“My work is to give you what I know of my own particular path while allowing you to walk your own.”
*****
This post is based on a conversation with a white friend having trouble dealing with guilt and what they could do to help abolish racism. They asked me very specifically: What Can I Do? My short answer was "nothing". My long answer is this blog post.
Read MoreAfter a few hours of talking about our various literary experiences, I was able to compile four tips for new writers get published or get their already published books reviewed and sold. This is not a comprehensive list, but might help you decide where to put your energy (we can discuss how to get an agent or hunt down a publisher in a later post). These steps are to give a general overview of what new authors tend to forget or ignore, missing opportunities right in front of them.
Read MoreDivided into five sections, Life Comes From Concrete takes the reader through the recurring themes of Kevin Anglade's life from his childhood to manhood. With raw honesty and passion, he lets the reader in and asks nothing more than an ear to listen.
Read MoreI didn’t expect to finish Binti so quickly, especially since my responsibilities are a little more pressing than they use to be. But I just couldn't stop. I wandered around the house with this book in my hand the entire day, moving from room to room when interrupted. Obsession would be an accurate way to put it. I read all 85 pages before the sun had gone down.
Read MoreWhen these moments of violence and action collide, I don't know what to do through a computer screen. Other activists are quick to tweet and share places to donate, books to read, and spout out quippy words of wisdom. But all I can do is read and think and process.
Read MoreMy love of the mundane prompted me to purchase and read Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America by Ayana D. Byrd and Lori L. Tharps written in 2001. In 2014, an updated and revised version was published to include the changing styles of the later 2000s, which is the version I read.
Read MoreThe #Sipandread photo series is inspired by the beauty of book covers and the amateur photography I post on social media. Plus I drink coffee in the morning and (sometimes) wine in the evening. Enjoy!
Read MoreA #SipandRead for your Saturday morning.
Read MoreI almost didn't finish this book. I knew what was on the other side of this finished book and I never felt ready to face it.
Read MoreNo matter how much we may want something, we have to go through the proper channels to make it happen.
The Reading Challenges I've taken on AND the challenges I'm facing as a reader.
Read MoreStill wondering what an old house has to do with authors of the African Diaspora? This is the first in a series of posts themed Home journey and chronicles the making of our community bookstore.
Read MoreI buy books, I drink hot liquids, and I love to post author quotes. But there is much more to my bookishness than quiet spaces and journaling accessories.
Read MoreIf I had to guess where the character Nandi gets her confidence, I wouldn't have to look any further than her creator, Ama Kuma. Here is how a chance encounter introduced me to Kuma and added Nandi to my reading list.
Read MoreI made some site changes without undeestanding the effects. A (very) short post on how I fixed it.
Read MoreA short and sweet dose of Throw Back Thursday.
Read MoreIf your work defines who you are and you're living in the performance zone, you may be having the same troubles I am: not living up to your expected potential. Is there anything you can do about that? Can those of us who are already professionals in our field balance our time to grow as creators AND provide quality content?
I believe we can.
Read MoreI'm not any better at defining "blackness" than when I started, but I'm much better at showing you what I knew was there all along.
Read MoreBecause I filled my soul with the stories of the disenfranchised, I was already awake when that thunderous roar was finally loud enough to rouse a sleeping nation to what Black America had endured since we stepped off the boats.
We woke up and the world was fundamentally different. What do we do now?
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