A Close Up on a Writer Who Reads
What I’m reading or thinking about reading
Title: Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir 1969-1980 Author: Lucille Clifton Pages: 276 Rating: 5/5 How do I review this book? To say that I loved it does not even come close. A few weeks ago, I only knew one poem by Lucille Clifton -- "won't you celebrate with me". For the last few years,… Continue reading Book Review – Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir 1969-1980
Title: Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul Author: James McBride Pages: 256 Rating: 4.75/5 This was not a book on my ever-growing list of books to read. I would not call myself a James Brown fan. I know him, of course. I bet most of my generation can name… Continue reading Book Review — Kill ‘Em and Leave
Title: Dune Author: Frank Herbert Pages: 863 Rating: 3.95/5 'A world is supported by four things... the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these are as nothing..." She closed her fingers into a fist. "...without a ruler who… Continue reading Book Review – Dune
Director: Marcus A. Clarke Producer: Kenya Barris Studio: Netflix Slated Release: Thursday, September 9, 2021 Run Time: 1 hour 36 minutes Book: Blood Brothers - The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X Author: Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith Publication Date: November 1, 2016 Publisher: Basic Books Page Count: 362 pages In her review of the film for The Hollywood Reporter, Lovia Gyarke notes,… Continue reading #BookToMovieTrailer – Blood Brothers: Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali
Book: Dune Author: Frank Herbert Originally Published: August 1965 Publisher: Chilton Company Page Count: 896 When Frank Herbert passed in 1986, The New York Times reported that his best-known novel Dune had sold more than 12 million copies. Originally intended to be a trilogy, the series eventually grew to six novels. The New York Times also reported that it had… Continue reading #BookToMovieTrailer – Dune
I have been gone for too long -- so long, in fact, that I'd forgotten my login and that WordPress has updated it's look. HOW DO I NAVIGATE THIS THING? In all seriousness, I have been meaning to get back to these close ups for months now. I did not realize how much time has… Continue reading Mommy is Back
Title: The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir Author: Jenifer Lewis Pages: 336 Rating: 5/5 Caring for a newborn can make reading (and blogging) difficult. So when my college roommate Dawn offered to gift me a free book on Audible, I readily accepted. I also knew just what I wanted to listen to -… Continue reading Book Review – Wisdom From The Mother of Black Hollywood
One time, in my graduate Creative Writing program, a classmate referenced Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club so casually that I immediately sensed he or she hadn't read it. I hadn't either. Do not be alarmed - this was not a reading assignment. The person speaking hoped to draw a comparison between the actual assigned work… Continue reading Those Women We Almost Seem To Know
Title: Pet Sematary Author: Stephen King Pages: 395 Rating: 3.7/5 I've mentioned this before: my grandma says Pet Sematary, published in 1983, was so scary that she put it down halfway through and didn't pick up another book by Stephen King until Mr. Mercedes, which debuted in 2014. A fan of King myself, I can't… Continue reading Book Review – How Scary is Pet Sematary?
Title: Five Carat Soul Author: James McBride Pages: 308 Rating - 5/5 'See, God favors the righteous. He favors us with words!.... Words, boy! Not a pistol or knife or cannon lingering in the whole bunch! Just words, passed from one ear to the next! Oh, yes, I wish I was lettered. Them..… Continue reading Book Review – Five-Carat Soul
Inside the Ink 