This was my introduction to the great Black American novel. I was hooked.
Author: Kalisha Buckhanon for negression
“Black Woman Gossip” Update: More Essential Black Women’s Story Collections
"Black Woman Gossip" listed my favorite black women story collections, including Alice's IN LOVE AND TROUBLE: STORIES OF BLACK WOMEN. In particular I noted the transfer of African oral tradition to the printed word, with the necessity to shortcut African-American speech for varieties of oppressive reasons leading to virtues of expression and cadence, and, of course, secrets. Since then, today's publication of Deesha Philyaw's THE SECRET LIVES OF CHURCH LADIES (West Virginia University Press, 2020) pinched me like a church lady would, to tell me it's time for an update.
“I allow myself creative freedom to make whatever kind of art I feel like in the moment…” – Tiffany Gholar
Gholar has a provided missive for a new way to write about the creative life, art-making and (most specifically) Black women navigating those historically troubled waters for all talents.
“I Came To Chicago To Work”
Dear Readers: Rachel León interviewed me for Chicago Review of Books on my latest novel SPEAKING OF SUMMER, the writing life and working in Chicago. I’d forgotten how much we covered: the novel composition process, support (or the lack thereof) for mental health, inequities in approaches to men and women’s meditative literature, unsafety for women. … Continue reading “I Came To Chicago To Work”
Nemiss, “Searching for Love,” Summer Sounds…
After performing at countless New York City rite-of-passage venues and now with the band Cross Culture, she continues her fusion of soul, R & B and classic hip-hop with a new single: "Searching for Love." Yes- people still put on the music in backyards, pools, basements and garages to just dance. No occasion is necessary. But given we've arrived to Labor Day much faster than I realized one summer could pass, this weekend is a perfect one for "Searching for Love." Enjoy our conversation about this latest Nemiss song.
Tiffany Gholar Tells the Truth
Gholar's display of glorious art and life-giving paintings, completed across five years, come with grown woman commentary about what it took to see each piece through. In wisdom, she snakes the darkest corners of life- grief, breakups, economic peril- in a chronology of change and chaos where blank canvas was the steadiest hold.
Happy to share a Woman of Power, Develyn Biagas
Develyn Biagas: a longtime educator and youth advocate now working on her PhD, with a specialty focus area of African-American girls and the school to prison pipeline. She also works in young adult literature and plans to publish her first Young Adult novel soon. I am happy girls she works with now have someone like her to look up to.
negression 