teacher in Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s middle school. Now that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been sentenced to death for his participation in the Boston Marathon bombings, Anindita has written a reflection piece, called “Monster,” that you can read here. (For the Walter Dean Myers readers among you, the title is, in part, a reference to Myers’ book.)

Speaking for myself, the piece is helping me articulate my own sadness and confusion on the entire oppressive topic of the bombings, manhunt, trial, and sentencing, so — thanks, Anindita.