The Black Bookshelf

If I Were a Poor Black Kid

2011-12-14T18:13:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure if it sounds silly or condescending, but as a Black person... I kind of contemplate the, "If I Were a Poor Black Kid" scenario to myself all of the time. It's almost impossible to address everything in a single blog entry.

To be successful and Black in America, in my opinion, takes a hell of a lot of luck. Once you have a broad range of lucky conditions... then you have to work your ass off. Since I studied undergrad at the University of Michigan between the Supreme Court Cases of 2003 and the transfer of the Wardell Connerly movement to Michigan in 2006, I've been thinking a lot about what it takes for a Black child... especially a broke Black child.

One of the things that the Forbes article doesn't account for is every Black person in America, whether they are conservative or liberal, knows that you any Black person has to learn everything twice. You have learn everything that is on the surface which Marks addresses and then you have to learn what it means when you are black. (Then, if you are a woman you have to learn how to navigate patriarchy and racial issues). It is extremely difficult to learn this concept by yourself. It's damn near impossible. Basically, in addition to learning the academics you have to learn 1. how to have white teachers, 2. how to have white classmates, 3. how to be a token in networking situations, 4. how to be a token in corporate or academic situations, 5. how to have a drink with a bunch of white folks in academic or corporate situations... I haven't really found any book on it. It really takes a Black person in academia or a Black person in corporate America to say, "Look, this is how everything really works."

1. Grades. A lot of people undereducate Black children. Even if you have the best grades... it's hard to compete with someone who is being taught 2-4 levels ahead of you. For instance, when I entered U of M wanting to be a physics major... I realized that many of the white folks had already completed Calculus 2 (or AP Calculus BC) and Differential Equations. On the other hand, many of the Black students from Detroit did not come from schools where AP Calculus was available... let alone Intergral Calculus or above.

So even if you get the best grades in Trigonometry or Algebra... How do you compete with someone the same age who has already been taught so much more?

2. Libraries. Many libraries close by 7pm. If you are lucky you might be able to find a nearby university that stays open until 12. But if your not lucky... then what? Many suburbs have internet cafes... but inner cities don't. And even if they did, you wouldn't have the money to pay for them.

3. Even if you get a computer... How in the world would you pay for internet? You need credit, good credit in order to buy the internet on contract. And so far they don't have prepaid internet services.

Perhaps you can go to McDonalds, but they don't have any sockets to actually plug in your lap top.

4. And if you are an inner city black kid... There just so much that you won't be exposed to... Your music departments will be cut. You won't learn an instrument until you get to high school because the middle school programs are obsolete. So how do you win a scholarship for music when you've only been playing for 4 years... versus a person with private lessons who has been playing since they were 4 years old?

You won't have a swim team, or a lacrosse team, or a soccer team, or a hockey team. You might have a track team that may or may not have a track.

5. And what will you eat. A person's diet has a huge effect on their long-term brain development. Most inner cities don't have very many health food stores... And most of the grocery stores in the cities barely carry produce. I don't know.

And that's just the basics. I don't know anything about going to schools where there are metal detectors. And actually partial police departments based on school grounds. I don't know anything about going to school where there are active gangs. Sometimes folks can't just get "good grades".

I just shake my head. I don't know what a broke kid could do. Or should do.

A year ago, I read an article about a young Black man who was valedictorian of his high school. It was a congratulatory article, praising the young man for going to college in spite of all of the odds. But at the end of the article, it mentioned that the young man was going to community college! I was so furious! If was was valedictorian, with decent scores... and he went through everything the article mentioned. I think he should have had a full ride to Harvard, Stanford, Michigan or Wharton... There's no way in the world he should have been going to a community college.

But that would take a guidance counselor to say, "hey-- you've gone through enough... there's money out there. Here, apply to Harvard. Here, apply to Northwestern. Oberlin." Whatever.

Part of the problem when your Black... is just having enough people tell you that you really can compete with White folks. Really.

Everyday, I'm reminded of how priveleged I have been a Black middle class lady. I didn't have a car, or name brand clothes... But I definitely had one of the best educations a Black person could have in America.

What would I do if I was a poor Black kid?

1. Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts

2. Jr. Achievement

3. Free Sports Teams

4. Free or Cheap Private Lessons for a Musical Instrument

5. The smartest, coolest, most-down-to earth Black frieends I could find in the city

6. maybe Jack and Jill parties (to learn how to network with Black folks)

7. Church (maybe that should have been number one)

8. A mentor or two or three or four (who are black)

9. And the most important thing is summer programs. Every major college has summer programs for people of color or people without the most money... Sometimes they are absolutely free.

10. A lot of inner city Black schools won't let you take college courses while your in high school, but a lot of white schools will. I guess if I was broke I would try like hell to take college courses while I was in high school. Even if I was just auditing and couldn't get credit...

Its really hard to know what you don't know. I don't know how I would have known about summer programs 1. if I didn't have sibling who went to college before me, 2. if I didn't have Black friends going to the programs, 3. If I didn't have a guidance counselor who knows.

I don't have any real answers. In some ways, I'm still trying to figure out what I would do (or will do) as a poor Black parent.

No More Sheets

2011-12-01T11:28:00.001-05:00

It is impossible to read Juanita Bynum's No More Sheets and not be honest with one's self. For every woman who is walking in her relationship with God, with Christ, she must acknowledge that sex was designed for pleasure within a marriage.

Bynum has written an honest challenge for women to give up the sheets until she finds a man who is devoted enough to commit to her before God. The twelve year old church girl who vowed to keep her virginity before she even knew what sex was believes this is not only possible, but mandatory; however, the single mother, the lonesome woman and the skeptic inside of me believes this is a tall order.

Luckily, I have known Black women who in the 21st century were able to save themselves until marriage. Without actual proof, I'd call Bynum a lie. But realistically, I know its possible. Perhaps my negativity comes from reading, Is Marriage for White People a few days before reading No More Sheets.

Black women are a religious and devoted people. After reading Banks account in Is Marriage that not only are 70% of Black women unmarried but at least 30% will never do so. I can't help but wonder, and I always have if I'm in the 30% that will get lucky or the 30% that will never come close. And so honestly by the Law, if every Black woman was completely perfect seven out of every ten adult Black women would not be having any sex at all.

Although Bynum doesn't address any issues that particularly affect Black women, she does acknowledge the difficulty of all women to commit to celibacy until marriage or re-marriage. In spite of the difficulties, Bynum reminds that even non-penetration simply leads to arousal... which may ultimately invite sex. And, even if masturbation is not explicitly outlawed in Bible, many religious scholars agree that there is nothing about masturbation that glorifies God.

Bynum's book is an excellent guide to why sex is worth waiting once you are an adult and especially after you've been married before. She gives detailed explanations from the scripture and from example on how sex outside of God can hinder your spiritual relationship with Him.
Bynum's conclusion is that we [all women] are not married because we are not ever truly single. Based off of my experience and observation of Millennial women, the author is irrefutably correct. For me, the one thing that Bynum never addresses is, Is your faith in God so strong that you can commit to celibacy even if no wedding day ever comes? Bynum's book ends on the positive with the expectation of an equally yoked prince Charming and a few bits of advice for Christian women on their spiritual walk. However, any advice or recommendations on how to remain celibate for one's entire adult life, I would have to search elsewhere for answers.

The Honor Code

2011-12-01T11:06:00.001-05:00

Perhaps family discussions at my house are a bit strage. With my brother's graduate degree in Philosophy and I with my bachelors, one of our constant conversations is the need for a moral revolution. William's argument is that the rate of growth of human morality has always been significantly slower than the rate of technoloigical advancement. Kwame Anthony Appiah chooses to examine the possibility of a Moral Revolution first by examinig how technological revolutions take place.

While I enjoyed reading Appiah's work, I disagreed that there has ever been a moral revolution thus far in human history. The greatest illusion of moral progress was Appiah's example of the abolition of human trading. In Europe, as well as America, the abolition of slaver was financially driven. Although a moral resolution eventually occurred (after hundreds of years), it was not because of the change of morality of Americans or Europeans.

Appiah is correct. There needs to be a moral revolution. Now. However, looking to the past may not be the best way to incite a moral uprising.

I would recommend reading the Honor Code to understand the need for morality, to learn a bit about formal, academic philosophy and to determine if you agree with Appiah's explanation of how moral revolutions happen.

Is Marriage for White People

2011-12-01T10:59:00.001-05:00

Every black man I know hates this discussion. My father tells me, "It doesn't matter if all black men are 'dogs'.' How many do you need? You only need one man. You can't tell me of all the men in the world there is not one." As a child, I heard him say this to every single woman in my family. As a child, I believed him. As an adult, I realize what that even if the woman only needs one man strange things happen when the man has the world at his disposal.

My father wouldn't believe it as a man with many options (even in his older years); he would not understand. Thus, I am delighted that the book Is Marriage for White People was written by a man. I am certain that if a Black woman had written the exact words she would be accused of bad mouthing Black men, over exaggerating the obvious or being the stereotypical angry Black woman.

Perhaps Banks should have titled his work Is Marriage for White Women. He admits that while the problem of Black women is too few choices, the problem of the Black middle class or upper class man is too many. Banks is a thorough expert on the Black middle class. However, if he spent any time with the Black working class he would realize that even Black men who are not middle class earners have the upper hand. Contrary to what he says, incarceration nor underemployment prevents Black men's options to marry. The fact that Banks doesn't give Black men who aren't in the middle class enough credit is the primary fault of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed Is marriage for White People [Women]. Reading the stories of the women cited in the book was like talking to old friends or older mentors. The primary goal of the book seems to be 'Should Black women marry men who are not Black.' The secondary goal is, 'Are black women even desirable to anyone besides Black men?' And the unfortunate understatement is are Black women desirable to Black men, Dyson aside.

Whether you agree with Banks' conclusions or not, and I do, Is Marriage for White People [Women] is well worth the read.

18. The Good Guy

2010-05-10T13:39:00.005-04:00

I have committed to reading 25 authors that I have never read before. The sixth New Author that I have read this year is Dean Koontz. As much as I love suspense movies, I have not read very many suspense novels in my life time. I found Koontz to be an excellent invitation into the genre.

Without telling too much of the story, Koontz crafts a tale where two individuals - once strangers - find themselves in the chase of their lives utterly dependent upon each other. And, I promise you, the novel is not nearly as cheesy as the sentence which I used to describe it.

I enjoyed the suspense, I read the book in less than 24 hours over a two day period. For me, it was the definition of a page turner. I loved the story down to the very last line.

I am certain that I will be reading and buying more of Koontz, and more suspense novels in general.

17. Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

2010-05-10T13:19:00.007-04:00

Now, whenever I think of James Weldon Johnson I will recall the benediction of Rev. Joseph Lowery at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Johnson is best known for his poem "Lift Every Voice and Sing", which when combined with the musical composition of his brother John (J. Roseamond) has come be revered as the Black National Anthem.

Well regarded as a fine poet of the Harlem Renaissance, James Weldon Johnson also penned a novel entitled The Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man. Critics may or may not agree; I find Johnson's Autobiography to be the first complete, well-structured novel by an African American. I am struggling to find the phrasing that would adequately display my sentiments. In short, I think that Johnson wrote the best Black novel of the early writers. Published in 1912, I find it to be the greatest of the early novels before Nella Larson and Zora Neale Hurston began publishing in the late 1920s through 1930s.

While many scholars have wondered about the influence of Dostoevsky's The Underground on Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. I must wonder if he also read Johnson's The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored man before he began his monumental text.

I enjoyed reading the novel for a second time, and I would encourage other to venture into James Weldon Johnson's prose as well.

16. Hung: A Meditation on the Measure of Black Men

2010-05-10T13:08:00.005-04:00

This book has been on my to-be-read list for the past five years. Finally, the opportunity to explore intimately and honestly what I won't experience first hand.

I was unsure of what to expect, and thus I had no expectations. What I found in each page was an honest self-exploration of a communal experience. Similar to a memoir, Poulson-Bryant, brought a level of clarity and transparency to the page. I found his work necessary and brave.

While the text was not as inclusive or objective as ethnography, the reader can experience the similarities between the author and other black men's account.

I truly enjoyed the book. Sometimes, the positive and negative effects and implications of stereotypes and preconceived notions must be explored. I applaud Poulson-Bryant for doing so publicly and honestly.

15. Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age

2010-05-10T13:06:00.001-04:00

14. What's Your Dangerous Idea

2010-05-10T12:59:00.002-04:00

I loved the premise of this book. Unfortunately, I think my excitement surpassed my enjoyment of the book. Honestly, I don't think the vast majority of the ideas were dangerous, at all.

I still recommend the book to popular science, technology and information enthusiasts. But I'm sure that the lay reader can think of much more dangerous ideas than those the scientists and intellectuals interviewed were willing to print.

Lhea's First EBook: Kings, Niggers & Negroes

2010-03-05T10:04:00.007-05:00

Kings, Niggers and Negroes Poetry Ebook Now Available for $5.00.

Kings, Niggers and Negroes is a collection of poetry housing the poems from Lhea's first chapbook, Brown Paths, and her second chapbook, Laughing Behind Closed Doors.

KNN is a collection of post-modern poetry of the free verse and spoken word tradition. The EBook is available at Offthebookshelf.com for only five dollars.

Please claim the copy of your EBook today at Lhea's store:

The Best of the Net for Writers

2010-02-27T12:44:00.002-05:00

The Best Internet Websites for Writers.

The Best Sites for Writing Tools:

1. Zoho
http://www.zoho.com

The Zoho.com website provides free Word Processor, Spreadsheets, Email, Database Application, Presentation Builder, and Wiki Site

2. Scripped
http://www.scripped.com

Free web application for Screenwriters

3. WordPress
http://www.wordpress.com
The most professional free blog building website on the internet

4. Posterous
http://www.posterous.com
A new simple way to blog

5. Fast Pencil
http://www.fastpencil.com
A semi-free website for creating Ebooks

The Best Information for Writers

6. Wikipedia
http://www.wikipedia.org
An encyclopedia that you can contribute to

7. Mediabistro
http://www.mediabistro.com
The best single source of all things media

8. Poets & Writers
http://www.pw.org
An internet hub for aspiring and professional writers

9. Creative Commons http://www.creativecommons.com
A new way to disseminate, distribute and control your work

10. US Copyright Office http://www.copyright.gov
The basics of copyright information

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:QgRs5S-TK7oryM:http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/publishersmarketplace4.jpg

11. Publishers Marketplace
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com
Information on publishing, publishers and agents

12. New Media Rights
http://www.newmediarights.org

13. Google Book Search
http://books.google.com/

The largest library in the world. For free.

The Best Communities for Writers

12. Red Room
http://www.redroom.com
A place where writers can meet

13. LibraryThing
http://www.librarything.com
A place where book-enthusaists can meet

14. Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com
A place where readers can meet

15. Twitter
http://www.twitter.com
The best way to keep in touch with your readers and supporters

16. National Novel Writing Month
http://www.nanowrimo.com
A challenge for writers of all ages and stages

Must Read Blogs for Book Lovers

2010-02-26T12:39:00.009-05:00

Okay, so you keep up with the regulars: The New York Times Bestsellers List, The New York Review of Books, The Washington Post and LA Times Book Reviews...

Here are a few group and individual blogs that review the titles that are often left out.

http://www.themillions.com/

The Millions is one of the best sites for literary enthusiasts on the internet. The breadth and scope of their contributors provides a well-rounded playground not often found by single-author book blogs. I've been reading their site for at least 5 years... I enjoy the site and I love their newest layout.

http://dolen.blogspot.com/

Dr. Dolen is single handedly responsible for introducing me to many of the innovative artists of the 21st century. Read the Divinations ... the current posts and the previous, older posts... and prepare to be amazed.

I am excited about Wench, by Dr. Dolen. I haven't spotted it in Michigan yet. Once I do, I'll be sure to welcome it to the Black Bookshelf.

http://books4breakfast.blogspot.com/

Since 2006, Books for Breakfast has been reviewing a number of novels. Classics and Historical Fiction find a great home within Books for Breakfast.

This is one of my favorite book blogs because of the sheer honesty of the author. Some bookblogs read like biased marketing ploys by authors, friends of authors and PR specialists. If you don't like a book, say so! Thank God for Books 4 Breakfast.

And besides, she's right... What is more literary than alcoholism?

http://welcomewhitefolks.blogspot.com/

I am new to White Readers Meet Black Authors. I find it absolutely hilarious that the web address is, "Welcome White Folks."

The world has begun to realise in the last 30 years that the African American (and Black diasporic) experience is a universal experience.

Even so, the literary-types need a reminder.

http://www.apieceofmonologue.com/

I may be a bit biased, but I find Literature, Philosophy and Film to be the perfect combination. I was pleased to stumble upon A Piece of Monologue. And I look forward to reading the back entries of this blog...

http://reads4pleasure.blogspot.com

One of the most recent blogs that I have found is Reads for Pleasure. It is a great selection of novels spanning American Fiction.

Building the Writer's Bookshelf

2010-02-25T14:24:00.002-05:00

Last Summer, I met with a young college woman who was interested in being a writer. She talked with me about her desire to write books. I reminded her of the importance of reading frequently and writing obsessively. Apparently, she had heard this advice before. Her primary concern is that she didn't have the money to spend thousands of dollars on books. At the time, I did not address her concern adequately. After six months of contemplation, this is my response to her, my peers, and others like myself who are building a writing career, word by word.

1. Promote the Freemium Model

The best thing about the internet is that the vast majority of the important, intelligible and interesting information can be obtained for free. Each time you are introduced to a new concept, a new device or a new product it is a form of advertisement. Each article you read, each blog you subscribe to is advertising other people's ideas and products - usually for free.

The companies that pay for advertising to get in front of you, the consumer, make a lot of the free stuff possible.

If you don't have the money to build a 5,000 book personal library. Go online. You would be amazed at what you can find for free.

(On the Flip Side: Many writers are battling Google against the Library Digitization Project. While I understand that as an artist they want control over their own work, as a reader - a broke, underemployed reader - I love having access to books or at least portions of books through Google. It's better than a local library: No Late Fees!!! If obsessive readers are like me, they'll buy an interesting book that they've read on the internet ANYWAY. By being in GoogleBooks, your book may be found by people who otherwise would not have heard of your book.

So, yes I am for the protection of writer's rights. But, in the mean time, long live free!)

2. Move into your local library

I try not to check out any book from the library. Personally, I read books while I am at the library and leave them their. I am a sucker for library fees. Often, for me, they range in the hundreds of dollars range. By that point, I could have bought all of the books brand new.

3. Try to buy new books when you can -- for Good Karma

Try to buy new books. As an aspiring author, you will have to begin to think like an author. Used Bookstores are a cultural treasure -- but none of that money will go to you when you become a professional, or at least published writer.

While I wouldn't recommend going into debt to buy books (with the risky exception of College Books and Tuition), try to buy new books when you can. It's good karma. When your book comes out, you would want people to go out and buy yours.

4. Take advantage of Used Bookstores and Independent Bookstores

I was heartbroken when one of my favorite Independent Bookstores closed in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was the first bookstore that carried my poetry book on co-signment. Many of my favorite books were discovered through indie bookstores. Not everybook is going to reach the front table or side endcap of a Barnes & Noble or Borders. Try the used and idies, too, you may be suprised at what you find.

5. Build a Writer's Bookshelf

Even if you are a broke writer, there are a few books that every writer should have on their bookshelf. No exceptions, no excuses.

Here are a few necessities that have guided me for the past thirteen years:

I. The Elements of Style

All great writing dwindles down to stories and style. No one can give you a story, but Strunk and White can help you build your own style.

Besides, if you read any book on writing written by any writer they'll refer you back to Strunk and White's The Elements of Style. Hate to say, "I told ya so."

II. How to Say It Style Guide

In addition to The Elements, I would recommend the How To Say It Style Guide. It's readable and to the point.

III. Write Down The Bones

In order to prevent the stiffness of stilted prose. You may want to freewrite. It may be the most valuable exercize you will ever learn to do. Freewriting will get you in the habit of writing everyday, and Natalie Goldberg's Write Down The Bones is the absolute best person to teach you how to do it.

I started writing around age 14. In high school, I had peers who would ask to read my unedited thoughts. In college, I had peers who melded freewriting into freestyling -- hip hop into poetry and back into hip hop. In New York and in Detroit, I've had others snoop into my freewriting journals.

So beware: freewriting is truly the most freeing thing you can do. Freewriting is often more personal and revealing than journaling. (Remember, in journaling you think, and self edit before and while you write.) So if you are scared of your spouse, or children, your visitors or burgalers reading your innermost thoughts, keep freewriting -- but buy a safe with a lock.

IV. Getting Started as a Freelance Writer

All artists are entrepreneurs. All writers are freelancers. The sooner you understand this, the sooner you can get your financial house in order. While most writer's struggle to get by -- there are a few who make a living off of what they love.

It may be a good idea to learn a bit from those who do. Getting Started as a Freelance Writer is a book that every writer, journalist, poet, novelist, playwrighter or screenwriter should read. Hey, everyone has to eat.

V. The Forest For The Trees

My favorite book on my bookshelf is Betsy Lerner's The Forest for the Trees. (Beware, re-reading this book multiple times may be a form of disguised procrastination). I am certain that most writer's who read this book, regardless of what stage of their career they are in, will have a Roberta-Flack-Lauryn-Hill-Strumming-My-Pain ("Killing Me Softly) sort of experience.

Written four of five years before I even discovered the book, Lerner nailed my writing (and lack of writing) characteristics and habits, from my unfinished ideas to my skin eczema.

Who would know better than Maxwell Perkins, that most writer's, "cannot see the forest for the trees"? And who better to illustrate that than Betsy Lerner?

VI. Robert's Rules of Writing

Sometimes you need a reminder. Reading the reminder is the easy part. The hard part is making the changes.

VII. Keep It Real

Every writer writes, through theraputic habit of ambitious desires, to be understood. Even more than understanding, each writer writes hoping that they will create something that others who they have never met can relate.

The hardest part of 'keeping it real', so to speak, is not getting sued or ex-communicated, blacklisted or blackballed.

If you are writing an article, a blog or a memoir. Actually, even if you are writing a novel or screenplay which may be mistaken for real life. If you write anything with a hint of realism, you should probably read Lee Gutkind's Keep it Real first.

VIII. The War of Art

Steven Pressfield has found the one thing that separates the would-be writers, could-be innovators, and should-be leaders from those that actual are.

Admittance is the first step to recovery. The War of Art will help you identify what is blocking your creativity, and lead you down the path towards productivity.

IX. On Writing

The problem with most books On Writing is that they are written by writers you've probably never heard of or read. Here lies some writer who needs some extra writing, and so they decide to write a book to teach you how to write.

Your bookshelf can put an end to that. Stephen King's On Writing is a great instruction manual that will tell you a little big about hist writing path while teaching you the things you should grasp along yours.

King's basic premise -- "If you are a bad writer , no one can help you become a good one, or even a competent one. If you're good and want to be great... fuhgeddaboudit."

Perhaps it isn't for you to decide whether you are horrible or great. Eventually, the world will decide for you. You may spend your life writing screenplays, while 100 years from now you are only remembered for your memoir.

King tells us that it is possible for a competent writer to become a good, strong writer.

With that in mind, read "On Writing" if you are up to the challenge.

X. Zen in the Art of Writing

I remember on two separate occasions reading the criticism by Amiri Baraka and Nikki Giovanni of Ralph Ellison, one of my favorite authors. Their individual concerns, as stated by Baraka is that Ralph Ellison spent so much time polishing the gun (with Invisible Man) that he never got a second shot.

Each writer must come to terms with his own productivity. Bradbury shares a few lessons in productivity through advice on reading, writing and the writer's life.

XI. The Top Ten

One of the most important aspects of writing is what you read. Every writer doesn't go to college. Every writer doesn't study American English Literature on a collegiate level. With the hundreds of thousands of books published each year, how can you determine where to begin?

By reading what other writer's have read.

I love lists. I am as obsessed with lists as I am with books themselves. Every young writer writing now should purchase The Top Ten as a guidepost for future reading. In addition to being informative, it is a pleasure to discover what books have influenced and inspired the works of your favorite writers.

Even when you're broke, each writer needs a Writer's Bookshelf. A great dictionary, a thorough thesaurus and the books listed above are a great place to start.

13. The Vagina Monologues

2010-02-17T14:17:00.007-05:00

13. The Vagina Monologues

For the past 9 years, The Vagina Monologues has played a central role in my life, my growth and my womanhood seeing five separate renditions of the Vagina Monologues each performed to audiences of hundreds and thousands and people.

My first encounter with The Monologues, and in many ways with my own Vagina, was for my 17th birthday. I encouraged my older sister to San Francisco to see Eve Ensler recite the Vagina Monologues.

For a girl soon to graduate from high school who had only kissed once, very poorly, and had never been touched, The Monologues was an eye-opening experience.

In college at the University of Michigan, I had the opportunity to see The Vagina Monologues produced three times. The third time, I participated in the "Reclaiming Cunt" monologue with three beautiful women. This production, an all women of color cast, was one of the most beautiful and influential experiences of my life.

Seeing the production in three states, San Francisco, CA; Ann Arbor, MI; and, New York, NY has showed me how both unique and universal the experience of womanhood is.

Regardless of age, race or location, each woman who experiences the monologue on stage or in the audience can relate to the stories Eve Ensler weaved from the lives of 200 women.

This Valentine's Day season. This V-Day, I am reminded of the fight to end Violence against women. The first step is always awareness for the women and for the men.

When I first saw Vagina Monologues, I could only relate to "My Angry Vagina". When I was in college, I began to relate to the vagina facts and vagina questions. After entering and re-entering the real world, I began to understand "The Flood", "My Vagina Was My Village", "Because He Liked to Look at It" and "The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy".

And that is the Vagina Monologues experience, for women and for men. As you grow, your understanding of each monologue grows.

And regardless of how many times you see it, it's always a fresh, refreshing experience unveiled.

12. Black Greek 101

2010-02-17T14:11:00.003-05:00

12. Black Greek 101

There are many books that discuss the long, beautiful legacy of African American Sorority and Fraternities. No book to date discusses the truth (positive and negative) of Black Greek Letter Organizations with the honesty, clarity and, perhaps most important, succinctness of Walter Kimbrough's Black Greek 101.

Since it's first printing, I have been a huge fan of this work. Primarily because I think some things need to be compiled, recorded and analyzed before they are completely lost.

There are probably those who believe that this book goes to far, and perhaps this book may be missing from your local or school library; however, Kimbrough addresses the history and current culture of Black Greek life without telling too much or going too far.

What other book will list an appendix that includes the chronology of hazing incidents (primarily deaths)?

I am not a fan of ignorance. People should know who they are, what there history is and what they represent.

Who knows about the collegiate Black Greek organizations that were formed before Alpha Phi Alpha? Who knows about the non-greek letter collegiate Black fraternities?

The history and importance of Black Greeks is one that must be preserved. Its preservation depends on our diligence and honesty. I love Black Greek 101, and am extremely glad that I reread it this year.

11. Rich Dad, Poor Dad

2010-02-17T13:55:00.002-05:00

11. Rich Dad, Poor Dad

There are several popular books often listed as essential guides that people should read to understand money. Over the past 10 years, Rich Dad, Poor Dad has risen to the top of that list.

There are a few fundamental truths that are clearly outlined in Rich Dad, Poor Dad that can save years of heartache once learned. And evidently, the sooner you learn the better.

"Rich people acquire assets. The poor and middle class acquire liabilities, but think they are assets." This truth is well explained, and well worth reading a few times.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad works best when coupled with other great books. I enjoy the works of Jeffrey Gitomer and John Maxwell.

Remember, in cases of riches and poverty, reading is never enough. What matters most is, can you implement consistently what you have learned?

10. Best African American Essays 2009

2010-02-17T13:16:00.007-05:00

10. Best African American Essays 2009

Tobias Wolff once wrote, "All this parading on the high road has nothing to do with the real possibility of the personal essay, which is to catch oneself in the act of being human." Each time I return to this excerpt, I am reminded of the gift of prose. The ability to communicate telepathically from writer to reader transcending time and geographic barriers.

The Best African American Essays 2009 compiled by Gerald Early and Debra J. Dickerson catches snapshots of the African American community in the act of being human. This collection of essays includes the words of Walter Mosley, Chimamanda Adichie, Martha Southgate, Malcolm Gladwell, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Michael Eric Dyson and (then) Senator Barack Obama. Spanning the topics of entertainment, science, sexuality, race and activism, this collection is a vivid depection of Black America towards the close of the first decade of the 21st century.

If you would like to know who's thinking and who's writing, Best African American Essays is a great place to start.

8. & 9. The Hip Hop Generation versus Post-Hip-Hop Generation

2010-02-05T14:34:00.015-05:00

Irrefutably, the world would be a different place without hip hop. The synthesis of rap music along with the elemental presence of tagging, breaking/jitting/juking and fashion has already influenced a generation of children who are now adults.

I have found it interesting to watch the maturing of the fathers (and mothers) of hip hop. While my friends and I were the first set of youth to grow up within popular rap culture, those who were gracing the world's stage - a generation ahead are now parents and, probably, grandparents.

With my peers I stand on the cusp between The Hip Hop Generation and the Post Hip Hop Generation.

What difference does it make? Well the impact of a single musical form is impacting (and being impacted by) every level of society -- from the popular culture of fashion and dance to the legal arena of litigation, laws and penal industry; from the spirituality and institution of religion and church worship to the power of both bottom-up activism and top-down politics. I cannot think of a single area of American (or Western life) that has not been touched by the hands of hip hop.

The question remains: what difference does it make?

The jury is still out.

Two of my favorite books on my bookshelves seek to answer that question. It's Bigger than Hip Hop by M. K. Asante, Jr and The Hip Hop Generation by Bakari Kitwana. Both books begin with the oft quoted message of Frantz Fanon:

Each Generation out of relative obscurity must discover their mission, fulfill it or betray it.

Hip Hop is more than a form of music it is simultaneously an industry, a community, a culture and a movement. And we have found, in our globalized world, that hip hop has more than a singular mission. Could Hip Hop address activism without approaching politics? Could Hip Hop address incarceration without influencing education? Could Hip Hop impact music without impacting publishing, film or television.

We now know that the answer is no.

I wish every Black person in America could read each of these two books -- whether they listen to hip hop or not.

Is Hip Hop misogynistic? Yes, most of it. But, I have not heard any woman say that any prior generation was less misogynistic (Civil Rights included) -- perhaps Hip Hop is guilty of glorifying that which was once shameful, but was always both ever present and accepted.

Is Hip Hop minstrelsy? Unfortunately yes, too much of it. But Hip Hop is and will always be a reflection of the people. When we want Hip Hop to change, we will change our own families, our own schools, our own laws, our own churches/mosques and inevitably our own country.

Bakari Kitwana published The Hip Hop Generation at the beginning of the new millennium, new decade and M. K. Asante, Jr. published It's Bigger than Hip Hop at the close of the first decade. And much of the problems faced in both books are the same.

Poverty, Politics and Prisons.

Generation Gaps and Gender Divides.

While Asante talked with Hip Hop and the Ghetto, Kitwana explores AIDS and feminism as well. Asante and Kitwana are crucial pieces of the current American puzzle.

You cannot expect to find answer, if you cannot identify the problems. Asante and Kitwana, individually, discuss the problems and cite emcees, academics and authors who are exploring the depths of 21st century issues.

It matters not, what your socio-economic background is -- nor, your field of expertise. Everyone benefits from learning more about themselves, their community and their history. Please keep, Asante's "Two Sets of Notes for Black Students" close to heart.

from "Two Sets of Notes for Black Students"

I find myself feeling
As I am 'pon the ground & ceiling,
In institutions that disengage from healing
Instead, they simply warp open wounds
& Entrap me in rooms
where I am consumed by hypocrisy
& It occurs to me:
Greek philosophers didn't author their own philosophy

&The statues on campus be watchin' me
Washington... Jefferson... Williams,
Clockin' me--
As if to say 'time's up'
But I don't run laps on tracks
I run laps around the scholars of tomorrow
Because new schools of thought
Are merely our histories borrowed

& The label me militant, and black national radical,
trying to put my learning process on sabbatical.
I don't apologize,
Instead I spit truth into the whites of eyes infected by
white lies.

They even try to get me to see--
Their point of view from a brother that looks like me,
but that brother don't--
walk like me
talk like me
or
act like me
and that brother turned his head
when I asked if he was
black like me

Mastering their thoughts and forgetting our own
and we wonder why we always feel alone,
from the media to academia--
hanging brothers like coats
and in their schools....

I always take two sets of notes,
one set to ace the test
and
one set I call the truth,
and when I find historical contradictions
I use the first set as proof-
proof that black youths'
minds are being--
polluted,
convoluted,
diluted,
not culturally rooted.

In anything
except the Western massacre
and most of us are scared of Africa,
we view our mother's land
Through the eyes of David Hume and Immanuel Kant
well
Immanuel kan't tell me anything about a land he's never
seen
a land rich with history
beautiful kings and queens.

They'll have you believe otherwise
their history is built on high-rise lies
the pyramids were completed
before Greece or Rome were conceptualized,
the they'll claim the Egyptians' race was a mystery
you tell them to read Herodotus Book II of the histories
it cannot be any clearer....

Black children
look in the mirror
you are the reflection of divinity
don't let them fool you with selective memory
walk high,
listen to the elders who spoke
Black Students
Always take two sets of notes.

What Your Bookshelves Think of You

2010-02-04T23:27:00.006-05:00

I found a new meme through So Many Books

"I See Black People" ...and love them too. At least a third of my books are written by black authors.

"I'm not a visual person" ...somehow I own only one book of photography. I should remedy that.

"I could stand to learn more about music" ...I only own three books about music or musicians.

"I wish I could read in German" ...I have a few novels in German -- that I've never read.

"I love Erotica" ...I own twelve books (and couting) on sex. Is that a bit much?

"I procrastinate" ...I own 68 books on the act of writing itself. I've read them all. Now if that isn't procrastination, what is?

"I'll never read all of my books" ...so far I have at least 70 books on my shelves that I've never read all the way through. I still buy new books. It's a bit of an addiction.

"I need a career, a few means of steady income, a license, a checking/savings account, and a few car repairs" ...I feel completely out of touch with the world, let alone what is currently being written, published and distributed.

7. Best African American Essays 2010

2010-02-02T13:21:00.010-05:00

7. [Best African American Essays 2010]

One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Erasmus, although I am not sure if the quote makes since given the time period when Erasmus lived. "When I have a little money, I buy books. If I have any money left, I buy food and clothes."

My sister gave me a little money as a Christmas present, I debated on how much to spend on books -- and how much to spend on my daily food allotment for January. I decided to buy a single book, "Best African American Essays 2010" as opposed to two or three books. Now that the month has ended, and I have gained a few pounds that in February I will try to shed by fasting, I realized that I would have rather eaten less and read more.

This was one of the greatest anthologies I have read in a very long time. And, I am a huge fan of anthologies.

It begins with a speech by President (then Senator) Barack Obama, continues with essays on our president and first lady, revisits Jeremiah Wright & Bill Cosby and discusses Racial Profiling and Race Cards. While I am not sure if the book was a snap shot of 2009, it is definitely a snap shot of African America in recent years. I was deeply moved, informed and in some ways challenged by each of the entries in this collection.

Much of my reading is a foolhardy attempt to play catch up: my attempt to read all the classic novels I have not read, my attempt to discern who is thinking, writing and inspiring in 2010. Outside of a university or academic community, I cannot keep up. I appreciate the annual collection because it helps the unaffiliated readers (nonjournalists, nonacademics) stay abreast of American happenings.

This is a very fine collection of talented writers, I am certain that I will revisit this anthology throughout the year.

6. The Hours

2010-02-02T13:13:00.004-05:00

6. The Hours

At the end of my college years, I decided watch a few more movies. I don't own television, haven't watched it actively since my childhood, and anyone who knows me can testify that I am the farthest thing from a movie-buff. But, I decided to watch more movies -- as if I did not have enough school work to catch up on -- and my first decision was to watch movies relating to writers and writing.

The Hours was one of the movies that I watched and re-watched. Year after year, I intended to read the Cunningham base novel in full. Finally, I sat down to read it.

I loved the book -- but, I wish I would have read it first. I loved the structure, loved the premise, loved the characters. I loved the books. But, I sure wish I would have encountered the novel before falling in love with the movie.

5. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

2010-02-02T13:00:00.002-05:00

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and it's all small stuff

While I'm not completely convinced that it's all small stuff, I definitely gained value from this book. The experience of reading this book has been another example of the power and importance of living in the moment.

Most of the things that we sweat comes from harboring the negativity of past incidents or fearing the possibilities of future calamities. There are very few moments in life --- very few times when you are living in the present moment --- that would call for you to sweat.

These "biggies" are best handled when you use the small trivial moments as practice. In these moments you learn how to be the "eye of a storm", using calmness and clarity to find the best exit strategy and positive action.

I found myself wishing I had read this book years and years ago. But, perhaps it is divine timing that I read and re-read this book right here, right now.

4. Burn This Book

2010-01-23T13:11:00.005-05:00

I have been reading [[Toni Morrison]] for over a decade now, but 2009 marked the beginning of me reading her nonfiction works. I have found her essays to be just as insightful as each of her novels.

In a slender anthology, Morrison has gathered many of the most thought-provoking writers of the 20th and 21st centuries; and, each reader is reminded that a pithy statement of truth can strike harder than thousands of pages of loose prose.

Toni Morrison describes the necessity of the writer's safety, life and work. [[Nadine Gordimer]] writes about the writer as both a protagonist and witness. [[Salman Rushdie]] explores the relationship between a writer and his or her nation. And, [[John Updike]] discusses why he writes along with why others before him have written.

In this collection, the reader is reminded that the writer always has a strong relationship to the time, place and nation in which she or he is writing. This relationship may effect the writer's own safety and community; and thus, it is one that cannot be ignored.

3. Sellout

2010-01-23T13:03:00.004-05:00

As much as I love fiction, the majority of books that I own and read are nonfiction. And when I survey my favorite books they are often written by journalists and lawyers. Randall Kennedy's [Sellout] is a book that I have been dying to read.

In what has been deemed, "Post-Racial" America, many would question what role with race, or specifically "Blackness" play. Is the month that Carter G. Woodson recommended still necessary? Is only five US doctoral programs in African American studies enough? Are African languages worth studying? In a post-racial society, is there a such thing as "selling out," "being an uncle tom" or "racial betrayal?" These are my questions that roam my mind about race as I pick up Randall Kennedy's book.

In order to determine whether racial betrayal can or does exist within the African American community, first Kennedy tackles "Who is Black". By discussing the one drop rule as it pertains to Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Tiger Woods or President Barack Obama. Kennedy outlines the history of the Black sellout from the redefining of the word coined in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin through the modern day cases of the accused betrayal of Clarence Thomas (for example). Most importantly, he cautions and encourages the Black community to be careful when accusing a member of "selling out."

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "[Sellout]" almost as much as I enjoyed "[Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word]". But admittedly, [Nigger] is tough title to beat.

2. 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Economics

2010-01-23T12:39:00.005-05:00

No matter how much I read, or how often, I am constantly reminded of how much I do not know and how little I understand. Economics and the Economy are two areas to which I could stand to be reintroduced.

Understanding the fundamentals of any field, requires understanding the definitions. Without the definitions, it is impossible to speak, read or understand the language. I found this to be true in Philosophy, Law and Medicine. Economics is no exceptions.

101 Things Everyone Should Know About Economics is not a textbook, a business guide or a collection of current economics events. It is simply a reference book that will give you the language to understand everything else.

I enjoyed Sander's book as a starting point for further learning.

1. Excuses Begone

2010-01-23T12:01:00.003-05:00

I have been reading Dr. Wayne W. Dyer for over a decade. There are many lessons that one must learn and relearn through out one's life - so that she does not forget. The lessons of 2010 is, "Excuses Begone!"

The most difficult thing to realize is that everyone has setbacks. Some people battle with their health, others with their temper; Some struggle to handle finances, others with racial, gender or sexual-orientation related discrimination. Difficulties do not have to develop into excuses.

Dr. Dyer discusses in depth how each imagined rationale, is simply an excuse - one that can be eliminated and overcome. From genetic health positions (referencing The Biology of Belief and Virus of the Mind) to family history and conditioning, each person can redevelop their habitual mind, rewrite each meme and manifest a new destiny.

Dyer provides a catalogue of common excuses: It Will Be Difficult, There Will Be Family Drama, I Can't Afford It, I'm Not Strong/Smart Enough, I'm Too Busy or I'm Too Scared. And Dyer guides each reader through solutions to combat each excuse - beginning with the power of affirmations. The solutions include Seven Principles to remember and Seven Questions towards a paradigm shift.

While there are some books to be read once and immediately appreciated, there are other books that will remain useful throughout your lifetime to be referred to again and again. Excuses Begone, is a lesson each person must learn -- and there is no author better suited to teach it than Wayne Dyer.

52. Talent is Overrated

2009-12-29T04:14:00.001-05:00

52. Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

This is a classic exposition into the Nature versus Nurture debate. Colvin explores many exceptionally talented people in the fields of athletics, art, business and science.

A few years ago I read Talent is Never Enough by John C. Maxwell. While I enjoyed both books, they were very different in scope, structure and purpose. Maxwell's book outlined a step by step process of what people need to do to ensure success.

Colvin took one principle, diliberate practice, and thoroughly explored it as a justification for the Nurture argument.

Colvin raises the point that hard work is not enough. Many people will work diligently at their jobs and never reach their full capability. Thus, there must be something more instrumental than talent, more influential than hard work alone.

Colvin explores practice design, mentorship, creativity, inspiration and leadership among many other topics.

Instead of outlining a step by step process for the reader to mimic, Colvin compiles a book of ingredients and tools for each reader to conduct a self-evaluation and construct a successful practice-module.

Talent is Overrated is a quick and informative read.

Books to Read in 2010...

2009-12-19T16:31:00.014-05:00

So, I'll start outlining some of the books that I plan to read for 2010. These lists are subject to change... but hopefully, by next December, I'll have read enough to meet the challenges.

Black Classics Reading Challenge
(I would like to find Black Writings from outside the US prior to 1920... if I do, then I'll replace some of the works on this list.)

1. Complete Writings, Phyllis Wheatley
2. Collected Poetry, Paul Laurence Dunbar
3. Iola Leroy, Francis Ellen Watkins Harper
4. Give Us Each Day, Alice Dunbar Nelson
5. *Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, James Weldon Johnson (re-read)
6. My Bondage and My Freedom, Frederick Douglas
7. Up from Slavery, Booker T. Washington
8. Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
9. Education of the Negor Prior to 1861, Carter G. Woodson
10. Philadelphia Negro, W. E. B. DuBois
11. *The Souls of Black Folk, W. E. B. DuBois (re-read)
12. The Negro, W. E. B. DuBois
13. A Voice from the South, Anna Julia Cooper
14. ??
15. *Collected Black Women's Narratives

Great Books Challenge
1. *Machiavelli, The Prince(re-read)
2. Plato
3. Aristotle
4. Dante
5. da Vinci
6. Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queen
(7. John Milton, Paradise Lost)

Shakespeare Challenge
1. Shakespeare's Sonnets
2. All's Well that Ends Well
3. As You Like It
4. Much Ado About Nothing
5. *Othello (re-read)
6. *Hamlett (re-read)

African Diaspora Challenge (plus the books from Black Classics)
1. *The Icarus Girl
2. GraceLand

South Asian Author Challenge
1. *Midnight's Children
2. *The Satanic Verses
3. *The Namesake

1001 Books to Read Before You Die
1. Cloud Atlas
2. *Kafka on the Shore
3.* Atonement
4. The Corrections
5. Ignorance
6. *On Beauty
7. *Never Let Me Go
8. Everything is Illuminated
9. *Middlesex (re-read)
10. Disgrace
11. *The Hours
12. *Virgin Suicides
13. *Captain Correlli's Mandolin
14. American Psycho
15. *Beloved (re-read)
16. *The Color Purple
17. *Satanic Verses
18. *Pride & Prejudice
19. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
20. *Notes from the Underground
21. Les Miserables

You've Got Mail Challenge
1. Mario Puzo, The God Father
2. *Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

Romance
I have no idea... I'll get back to you

Erotica
1. *Zane, Nervous
2. *Best Black Women's Erotica 2 (re-read)

Read the Book, See the Movie
1. *Virgin Suicides
2. *The Hours
3. ***Atonement
4. *There Eyes Were Watching God
5. *Beloved
6. Count of Monte Cristo
7. *Pride and Prejudice
8. The Jane Austen Book Club
9. The Road
10. Devil in a Blue Dress
11. *Othello
12. Much Ado About Nothing
13. American Psycho
14. ***The Color Purple
15. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

New Authors (...from what I've listed so far)
1. Lewis Carrol
2. Bret Easton Ellis
3. Cormac McCarthy
4. Karen Joy Fowler
5. Jane Austen
6. Alexandre Dumas
7. Ian McEwan
8. Michael Cunningham
9. Zane
10. Mario Puzo
11. Victor Hugo
12. Salman Rushdie
13. J. M. Coetzee
14. Jonathan Safran Foer
15. Kazuo Ishiguro
16. Zadie Smith
17. Jonathan Franzen
18. David Mitchell
19. Chris Abani
20. Anna Julia Cooper
21. Alice Dunbar Nelson

Reading Challenges for 2010

2009-12-18T13:05:00.022-05:00

Since 2006, I've been hoping to read 100 books in a single year. On average I read about 50-60 books. This year, I didn't read any books in January and February so I decided to set a goal of only 50 books, since I began reading so late.

For 2010, I will attempt to read 100 books. Next year, I will have no excuses.

To help me along the way, I've decided to challenge myself in a few different ways:

J. Kaye's 100+ Reading Challenge
...At least 100 books total for 2010.

Lhea J. Love's Black Classics Challenge
...Enthusaist: At least 15 Black classics for 2010.

Cesca's Great Book Challenge for 2010
...Easy: 6 Great Books for 2010.

The Little Bookworm's Much Ado About Shakespeare Challenge for 2010 ...6 Shakespeare Works for 2010.

Brown Girl's African Diaspora Reading Challenge for 2010
...12 Books from the African Diaspora for 2010.

S. Krishna's Southeast Asian Author Challenge for 2010
...10 Books by Southeast Asian Authors for 2010.

Bibliophile by the Sea's Books to Read before I Die Challenge for 2010
...20 Books from the 1001 books to read before you die for 2010.

Literary Escapism's New Author's Challenge for 2010
...25 Authors I've never read before for 2010.

Chunkster Reading Challenge for 2010
...3 books with 450 pages or more for 2010.

Annie's What's in a Name Reading Challenge for 2010
...6 books with a food, a title, a body of water, a plant, a place name and a music term in the title for 2010.

Lesley's 2010 Bibliophilic Book Challenge for 2010
...6 books about books for 2010.

You've Got Mail Reading Challenge for 2010
...Any book mentioned in You've Got Mail for 2010.

The Bookworm's Romance Reading Challenge
...Five romance novels for 2010.

Erotic Horizon's Erotica Reading Challenge for 2010
...Ten Erotica books for 2010.

Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge for 2010
...10 books and their film adaptations

The GLBT Challenge for 2010
...12 books by (or about) GLBT authors.

Needless to say, there will be a lot of overlap.

The Black Classics Challenge for 2010

2009-12-17T15:54:00.011-05:00

Welcome to The Black Classics Challenge 2010

2010 will be the first year for The Black Classics Challenge. The purpose of this reading challenge is to encourage people of all ages to read great, pre-modern literature that is not regularly promoted in the Western canon.

Most of the authors that I recommend will be of African decent, but readers are encouraged to read classic non-western authors of other ethnicities.

Challenge Dates: January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010

Click here to sign up and for more information...

Because I know You Don't Read the Newspaper

2009-12-11T15:03:00.005-05:00

51. Because I Know You Don't Read the Newspaper by Aaron McGruder

Whenever I finish an Aaron McGruder book, I want to rush to The Black Bookshelf and write a legnthy review of envy and high exultation. Yet when I reach my actual keyboard, often all I can do is shake my head. Last night, I reread Because I know You Don't Read the Newspaper and I admitted once again that this strip is classic. It doesn't matter how much time actually passes, it holds up perfectly.

I would love to tell you what it's like to read The Boondocks, but it's something that you'll just have to experience for yourself.

Einstein's Dream (re-read)

2009-11-30T13:23:00.002-05:00

50. Einstein's Dream by Alan Lightman

I absolutely enjoyed re-reading this book. I liked both the stories as well as the underlying ideas behind each narrative. I have been thinking much about time and it's very nature (or multiple natures as it may be)... I'll probably re-read this short book a few more times before I move on to another.

Radical Evolution (re-read)

2009-11-23T21:19:00.003-05:00

49. [Radical Evolution] by Joel Garreau

"The future is already here. It's just not evenly distributed." This quote, found in the early pages of this book is a much greater description of Radical Evolution than I can muster.

I absolutely loved this book. It has been at least three years since the first time I read it, and I enjoyed it as if reading it for the first time.

I am convinced that every American, and actually every citizen of the world, has a responsibility to understand advances in science and technology. This is most important for those whose work has no relation to a technical field. The work that is being done every day is remarkable... and it is up to us whether it's application will be positive or disastrous. We are marching towards what Garreau would call the Heaven Scenario, the Hell Scenario or the Prevail Scenario.

Radical Evolution discusses what Garreau identifies as the GRIN technologies: Genetic, Robotic, Information and Nano processes. Alone each technology is already impacting our day to day lives through modern medicine, computers and internet; collectively these technologies may usher the human race into the next phase of evolution. If you have never heard of the term transhumanism, or if you have never given the implications a serious thought, now may be just the time to do so.

This book was published in 2005, and I am sure that much of what has been discussed within these bound pages has already been expounded upon by recent technological advances. But, for the lay reader and the expert alike, Radical Evolution is an excellent introduction to the future which has already begun to arrive.

I absolutely loved this book, and I look forward to reading others like it.

48. Macnolia (reread)

2009-11-05T10:12:00.002-05:00

48. [Macnolia] by A. Van Jordan

My experience rereading this book, is quite different than the first. A lot of time has past. A lot of things have taken place. But, my respect for Jordan as a poet, writer has only grown.

47. Black Genius (reread)

2009-11-05T09:52:00.007-05:00

47. Black Genius by Walter Mosley, Manthia Diawara, Clyde Taylor and Regina Austin

A friend of mine often told me how this book impacted her life. She carried it with her where ever she went. Her aim was to hear each of the authors speak in person, understand their vision out of their own mouths, and have the book signed in rememberance of the person and the ideas. One day she lost the book and all the signatures she once accumulated. Each time she recounted the story to me, I understood her distress.

I hope she has obtained another copy of the book, and begun again. Because it's not about the signatures, it's about the ideas. And the ideas are not lofty words printed on unread pages... but guidelines for action, for life. If there is anyone who embodies this collective Black Genius, it is her. I hope she knows this, and I hope she has begun again.

I reread the book with her in mind and with hope for "African American Solutions to African American Problems".

With Love.

46. It's Bigger than Hip Hop

2009-11-05T09:50:00.002-05:00

46. It's Bigger than Hip Hop by M. K. Asante Jr.

I usually hate to include books on the Black Bookshelf before I have finished the last page, occassionally I do. Usually, if I am so moved by the beginning of the book that I can not wait to share it with the world.

This is a book that I wish I would have read and reviewed as soon as the book hit the shelves. Sometimes in publishing, it seems that so many decisions are made off of initial sales. This is a book that I would not want to go out of print.

When I come across books like this --that is, books that I am sure my generation would enjoy and learn from -- I always wonder how to actually get the books in the hands of the people.

I absolutely loved Kitwana's Hip Hop Generation, but many years have passed; it is time for an update. Hip Hop is not simply a musical genre, it is a culture. This culture encompasses, music, film, education, fashion, politics, crime, activism, laws and many, many, many other entities. Asante does an excellent job at exploring various facets of Hip Hop culture and it's impact on everyday people.

I loved the book, and if I can figure out a way to get into the hands of more young people, I'll definitely take action. I hope that young Asante continues on the journey he has begun, continuing to teach and write.

45. Unreliable Truth

2009-11-05T09:33:00.001-05:00

45. Unreliable Truth by Maureen Murdock

The importance of memoir is the first person perspective. It is not an absolute truth, but a reconstructed truth -- for memories are limited, but not necessarily false.

44. Bird by Bird

2009-11-05T09:28:00.001-05:00

44. Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott

I read entirely too many books on writing. It is a method of procrastination and a means of justification.

If the procrastination is limited and used to mull over creative ideas, if the justification is used to give you the confidence to get more work done, then the books of writing may be of great help.

I have had this book for years and years, it was refreshing to reopen it and discover a forgotten world.

43. What Moves at the Margin

2009-11-05T09:19:00.003-05:00

43. What Moves at the Margin by Toni Morrison

I must have finished reading this selection a month or two ago. Somehow I am just now getting around to offering a response.

Just flipping through the book, rereading my highlighted notations, I have an overwhelming desire to read the entire book again. Perhaps I will.

I love reading Morrison because I am reminded that I am not alone. Though content and style she has found a way to say what others think, believe and understand; through talent she has found an audience to receive the collective truth in a way many other writers, black, female or otherwise, have not.

Yes, "there is the miraculous walk of trees". Not only must we ask whether it is progress or movement, we must also ask whether we are rescinding into a backwards foolishness.

I do not have an answer. I watch the walk of trees. I take notes.

And so I meditate on the things which Morrison raises, which I myself have not found the words to express:

1. What is the sentiments of black women in women's lib?
2. Why do many black women find it impossible to respect white women?
3. What does it mean for black women to be seen as emasculating or masculine?
4. How do we deal with privilege? White male privilege? White female privilege? Even light-skin privilege? So much on the surface effects the outcome of our lives.
5. What is a heroic writers' movement? And why is it impossible for a black writer to be a solitary individual? Another privilege not afforded to black skin.

I will re-read each entry in greater detail... perhaps I will have more questions, or more things to say.

Self Portrait in Books

2009-09-04T21:02:00.005-04:00

Please complete using only books you've read this year... Try to use titles only once!

Describe Yourself: [All the Rage] Aaron McGruder

How do you feel: [Ignore Everybody] Hugh MacLeod

Describe where you currently live: [Slumberland] Paul Beatty

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: [Sweet Life 2] Violet Blue

Your favorite form of transportation: [Willing] Scott Spencer

Your best friend is: [Unholy Ghost] Nell Casey

You and your friends are: [Skinny Bitch] Rory Freedman

What’s the weather like: [Empire of Illusion] Chris Hedges

Favorite time of day: [Keep it Real] Lee Gutkind

If your life was a(n): [Spiritual Liberation] Michael Beckwith

What is life to you: [The Myth of Sisyphus] Albert Camus

Your fear: [Touched With Fire] Kay Redfield Jamison

What is the best advice you have to give: [First We Read, Then We Write] Robert D. Richardson

Thought for the Day: [Race Matters] Cornel West

How I would like to die: [I Say a Little Prayer] E. Lynn Harris

My soul’s present condition: [The Beautiful Struggle] Ta-Nehisi Coates

42. Getting Started as a Freelance Writer

2009-08-30T20:52:00.005-04:00

42. Getting Started as a Freelance Writer by Robert W. Bly

In any give year, I read a handful of books on writing. I am extremely interested in how artists create art. What is their lifestyle like? Are they a visiting professor at a University? Do they work a 9-5 in Corporate America? Or, are they a freelance writer?

I have many books that examine the art of writing, others that explore the craft of writing; Bly presents one of the clearest books I've read on the business of writing. Thank you, Mr. Bly. Someone had to talk dollars and cents.

I read the book twice before I bought it, and a third time today after I made the purchase. And, I am convinced that if I am diligent this book might yeild the highest return on a $19.95 investment I've ever made.

Sure, many people want to write The Great American novel. The way things are going, my generation sure could use one. But, the reality is, if it takes you 10 years to generate your masterpiece, it sounds like you are going to have to find a way to pay the bills in the interim.

I would strongly recommend this text to anyone interested in freelance writing, copywriting, ghostwriting, or corporate communications. Perhaps this book may change your life, perhaps it may change mine.

41. The War of Art Revisited

2009-08-30T20:17:00.003-04:00

41. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

This is another re-read. I initially read The War of Art in 2006; both my brother and I were impressed. For the past four weeks, this book has been on my mind. But, I couldn't exactly put my finger on 'why'.

After picking this book back up, I remember.

Resistance.

In recent years I have a new understanding of the word 'Resistance'. I thought I experienced resistance in college! Times change, people change and resistance adjusts to block our current needs.

Pressfield notes that many industries would crumble if more people faced their own Resistance. "Prisons would stand emptyt. The alcohol and tabacco industries would collapse along with the junk food, cosmetic surgery, and infotainment business, not to mention pharmacuetical companies, hospitals and the medical profession from top to bottom. Domestic abuse would become extinct, as would addiction, obesity, migraine headaces, road rage and dandruff."

Pressfield was the first author that brought to my attention the fact that Hitler was an artist. The knowledge of that single fact, literally opened my eyes. A year or so later when the Virgina Tech tragedy occurred, I was reminded of Pressfield and how important it is for artists to face their own Resistance, overcome, and create art.

Some people, Julia Cameron included, believe in the possibility of 'The Happy Artist' or 'The Happy Creative'. Pressfield reminds us that we must face resistance even when we are not happy, "Because this is war, baby. And war is hell."

Sometimes it is a great pleasure to re-read books at different points in your life. When one reads any text their consciousness will always focus on the ideas, characters and situations that resonate with their life and their situation. Even reading a book two to five years after the initial encounter can have a bold effect. One concept which I remember from the first read, but never walked away with was the relationship between Resistance and trouble. Pressfield asserts that artist get themselves in trouble because its a cheap way to get attention.

Even creating a soap opera of our life is just an excuse not to do what we are here to do. Create art.

In 2006, I thought that there were three books on writing that every would-could-should-will-be writer should read. Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones, Betsy Lerner's Forest for the Trees and Steven Pressfield's The War of Art.

Three years later, and heaps of books later, I'd say the exact same thing.

Inside a Writer's Head; Inside a Writer's Life

2009-08-21T12:36:00.016-04:00

Here are a few essays which I hold dear. I am certain that, down the years, there have been others which I have been moved by, but these are the first that pop into my mind.

Enjoy.

George Orwell "Why I Write"

"Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertaike such a thing if one were not drivoen on by some demon whome one can neither resist nor understand."

Chinua Achebe "The Empire Fights Back"

"But unfortunate though it may be , the penalty an artist suffers for embracing a narrowness of vision can hardly be called unjustified. What is both unfortunate and unjust is the pain the person disposessed is forced to bear in the act of dispossession itself and subsequently in the trauma of a diminished existence." -Achebe

Orhan Pamuk "My Father's Suitcase"

"For me, to be a writer is to ackowledge the secret wounds that we carry inside us, the wounds so secret that we ourselves are barely aware of them, and to patiently explore them, know them, illuminate them, to own these pains and wounds, and to make them a conscious part of our spirits and our writing." -Pamuk

James Baldwin "Words of a Native Son"

"Please take note. I'm not interested in anybody's guilt. Guilt is a luxury that we can no longer afford." -Baldwin

Martha Southgate "Writers Like Me"

"Things are tough all over, but arguably tougher for some. For many black writers, a writing life very rarely unfolds the way it does for so many white writers you could name: know you want to be a writer from the age of 10, get your first book published at 26, go on to produce slowly but steadly over a lengthy career." - Southgate

Edwidge Danticat "Writers Like Us"

"Writers don't leave any mark on the world. Not the world where we are from. In our world, writers are tortured and killed if they are men. Called lying whores, then raped and killed, if they are women. In our world, if you write, you are a politician, and we know what happens to politicians. They ended up in a prison dungeon where their bodies are covered in scalding tar before they're forced to eat their own waste. " - Danticat

bell hooks "Women Who Write Too Much"

"Even though writing is a solitary act, when I sit with words that I trust will be read by someone, I know that I can never be truly alone. There is always someone who waits for words, eager to embrace them and hold them close." -hooks

Chris Abani "Ethics and Narrative: the Human and the Other"

"Every writer thinks he feels things the most, that he is somehow special because he gets to narrate the world to everyone else as though they aren't living it. Pride is one of the deadly sins, one writers commit every time we put pen to paper." -Abani

Plus, An Interview...

Alice Walker "Everyday Use"

"Writing poems is my way of celebrating with the world that I have not committed suicide the night before."

40. Slumberland

2009-08-20T22:50:00.007-04:00

40. Slumberland by Paul Beatty

"Way back when, and probably tomorrow, in the exact place where you now stand, something happened. Whatever happened, at least one person gave a fuck, and at least one person didn't. Which one would you have been? Which one will you be?"

And this is my introduction to Slumberland; land of candid prose, and blatant opinions. This novel is not for the easily-offended. And while I fall into the afore mentioned category, I greatly enjoyed the book.

The plot took a back seat, to the author's lyrical prose and witty content. But, the reader will not tire of Beatty's words. Slumberland is a laugh-out-loud, literally, novel.

The narrator's voice was distinct and well developed. I wonder if Beatty enjoyed The White Tiger, if he has read it. I think I took a lot from this book. Namely, a man's mind is different from a woman's. While Ferguson, my have been a hilarious extreme. Beatty reminds me that I have a little bit more learning to do before I construct a book of all male characters.

Slumberland was a fine read. Humor helps. Always.

"Why Literature Doesn't Matter"

2009-08-18T18:42:00.008-04:00

In my email today, I received a NYTimes: UrbanEye article entitled, "Why Literature Doesn't Matter" I was intrigued not because I disagree, but because it may very well be true.

I was redirected to an article, "Pop Culture in the Age of Obama" by Kurt Anderson. I thoroughly enjoyed the article despite my disagreeance with one argument, which we will get to later.

Anderson pointed out that it has been almost a decade since Time magazine has placed an author on it's cover. And while that is not the only gage of public sentiment, I understand the illustration. Has literature been evicted from mass culture?

Right now, I am leaning towards yes.

Well over 100,000 books are published in the US each year. This does not mean that any of these books are having a lasting impact on our culture. All it means is that in this day and age, more people want to become authors. Indeed, some people who want to write a book, specifically to tell their story, don't even read books themselves. So while the number of people authoring books remains steady, the number of readers steadily declines.

In my own desire to write a book or two, I have discovered how much it takes to crank out page after page of legitimate prose. And one of my greatest fears (am I alone?) is that authors spend their lifetime constructing the perfect line for an audience of one.

About a week ago, I stated that poetry doesn't sell. I think that Black Poetry can sell, but only if that person is an excellent performer and public speaker. All of the well renowned Black poets are no stranger to the stage. I think that there are many excellent Black poets whose work on the written page is astonishing, but I am afraid it will never reach the eyes and ears of other Black people, let alone the rest of America if the poet himself cannot raise his voice to speak.

So the next question is, should literature matter?

Should writing be solely theraputic? Or, should a writer devoted solely to craft remain unagitated when the world does not know of, let alone approve of, his work?

Or is literature meant to move culture forward as either a reflection of it, or in opposition to it?

In the end, I think literature is not much of anything if it does not at least aim to move the culture forward. (This is not to say that all art is political, or that all art is propaganda. But it is to say that even art for art's sake if great enough will have an impact.) Some art will be a reflection of the culture, while other art will rebel. But the aim of both is to have an impact.

We are living in unliterary times. This does not mean that writers should give up the pen. But it does mean that writers will have to go above and beyond to make their words mean anything. (What is a meaning that is never seen, spoken or heard?)

On a different subject, Anderson mentioned, "the steady blackening of American popular culture." I am going to have to meditate on how I feel about this statement. Hip Hop wasn't the first form of Black music, that white youth embraced. In the past, White Americans have embraced Rock-n-Roll (And what would America be with out Rock?), Jazz and the Blues. As a matter of fact, I can't think of anything that Black folks have created for popular culture, that white folks have embraced.

Just because white folks listened to Billie Holiday sing "Strange Fruit", doesn't mean that Black folks stopped getting lynched.

So, what will make this generation different? Obama's presidency that is for sure. But to attribute his success to the "blackening of American pop culture"? I'm not too sure Kurt, let me meditate on that for a little while longer.

39. All the Rage

2009-08-13T18:26:00.005-04:00

39. All the Rage

I'm trying to remember the first time I was introduced to The Boondocks. Though I am not certain, it must been early in my collegiate career.

Every time I read The Boondocks, I exhale. "Thank God someone had the nerve to say it."

McGruder has the audacity of courage. More than I'll ever have. And above all, a sense of humor that is unparalleled.

I've been thinking about criticism within the Black Community. I wonder if the community could bear such criticism from a non-black artist? Probably not. So, we need the criticism from within to keep us on our toes. Towards progress. And humor helps. Always.

38. Skinny Bitch

2009-08-12T18:15:00.002-04:00

38. Skinny Bitch

Two summers ago, a friend recommended this book to me. I'll admit it, I was skeptical. I thought it was just another diet book. At the time I was happy with my vegetarian lifestyle and happy with my weight, size and overall appearance.

Well, life happens. And when it does, life has a certain way of making a person take a long, honest look at one's self.

Skinny Bitch is the perfect book to help you take a look at your choices: your eating habits, your physical lifestyle. You are what you eat, and you are what you think.

Unfortunately, vegetarianism (or veganism) does not equate to a healthy lifestyle. It is very easy to be vegetarian and live primarily off of junk food. Vegetarians and Vegans alike must be wary of sugar addictions. For years, I have fallen into the trap of sugar and simple-carbohydrate addictions.

At the end of the day, one cannot change anything until one actually wants to change. Actually, it is not enough to desire change one must continuously convince oneself day in and day out that change is worth it.

Skinny Bitch is actually a damned good place to start. It breaks down the true nature and ultimate results of the decisions you are making when you choose to eat sugar, simple carbohydrates, dairy and meat.

I think if I would have read Skinny Bitch a few years ago, I would have agreed that it is a resourceful book; yet, I don't think I would have done anything differently.

I think, finally, I'm ready to adopt a vegan lifestyle. Ready to be a Skinny Bitch. Any takers?

37. Between Barack and a Hard Place

2009-08-12T01:22:00.003-04:00

37. Between Barack and a Hard Place by Tim Wise

I am thoroughly convinced that we have reached a point in American history where racism can only be addressed and, eventually, abolished though the conscious action of White America. Just as women who speak against sexism are labeled weak and accused of whining; blacks who speak against racism are destined to be accused of 'playing the race card'.

Tim Wise constructs two pithy arguments pertaining the "Call for White Responsibility". First, Wise discusses the denial of racism in the current age. Second, Wise discusses the need for white Americans to confront, attack and reverse the impact of white privilege.

People of all races must be wary of the concept of "transcending Blackness". This is the tendency to accept a select segment of the Black population because the defy the current stigmatism of negative stereotypes. Wise examines this phenomenon in detail.

Second, people of all races must admit that the vast majority of white Americans currently living are not to blame for current systems of racism which are in place. However, Wise is calling for Caucasians to acknowledge any benefits that they may receive from the inherited system and work towards truly equalizing the American experience through the abolition of racism.

If I could suggest that every American read a selection of Tim Wise before they attend an American University, I would. Perhaps the world would be a different place.

36. When Everything Changes, Change Everything

2009-08-09T18:55:00.003-04:00

36. When Everything Changes, Change Everything

Neale Donald Walsch states "Nothing changes for the worse, everything only changes for the better."

This is a concept which sounds great, reads great... and yet I am not sure if I am willing to accept this as a personal agreement. Walsch stated this a few times throughout the second half of the book. Each time, I was reminded of Ruiz's The Four Agreements. And which each line I read of Walsch, I began to ponder, which of these statements am I willing to make into my personal agreements. Which statements am I willing to live?

I read the second half of the book entirely too fast, I will have to go back, just as I will T. D. Jakes' book, and read it again for the first time.

I have always been a huge Walsch supporter. There have been experiences which have established my religious beliefs, primarily my experiences in the baptist church. And, there have been events which have nurtured my spiritual identity in ways which have impacted my perspective on life, love, God and death. Of three communities which had a huge impact: Youth of Unity, Unity on Campus, and a Hare Krishna group (which wasn't the name, actually) on campus, one of the most influential experiences was reading Conversations with God as a group.

As a group, and as individuals, we began to have Conversations with God. It was one of the strongest spiritual experiences that I have had in my lifetime.

When Everything Changes, Change Everything is a personal journey into one's true nature an exploration of what change is and how to encourage it in one's life.

"Changing your life means changing your life; it does not mean deciding to change your life; it does not mean talking about changing your life or reading about changing your life."

That being said, Walsch has created an interactive book where one can study the text on ones own and then discuss within an online community. I think that was a marvelous idea -- perhaps, I should join the conversation.

35. I Say a Little Prayer

2009-08-09T18:54:00.001-04:00

35. I Say a Little Prayer by E. Lynn Harris

The plan was to finish it in a day. Somehow, life kept getting in the way. The first night I was too sleepy, the second and third too busy. Eventually, I pulled it out in the middle of a lounge to the dismay of my company. And, I finished it this morning.

Now, I have the urge to go back and read more Harris books. I really enjoyed the read. The prose was very clear and the story moved effortlessly along. And, I probably should admit that I enjoyed the subject matter as well...

I was introduced to Harris by a close friend of mine. Come to think of it, he let me borrow the book Invisible Life. Since the book is still sitting on my shelf in the same spot I placed it when I was reading it in high school, one can note that I am horrible at borrowing books. Horrible. In the past, I've lent books (usually only to men that I am attracted to...), and I years later I know I'll never see those books again. I can't fault them, because a few of the books on my shelves are unreturned borrows.

I haven't been reading nearly as many novels as I expected too... perhaps Invisible Life will be the next one I read.

34. Some Writers Deserve to Starve

2009-08-09T18:53:00.001-04:00

34. Some Writers Deserve to Starve! by Elaura Niles

Alright, this one was a quick re-read. I enjoyed it when I first bought it in 2005 or 2006... After rediscovering in a box of books, I decided to take another look.

Some books focus on the craft of writing, and others on the route to publication. This book focuses exclusively on the latter.

Honestly, all of the books on writing say pretty much the same thing. And, all the books on publishing say pretty much the same thing. This one, did add a bit of humor which I enjoyed. I think, it is a great idea to read them from time to time as a reminder especially if you aren't in a weekly writer's group where you have companions as reminders.

This book did focus equally on book-writing as it did screenwriting, which is rare to find in a book on writing. Most books on writing don't venture into both territories.

Anyhoo, I enjoyed the physical layout of the actual book, along with the quotations that were selected. Perhaps, this book won't help you become a greater writer... but it will help remind you of things that should remain in the forefront of your mind.

33. The Beautiful Struggle

2009-08-02T15:31:00.007-04:00

33. The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Yesterday, I read The Beautiful Struggle. Another book, that has been in my To Be Read pile since it came out.

A few days ago, someone posted an article by Ta-Nehisi... and, upon reading it, I was intrigued. Last night, I dedicated a few hours to honor a story of Black men in America.

Any story of a 20th century Black man's life, regardless of who it is, will be immersed in the scenery of dual consciousness. In addition to the struggle between Americaness and Blackness, any black who strives to live a "conscious" life will always confront the dialectic between the public and private life.

I was moved by Coates story, both his and the intertwined relationships with his father and older brother. I must admit that I saw parallels between his father and my own, similarities between his life and mine, and memories of my brother Lee in his brother William (ironically, not in my brother William).

I didn't always understand the order in which some of the stories were told, and some of the things were repeated which I think were made very clear the first time. A lot of english (language) writers have become fans of the dissolution of quotation marks. I'm not sure I am ready to jump on that bandwagon. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading his story which of course isn't his alone.

Most of the references, I had read or at least were familiar with. However, there were a few which perhaps I have been sleeping on.

So, I think I'll take a look at more of Coates' articles... and wait for his next book to come out.

32. Ignore Everybody

2009-08-01T12:08:00.003-04:00

32. Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod

Sometimes, I stuble upon a text by happenstance and it almost seems to be fate. I can't bring myself to believe in fate, but sometimes the sychronicity of life amazes and perhaps baffles me.

It was completely by chance that I found this book. It wasn't on a store front display or even face out on the shelf. After reading it, I think, perhaps it should be.

I absolutely love this book. In the last week, I've read it twice. I don't know if there is a single line in this book which I disagree with. The writing is clear, the message is straight forward. Ignore Everybody could benefit artists, entrepreneurs and executives alike.

And on top of that, it's pretty hilarious. Humor helps. Always.

Here are a few of my favorites:

"We all spend a lot of time being impressed by folks we've never met. Somebody featured in the media who's got a big company, a big product, a big movie, a big bestseller. Whatever."

"The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do from what you are not... When I see somebody 'suffering for their art,' it's usually a case of their not knowing where that red line is..."

"Everybody is too busy with their own lives to give a damn about your book, painting, screenplay, etc., especially if you haven't finished it yet. And the ones who aren't too busy, you don't want in your life anyway."

Perhaps, someone will read this book and say, "Lhea, this is just common sense." Yes. That's the point. Have you ever noticed that common sense is the main thing that people fail to implement in their own lives? (Myself included...)

31. The Thing Around Your Neck

2009-08-01T12:07:00.001-04:00

31. The Thing Around Your Neck

I always say that Adichie will become my favorite writer... if she just keeps on writing. Well, it is aparent that she has no intention of stoping anytime soon.

The Thing Around Your Neck was a great read. I think I enjoyed Half of a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus more.... but I think that is my bias towards novels as opposed to short stories, as opposed to any indication of the nature of her writing.

I find that Adichie writes about a very specific sort of experience, often the educated experience of a Nigerian in Nigeria or in the United States; yet, even in the specificity of her subject matter, the reader can find universal themes and stories. Womanhood. Homosexuality. Betrayal. Religion. Violence.

I especially loved "Imitation" and "The Thing Around Your Neck". And at the risk of sounding foolish or American (or both), I'll admit, I absolutely love the names of her characters. They are absolutely beautiful. Perhaps I just love Nigerian names...

30. Best African American Fiction 2009

2009-08-01T12:04:00.005-04:00

30. Best African American Fiction 2009

What a fine collection! I think E. Lynn Harris did an excellent job selecting various works. And come to think of it, I could probably use a little more E. Lynn Harris in my life.

I focused primarily on the short stories. And, I'll admit, the form in itself is growing on me. I especially loved "Pita Delicious" by ZZ Packer and "This Kind of Red" by Helen Elaine Lee. I've never read Lee before, perhaps this will be a portal into another great set of literature. Yes, this is why I love anthologies the opportunity to remember why you love your favorites so much as well as the chance to discover someone new (who usually, isn't new at all just someone you haven't been introduced to...)

I also have Best African American Essays as well... but I haven't finished reading enough entries to report on it.

29. Empire of Illusion

2009-08-01T11:58:00.004-04:00

29. Empire of Illusion by Chris Hedges

If I recall correctly, I jumped when I realized that Hedges had a new book on the shelves. I purchased the book without even turning to the first page to see what it entailed.

This must be the best non-fiction book I've read this year. While I don't always agree with Hedges, I appreciate the honesty, clarity and urgency of every printed line. In less than 200 pages, Hedges discusses more than most writers could tackle in a thousand.

In short, Empire of Illusion is a discussion of the "culture of dealth". This culture is a product of deliberate illiteracy, pornographic influence and celebrity obsession.

In the first chapter, Hedges outlines the results of a celebrity-obsessed culture - "the line between public and fictional personas blurs." Although I do think it is unfair to mention Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey in even the same breath, I find the vast majority of his observations to accurate to a fault.

The bottom line is the comodification of the human being. Recently, Kanye West has published a book with his philosophy on life. While I haven't spotted the book in stores yet, I've read articles concerning it's content. West has one particular philosophy which states that you want to be used, and if you aren't able to be used by someone else, you're useless. West, I think, diffrentiates between use and abuse, but the sentiment is still clear.

I reckon this mentality is what Hedges is speaking about, "Human beings become a comodity in celebrity culture. They are objects, like consumer products. They have no intrinsic value. They must look fabulous and live on fabulous sets. Those who fail to meet the ideal are belittled and mocked. Celebrity culture plunges us into a moral void. No one has any worth beyond his or her appearance, usefulness, or ability to 'succeed'"

The second chapter, includes the most vivid discussion on pornography and it's effect on our culture that I have read in an extremely long time. I was physically sickened and had to put the book down for a night to recover.

The third and fourth chapters were particularly harsh on America's elite universities and America's current obsession with positive-psychology. Even after reading Hedges' chapter "The Illusion of Wisdom" I am not certain that I am against elitism. Perhaps I am an elitist. If so, I must be an elitist of the worst kind, the poor-elitist.

I am a supporter of positive-psychology. I am certain that the positive psychology of The Secret has brought many Americans out of the sea of despair and into space of hope. There were periods of my life where I watched The Secret DVD daily, and there were many areas of my life which it did help. However, there is a space where I would draw the line. I do not think anyone should be delusional for the sake of happiness. I've been thinking about happiness in an essay that I'm writing, and it is clear that Hedges has some of the same concerns that I have.

I am huge fan of new-age religion and new-thought movements. Yet, the one fault that I do find is that it does force the believer to take responsibility for things that may very well be out of their control. I always wondered if centuries ago Africans attracted the middle passage into their lives. Have developing countries attracted the AIDS epidemic? or colonialism or post-colonialism or imperialism or neo-imperialism? Do the battered attract the batterer? Or the raped attract the rapist? Does the Law of Attraction only work on an individual basis and not on a collective one? If so, what does an individual do when he or she experiences the negative results that a collective have attracted?

Of all of the things that Hedges discussed, the one which I have to disagree with the most is the concept of "Old America". Hedges states that, "the old America is not coming back," as if it would be desirable to do so. While Hedges acknowledges that America was not a perfect country "especially if you were African or Native American or of Japanese descent in the Second World War... poor, gay, a woman, or an immigrant", he still writes as if we would want America to go back to what it used to be. Perhaps it's just me, but the list that Hedges gave seems to be the vast majority of Americans. It is indeed all Americans who aren't a white male. So, even in all America's faults, I do not think that we would want the "old America" back.

Finally, Hedges blames a lot of things on corporate structure and corporate America. While I agree with all of the problems that Hedges outlines, I don't think those problems exist because of corporations. I think if all corporations were dissolved tomorrow, the same toils of poverty, crime, illiteracy, and the proliferation of curable and preventable disease amongst other modern day problems would continue to run rampant if people do not think for themselves.

I have never been against capitalism or corporations. But, I think corporations would only effectively work in a Randian objectivist sense. Capitalism cannot work without individualism. And what mascarades as individualism in America is a reinteration and regurgidtation of mass conditioning. I think many Americans live their entire lives without many original thoughts. Perhaps even if thoughts aren't original, they should be at least derived on your own accord.

The fact that many issues exist in America because people fail to think for themselves should not be solely blamed on corporations.

In all, it was an excellent book! I would love to read it again before the summer is out...

28. the unauthorized biography of a Mulatto Cracker Black

2009-08-01T11:56:00.003-04:00

28. the unauthorized biography of Mulatto Cracker Black by Roger Bonair-Agard

I have found that a lot of the greatest poetry doesn't meet the perfectly bound book. At least not initially. Some of the most moving poems I have ever read have been in chapbooks purchased at open-mics and poetry slams.

There is a prevailing though amongst "page-poets" that Slam Poets and Spoken Word Artists do not actually read. And, I'll admit there are some Performance Poets (like Hip Hop Artists) who proudly admit that they do not read.

And then there are the truly gifted who can survive in both poetic worlds with distinction. Roger Bonair-Agard is a man of words who can lift empty sounds from the darkness and transform it into a narrative so rich, so strong that anyone within ear-shot is moved. And if that weren't enough, a silent, lonely reader nestled with one of his books can feel his words reverberated from the printed page even when he isn't around.

It is truly a gift to control the stage and the page with equal mastery. Sure, Roger has won a few national poetry slams -- that speaks to his talent in spoken word. He is among the greatest. But also Roger's words deserve to be printed in renouned journals of world literature.

When Roger speaks about his life, his childhood it is the most clear vision of bildungsroman I have ever read or heard.

I reckon, I will never tire of his insight.

Enjoy.

27. Spiritual Liberation

2009-08-01T11:53:00.003-04:00

27. Spiritual Liberation by Michael Bernard Beckwith

Recently, I had the pleasure of hearing Beckwith speak for the first time. His wife, Byars-Beckwith, performed beautiful original compositions.

"This is the best day of my life, and by the end of this day, I will have a deeper realization about the universe, about the Invisible, about myself and the true art of living." --Beckwith

I hope that the world adopts this affirmation. And, I must begin with myself.

There is much to be learned from Beckwith. I think that each person who reads this book will walk away with something different that they feel was the most important aspect. From my perspective, I believe that the concept that there is, "no separation between my personal and professional life" is the strongest thing that I could take from this work.

By disolving all separation one experienes all of the other spiritual teachings of this book. One experience that can be initiated by removing the separation is addressing 'identity-theft'.

Beckwith discusses our attachment to the ego.

Also, Beckwith has a unique version of existentialism, as "seeing the Christ within others." In this sense, our "existence" is determined by "where we place our attention and the inner response we experience to what we 'see'".

This is an interesting addition and I will have to take it into further consideration. The Philosophy of Existence does speak about the impact of our surroundings and our experiences on our life, our identity and our existence... But Beckwith is speaking about the impact of our perspective regarding our surroundings, our view of our experiences on our life, our identity and our existence.

I hope that as many people are moved by Spiritual Liberation as were moved by The Secret.

There is a DVD version as well... I haven't watched it just yet, but once I have the opportunity perhaps I will add it to this post.

26. The Courage to Write

2009-08-01T11:49:00.003-04:00

26. The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes

While my desire to be published is weaning, my desire to write is increasing.

I found Keyes' book to be a pleasurable encounter. Writing as a daring act of courage is a concept foreign to the world. I have found that most of the world sees writing as an act of solitary escapism, an act of cowardice as opposed to an act of courage. In that sense, it was refreshing to examine the act of writing, the act of creation as an act of fearlessness.

Here are some quotes that I took home:

"The best work that anyone writes, is the work that is on the that is on the verge of embarrassing him, always." --Arthur Miller

"Writers typically create fictional worlds because the find the real one unappealing." --Keyes

Annie Dillard said you should write as if you are dying. Nadine Gordimer went farther. She argued that you should write as if you are already dead and it no longer mattered what anyone said to you.

"One reason so many good writers have tattered personal lives is that they write as if they have no one to protect. Lucky for the readers; not so luck for the writers. Unluckiest of all is the writer's families." -Keyes

"Self-absorbtion is an occupational hazzard of writing. Or, should we say, a prerequisite." -Keyes

There were a few things that were discussed in the book which may be debatable, things which certainly I think some authors would disagree:

"Isn't disloyalty as much the writer's virtue as loyalty is the soldier's?" -Graham Greene

"Writers are always selling somebody out." - Joan Didion

"Successful writers rarely emerge from the ranks of the popular." -Keyes

"You cannot be both a good socializer and a good writer. You have to choose." -Erskine Caldwell

Though, lately I have been wondering if I spend too much time reading books about "how to write" or "the writer's life". I wonder how much these books have actually changed who I am, because I read them because for the last 13 years I have been reading books saying 'this is what a writer is like, this is how a writer must be.'

If for 13 years I read books that said all writers are socialites, would I have determined that I must not be a writer? Or, would I have striven to become a socialite?

It's really a chicken-n-egg sort of thing...

25. Transforming A Rape Culture

2009-08-01T11:42:00.005-04:00

25. Transforming A Rape Culture by Emilie Buchwald

I love anthologies. Usually when purchasing a new collection, I make sure that I am familiar with the works of at least two of the contributors. I have found that reading anthologies is the best way to discover authentic, new voices.

Last summer, I watched a movie entitled "War". Towards the beginning of the film, there is a crystalized scene where a nearly nude woman runs through a crowded club in agony. She was beautiful, but you noticed not her beauty only her anguish. The most elegant part of this scene was the contrast between her blaring pain and the indifference of the bystanders. No one at the club missed a beat! This scene is the embodiment of "Rape Culture".

Being a part of Rape Culture does not mean that we endorse or sponser rape. Being a part of a rape culture does not mean that we promote or inspire rapists. Being a part of a rape culture means simply that we turn our heads while 900,000 women in the US are raped each year: by strangers and by fathers, by boyfriends and by uncles, by pedephiles and by those with no other crimes.

I was intrigued when I came across the title "Transforming a Rape Culture". The words "Rape" and "Culture" nestled next to each other is startling and brave. So I decided to give Buchwald, Fletcher and Roth a chance, to see what they selected.

The first selection I chose to read was by Haki Madhubuti. My father introduced me to his work. The first time I ever saw him and shook his hand was when he visited Detroit after the Million Man March. My father brought me and my brother, Lee, to his book signing. After reading his book, I looked him up... found out about Don Lee and Third World Press... and I've been reading the books he promotes ever since from The Isis Papers to The Covenent with Black America.

I was suprised to find that Madhubuti lables himself as an Antirapist. Suprised, flattered and intrigued.

Madhubuti's essay was one of the most practicle that I read in this book. He did not simply discuss theories on why women are raped, though he does state that "Power always lurks behind the rape". He gives 12 explicit steps that men can take towards a rape-free world.

I enjoyed the poetry that he spread through out this peace including the the final lines...

don't let your little head
outthink your big head
No! means no!
even when her signals suggest yes.

The piece that I was most effected by was written by bell hooks. My brother gave me "All About Love" while I was in high school. And I heard her speak for the very first time at "Women, Love and Power: Healing the World in the 21st Century", a women's forum with Marianne Williamson, Oprah Winfrey, Anne Lamotte and others...

I was moved by her work as a woman and as a writer. I remember her discussing the criticisms she has received from others. She stated, something along the lines of, Blacks who publish frequently are sometimes criticized ... perhaps for lack of thoroughness or the like... While many conterparts publish annually and receive high praise. I still think about that, from time to time.

In this selection, "Seduced by Violence No More", hooks began with a powerful brief: "I was suprised by the number of young black women who repudiated the notion of male domination but who would then go on to insist that they could not desire a brother who could not take charge, take care of business, be in control."

I am guilty as charged. In fact, the day before I began reading this anthology, I typed a response (see above) to bonniebooks stating, "The issues that Black women often run into is simply they want to call all the shots, wear the pants, and yet they want a 'Real Man'. It doesn't quite work like that. You can't treat you man as if he is your son, making all of his decisions, running the household and then be angry because he's not a 'stand-up kind of guy'."

The young, black women that hooks was referring to were women like me. Later hooks states, "On college campuses all over the United States, I talk with these black males and hear their frustrations. THey are trying to oppose patriarchy and yet are rejected by black females for not being masculine enough."

Again, guilty, guilty, guilty.

And to this I would ask, isn't it possible to have a man who is in control who will not rape you when you decline? Or better yet, when you say yes and then change your mind... Isn't it possible to have man who is in control who will not hit you when you raise your voice, oppose his opinion or accidentally step on his manhood, his pride? Isn't it possible to have a man who won't verbally abuse you, who will respect your opinion, and who is still in control?

Is that a fairy tale?

I am not certain if this is possible. Too many of the women who I know who are in long term relationships are subject to at least one of the three forms of abuse: physical, sexual or verbal. And it's amazing that sometimes the verbal abuse is the strongest, with the longest lasting effects.

To the former questions, I have no answers.

One theme that flurried through most essays of this collection is that rape is associated with acquisition of power. I was intrigued by each author that mentioned this from Madhubuti to Carol J. Adams ("Men who abuse and rape their partners are men who seek to control others."). I was intrigued because just earlier this month I completed Maya Angelou's newest book, in which she strongly protested the notion that rape is being asexualized in to a power struggle between the dominating and the dominated.

I would have to think about this in greater depth: is rape a sexual act? Is rape an act of control, power? To this, I do not yet have a theory.

This was an excellent book. However, without any statistics, I would assume that most of the people who have purchased this book are women. And honestly, I think this book and other's like it are probably preaching to the choir. One thing that I did not see addressed in the book, is how to get the words of anti-rapist men, and no-longer-having-it women into the hands of those who need to read it most.

24. Behind My Eyes

2009-08-01T11:39:00.001-04:00

24. Behind My Eyes by Li-Young Lee

Sadly enough, June is almost over, the year is half gone and I am just now tackling my first new poetry book for the year.

But, I couldn't think of a better way to begin reading poetry. I don't always agree with my brother when he gives me literary suggestions...but there are moments when he is right on the money. This is one of those times.

There are works that are perfect for escapism, that invite you into another world, and there are works which sweep you back into reality's grasp. And there are works which mirror reality but are so beautifully constructed you deny that they have anything to do with our imperfect world.

There are themes which are absent in my life, but present in my history as a person of color living in a colorless society... these themes visit Lee's works again and again. Refugees. Immigration. Assimilation.

I walked away from each poem feeling as if I understood myself more than before. Such power in naming the unspoken.

23. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man

2009-08-01T11:36:00.005-04:00

23. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey

Now, I always have loved Harvey, grew up watching him on television. But, I must admit, I have been procrastinating reading his book. I saw it every single time I went to the bookstore. And considering that I frequent shops at least twice per week, I've passed Harvey's book quite a lot.

I hesitated, mainly because I was not ready to be told about myself. I wasn't ready for the call out.

But, when Harvey visited Detroit, I figured it was time to push aside my ego, and read what he has to say.

I was not disappointed. I don't think Harvey has ever let me down. There wasn't a single line in the entire book which I disagreed with.

I have my own theories about Black men and Black women. I have a huge family with hundred and hundreds of people... And I have been snooping, watching and listening to Black folks all of my life. One theory that I have is the "Wifey-type" versus the expendables (one day, I'll think of a better word). Low and behold, Harvey agrees. Harvey has dedicated an entire chapter to, "Sports Fish vs. Keepers".

I cried like a baby in Boston Market, random I know, while reading this chapter. I realized that right now I'm not the wifey-type, not the keeper. And yet, I'm not a sports-fish neither. But men, being who they are, if you aren't a wifey-type, if you aren't a keeper... they automatically treat you and will attempt to make you into their sporting fish, their plaything, their expendable sex object.

I cried like a baby. I had to put the book down for a week. I finished the book this week, instead.

This book offered insight into the mind of a Black man (I think Black men are slightly different from other men... and I think Black women are significantly different form other women... Not better not, worse, but Black folk are different.)

I realized that I need to drastically re-write my first story. It is indeed a story of Black men, Black male youth, Black manhood. I cannot write a story about men ... and have them making decisions as a woman would make them. Nobody would read it. Nobody would see it. Because ultimately, nobody would believe it.

I loved Harvey's book. It is helping me currently in my life, figure out how in the hell I got into the trap that I am in. Harvey made a chapter just for me, "Strong, Independent-- and Lonely-- Women". And, Harvey is helping me re-write my first novel/screenplay.

I honestly think that all Black women should read this book, a few times. It doesn't matter how young or old we are at the time. This book could save a few heartaches.

And lord knows, Black women don't need any unnecessary heartbreaks. Black women have a hard enough time as it is...

22. Keep it Real

2009-08-01T11:34:00.002-04:00

22. Keep it Real by Lee Gutkind

The only creative writing course I completed in college, was a workshop on Creative Nonfiction. While I am too young of a writer to know in which genre I will find my home (poetry or fiction? essays or screenplays?), I have a sneaking suspicion that creative nonfiction will play a significant role in my life. Even if I never publish a single word, the personal essay, the memoir, have a special place in my heart.

Yet, I have not thought in very great detail about the mechanics of creative nonfiction. The consequences. Gutkind's book changed that. Now I am aware.

This book goes into great detail concerning things such as slander, and the repercussions that writers face when they write close to home.

I know, that every person who has ever appeared in my life displays character traits, habits, insecurities and short comings which I may possibly explore in my writing, if I have not already. Keep it Real let's writers know that there are consequences of that.

While, I am attempting to work on longer pieces, I am restarting a novel and doing research for a few biographies, I realize that right now I am most prepared to complete shorter works. I will probably begin with the essay.

I enjoyed Keep it Real and I realized that I have not read enough books concerning how to construct nonfiction. I am certain I will re-read this book 2 or 3 times more this summer.

21. Letter to My Daughter

2009-08-01T11:31:00.003-04:00

21. Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou

My To-Be-Read list appears to be infinitely long these days. There are books which I recognize and acknowledge once published that I must read. Angelou's offering Letter to My Daughter was a book which I could no longer pass up.

A few weeks ago, I ordered Meri Nana-Ama Danquah's anthology Shaking the Tree. The introduction to the first entry is one that I may never forget. bandele states, "People ask, 'How are you?' And I know they mean well, but they also mean, 'Don't tell me the real deal. Don't say what's honestly going on, what you're thinking, how you're feeling' If you do, when you do, so often they look at you like you're crazy, talk too much, are too emotional, wow, look at the time, bye..."

And I was reminded of bandele's words when I found Angelou's, "My mother, Vivian Baxter, warned me not to believe that people really want the truth when they ask, 'How are you?' ...most people knew that it was simply a conversation starter. No one really expects to be answered" Angelou discusses how we are reared and trained to give and receive social lies without a second thought.

One of the social lies that Angelou discusses is rape. She is offended that we have turned rape into such an acceptably explainable occurrance.

Angelou shares glimpses of her life, her story and, ultimately, her strength throughout this book. I don't think any woman could read this book, unmoved. I don't think any girl would read this book, or any of Angelou's biographies, without knowing that they have the strength to overcome whatever life has in store for them.

20. A Woman's Worth

2009-08-01T11:27:00.003-04:00

20. A Woman's Worth by Marianne Williamson

Marianne is probably best known for her quote from A Return to Love that begins, "Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate..." which has been quoted, and sometimes attributed to Nelson Mandela who stated it the following year.

In A Woman's Worth, I found the common theme, "Your playing small serves no one." And I begin to meditate on the many ways that women 'play small'. I think the most significant way that a woman diminishes her own impact and role in society is through her silence. And I have been thinking about how American society is held together by a woman's silence every since I read Audre Lorde's essays a few weeks ago.

And as an answer to my prayer Marianne states, "But never ever -- married or not -- allow your partnership with a man to silence your voice or keep you from supporting another woman in using hers, or you are helping to perpetuate a most vicous muffling of a beautiful sound... Be very clear. The silence is a sick one."

Be very clear. WOW. The silence is a sick one.

Marianne describes womanhood as "a mass pain of unspoken depth;" which once described we are accused, belittled, nagged, "there you go complaining again!"

My favorite Williamson works are still A Return to Love and Enchanted Love ... yet it was in divine order that I read this particular text at this moment in my life.

May we all, male and female, embrace the Goddess within ourselves and continue to nurture, support and admire the Goddess within others.

19. Letters to a Young Artist

2009-08-01T11:21:00.003-04:00

Letters to a Young Artist by Anna Deavere Smith

I love to read authors and artist when they write about their profession - their failures and shortcommings, their successes and lessons.

Perhaps aspiring artists read works such as Letters to a Young Artist and Letters to a Young Poet, because we are searching for an answer to the questions: How do we begin the pursuit of art - the lifestyle, career and calling of an artist? Do artist have to suffer for their art? How does one know if she is gifted or merely eccentric?

In many ways, no one can answer these questions for you, yet Smith addresses these topics, and gives the reader the foundation to address these questions for himself or herself.

I found a lot of similarities between this book and similar books that I have read. (Letters to a Young Artist:Building a Life in Art, Letters to a Young Poet) There was one section which made this collection unique... the chapter on "The Man". I was not expecting Smith to discuss situations where certain Black men are the 'gatekeepers' of her fate. Smith warned that in any situation, it is crucial to know who is 'the Man'. Ultimately, an artist at any stage of his career must know who holds the power. This is a lesson which I have not learned.

Smith states that alienation is not inevitable for an artist, while acknowledging that often art is born out of pain. And since most of my pain stems from alination, I am not certain how to divorce the two notions.

Smith also discusses West and the notion of suffering for one's art. I agree with Smith in the fact that he simple act of suffering will not make you an artist, let alone a great one. Suffering will not make you a hard or disciplined worker, it will not give you presence, wit or charm. And yet my experience is that the role of suffering in writing is different between the role of suffering in other arts, particularly the performing arts such as dance and music. I think the performer plays a different role than the creator. (And indeed many artists are both...)

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. I am behind in my reviews... I completed this book on the 8th of June.

18. I Am Your Sister

2009-06-06T10:52:00.006-04:00

I owe a lot of my literary/music interests to my brother. He introduced me to Junot Diaz, bell hooks, Patricial Hill Collins, Czeslaw Milosz, Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Binary Star, and, most recently, Li-Young Lee.

Is it odd that my brother introduced me to feminism?

One of the many books that my brother gave me while I was in high school was Undersong.

I wish I could say that Lorde had a larger effect on me in my youth, than she actually did. But, I can't.

As a child, as a young adult, I thought nothing of my gender. Indeed, I barely thought of myself as a girl, a woman, a lady. I simply identified myself as black. My racial background encompassed everything: my perspective, my interests, my writing.

Now that I am growing older, I am beginning to realize all of the fortunes afforded to men to which I am not always privy. Respect, sometimes, is one of them.

As I begin to redefine myself and recognize what it means to be a woman, what it means to be a black woman, I am revisiting Lorde.

I have discovered that it is somewhat ironic to be a heterosexual Black feminist. It is as if Black men expect that if you love them, you won't vocally, explicitly love yourself.

Even before I purchased the book, I was most interested in Lorde's take on silence. "Your silence will not save you" rings oft in my head. It was no suprise that "The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action" was the first essay in the book.

In addition to Lorde's commentary on silence, this collection hold's reflections of Johnetta B. Cole, Alice Walker, bell hooks and others on Lorde's life and works. hooks notes, "Toni Cade Bambara, Audre Lode and June Jordan were all critical thinkers who dared to be militant, to speak when silence would have afforded them greater comfort."

Indeed I have been thinking about the relationship between silence and femininity- sometimes it is our silence which makes us women- and, the consequential relationship between silence and comfort.

17. Woman Thou Art Loosed

2009-06-06T10:50:00.002-04:00

A friend once introduced me to T. D. Jakes' Maximize the Moment. Honestly, I was very reluctant to read it. I had heard Jakes' name spooken of with high regard, yet I didn't feel that I would ever be able to connect with him, his words, his work.

I was wrong.

After reading Maximize the Moment in college, I decided recently to check out a few of his books. Woman Thou Art Loosed could not have come at a better time. While I expected it to be the type of modern Christian text that thumps each sinning reader over the head with constant reminders of their worthlessness... I found it to be a redeeming text highlighting God's Grace for each individual.

It really delved into how to heal after rape and child absuse. It mentioned an intense section of the Bible which I had not previously read: 2 Samuel Chapter 13. Whew, that chapter alone would require a post all by itself.

I highlighted quite a bit in this book. And, I think I'm going to try to read it over within the next week.

There are two things that I noticed in this book, and subsequently found to be peculiar.

First, while the book delves into sexual rape & violation... it doesn't talk much about nonsexual domestic violence. There is one instance when I recall Jakes saying - even a man who hits a woman, has a point when he is scared of facing her- and that is badly paraphrased by the way.

There are many Christian men (ministers included) who in 2009 still believe that hitting women is acceptable. From this particular book, I wasn't sure of Jake's stance. It is apparent that he is against rape, but not so clear if he is against non-sexual violence.

Second, there are a few blatant moments when Jakes goes on a writing spree against homosexuals. He mentions quite explicitly that to be an efeminite man is a sin. If this is Jake's interpretation of the bible, I have no problem with that... I just found it to be highly irrelevant considering the scope of the book.

Nonetheless, I still greatly enjoyed the book... and I plan on re-reading it this month!

I would recommend this text to any Christian woman who has ever been hurt -- by a man, by the world, or by herself.

16. Shaking the Tree

2009-06-06T10:48:00.002-04:00

[To Be Written]

15. Unholy Ghosts

2009-06-06T10:48:00.001-04:00

[To Be Written]

14. Other Colors

2009-06-06T10:47:00.001-04:00

The first time Pamuk's Nobel Lecture, it felt as if a quest had met it's close. I purchased the collection of Noble Prize Lectures, immediately. I was slightly disappointment when the other lectures did not rouse me as Pamuk's words had.

After revisiting that selection in Pamuk's Other Colors, I realize that I connected with "My Father's Suitcase" because I had been searching for reasonable justification all this time.

I won't discuss "My Father's Suitcase" in great detail, because I believe ever reader should have the pleasure of reading it for themselves...

Literature is a remarkable medium for establishing relationships. I read each short selection and I feel as if Pamuk could have lived my life. How powerful words are! How can this be when I am a woman? And he is Turkish? How can this be when I am 24? And he has written 11 books? How can we both be moved by many of the same works of literature, though we are worlds apart?

Pamuk actually explores some of the possible answers to these questions in his short essays/articles on reading.

When I read, I appreciate two characteristics in great writing. The first is clear, concise prose. (Yes, I consider clear and concise as one inseperable category...) And second is well developed style. I enjoy novelists and essays who write as if they read poetry every night.

I am a follower of the camp that says, "writers struggle, so that readers don't have to". When I read Pamuk, it is clear that he writes for 10 hours each day. I often forget that I am reading words on a printed page. Only thoughts, images, ideas exist.

Honestly, I think I could use a little more Pamuk in my life. I read Snow, once, about two years ago. This year, I look forward to reading My Name is Red. I'll be sure to let you know what I think...once I do...

13. Essays and Aphorisms

2009-06-06T10:46:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite sermons mentions Schopenhauer. Adams calls him "a great pessimist... perhaps, the greatest that ever wrote about it."

I was intrigued enough to eventually (a few years later... I still listen to that sermon) pick up a collection of Schopenhauer's essays. I was curious to discover what he believed on life, death, meaning and suffering. And, I expected to fall in love with his work.

First, I read "On Books and Writing" and I was impressed. Next, I read "On the Suffering of the World". I felt as if I was warming up to Schopenhauer's theory...

Third, I read "On Women". Honestly, I should have read this piece last.

I was reminded of three instances upon reading "On Women". (1) The day I found out the author of my favorite poem, "If" was racist; (2) The day I read Nietzche for the first time; (3) The day I met Sam Greenlee at an annivarsary screening of his film.

I continued to read Schopenhauer in spite of what I had read. Fourth, I read "On Thinking for Yourself"... I will continue to read Schopenhauer until I complete all of the essays in the book.

But, I wonder how seriously can I take a philosophy that is not universal. A poem written only for whites. A book written only for men.

While I am developing my own theory of tresconsciousness as it applies to Blacks in America. It can be applied to the Dalit of India, the Jews worldwide, Afro-Arabs... amongst others...

I remember asking Greenlee, if he was to write the book today, what role would women play in the revolution. "Roles? Roles?" was the response I received. "Women don't got no role! Whenever a woman ask me about women's roles I tell her to get a man! Because the only women asking me about women's roles are the women who cannot get a man."

I reckon, I will never forget Greenlee's words, though they were spoken a few years ago.

If I thought Schopenhauer's stance carried no weight in the 21st century, I would not be somewhat concerned. But the memory of Greenlee's words reminds me that Schopenhauer's "On Women" is alive and well. (Even amongst men of oppressed races...)

And finally, I have come to the conclusion that if I am to read Philosophy, if I am to take Philosophy seriously... I must read philosophy as I listen to and critique Hip Hop: as if I am, indeed, a man.

I'm sure professional philosophers would be outraged at the comparison of the great minds of their cannon to the "lowly" lyrics of modern rap.

But, I see no separation.

When I listen to hip hop, I forget that I am a woman. I forget that "bitch", that "hoe" etc. refers to me. I judge hip hop only on the poetic skill (double entendres, aliteration, allusions) of the emcee.

And if I am to take philosophy seriously, I must forget that I am indeed a Black woman. Forget that I am of "the weaker sex", the lower race. And judge each theory only on the rational content (logic, validity, soundness) of the argument.

I usually don't review a book unless I have completed it. But, today I just had to write.

12. The Myth of Sisyphus

2009-06-06T10:45:00.002-04:00

Reading this essay over the last few days has been a reminder of (1) just how old I am getting and (2) just how long I've been out of college.

Although, I am acquainted with Absurdism, I still found this to be a somewhat demanding read. Perhaps I should not go such long periods without reading philosophical texts...

I'm still confused about Camus' take on a few things: (1) the relationship between happiness and the absurd, (2) the reconciliation between Christianity and the absurd, (3) his differentiation between existentialism and absurdism (since he didn't consider himself as the former, though the world has..) (4) the relation between time and absurdism (5) the connection between love and absurdism (6) the difference between freedom from an existential point of view... and freedom in Camus absurdist point of view...

Yes, I have quite a few questions. I know you must be thinking... if you have that many questions at the conclusion of the essay, what- if anything- did you grasp?

11. First We Read, Then We Write

2009-06-06T10:43:00.001-04:00

I own quite a few books on "the writer's life", "the writer's temperment" and of course "writing" in general. Yet, I found reading Richardson's book to be a unique experience.

First We Read is less of an instruction manual on how to read deeply or write well; it is a series of observations not from the view point of the author, but perspective of Emerson.

I had a brief period in New York when I was seeking out the essays of Emerson. This text was a true reminder that it is time to revisit those works.

If you are looking for a set of guidelines, or a road map on how to proceed into literary territory... this might not be the most fufilling work. But, if you are curious about the honest insight of dedicated, well respected author... this book can function as an excellent introduction to Emerson for young or experienced writers.

10. On Becoming a Novelist

2009-06-06T10:42:00.001-04:00

Gardner explains that, "No one can really tell the beginning writer whether or not he has what it takes."

And as much truth can befound in that statement alone, and in the book, I am still inclined to ask. Can I develop the discipline to write a novel? A decent novel?

Gardner warns, "the writer who cares more about words than about story...is unlikely to create a vivid and continuous dream." And, I wonder if I would fall into that category.

Honestly, I read novels as if they are poetry. Falling more in love with the way a particular author has formed each sentence, than I ever care about what is going on in the plot. If a writer has enough style and enough control -- why, I'd read a novel on just about any subject.

Am I a keen observer? Keen enough? Sure, I tend to hear every single word spoken around me... but I've never been a visual person.

I found this book to be quite helpful in leading me to ask the necessary questions, even if I haven't found the answer yet.

8. The Prisoner's Wife

2009-06-06T10:41:00.006-04:00

As a Black Poet, or at least one who pretends to be, I know asha's name. I have even seen her grace the stage. And yet somehow, I missed The Prisoner's Wife for years.

It was not that I had not seen the book. I distinctively remember passing the cover as it stood face out in Shaman Drum Bookstore.

Not reading The Prisoner's Wife would have been a literary mistake.

I remember the first book I read of Edwidge Danticat. My professor assigned The Farming of Bones for her African American History seminar. I remember re-reading the italicized sections over and over and over... attempting to recapture the overwhelming rushing emotions that acompany great prose.

I hadn't felt that rush in years. But after reading bandele, I began to believe that love does exist. And it can be illustrated with clarity, passion and skill on the written page.

9. Race Matters

2009-06-06T10:41:00.005-04:00

I had the pleasure of hearing West speak twice in a two month period in New York City. At Critchley's signing, I sat on the floor in the back of the room, hiding, scribbling furiously into a small journal.

A few years have passed, but there is once concept that remained emblazoned within my memory: Black Nihilism.

Growing up in Detroit -- I think I have always been searching for that term to describe what I experience and what I witness in my beloved city.

Now that I have returned to Detroit, now that I have read Race Matters, I am developing the vocabulary to explain a condition of a people: black nihilism, black existential angst.

I've read West's book coauthored with Gates. I know, I know... I have a lot of catching up to do.

7. Can You Hear Me Now

2009-06-06T10:40:00.002-04:00

[To Be Written]

6. The White Tiger

2009-06-06T10:39:00.001-04:00

[To Be Completed]

5. Touched with Fire

2009-06-06T10:38:00.000-04:00

[To Be Completed]

4. Interpreter of Maladies

2009-06-06T10:36:00.001-04:00

[To be Written...]

3. Sweet Life 2

2009-06-06T10:35:00.002-04:00

[To be written...]

2. Willing

2009-06-06T10:34:00.000-04:00

[To be completed...]

1. The Brief Life of Oscar Wao

2009-06-06T10:19:00.006-04:00

For some odd reason, my posts seem to be converting my words from Modern Latin Letters into what I assume to be ... sanskrit? How random. Until I figure out how to change the settings, this will have to do. [Note: it was Hindi, not Sanskrit]

1. The Brief Life of Oscar Wao

I read this book due to a recommendation from my brother. My bro fell in love with the novel last year when he read it. My brother and I have similar artistic tastes but often for different reasons. We tend to like the same Writers, Singers and Hip Hop Artists but our allegience is due to different books, songs and lines.

I did enjoy reading the book. Mainly because I was introduced to the concept of "fuku" which seems to be such an fitting term for many of life's situations. And secondly, I loved the footnotes. Is that silly? I hope not.

Call for Submissions

2008-09-20T10:30:00.001-04:00

The Three Minds of Black America:

Tresconsciousness and the Twenty-First Century

Are you a man, woman, teen or child of African descent who has been torn by society's expectations of race and class? Have you found yourself developing different personalities in the workplace, in the church, in the neighborhood, in the classroom, with your family and with your peers? Are you struggling to find your true self that is comfortable in all settings and situations?

Tresconsciousness, or triple consciousness, is the idea that Blacks in America are always torn between the ideals of three distinct communities: Eurocentric America, the Black upper middle class community and the greater Black community. As an African American develops their personal identity we are striking a balance between each of the three aspects of ourselves.

A new anthology, The Three Minds of Black America: Tresconsciousness and the Twenty-First Century is calling Africans, African-Americans, Blacks, West-Indians, Native Americans and others of African descent to share a personal essay within this collection.

For a sample essay, frequently asked questions, and submissions guidelines please visit our website .

Direct questions can be sent to thethreeminds@gmail.com .

Submissions are due June 15, 2009

Please forward widely.

The Greatest Debate

2008-01-28T07:25:00.001-05:00

The greatest debate one will ever face is the internal struggle that determines just how great one will be. Ultimately one must realize that one has no oponents, that opposition truly is just "a descending voice from the truth I speak."

The great debater was a moving film constructed from the truth of Black American progress. It is a reminder what was accomplished in the face of lynchings, tar and featherings, and Jim Crow politics. And today-- not facing those adversaries-- the greatest opponents we have are ourselves. This is not a plea to say that institutionalized racism does not exist.

It is simply to say, The Great Debaters chronicles a period when institutions of racism were being torn down with bear hands. We must believe, we must know, that any institutions of racism that still exist can be brought assunder.

The power of conviction, is the greatest weapon of all. When you have conviction, you "do what you have to do, so that you can do what you want to do." I was moved by the conviction of the characters themselves as I was the actors, the producers and screenwriter to create such a film.

The Great Debaters is a film that I plan to purchase as a reminder of who we are and who we can be.

The Beauty of the Sun

2007-12-04T22:44:00.002-05:00

There are two important rules of novel writing. The first is that the greatness and subtlty of a novel hendges upon how information is withheld and not how it is revealed. Second, that each story has one perfect form. If a writer fails to find that perfect form, the story will not tell.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and defied time and mastered form in her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun. A historical account of the Biafran nation embedded with personal tales of love, betrayal and pride, Adichie's novel is masterfully composed.

Each sentence sings, while each charecter has his/her own rhythm. Each characters identity is deeply developed and identifiable. If Adichie never noted which character was speaking, the reader would know because each person has his/her own cadence and style that dances and matures through out the text.

There is the essence of love which survives in spite of war. This love freely, and sensuously carries us through the text. Each scene is whole, and satisfyingly complete. Nothing is lost. Every opened chapter meets it's close.

Adichie's main characters in both Half of a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus tend to be well educated, well financed. Instinctually, one would wonder how representative the novels are of the nation as a whole. As a reviewer, I must retract that instinct. Why must all writers of color write 'representative' works? Adichie has spoke of feeling personally compelled to ward of negative stereo-types and expectations. While both novels stand tall in accomplishing just that, each work stands more importantly as a beautifully complete, testiment of literature in its highest art.

Some novels must be read immediately twice in a row in order to create the illusion that the story, the song never ends. The reader will not want to close Half of a Yellow Sun, and very well turn to these pages time and time again.

Love,
Lhea J.

Finding Ourselves in Every Bird

2007-08-16T18:12:00.002-04:00

Sometimes there is someone who is selected to be a lion or an eagle when the rest of us are selected to be sheep and sparrows and this someone is not caught up by destiny, but makes destiny for themselves, as if they have a greater knowledge of what must be done, and an understanding of the direction in which the world must go.
--Louis de Bernieres

Some writers fly with eagles, while some are destined to be sparrows without wings. De Bernieres has captured his destiny with Birds Without Wings. An elegantly written novel, moving history through a story of love and war, human emotion, human psychology, and ultimately, human nature.

Not only do readers have the opportunity to witness various lives, we can hear multiple voices and find ourselves in each parable, each line. De Bernieres mixes faith with relentless pessimism, and creates a picture of reality so believable that one's emotions will not fail them at the end of the novel. Each reader wonders if it is true, "Perhaps it is only possible to be happy, if one forgets not only the evil things, but also the very perfect ones." Is it true, "A neat lie satisfies more than a sloppy truth"?

We continue through the long and sustaining novel to find the answers to these professed truths, we read to find ourselves and our parallel history on every page. How has religion shaped our family, how has migration structured our roots? How has love bound us together and torn us apart?

Birds Without Wings is an excellent piece of literature, readers will be moved by the story and the prose, alike. Birds Without Wings will remind us how to look at others and find ourselves.

Revisiting the Most Dangerous

2007-08-14T08:53:00.001-04:00

Last year while relishing in my favorite space, the original Borders Bookshop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I discovered a book that had found it's way to the shelves a few days before it's official release date. I claimed a corner, a vacant chair and discovered a detailed criticism of many of the most esteemed intellects and authors on my bookshelf.

I wrote a review on the Black Bookshelf, published it on Amazon.com as well, and hailed this critique as a great selection of required reading.

Needless to say, I was critiqued by liberal and conservative academics alike. A liberal comrade of mine said made clear that there are other websites, blogs and books regarding liberal intellectualism, and one does not have to support Horowitz through the purchase of a book in order to have a great reading list.

Earlier this month, I received the following critique on Amazon.com:

"Since Blacks arrived in America, our presence (and especially, our intellect) has been perceived as a threat. "

Not today, it isn't, with multiple prestigious Univeristies fighting to keep folks like Cornel West. Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Henry Louis Gates, Walter Williams, etc. there are plenty of excellent black minds in academia. But bell hooks and Amiri Baraka are charlatans, which is why they are in the book. Maybe they can fool guilted-whites without discernment and get other radicals excited by their blather, but they are anything but "intellects". You insult the real black intellectuals by raising these cranks to that level, and its clownish to suggest the behavior chronicled in this book is something worth emulating.

"I truly value this book, as a booklist for future reading!"

I always appreciate those who critique me, my opinions and my work. The critique lets me know that they are actually reading my words, and spending the time to contemplate them. So, I am grateful to McGuinness for his critique.

The only thing which bothers me, the only corner which I can not blindly turn, is the phrase "real black intellectuals." Of the three words, I only find subjective and irresolute disagreement in the word 'real'.

I am growing quite tired of the "real" debate that plagues every aspect of the Black Community. What rappers are "real"? What intellectuals are "real"? Is Barack Obama "real" enough?

If you believe that liberalism, or radicalism, lessens one's intellectual acuity, that is an opnion to which you are entitled. But, your opnion does not lessen the real-ness of their Blackness, the real-ness of their intellect, real-ness of their impact on academia and the public intellectual realm.

My response is simply, do not insult the image or identity of Cornel West, Henry Louis Gates or any other by hailing them more "real" because they fit into your box of "Black Excellence" which is not broad enough for others, who have contributed a magnificent legacy of work to various academic and public canons, to fit in.

5. Hip Hop Scholarship

2007-07-21T05:58:00.005-04:00

This is the book my generation has been waiting for.

After the remarks of Bill Cosby, many intellectuals and artists have been chiming in with regards to their distaste for hip hop. After Wynton Marsalis's reduction of hip hop to "ghetto minstrelsy" and John Whorters attribution of retardation of success by Hip Hop, many have wondered what lies in store for the future of the genre. Michael Eric Dyson offers a sound criticism to both well-studied and poorly researched argmements. Dyon's new book is a significant contribution to the cultural, sociological and literary cannons. Through out the new text, Know What I Mean, Dyson gives evidence and background for academics to understand hip hop and tools for for the hip hop generation to gain respect and, as Jay-Z said, "a better way to understand ourselves."

Many of the critiques stem from the expectation of hip hop to be a tangible expression of social commentary or political criticism. Fundamentally, hip hop is neither. Hip Hop is an art form containing "hyperbole, parody, kitsch, dramatic license, and doublt entedres." Dyson frequently argues that hip hop should be held to no higher standards towards sociological representation or politics than any other artform or institution that could also be a vehicle for social commentary or political criticism (i.e. the Church).

Dyson embarks upon a series of conversations structured within an "album concept". Two of the most frequented topics through out the five tracks are mysogeny and the heterosexism of hip hop. While some of the ills of hip hop can be attributed or connected to cultural amnesia, privelege and/or religious reflections, Dyson does not draw any parallels with the attempt to excuse or validate the presence of sexism or homophobia within rap music or hip hop culture.

Dyson has constructed his text, his speech and his career into a strong argument for hip hop and a lasting testiment of the relivance and dignity of Black Culture, of Urban Culture within our Global World. Dyson's Know What I Mean is truly Black Art.

Black Art by Amiri Baraka

Poems are bullshit unless they are teet or trees or lemons piles
on a step. Or black ladies dying
of men leaving nickel hearts
beating them down. Fuck poems
and they are useful, wd they shoot
come at you, love what you are,
breathe like wrestlers, or shudder
strangely after pissing. We want live
words of the hip world live flesh &
coursing blood. Hearts Brains
Souls splintering fire. We want poems
like fists beating niggers out of Jocks...
Let there be no love poems written
until love can exist freely and
cleanly. Let Black people understand
that they are the lovers and the sons
of warriors and sons
of warriors Are poems & poets &
all the loveliness here in the world

We want a black poem. And a
Black World.
Let the world be a Black Poem
And Let All Black People Speak This Poem
Silently
or LOUD

Thina Simunye

2007-04-30T19:58:00.000-04:00

It is ironic that the country which plants troops in 70% of the world's countries, drives 60% of its cars, takes 50% of its medicine, houses 50% of the world's wealth, uses 28% of the world's paper, runs 25% of the world energy and consumes 15% of its meat has the highest rates of mental illness in the world. It is akward to be surrounded by prosperity and depression simultaneously.

This means that happiness is rooted in something outside of wealth, posterior to success.

Saturday night I had the pleasure of watching, We Are Together (Thina Simunye) at the Tribeca Film Festival.

I watched the tale of a South African family orphaned by the AIDS epidemic and split by poverty, I watched the beauty of this family unfold. The younger children lived in a home called Agape.

The children of the home were held together by the gift of music. The chords which bound the soundtrack of the film were undeniably beautiful. It was art in it's purest form, art born of innocence, struggle and need.

4. Talent is Never Enough

2007-04-30T07:03:00.000-04:00

"Never let somone compliment you on your potential," Randy Williams, world class runner and track coach, used to tell his students. Potential is talent unrealized. Potential lives in the fertile ground where success has not been reached.

Talent is Never Enough.

While I was never the greatest runner, the things that I learned during my childhood track meets would carry me through life. Likewise, the truths to which I did not submit, the lessons I ran from unlearned, are the sames ones life dangles before my computer screen at work; the same hurdles mounted amid all of my relationships.

John C. Maxwell has a wonderful book entitled, Talent is Never Enough. Maxwell outlines thirteen characteristics which must be coupled with intelligence and talent in order to reach long-term success.

Belief. Passion. Initiative. Focus. Preparation. Practice. Perserverance. Courage. Teachability. Character. Relationships. Responsibility. Teamwork.

You see, people who neglect to make the right choices to release and maximize their talent continually underperform. Their talent allows them to stand out, but their wrong choices make them sit down. Their friends, families, coaches and bosses see their giftedness, but they wonder why they so often come up short of expectations. Their talent gives them oppotunity, but their wrong choices shut the door. Talent is a given, but you must earn success.

Ironically, there is a difference between underperformance and failure. Failure is actually a crucial part of long-term success. Underperformance is not. Maxwell mentions, "there are two kinds of people in this world: those who want to get things done and those who don't want to make mistakes." Believe in your talent. Passionately persue your talents. Initiate your dreams. And then learn from your mistakes.

"One of the paradoxes of life is that the things that initially make you sucessful are rarely the things that keep you successful." This sentence is the premise and outline, the underlying message that sows the bound book together. Focus on your stregnths, never mistake fear for lack of preparation, practice, no rehearse each day as if it is your only opportunity.

The most important section of Talent is Never Enough, is probably the section on Teachability. Too often talent comes with egos, and egos equipt with pride. Egoism and pride are often the strongest bariers to success. If a person can humble herself to learn from every person in their life, every circumstance of their condition, and every relationship, then one will find the people, the situations and the relationships that will help them build each of the 12 other characteristics of the talented success.

3. The Love Laws

2007-02-03T11:06:00.001-05:00

Equally it could be argued that it actually began thousands of years ago. Long before the Marxists came. Before the British took Malabar, before the Dutch Ascendency, before Vasco da Gama arrived, before the Zamorin’s conquest of Calicut. Before three purple-robed Syrian Bishops murdered by the Portuguese were found floating in the sea, with coiled sea serpents riding on their chests and oysters knotted in their tangled beards. It could be argued that it began long before Christianity arrived in a boat and seeped into Kerala like tea from a teabag.

That it really began in the days when the Love Laws were made. The laws that lay down who should be loved, and how.

And how much.

Love Laws. The universal division between the darker and lighter. The laws which encouraged apartheid, supported chattle slavery, patronized eugenics and divided India. The laws which divide the Nubians from the Egyptians, the Hazara from the Pashtun, the descendents of "Dalit" from the descendents of "forward" castes, the "abd" from other Iraqi. The laws which are imbedded in the worlds dominate languages and major religions seeping into cultural norms on each continent of our world. Love Laws. The standards set for us regarding who should be loved and how much.

Arundhati Roy constructed a timeless display of the biases of modern (and less modern) societies and the possibility of antaganism between the peronal lives we lead and the social expectations we were born into. The God of Small Things is a precious work because it can be lifted out of it's Indian context and placed in many other societies because the conflicts that were revealed, from the innocent priveledge of the Maureen Peel-esq Sophie Mol character to the inevitable fate of Velutha, are a reflection of global issues to be dealt with community by community, person by person.

Carrying the novel around New York, I began to understand how many lives Roy has reached. From my fellow Deutsch-speaking UM friend Ian who recommended The God of Small Things, to the uninhibited shreik from Jayanthi when I revealed the novel that I was currently reading. I was approached on various subways and Starbucks by various people with the same look of nostalgia and intrigue. The God of Small Things is indeed a must read for everyone.

2. A Journal of Dreams & Nightmares

2007-01-29T20:40:00.002-05:00

rosed.

Each writer reaches the point in their career, where they must determine why they write. (Thus, nearly every famed writer has completed an essay entitled, "Why I Write.") Yet, more (often) than screenwriters & playwrites, more than novelists & critics, more than essayists & journalists the poet must face this internal question with every word.

Black Wings & Blind Angels is a collection of trauma & survival, dreams & reality. Sapphire appears to be writing for every person who ever asked, "Why did God make me __?" Why did God make me Black? Why did God make me a Woman? Why did God make me a victim? Why did God make me? The internal battles of fate verses will of childhood, and the confusion that results from not having the language to release the anguish or describe the conflict are released in Black Wings & Blind Angels.

Black Wings & Blind Angels is a journal of dreams and nightmares. As a recommendation, I must admit that Black Wings & Blind Angels is a collection that you may want to Read on Someone Else's Dime (rosed). I would definitely recommend Sapphire's novel PUSH, as a must read for everyone. Push captures every emotion described in BWBA with greater depth, more clarity and undeniable urgency.

If I were to meet Sapphire, I would ask her who she writes for. Many poems give the impression that she's writing for the child who stays late after school to avoid their father's hands & home awaiting. Yet, other poems seem to be written to release childhood demons of hers and those she loves. Reading Black Wings & Blind Angels will help you address your own demons.

How many time have you been a blind angel? Why are you still choosing to be blind?

from False Memory Syndrome
(or, In the Dream)

In the dream my father
is a mean man
who is fucking with me up to the
time I am grown
He puts his big finger between
my legs and pushes pushes hard
mean
in the dream my body is good
to me and doesn't let his horrible
finger in
In the dream I pass thru
the bedroom and pick up a pen
I want to write on the sheets
I get the letter "I"
"n"
then the pen
runs out of ink
In the dream I'm young
in the dream I don't think
suicide
in the dream there are no roaches
and I'm not all alone...

by Sapphire

1. The Top Ten

2007-01-28T11:46:00.000-05:00

MUST READ for Bibliophiles
I admit it. I'm a fan of lists. (Perhaps, a fool for lists...) Top 100 Science Stories of 2006 (Discover), top 100 Black Businesses (Black Enterprise), Best-selling Books (New York Times) etc. To my pleasure and suprised, I discovered the bibliophile's ultimate book of lists during my semi-weekly rumblings through Borders Books.

J. Peder Zane compiled 125 lists of top ten greatest books from British and American authors. Each author, from Sherman Alexie to Jennifer Weiner, ranked their 10 masterpieces in order. Each work received 10 points when ranked number 1 and thus 1 point when ranked number 10. The five works which received the greatest number of points are, (1) Anna Karenina, (2) Madame Bovary, (3) War and Peace, (4) Lolita, (5) The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Madame Bovary actually appeared on more lists (26) than Anna Karenina (25) but Tolstoy's work was ranked higher on its lists 11 more points than Flaubert's.

The top five works by living authors are, (1) One Hundred Years of Solitude, (2) To Kill a Mockingbird, (3) Beloved, (4) The Catcher and the Rye and (5) Rabbit Angstrom. And there were a few authors who submitted lists who were fortunate to have their works mentioned on the top ten list of another artist. Michael Cunningham submitted his lists of favorites from Shakespeare's King Lear to the stories of Flannery O'Connor. Anita Shreve, author of The Pilot's Wife, placed Cunningham's The Hours in the number four spot. Stephen King includes Lord of the Flies and 1984 on his list, while David Foster Wallace and Jennifer Weiner both place King's The Stand as their second greatest book.

Shakespeare has the greatest number of works on the lists (11), yet Tolstoy collects the most points (327) off of 2 great works. Of the 125 lists there are 544 separate titles, 23 of which appeared as the greatest work on one authors list alone, not making any other list. The range of authors selected to submit top ten lists is varied and diverse including the late Bebe Moore Campbell, Sandra Cisneros, Pearle Cleage, Edwidge Danticat, Arthur Goldin, John Irving, Ha Jin, Sue Monk Kidd, Wally Lamb, Joyce Carol Oats, Ann Patchett and Robert Pinsky. While this survey of fiction does include a small sample of non-fiction and poetry, the central focus is the novel. All of the poets & non-fiction writers who were surveyed, have also published fiction works.

This book is a great guide for bloggers, who like myself, are searching for 100 great books to read this year.

January Reading

2007-01-24T21:46:00.000-05:00

For clarity, I am reading 100 books. Perhaps not 100 novels... but 100 bound full-legnth and completed texts.

This January has begun on a serious note:

1. Black Wings & Blind Angels (poems) by Saphire
2. The God of the Small Things (novel) by Arundhati Roy
3. Debt-free by 30 by Jason Anthony & Karl Cluck
4. Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude by Jeffrey Gitomer
5. Getting to Yes by Robert Fisher and William Ury

For those who have not realized I am a hybrid of all sorts. Bear with me.

I am working on a classification & recommendation system for The Blackbookshelf. All of the books I read will fall under the categories: Reality of Fiction, For the Poet in You, Suit & Tie, String Theory Pondering, Props & Propaganda, On Miracles, Talent is Common.

1. Reality of Fiction
Novels, Novellas & Short Story Collections

2. For the Poet in You
Poetry Collections & Anthologies

3. Talent is Common (Discipline is not...)
Books on Art, Writing & Creativity

4. On Miracles
Books on Spirituality & Religion

5. String Theory Pondering
Books on Science

6. Props & Propaganda
Books on Politics & Society

7. Suit & Tie
Books on Buisiness, Wealth & Professionalism

Honestly, I am not comfortable enough as a reviewer, critic even, to rate books (5 thumbs up, 7 thumbs down). So, in leiu of rankings I'll offer my referrals: Soon to be Classic, Must Read, Must Read for ( ?), Read on Someone Else's Dime, Reader Beware.

1. Soon to be Classic
The Iriquois believed that each action should be done with the consideration of the Seventh Generation in mind. Some artist create with the seven generation at heart.

2. Must Read

3. Must Read for (Community)
Some must-reads aren't for everyone

4. Read on Someone Else's Dime
You may want to borrow from the library before purchasing

5. Reader beware
You may like it, especially if your taste differs from mine

And there it is.
2007, The Year of Completion.

2007 Reading Goal

2007-01-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

I have been engrossed by an intimate discussion (with myself) for the past 6 days. It is settled. I will read & complete at least 100 books in 2007. This hundred will include works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Indeed, the difficult part will not be reading 100 hundred books, but blogging about them.

So far I have found 31 books that I must complete this year. It is a pity that so many books have been resting on my shelves unread, or at least, uncompleted.

I have not forgotten last years suggestion. Each of those will be added to the 2007 reading list. And of course, I am always open to your input.

Any suggestions?

Books to Be Read

1. Tar Baby - Morrison
2. Beloved - Morrison
3. Dambahlah - John Edgar Wideman
4. Another Country - Baldwin
5. If Beale Street Could Talk - Baldwin
6. Lolita - Nabokov
7. Maud Martha - Gwendolyn Brooks
8. Long Train to the Redeeming Sin - Kola Boof
9. What Craziness Looks Like on An Ordinary Day -
10. What You Owe Me -
11. The Cotillion - John Oliver Killens
12. One Hundred Years of Solitude -
13. The Things They Carried -O'Brien
14. The Virgin Suicides - Eugenides
15. Some Soul to Keep - J. California Cooper
16. Third Girl From the Left - Martha Southgate
17. Emma - Austin
18. Pride & Prejudice - Austin

19. War Against the Weak - Edwin Black
20. Pedagogy of the Oppressed -
21. Sugar Blues -
21. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa - Rodney
23. What White Looks Like -
24. Angela Davis, An Autobiography
25. White Like Me - Tim Wise
26. The Future of the Race - Gates & West
27. Head Negro In Charge Syndrome -
28. Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun
27. The End of Faith
28. In this Life Together - Ossie & Ruby
29. Faith of Our Fathers - Abu Jamal
30. The Evidence of Things Not Seen -
31. Roll, Jordan, Roll - Genovese

The Year of Completion

2006-12-30T14:20:00.000-05:00

2007 must be the year of completion. 2007 must be the year of setting goals and working ridiculously to acheive them.

2006 was the year of change. For me, this year was the year of big talk, big dreams accompanied by a paralyzing fear. A wise woman told me that the difference between writers and aspiring writers is the ability to set (and thus, reach) deadlines.

2007 Goals & Deadlines

Daily:
Freewriting every morning
Subway reading
Evening typing

Weekly:
Volunteer
Open Mic
BlackBookshelf Entry
LheaJLove Entry

Monthly:
Book signing (1x)
Lecture/Public Reading (1x)
Movies (2x)
Writers Workshop (2x)

Quarterly:
Professional/Career Workshop (1x)
Plays (2x)

Annually:
Writers Conference
Writers Retreat
Book Convention

2007 will be the year of the First Agreement.

Mackey's Binary Star

2006-12-03T14:28:00.002-05:00

Most people are quite predictable. Creatures of habit, repeating repetitive ideas of normality, scared to step outside of the box they have labeled themselves. Most of us, are comfortable with our limitations and comforted by them.

Reading a great book of poetry is meeting the person who pushes each day outside of the realm of yesterday. While most of us awake each day to the resemblence of yesterday, the daring search for opportunities to change.

In Nathaniel Mackey's Splay Anthem, I found my daring companion. (Oh faithful is the poet who knows he can whisper louder than he screams.)

Splay Anthem is an experience within two ongoing serial poems Song of the Andoumboulou and "Mu". Mackey's binary star is a beautiful fusion of the the griot's message with the griot's drum. Rhythm and alliteration.

Makey's collection is the patriach, esteemed professor and community elder who who tells his stories two to five pages at a time. There is so much bound to each page, that one must study for weeks before returning to hear the same two paged story again, with new understanding.

Mackey, I want to know why the Moor sighs and inevitably why the Andoumboulou sings. I want to meet the people of Nub, and ask if they know where they are? Can I hear Nazakat and Salamat? Can I see Sekmet?

And so I return to Splay Anthem with questions. I recieve answers to some, others I must wait for. I am moved by the rhythm but not comforted by it. The rhythm jolts me out of my comfort zone. I am forced to read, reread and reexamine. Enjoyment is no longer an idle excercize.

The Beauty of White Oleander

2006-11-19T00:40:00.001-05:00

Each artist must face the correlation between artistry and sanity. Or, art and the lack thereof. What is an artist's relationship to the reality around them, to their families and the ones they love?

Every blue moon, I come accross a novel that tackles every insecure quandry I have been turning over in my head. A month ago while hanging with my sorority sisters in DC, I stole a book that mirrored every question of character I have been wrestling with. White Oleander is a study in relations.

White Oleander explores the life of a child who must reach maturity without her parents. Astrid, without a mother as a role model, without a father as a protector must make sense of the world through escapism and foster homes. While she does not have her mother's presence she does have various reading lists that her mother has passed to her. Even as an artist one must question the role of art in reality. How much comfort can literature bring to a parentless child?

Throughout the novel Astrid learns that each person has their insecurities, their regrets and their short commings. Perhaps it is how one reacts to this combination that discriminates the sane from the different. By reading this novel, one can begin to explore oneself and ones own relations and decide which path to tread at the fork in the road.