The importance of telling black stories
“Reading has not so much changed my life as shaped it.”
*****
BLACK: (blak) adjective; of any human group having dark-colored skin, especially of African or Australian Aboriginal ancestry; relating to Black people
BOOK·ISH: (ˈbo͝okiSH) adjective; a person or way of life devoted to reading and studying rather than worldly interests; of language or writing literary in style or allusion
Black & Bookish celebrates literature through curated book reviews, lists, opinion pieces, and services all based around the love of books, Blackness, and continual exploration. Our mission is to provide accessible resources to Black Literary Arts and create a living history database of literary cultural studies focused within the African Diaspora.
Book Reviews
Reviews are a mix of genres, new and indie authors, old favorites and classics. We also take writer submissions for book reviews and other pieces. You can join our pool of contributing writers here.
Articles and Resources
Current events and book study fuel our think pieces. Each post revolves around my personal philosophies about activism and a look at the culture beyond book reviews. You can also find writing and reading resources to keep you on track with your bookish goals.
Literary Services
With Professional Reader services, Manuscript Critiques, Developmental Editing, and everything in-between, we’re here to help Black writers tell their best stories.
The Herstory of Black & Bookish STARTED WITH AUTHORS I ALREADY KNEW AND LOVED.
A search of my own personal library contained many titles by black authors. Most were best sellers or classics. I had much more material than expected and a decent start to my experiment.
Zora Neale Hurston, author of Their Eyes Were Watching God and Of Mules and Men. (Google Images)
Kwame Alexander, author of The Crossover and Booked. (Google Images)
Octavia E. Butler, author of Parable of the Sower and Kindred. (Google Images)
And CONTINUED WITH LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT AUTHORS.
Some of the best stories come from the communities we live in each day. Organizations like World Stage Press and Flowered Concrete help new writers tell their stories.
Camari Carter, author of Death by Comb
S.L. Ladd, author of Suburban Werewolf
Next Came with LOCAL Bookish EVENTS.
Attending book signings by local authors quickly became my favorite thing to do. Live poetry readings feed my soul. High energy, low energy, panels, and booths.
Have a local event you'd like me to attend? Click the button to complete a suggestion form.
Allowing for New Perspectives.
Then I embraced all that I had to give.
Editing and manuscript services were the next logical step in serving writer’s needs. Helping writers tell great stories added to the mission of the site. Writing posts offer tips to can help you stay on track and tell your story.
The great Odie Hawkins at the Paperback Collection Expo
AND SOMEHOW, ALONG THE WAY, this BECAME MUCH MORE THAN A BOOK BLOG.
The Historic Thomas House in Eatonville, FL
WELCOME TO BLACK & BOOKISH
Hope you stay a while.