Words With Wings by Nikki Grimes (Book Review)

Words With Wings is a collection of poems as told in a first-person story. It's a pretty cool concept where every page is a poem but progresses the story of Gabby the daydreamer. When she thinks of a word, it has the power to fill her mind with images of her past. According to all the adults in her life, she has trouble focusing. Her daydreaming doesn't get any better once her parents split and she has to adjust to life at a new school. All she has is her daydreaming but has that finally gotten in the way of navigating her reality? 

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Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin (Book Review)

Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin a joint memoir by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin. It recounts the night of Trayvon's murder by a local neighborhood watch captain and into the murder trial that follows. The book is separated in sections devoted to each parent's perspective. One at a time, they remember their son and the events that took him away.

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Ellington Was Not a Street by Ntozake Shange (Book Review)

Ntozake Shange is a poet whose name may feel funny in your mouth and who's face you may not recognize. Have no doubt that she is a very influential woman. She is best known for her award-winning choreopoem, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enufwhich was later turned into a movie of the same name.

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Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson (Book Review)

He calls himself "your personal astrophysics" and he is one fly guy. Neil deGrasse Tyson has been in the public eye for a number of years but most recently he was the guy who demoted Pluto. His latest book is Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, and I chose to experience it on audiobook. 

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Courage is Contagious: And Other Reasons to be Grateful for Michelle Obama, ed.by Nick Haramis (Book Review)

Courage is Contagious: And Other Reasons to be Grateful for Michelle Obama is a collection of essays praising the life and style of the first lady. The contributors are a diverse group of individuals: chefs, actors, activists, designers, writers, comedians, and even school children.

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Help! What Do I Do With Black Pain? (Or Seven Steps To Taking Personal Responsibility)

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. 

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4 Simple Ways For New Writers To Get Noticed

After 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.

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Write What You Know: The Poetry Memoir "Life Comes From Concrete" by Kevin Anglade (Book Review)

Divided 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.

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"Binti" Reminds Us That We Write Our Own Stories (Book Review)

I 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. 

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"Hair Story" Provides History and Perspective to Why It's More Than *Just Hair* (Book Review)

My 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. 

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