Recent Stories
“Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” by Zora Neale Hurston, edited with an introduction by Genevieve West, foreword by Tayari Jones
Everybody has that place. You know, that place where everyone knows you, they know what you want, and they get it for you before your coat’s half off. It’s where you can catch up on gossip and good news, where you take shelter and get sympathy. In “Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” by Zora Neale Hurston, you also get a front seat.
“Delivered by Midwives: African American Midwifery in the Twentieth-Century South” by Jenny M. Luke c.2018, University Press of Mississippi $30.00 / higher in Canada 193 pages
The mailman’s come and gone for today. He never brings you much anymore anyhow, just a few bills and a card sometimes; now and then, you might get a box of something you purchased and that’s always fun. You know, though, that the mailman doesn’t always bring you what you ordered. As in “Delivered by Midwives” by Jenny M. Luke, someone else brings a different kind of package.
“Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America” by Candacy Taylor
Your tickets have been purchased. Reservations were made in your name and all that’s left is packing. Yep, you’re heading out for the weekend, a week, a month, gone on the trip of a lifetime and as you’ll see in “Overground Railroad” by Candacy Taylor, it’s a trip your grandparents might’ve been denied.
“The Broken Road: George Wallace and a Daughter’s Journey to Reconciliation” by Peggy Wallace Kennedy with Justice H. Mark Kennedy
The path your parents first set you on is not the path you ended up taking. Somewhere along the way, you veered to the left or stepped to the right. You found your own groove, made your own decisions and made adjustments while you learned where you were going. And as in the new book “The Broken Road” by Peggy Wallace Kennedy (with Justice H. Mark Kennedy), it was essential to know where you came from.
“White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue… And Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation” by Lauren Michele Jackson
It’s all yours. You own it, got it, paid for it, you even have the receipt. That thing: you fought hard for it and nobody can take it away. But – as in the new book “White Negroes” by Lauren Michele Jackson, folks can surely borrow it.
“Right Beside You” by Mary Monroe
You’re going to just be quiet now. You have things to say, but you’re not going to say them. Nope, not opening your mouth. Not a peep. Not a word. It’s not your time to talk, and even if it was, you’ll keep your thoughts to yourself. Although, as in the new novel “Right Beside You” by Mary Monroe, staying quiet might mean staying alone.
“Broke: Hardship and Resilience in a City of Broken Promises” by Jodie Adams Kirshner, foreword by Michael Eric Dyson
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. And you know how that went for him. The Royal Soldiers and a bunch of ponies couldn’t help him and you can only imagine what happened next: as in the new book “Broke: Hardship and Resilience in a City of Broken Promises” by Jodie Adams Kirshner, everything got scrambled.
“How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir” by Saeed Jones
You can’t pretend forever. Eventually, the ruse gets tired, holding up pretenses becomes a burden, and keeping the game going is harder than telling the truth. You eventually have to break it down and let people know what you’re about. But as in the new book “How We Fight for Our Lives” by Saeed Jones, take care before telling everybody.
“Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Other kids can be so mean. In your classroom, they call you names and whisper bad things. On the playground, they tease you, and it hurts your feelings. You wish you had more friends, and that things were different. But inthe new book “Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison, life can change, and it starts on the inside of you.
“What God is Honored Here?” edited by Shannon Gibney and Kao Kalia Yang
You’re doing okay. Shaky, most days, and you can’t stop crying but you’re doing okay. Thanks for asking, although nobody ever really wants to know. They look away, up or down or anywhere but at the truth: you’ve lost a baby but in “What God is Honored Here?” edited by Shannon Gibney and Kao Kalia Yang, you’ll find sisterhood.
