Jump to content

What are you reading now ?


Recommended Posts

Evil Never Sleeps: Tales of Light and Darkness by Robert FlemingI'm reading a few books but am primarily focused on Evil Never Sleeps: Tales of Light and Darkness, by Robert Fleming. 

 

Robert is one of America’s most accomplished writers.  He has written poetry, novels, nonfiction articles, and has reviewed over 60 books for AALBC.  His work spans over 40 years.  

 

It seems to me that writers like Robert should be better known, but he is just your run of the mill late-middle-aged Black man {yawn}.  He’s not Caribbean or African, he’s not LGBT, he does not have a white parent, he can’t rap or dunk a basketball, he wasn’t gang banger or previously incarcerated. 

 

He is the kind of writer that I always complain about being ignored by the mainstream media. Robert's accomplishments will never go viral on twitter despite his significant contributions to our literature.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

About to start this. Looking forward to it.

 

 

image.jpeg

13 hours ago, Troy said:

His sound track was I have to watch the movie again to see how he justifies that statement.

I haven't watched the film itself in years but listen occasionally to the soundtrack. Usually pick out a Mayfield album at random. His debut and Roots are amazing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I'll be honest about this book. I'd say quite easily that a good quarter of this went right over my head. I simply couldn't understand some of the passages. Now,I'm not sure why exactly. Perhaps, I'm not 'educated' enough. It was tough going at times and I'm kind of relieved I've finished. But it wasn't all bad.

The introduction left me bewildered, well the part saying that the only notable thing Leroi Jones did after 1965 was to change his name.  But this was said by Stanley Crouch. Cruse himself knew Leroi and didn't particularly have a bad word to say about the man. Baldwin came under some criticism as did Lorraine Hansberry.  W.E.B Du Bois rightfully came out unscathed. The young generation (at the time,1967) of Black Power individuals, though no names were mentioned, apart from Stokely, were put right. Black nationalism did not have a future.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Baracka did quite a bit after he changed his name, but the world changed and his popularity waned. The iconoclastic Crouch would be able to relate.

 

It wiuld be interesting to read anything negative saud about Baldwin. I can't imagine whar that might be... probably worth reading the book for that reason alone.

 

As far as Black Nationalism if he meant within the U.S. you did nit exactly need a crystal ball.

 

I just started:

The Secret of Freedom
by Vernon Kitabu Turner

9781878901699.jpg

 

It is supposed to be sort of like a cross between The Alchemist and The Little Prince ...I think 🙂

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I just finished Genesis Starts Again. It is a novel written for preteens but I would absolutely recommend it to older readers and even adults.

 

I currently rereading The Mis-Education of the Negro because if it actively speaks to our current predicament, I'm going to actively sell it in the real world. I'm also read The Famished Road as it generally regarded to be a great work of literature and I need to read some great literature now. I was pleased to discover my copy was signed to me by Ben Okri years ago (I'd forgotten 🙂)

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I'm not reading any books by black authors right now - but my next to last purchase from AALBC.store was 9781732144309__70295.1576171991.jpg?c=1&imbypass=on

Here's another book I thought about today but it's not available here. 9780735214224 I suspect this young man is one to watch. He's a yale/harvard graduate but says he has no interest in politics.  I wrote a blog post on him in 2014...when he was on the cusp of launching his nonprofit,  MBAs Across America that placed business people with nonprofits to help them achieve their goals.  He says he believes in purpose over profits which is definitely not the American way.  And this is what made me think of you @Troy because you mentioned in a post on here, that black people tend to "give" their talents away to big corporate.  Anyway, I wanted to link to aalbc for this memoir but it's not here.  I'll link to penguin for now. 

Edited by Mel Hopkins
Changed the nonprofit description
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Troy said:

the books on the site are just the ones I'm aware of, so your posting it here puts it on my "readar" and that of others reading this conversation.  

 

@Troy  Great minds think a like lol..that was my goal.  I didn't want to assume you or others didn't know about it - so "phrasing" to showcase works best :D

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Just finished Where the Crawdad's Sing. Picked it up in the 50% off bin at an airport bookstore. 

 

It was a decent story, perfect formula for a movie; story about love with a white female lead who over comes adversity dealt by several abusive white men, strong peripheral Black characters, beautiful setting. Good ending.

 

The cover is not right given the story.

 

+-+1987613956_140.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Jhohadli

Just finished the audio book of Tayari Jones’ An American Marriage. A really good and really relevant read though I admit that Silver Sparrow is still my favourite  by this author (and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I’d read the physical copy). I blogged about it: https://jhohadli.wordpress.com/joannes-extra-ness/blogger-on-books-vlll-2020

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm currently reading Paradise by Toni Morrison.  I'm about halfway through it and this is my third time reading a Morrison novel (Jazz and Song of Solomon) are the other two books I've read by her.  Morrison makes you work as a reader and you have to pay attention closely.  I will share a full review when I finish.

71a72o9QJxL.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Guest tolly devlin

Move on Up is a great book that examines the music & society of Chicago's Soul music scene. I have just finished two books by young Chicago authors Stateway Gardens By Jasmon Drain , a book of short stories & Everywhere You Don't Belong  by Gabriel Bump. Also reading & rereading some Baldwin for Evanston's year of Baldwin ( hopefully it will be continued once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted). Also reading a book of interviews with Percival Everett & various 33&1/3 books on Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, The Wild Tchoupitoulas & Jimi Hendrix. The Baraka autobiography is avery good book. Read it when it first came out, got him to sign it  when he came thru Chicago at one of our long gone Black  booksellers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Guest tolly devlin said:

Move on Up is a great book that examines the music & society of Chicago's Soul music scene. I have just finished two books by young Chicago authors Stateway Gardens By Jasmon Drain , a book of short stories & Everywhere You Don't Belong  by Gabriel Bump. Also reading & rereading some Baldwin for Evanston's year of Baldwin ( hopefully it will be continued once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted). Also reading a book of interviews with Percival Everett & various 33&1/3 books on Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, The Wild Tchoupitoulas & Jimi Hendrix. The Baraka autobiography is avery good book. Read it when it first came out, got him to sign it  when he came thru Chicago at one of our long gone Black  booksellers.

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed Move on Up. Ah, see you have a interest in Hendrix. I've many books on the great man. Which Baldwin books are you rereading ? 

Oh, why don't you register with the forum?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest tolly devlin

The books scheduled for Evanston's Year of Baldwin are Go Tell it On The Mountain, which I  have read twice, Another Country which I read in college back in the 70's & Giovanni's Room ,which I have not read. BTW I have registered with this group several times but apparently it must have lapsed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 22 April 2020 at 1:10 PM, Guest tolly devlin said:

The books scheduled for Evanston's Year of Baldwin are Go Tell it On The Mountain, which I  have read twice, Another Country which I read in college back in the 70's & Giovanni's Room ,which I have not read. BTW I have registered with this group several times but apparently it must have lapsed.

Have you read any of Baldwins  essays at all? The Fire Next Time is excellent.

If you have trouble registering please contact Troy.

These three little gems are well worth a read.

image.png.8c9cdf978a6f831fa8ddde51f49bdd0c.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I am about 1/3 of the way through Hiroona - An Historical Romance in Poetic Form, which is about the 2nd Carib War in St Vincent and the great paramount Black Carib (Garifuna) chief Chatoyer. Before that I finished Segu by Maryse Conde which was an enthralling historical fiction novel. I wrote a review about it here on my blog. Highly recommended reading!

hiroona.jpg

Segu.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I AM EXCITED!

 

I am waiting now for my book that I just purchased from this community:

BARRACOON by Nora Neale Hurston.

Oh, I am so excited. This book is my passion.

My ancestor--my Great grandmother was stolen from East Africa many years after the Slave Ship Trade

was supposed to be outlawed! Like this book, which is about a man who was stolen from West Africa 

and survived the voyage in 1860 and lived to tell his story, likewise my Great grandmother lived to be old.

Her story was passed down through my relatives and she lived to be 'just' over 100 years old.

One of my aunt who knew her, just died last year! And, I learned a lot about my Great grandmother from her and others.

So, I am looking forward to reading Barracoon!

 

WHAT AM I READING RIGHT NOW!?

Well although this author is NOT African American, however, for right now, I am reading his book and it is amazing!

The book is called A Dwelling Place by Erksine Clarke. It is about slavery in Georgia. He is a Harvard Graduate and his 

book won awards. It's so hard to put down. I have read about 400 pages into the total 600+ pages. 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...