These traditions go on to honor those heroic Black Americans and keep their same spirit of drive, ambition and making do until freedom and prosperity.
Posts
My Fave 2020 Reads
Warm winter wishes to all... I'm a fan of books but I also loved some short reads as my favorites of 2020. All are worthy time fillers to cozy up with in any season!
My novel for $1.99: Kindle’s Deal of the Day
Share the deal: #SpeakingOfSummer is just $1.99 on #Kindle today! Perfect day to get yours for on the go, gift to a friend and push the novel up to many many more reviews. Thank you! #WinterRead
On Native Son & Richard Wright…
This was my introduction to the great Black American novel. I was hooked.
“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”
negression 