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Posts tagged with ‘Black Writers’

HERE COMES THE SUN by Nicole Dennis-Benn

August 5, 2016

GORGEOUS, HEARTBREAKING JAMAICAN novel captures the beauty of the country, the struggles of its people. A MINUS

HERE COMES THE SUN
Liveright Publishing Corporation
2016

Grade: A MINUS

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BLACK DEUTSCHLAND by Darryl Pinckney

July 14, 2016

INCISIVE YET LYRICAL novel captures Berlin and Chicago in the 1980s through the eyes of a gay Black writer. B PLUS

BLACK DEUTSCHLAND
Farrar
2016

Grade: B PLUS

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KILL ‘EM AND LEAVE: SEARCHING FOR JAMES BROWN AND THE AMERICAN SOUL by James McBride

June 16, 2016

RAW, BLUESY BIO of James Brown takes on his complicated life, transcendent music, place as a Black icon.

Grade: B PLUS

KILL 'EM AND LEAVE: SEARCHING FOR JAMES BROWN AND THE AMERICAN SOUL
Random House/Spiegel and Grau
2016

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MOSES by Balogun Ojetade

February 29, 2016

WILD, ACTION-PACKED ADVENTURE set in a “Steamfunk” universe where Harriet Tubman is a superhero. Fun SF/F! SOLID B

MOSES: THE CHRONICLES OF HARRIET TUBMAN: FREEDONIA
Roaring Lions Productions
2015

Grade: SOLID B

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HOW TO SLOWLY KILL YOURSELF AND OTHERS IN AMERICA, by Kiese Laymon

December 31, 2013

RAW, BRILLIANT ESSAYS by Kiese Laymon (with notes from family and friends) unfold a black American experience. B PLUS

Grade: B PLUS

HOW TO SLOWLY KILL YOURSELF AND OTHERS IN AMERICA
Agate Bolden
2013

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ESLANDA, by Barbara Ransby

April 23, 2013

THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE of Eslanda Robeson, influential writer, civil rights activist, and wife of Paul Robeson.

Grade: B PLUS

ESLANDA: THE LARGE AND UNCONVENTIONAL LIFE OF MRS. PAUL ROBESON
Yale University Press
2013

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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CANE, by Courttia Newland

February 24, 2013

AN INNER-CITY LONDON teacher’s life is thrown into chaos by a man who may be her long-missing son.  Devastating.

Grade: B PLUS

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CANE
Akashic Books
2013

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THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LUCILLE CLIFTON, 1965-2010

December 23, 2012

I don’t review poetry here, but I cannot help taking a minute to rave about the new collection of poems by the late, great Lucille Clifton.  The poems are beautifully curated, the book design is clear and readable, and the foreword by Toni Morrison was touching in its recognition of Clifton’s gifts.  Do think about buying this if you’re a poetry fan—or maybe even if you aren’t!  Clifton was a strong and distinctive voice, and the power of her work cannot be denied.

THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LUCILLE CLIFTON, 1965-2010
BOA Editions
2012

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IN THE HOUSE OF THE INTERPRETER, by Ngugi wa Thiong’o

December 5, 2012

THE INCOMPARABLE KENYAN WRITER Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s second volume of memoir juxtaposes political and personal.

Grade: A MINUS

IN THE HOUSE OF THE INTERPRETER: A MEMOIR
Knopf Doubleday
2012

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A BIT OF DIFFERENCE, by Sefi Atta

October 17, 2012

QUIETLY COMPELLING NOVEL focuses on a Nigerian expatriate in London, and her sense of alienation even at home.

Grade: B PLUS

A BIT OF DIFFERENCE
Interlink Publishing Group
2012

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