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Book Review: The Book of Night Women
I bought Marlon James’ second novel, The Book of Night Women this past summer intending to read it immediately. I made it through the first chapter, which grabbed me by the throat with its straightforward and graphic reflection on bloody childbirth and, perhaps relieved to be released from such a painful beginning, I set the [...]
Read moreRifling Through the Music Attic: Glamour Girl Sue
Today I was excited to see my friend Daniel, who lives in Washington D.C., for many reasons, but the over arching one was to see his face when I played him Madd’s “Maddy Maddy Patrol.” (listen via link below). D. was raised in Dominica (not to confused with the Dominican Republic) but moved to Brooklyn [...]
Read moreLet’s Talk About Narrative
Over the past few weeks I have had more than my share of good times, especially under the current economic circumstances. Thanks in large part to a visit from an English friend, I got to see the stunning and engrossing musical FELA! and the new David Mamet play, Race, which is just about that. In [...]
Read moreBeing Precious
In 1996, as I read Sapphire’s graphic and idiosyncratic novel Push, I was in agony. Too much of Claireece Precious Jones’ life was cutting me to the bone and there were times when picking up the novel felt like visiting an all too familiar insane asylum. You see, my mother said things like to me [...]
Read moreObama Gets Nobel Peace Prize for Effort
“What has he done to deserve it?” “This is premature, at best.” –comments on Twitter questioning the validity of today’s Nobel Peace Prize winner Short-term memory is a bedeviling condition. One that plagues many of us when times are better than others. Yes, the U.S. is fighting a two-front war. And yes, war is, in [...]
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