#jamaican author and writer

[authordenisefyffe]

Saturday Stories: Gun Salute in Braeton, St. Catherine

Saturday #Stories: Gun Salute in Braeton, St. Catherine

Saturday Stories: Gun Salute in Braeton, St. Catherine by Denise N. Fyffe   Lying on my back, engrossed in my game, the computer clock silently counted down to 11:58 p.m. A thrill of anticipation tingled in the air – the approach of a new year, a fresh start. Little did I know that the moment of transition would be far from serene. Suddenly, the calm of the night shattered like glass. Outside,…

[neechees]

Historical Indigenous Women & Figures [6]:

Queen Nanny: the leader of the 18th century Maroon community in Jamaica, she led multiple battles in guerrilla war against the British, which included freeing slaves, and raiding plantations, and then later founding the community Nanny Town. There are multiple accounts of Queen Nanny's origins, one claiming that she was of the Akan people from Ghana and escaped slavery before starting rebellions, and others that she was a free person and moved to the Blue Mountains with a community of Taino. Regardless, Queen Nanny solidified her influence among the Indigenous People of Jamaica, and is featured on a Jamaican bank note. Karimeh Abboud: Born in Bethlehem, Palestine, Karimeh Abboud became interested in photography in 1913 after recieving a camera for her 17th birthday from her Father. Her prestige in professional photography rapidly grew and became high demand, being described as one of the "first female photographers of the Arab World", and in 1924 she described herself as "the only National Photographer". Georgia Harris: Born to a family of traditional Catawba potters, Harris took up pottery herself, and is credited with preserving traditional Catawba pottery methods due to refusing to use more tourist friendly forms in her work, despite the traditional method being much more labour intensive. Harris spent the rest of her life preserving and passing on the traditional ways of pottery, and was a recipient of a 1997 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the highest honor in the folk and traditional arts in the United States. Nozugum: known as a folk hero of the Uyghur people, Nozugum was a historical figure in 19th century Kashgar, who joined an uprising and killed her captor before running away. While she was eventually killed after escaping, her story remains a treasured one amongst the Uyghur. Pampenum: a Sachem of the Wangunk people in what is now called Pennsylvania, Pampenum gained ownership of her mother's land, who had previously intended to sell it to settlers. Not sharing the same plans as her mother, Pampenum attempted to keep these lands in Native control by using the colonial court system to her advantage, including forbidding her descendants from selling the land, and naming the wife of the Mohegan sachem Mahomet I as her heir. Despite that these lands were later sold, Pampenum's efforts did not go unnoticed. Christine Quintasket: also known as "Humishima", "Mourning Dove", Quintasket was a Sylix author who is credited as being one of the first female Native American authors to write a novel featuring a female protagonist. She used her Sylix name, Humishima, as a pen name, and was inspired to become an author after reading a racist portrayal of Native Americans, & wished to refute this derogatory portrayal. Later in life, she also became active in politics, and helped her tribe to gain money that was owed them. Rita Pitka Blumenstein: an Alaskan Yup'ik woman who's healing career started at four years old, as she was trained in traditional healing by her grandmother, and then later she became the first certified traditional doctor in Alaska and worked for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. She later passed on her knowledge to her own daughters. February 17th is known as Rita Pitka Blumenstein day in Alaska, and in 2009 she was one of 50 women inducted into the inaugural class of the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame Olivia Ward Bush-Banks: a mixed race woman of African American and Montaukett heritage, Banks was a well known author who was a regular contributor to the the first magazine that covered Black American culture, and wrote a column for a New York publication. She wrote of both Native American, and Black American topics and issues, and helped sculptor Richmond Barthé and writer Langston Hughes get their starts during the Harlem Renaissance. She is also credited with preserving Montaukett language and folklore due to her writing in her early career.

part [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] Transphobes & any other bigots need not reblog and are not welcome on my posts.

[denimbex1986]

'Writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah has died aged 65, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour eight weeks ago.

A statement posted on his Instagram account confirmed he died in the early hours of Thursday.

The statement said Zephaniah's wife "was with him throughout and was by his side when he passed".

"We shared him with the world and we know many will be shocked and saddened by this news," it added.

Zephaniah was born and raised in Handsworth, Birmingham, the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse. He was dyslexic and left school aged 13, unable to read or write.

He moved to London aged 22 and published his first book, Pen Rhythm.

His early work used dub poetry, a Jamaican style of work that has evolved into the music genre of the same name, and he would also perform with the group The Benjamin Zephaniah Band.

As Zephaniah's profile grew, he became a familiar face on television and was credited with bringing Dub Poetry into British living rooms.

He also wrote five novels as well as poetry for children, and his first book for younger readers, Talking Turkeys, was a huge success upon its publication in 1994.

On top of his writing work, Zephaniah was an actor and appeared in the BBC drama series Peaky Blinders between 2013 and 2022.

He played Jeremiah "Jimmy" Jesus, appearing in 14 episodes across the six series.

Zephaniah famously rejected an OBE in 2003 due to the association of such an honour with the British Empire and its history of slavery.

"I've been fighting against empire all my life, fighting against slavery and colonialism all my life," he told The Big Narstie Show in 2020.

"I've been writing to connect with people, not to impress governments and monarchy. So I could I then accept an honour that puts the word Empire on to my name? That would be hypocritical.

He often spoke out about issues such as racial abuse and education.

When he was younger, Zephaniah served a prison sentence for burglary and received a criminal record.

In 1982, Zephaniah released an album called Rasta, which featured the Wailers' first recording since the death of Bob Marley.

It also included a tribute to the then-political prisoner Nelson Mandela, who would later become South African president.

In an interview in 2005, Zephaniah said growing up in a violent household led to him assuming that was the norm.

He recalled: "I once asked a friend of mine, 'What do you do when your dad beats your mum?' And he went: 'He doesn't.'

"I said, 'Ah, you come from one of those, like, feminist houses. So, what do you do when your mum beats your dad?'"

In 2012, he was chosen to guest edit an edition of BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Zephaniah was nominated for autobiography of the year at the National Book Awards for his work, The Life And Rhymes Of Benjamin Zephaniah, which was also shortlisted for the Costa Book Award in 2018.

During a Covid-19 lockdown, Zephaniah recited one of his poems in a video for the Hay Festival.

"Benjamin was a true pioneer and innovator. He gave the world so much," the statement announcing his death said.

"Through an amazing career including a huge body of poems, literature, music, television and radio, Benjamin leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy."

A statement from the Black Writers' guild, which Zephaniah helped establish, said: "Our family of writers is in mourning at the loss of a deeply valued friend and a titan of British literature. Benjamin was a man of integrity and an example of how to live your values."

Others paying tribute included author Michael Rosen, who said: "I'm devastated. I admired him, respected him, learnt from him, loved him. Love and condolences to the family and to all who loved him too."

Actress Adjoa Andoh posted: "We have lost a Titan today. Benjamin Zephaniah. Beautiful Poet, Professor, Advocate for love and humanity in all things. Heartbroken. Rest In Your Power - our brother."

Peaky Blinders actor Cillian Murphy said in a statement: "Benjamin was a truly gifted and beautiful human being.

"A generational poet, writer, musician and activist. A proud Brummie and a Peaky Blinder. I'm so saddened by this news."

Broadcaster Trevor Nelson said: "So sad to hear about the passing of Benjamin Zephaniah. Too young, too soon, he had a lot more to give. He was a unique talent."

Singer-songwriter and musician Billy Bragg added: "Very sorry to hear this news. Benjamin Zephaniah was our radical poet laureate. Rest in power, my friend."

Comedian, actor and writer Lenny Henry said: "I was saddened to learn of the passing of my friend Benjamin Zephaniah. His passion for poetry, his advocacy for education for all was tireless."

Writer Nels Abbey said: "To call this crushing news is a massive understatement. He was far too young, far too brilliant and still had so much to offer. A loss we'll never recover from."

The X/Twitter account for Premier League football club Aston Villa, whom Zephaniah supported said everyone at the club was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"Named as one of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008, Benjamin was a lifelong Aston Villa fan and had served as an ambassador for the AVFCFoundation. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."'

[khushi156]

Celebrate Pride Month with These 10 Must-Read LGBTQ+ Books

Pride Month is a time to honor and celebrate the rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ voices and stories that shape our world. This June, dive into these ten captivating books that not only entertain but also enlighten, offering diverse perspectives and poignant insights into the queer experience. From business guides to young adult fiction, each book on this list is a unique journey worth embarking on.

1. “Queeristan: LGBTQ Inclusion in the Indian Workplace” by Parmesh Shahani

Genre: Business / Memoir

Parmesh Shahani's ‘Queeristan’ is more than just a business book; it's a manifesto for change in the Indian corporate world. Shahani, known for his pioneering work in LGBTQ+ advocacy, blends his personal experiences with actionable strategies for creating inclusive workplaces. Through engaging storytelling, he illuminates the challenges and triumphs of being queer in corporate India and presents a compelling case for diversity and inclusion. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the intersection of business and LGBTQ+ rights in India.

2. “It Has No Name” by Payal Dhar

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

In a landscape where LGBTQ+ representation in Indian literature is sparse, *It Has No Name* shines brightly. Authored by Payal Dhar, an Indian non-binary writer, this YA novel explores the tender and tumultuous world of two high school girls in a small Indian town discovering their love for each other. Despite its raw and sometimes uneven narrative, Dhar's debut offers a heartfelt and genuine portrayal of young love and identity. It's a refreshing addition to the world of queer Indian fiction and a beacon of hope for more stories like it.

3. “Just Happy to Be Here” by Naomi Kanakia

Genre: Fantasy

Naomi Kanakia's ‘Just Happy to Be Here’ is a thrilling adventure set in a world inspired by Jamaican folklore. Faron Vincent, blessed with divine powers, must navigate complex choices that pit her loyalty to her homeland against her love for her sister. This fantasy novel combines rich cultural elements with a gripping plot, offering readers an immersive experience. Kanakia's storytelling weaves themes of identity, family, and sacrifice, making it a standout in the realm of LGBTQ+ fantasy.

4. “My Fair Brady” by Brian D. Kennedy

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Blending the charm of ‘My Fair Lady’ with the spirit of teen rom-coms like *She’s All That*, Brian D. Kennedy’s *My Fair Brady* is a delightful read. When Wade Westmore, a high school musical star, and Elijah Brady, a shy sophomore, team up to reinvent each other, they both embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected romance. This book is perfect for fans of heartwarming tales about finding love and identity in the most unexpected places.

5. “Daniel, Deconstructed” by James Ramos

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

In ‘Daniel, Deconstructed’, James Ramos offers a touching exploration of life through the lens of a high school photographer and film buff, Daniel Sanchez. Navigating his autism and queer identity, Daniel's world is a carefully constructed script until a new classmate, Gabe, challenges everything he thought he knew. This novel beautifully captures the complexities of growing up different and the transformative power of genuine connections.

6. “The Fox Maidens” by Robin Ha

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

‘The Fox Maidens’ follows Tara, the first out trans girl at an all-girls school, as she struggles to find her place in a traditionally rigid environment. Robin Ha’s narrative dives deep into themes of identity, acceptance, and the courage to be true to oneself. With its richly drawn characters and poignant storyline, this YA novel is an inspiring read for anyone navigating the complexities of gender and belonging.

7. “City of Laughter” by Temim Fruchter

Genre: Historical Fiction / Folklore

Temim Fruchter’s debut novel, ‘City of Laughter’, is a mesmerizing journey that intertwines the lives of a modern young woman and an 18th-century Jewish badchan. As Shiva Margolin delves into her family’s past in Poland, she uncovers a tapestry of history, humor, and heartache. Fruchter’s narrative, praised for its deep understanding of queer and Jewish traditions, offers a poignant exploration of identity, grief, and the enduring power of storytelling.

8. “Crooked Teeth: A Queer Syrian Refugee Memoir” by Danny Ramadan

Genre: Memoir

Danny Ramadan’s ‘Crooked Teeth’ is a powerful memoir that chronicles his journey as a queer Syrian refugee navigating life through the tumultuous backdrop of political upheaval and personal discovery. From Damascus to Canada, Ramadan's story is a testament to resilience, community, and the enduring quest for belonging. This memoir is both heart-wrenching and hopeful, offering an unflinching look at the struggles and triumphs of finding one's place in the world.

9. “Blessings” by Chukwuebuka Ibeh

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Chukwuebuka Ibeh’s debut novel, ‘Blessings’, tells the intertwined stories of Obiefuna and his mother, Uzoamaka, as they navigate their lives in Nigeria amidst societal and personal upheaval. Set against the backdrop of the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2013, this novel explores themes of identity, family, and the quest for freedom. Ibeh's storytelling is intimate and evocative, making *Blessings* a significant contribution to LGBTQ+ literature.

10. “Wish You Weren’t Here” by Erin Baldwin

Genre: Romantic Comedy

‘Wish You Weren’t Here’ by Erin Baldwin is a delightful enemies-to-lovers rom-com set against the backdrop of a summer camp. When high school rivals Juliette and Priya end up as roommates, sparks fly in more ways than one. Baldwin’s immersive storytelling and richly drawn characters make this book a perfect summer read. It's a charming exploration of love, rivalry, and the surprises life has in store.

This Pride Month, let these books take you on journeys of self-discovery, love, and resilience. Whether you’re looking for heartfelt memoirs, exciting fantasies, or charming romances, these ten reads offer something special for everyone. Happy reading!

[thisisjamaica]

The acclaimed writer and poet died aged 65. Here, leading contemporaries pay tribute.

Michael Rosen (British author and poet): ��He nudged people into seeing the world through the eyes of the oppressed.’

Benjamin was a hero to millions of people all over the world. His mix of poetry, novels, wisdom, humour and sheer presence grabbed us and delighted us. I first saw him when he was starting out in the poetry clubs, dancing a poem about his mother, voicing his poetry in a voice I hadn’t heard before: Brummie-Caribbean. It was an honour and treat to work with him many times over the years, on videos, radio programmes, and when he MC’d an award ceremony run by the British Council for the best examples of English teaching. Then and often elsewhere, he loved reflecting on his journey from being a semi-literate teenager, getting into trouble, to someone feted at the highest levels for his literary achievements and force of personality.

His poetry is full of power, humanity and belief. He was a Rastafarian in belief and practice and loved talking about what that meant to him. I hope he won’t mind me saying that his love of all things living reminded me of William Blake. People will remember him, I’m sure, appearing on Question Time gently and wittily batting experienced politicians to one side with his comments. I once asked him how he did it, how did he encapsulate “big” stuff in such pithy, seemingly simple ways. He said that he imagined himself talking with his mother: how would they talk about it, he said?

He wrote novels for teenagers. Refugee Boy – as it sounds – takes the point of view of a refugee and the struggle that people in his area have of winning him asylum. One of the great moments in the book is when the boy reflects on what “problems” the local British boys seem to have compared with the problems he is going through.

That’s what Benjamin did over and over again, nudge people into seeing the world through the eyes of the oppressed.

Some of his wonderful performances are up online. Please look at them as your way of paying tribute to him. My own personal favourite is Rong Radio. I once asked him where he wrote his poems. He said, “I don’t write them. I make them up in my head when I go running.”

I am devastated by this news. I admired, respected and loved Benjamin and I learned so much from him.

Colin Grant (British author and historian): ‘He was the people’s poet.’

It was raining heavily at the Hay festival 20 years ago when I first saw and was mesmerised by Benjamin Zephaniah. The marquee was filled to the rafters with hundreds of people who it seemed were attending not a literary or racial sacrament but a spiritual one. Rain outside; eternal sunshine within.

Benjamin was the trailblazing epitome not of the reductive “ethnic writer” but of the global majority writer who refused to be categorised. In any event, though kind of ordinary, his uniqueness – a karate, yoga and dominoes-loving Rastafarian poet and storyteller – made it impossible to box him in.

For young black writers, he was the answer to literary gatekeepers who claimed there were no commercial prospects for writing that spoke to social deprivation, marginalisation and racism with a plain-speaking honesty and humour.

There was also the realisation that here was a brotherman who’d been a rascal in his youth but had reinvented himself and been saved by literature; that writing could transform the self as well as readers and listeners.

Benjamin was a one-love Rasta, not guided by any kind of separatism. Today, as some default to silos of separation, his porous writing showed how you could speak to an unimagined cohort with poetry and prose. He was, in essence, what Jamaicans call a “simple sense man”; he spoke to youngsters and elders with the same intensity.

The seeming guilelessness of his writing made some wince and claim he was not a real, learned poet. But when you stopped to listen, or clean your glasses, or dry your eyes, you’d find yourself in the presence of a fierce and fearless emotional intelligence. Benjamin’s spoken and written voice was the expression of a writer who was extraordinary in his ordinariness. He was the people’s poet; a groundbreaker who broke bread with everyone.

[zalrb]

thoughts on the author who was just exposed for lying about being native? (colby wilkens)

and white liars finding success in general tbh… there’s been quite a few

There have been quite a few, there have also been white authors who haven't lied about being white and decided to write stories - badly - about BIPOC and received the institutional support for writing stories they have no right to tell while authors of that context receive nothing or bare bones - Jeanine Cummins and her seven-figure deal for American Dirt comes to mind. It reminds me of when I first started writing and I was at this writers studio and on the first day spoke about how I kept getting passed over for things because agents and publishers and contest judges kept saying my work was inaccessible due to the cultural specificity and the use of Jamaican patois in my stories and this white author responded by saying that she had just gotten a story published about taking a vacation in Jamaica and getting her hair braided and I was just like

but I mean I don't really think there's anything to say about it except that it obviously points to the racism inherent in the industry and as Bethany Baptiste said on twitter, it speaks to the fact that white authors write BIPOC the way white people view and want to read BIPOC, which is why they keep finding success doing these things

and that also speaks to the fact that there is a lot of discussion around representation in publishing for authors, as there should be, but the industry doesn't just stop at authors, it's also about agents and editors and the people acquiring/working on the books and while there is a slow shift in these areas, the fact remains that it's still overwhelmingly white in Canada

The industry as a whole remains majority white, but the balance has shifted since 2018, from 82% white to 75%.

Respondents identifying as gender-diverse, including transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming, increased from 5% in 2018 to 10% in 2022.

11% fewer respondents overall identified as heterosexual, down from 72% in 2018 to 61% in 2022. 

The percentage of respondents who said their firm currently has Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and initiatives rose from 49% in 2018 to 63% in 2022, whereas the percentage of heads of firm with plans to implement new DEI policies and initiatives rose from 35% in 2018 to 52% in 2022. 

in the States

72.5 percent of US publishing, review journal, and literary agency staffers are white/Caucasian, “a significant decrease from 76 percent in 2019.”

The rest comprise people who self-report as:

Biracial/multiracial (8.4 percent)

Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/South Asian/Southeast Indian (7.8 percent)

Black/African-American/Afro-Caribbean (5.3 percent)

Hispanic/Latino/Mexican (4.6 percent)

There continues to be a prominent lack of representation within the publishing industry of Native American as well as Middle Eastern people,” the study’s authors write, referring to a result showing less than 1 percent representation in each.

A total 0.8 percent of respondents said their identity was not listed.

in the UK

·  Representation of people from ethnic minority groups (excluding White minorities) has increased to 17% from 15% in 2021.

·  LGBT+ representation has increased, with 15% (up from 13% in 2021) of respondents either identifying as lesbian, gay, or bi, or self-describing their sexual orientation, a figure which has grown each year since 2017 (5%) – and as in 2021, 1% of respondents identified as trans.

·  The representation of people with a disability or long-term health condition has increased from 2% in 2017 to 16% in 2022 (up from 13% in 2021).

·  Socio-economic background continues to represent major barriers to inclusion, with two thirds (66%) of respondents being from professional backgrounds.

So, yeah, there's a lot of work to be done.

[broken-clover]

🍓🔪🍬🦴🥤 :D

Wheeeee

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

Tbh you think I'd remember but I really don't. I have vague memories of making Pokemon OC's but wasn't really introduced to the concept of fanfiction until my older sister got me into Hetalia and I found out about it while looking up fanart. I think I've discusses it before, though, that I didn't feel confident writing full-on fanfic for the longest time because I was too terrified about writing characters OOC. Idk what exactly made me get over it, maybe GG just instilled enough brainrot I couldn't help it

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

See I dunno about 'weird' but I've done a lot of random shit I never thought would be relevant until I had to go look for it. Hard to objectively say what was the oddest so I'm just gonna make a list of some off the top of my head

-(I've repurposed a surprising amount of my learnings from mortuary for anatomical and medical reference)

-Giraffe/horse autopsy

-Introductory guides to Jamaican Patois

-"Can bats get polio"

-"Common clothing of Nepal"/"Common clothing of Tibet" (notable in that it ended up being relevant for half a paragraph)

-"Cheeses of Bhutan"

-"What is the highest proof alcohol you are legally allowed to buy"

-Profanities of numerous languages, including sign

-"How old are children before they can pronounce 'x'"

-Brazilian cryptids

-"least flammable bed fabrics"

-Treatment and recovery time of a PCL tear

-Step by step guides for kimono-wearing

-Bone throwing as a form of divination

-Adult clubfoot treatments

-"what type of video is security camera footage"

-"autoimmune diseases caused by stress"

-psychogenic stuttering

-how to replace/modify a clutch disk for a stick shift

-French homicide law

-Pyretic drugs

-LOTS of fish biology

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

Probably in part due to oversaturation, but Bridget is just...kinda boring. I find her concept and story endearing and sympathetic, of course, but she doesn't have the same kind of complicated themes and bizarre lore that engages me like a lot of the series' other characters to the point where I can delve into it and get on that level of brainrot.

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

Can't simply say 'a.' I feel like I take a lot of bits from a lot of different stuff! I find I like to try and find 'weird' media frequently, though, I like seeing the bizarre concepts people can cook up and wonder if I'm not thinking outside the box hard enough. Likewise for horror, to a lesser extent

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

hweeeehhhh why do you always give me the tough ones. There's some really obvious picks, you and Jim and Roy and Crow, but I've probably done you all like three times already! Easy picks

Lemme see, if I wanna try and do something a little different than the obvious, I do have a couple recs! For anyone that's into Psychonauts, I totally recommend BabyCharmander (ESPECIALLY 'Cavity,' do not read anything else before you go into it, reading it for the first time hits you like a truck to the face) and The_Angst_Alchemist (Particularly if you're a Thorney Towers fan, they write the inmates with such panache and easily some of the best interpretations of Fred) It's a little more niche, but if you're an ARMS fan I recommend anything by MeltyMetroid, for a series that has such little lore they've written several incredibly fleshed out and well-constructed longfics (I'd recommend 'DisARMed' and 'Broken Mirror' for the plot-heavy jaunts and 'The Brass that Saved Christmas' if you want a good laugh)

Admittedly in general I don't pay as much attention to specific writers as I should, or the series I look for stuff for is so niche it doesn't really have dedicated writers

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 7.20

Beer Birthdays

Louis Hudepohl (1842)

Peter Adolph Schemm (1852)

George Reisch (1957)

Arne Johnson (1965)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Thomas Berger; writer (1924)

Stone Gossard; rock musician (1966)

Edmund Hillary; New Zealand mountaineer, explorer (1919)

Max Liebermann; German artist (1847)

Diana Rigg; actress (1938)

Famous Birthdays

Lola Albright; actor (1926)

Alexander the Great; Macedonian king (356 B.C.E.)

Giselle Bundchen; Brazilian model (1980)

Kim Carnes; singer (1945)

Chris Cornell; rock singer (1964)

Donna Dixon; actor (1957)

Desmond Douglas, Jamaican-English table tennis player (1955)

Omar Epps; actor (1973)

Judy Greer; actress (1975)

Nikolaes Heinsius the Elder; Dutch poet (1620)

Sally Ann Howes; actor (1930)

Erik Axel Karlfeld; Swedish poet (1864)

Periklis Korovesis; Greek author (1941)

Cormac McCarthy; writer (1933)

Alistair MacLeon; Canadian novelist (1936)

Clements Markham; English explorer (1830)

Gregor Mendel; Austro-German scientist (1822)

László Moholy-Nagy; Hungarian artist (1895)

Giorgio Morandi; Italian painter (1890)

Sandra Oh; actress (1971)

Petrarch; Italian poet (1304)

Richard Owen; English zoologist (1804)

Nam June Paik; artist (1932)

Francesco Petrach; Italian scholar (1304)

Tadeusz Reichstein; Polish-Swiss chemist *1897)

Wendy Richard; English actor (1943)

Carlos Santana; rock guitarist (1947)

T. G. Sheppard; country music singer-songwriter (1944)

Taichō; Japanese monk (682)

Frank Whaley; actor (1963)

Dean Winters; actor (1964)

Natalie Wood; actress (1938)

[justforbooks]

Yes, it’s that time again: next Sunday the winner of this year’s Booker prize will be announced. Everyone has their favourites and it’s easy to carp about novels the judges missed, but the truth is we don’t know which ones they consider – the list of 150-odd titles is never made public and probably any number of subterranean factors determines its makeup; a few years ago I heard of at least one big-name British author, an obvious contender, who refused to be considered. And awards – now brands in themselves – seek to establish their own identities: was Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead crossed off the list after winning the Pulitzer and Women’s prizes for fiction?

One of the judges, Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro, recently said he isn’t comfortable with historical fiction, which perhaps had something to do with the absence from the longlist of two of the year’s most feted novels, Zadie Smith’s The Fraud and Tom Crewe’s The New Life. True, one historical novel has made the shortlist: This Other Eden (Hutchinson Heinemann), by Pulitzer-winning US author Paul Harding – but that’s no surprise: the chair of judges, Esi Edugyan, says how good she thinks it is on the cover of the book itself, published last February.

Drawing on the true story of the forced eviction of a mixed-race island community in New England before the first world war, it may have Edugyan’s vote but I think it’s a novel that’s hard to love. We follow various descendants of a freed slave as a well-meaning missionary, privately racist, attempts to spare one of them – a gifted young painter who happens to pass as white – by having him moved to a friend’s estate on shore.

At the core of what ensues is his doomed romance with his landlord’s Irish maid. But Harding relies on laboriously laid slabs of narration to generate dramatic irony as we see events from different points of view – the painter’s, the maid’s, then his family’s, confronted with her pregnancy as she visits the island in search of the painter’s past.

In his previous novel, Enon, Harding found a measure of comedy even in the plight of a father mourning the death of his teenage daughter in a road accident. Nothing to laugh about in This Other Eden, a mark of Harding’s sense of responsibility to his painful material. For sure, he wrings pathos from the injustice and horror from the climactic violence but the novel never justifies its own interest in the spectacle.

I have similar unease about Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song (Oneworld), set in a contemporary Ireland gradually riven by war between a totalitarian regime and insurgent rebels. It follows a Dublin mum of four after the arbitrary detention of her trade unionist husband. The focus is on her trials keeping the breakfast-to-bedtime show on the road amid a descent into hell, from abductions to air raids. That focus gives the novel its convincing frisson – as bombing intensifies, the protagonist’s father rings her up complaining about his neighbour’s ivy – but it also locates it firmly as thought experiment. It’s jarringly apolitical – there’s no obvious history to what’s going on – and ultimately there’s something almost obscenely decadent to its invitation to sympathise with sea-crossing refugees by recasting them as middle-class Europeans. When Eilish thinks it’s “as though some filmed transparency of a foreign war has been placed upon an image of the city”, the line catches exactly what Lynch is up to.

Still, its explosive set pieces have a visceral spell undimmed by rereading, and any sense of unease it fosters may count in its favour – whatever else it is, Prophet Song is a novel to argue about.

I preferred quieter books on the list. Kudos to the judges for spotlighting If I Survive You (Fourth Estate), a thrilling debut by US writer Jonathan Escoffery (a former student of Percival Everett, shortlisted last year for The Trees) that starts as an exploration of second-generation American identity by way of a Jamaican-descended literature graduate, Trelawny, whose morale – already battered by being second-best, at least in his father’s eyes, to his tree surgeon brother Delano – takes another hit by his graduating post-recession. He finds himself doing crazy things for money, not least being paid by a woman who puts out a classifieds ad looking for someone to hit her.

With much tenderness in the gulf between father and son, this would be a worthy winner. It’s funny, sad, always toying with assumptions about race. Don’t be misled by the opening sequence, which feels like an exercise in voice, as the second-person narration explores the contortions of internalised racism. In later sections Escoffery shines through as a first-rate scene-maker with a wicked knack for jeopardy: witness Delano’s catastrophically ill-conceived bid to retrieve an impounded cherry-picker so he can take on a job. In the title story, Trelawny winds up part of a rich white couple’s twisted sex game (and yes, this is a linked story collection, openly advertised as such on the dust jacket, a first for a prize now awarded to “longform fiction”).

Another debut that is a revelation is Western Lane (Picador) by Chetna Maroo, the only British writer here (hard not to note that she got her break from magazines in the US and Ireland). Families were clearly a hot topic for this year’s judges, but the simplicity of this book stands apart. It is narrated by 11-year-old Gopi, youngest of three daughters in an Indian family living in south London, whose father schools her in squash at a local leisure centre in the year after their mother’s death. The story evolves as she practises to compete in a tournament: the power of the novel lying in what goes unsaid between Gopi and Pa, between her and an older boy she hits with at the leisure centre, between the sisters, between her and the childless aunt and uncle in Edinburgh where she’s expected to move.

This is a beautiful tale of family – and sport. A moving yet non-maudlin novel about grief, it’s told in plain language electric with feeling, nicely catching the narrator’s incomplete understanding of her situation without making her a figure of irony. A real feat: if the metric is the ratio of number of words to emotion generated, Western Lane wins.

Paul Murray’s mighty The Bee Sting (Hamish Hamilton) is a book nearly big enough to contain the others on the shortlist, and it features many of their themes, from filial misunderstanding to civilizational collapse – or its looming shadow, seen in the ultimately catastrophic prepping of its beleaguered patriarch, a car salesman sunk by the recession, wed to the class-climbing daughter of a bare-knuckle boxer. A 650-page soap opera with a clockwork plot whose delicate mechanism you can’t hear tick: if it wins the Booker there will be a lot of delighted readers finding it under the Christmas tree.

It’s so obviously the best novel here – but will the judges talk themselves out of it? A sceptical 3,000-word review in the London Review of Books shows what might happen if you’re encouraged to think about it for too long; and remember, too, the Booker doesn’t reward the best novel of the year – not exactly – it’s more the book that survives a process that entails being read and discussed again and again over the better part of nine months.

It’s because of this that I wonder if Prophet Song will get the nod – or Sarah Bernstein’s Study for Obedience (Granta). A Canadian living in Scotland, listed this year as one of Granta’s best young British novelists, she is also winner of Canada’s prestigious Scotiabank Giller prize (twice won by Edugyan). Study for Obedience has nagged me since I read it in March. I didn’t like it then and I don’t love it now but in a list of novels about family it stands apart – an almost spectrally vague existential brainteaser soaked in 20th-century bloodshed. I can’t tell you what the novel is about, exactly, and that’s why I think it bears scrutiny. The narrator is an unnamed woman who moves to an unspecified country to take up her creepy elder brother’s affairs as a housekeeper, where her duties extend to soaping his back, and she’s permitted to watch TV only by lipreading (he says subtitles affect the play of light in the room). Strange encounters with locals never quite bloom into confrontation. Instead of drama we have discomfort and dread: between the lines lies the genocide and exile of the protagonist’s ancestors.

Trapping us in an isolated consciousness, the winding narration is full of comma-spliced caveats and double negatives that make it purposely awkward to place.

How to measure this against, say, the arrowlike flight of Maroo’s sentences aiming at the heart? I don’t envy the judges. Where they have by and large selected novels that show an uncomplicated faith in the pleasure of storytelling, Bernstein’s is the book that makes narrative a problem – the reader’s problem, some might say. But it just might be declared best on 26 November by judges who can’t be expected to spend a year agreeing with one another about how great The Bee Sting is.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[blackhistorychatgpt]

Great Figures

me: Can you give me 50 important Black historical figures that I can study with a short bio for each of them?

ChatGPT:

Certainly, here are 50 important Black historical figures along with a short bio for each:

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) - Civil rights leader who led the Montgomery Bus Boycott and advocated for nonviolent resistance to racism and segregation.

Harriet Tubman (c. 1822-1913) - Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and later became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, leading hundreds of enslaved people to freedom.

Barack Obama (1961-) - First Black president of the United States, serving from 2009 to 2017.

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) - Born into slavery, Douglass escaped and became a prominent abolitionist, writer, and speaker.

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) - South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader who became the country's first Black president.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005) - Civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) - Poet, author, and civil rights activist who wrote the autobiographical book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."

W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) - Civil rights leader, historian, and sociologist who co-founded the NAACP and was the first Black person to earn a PhD from Harvard.

Malcolm X (1925-1965) - Civil rights activist and leader of the Nation of Islam, known for his advocacy of Black self-determination and his criticism of nonviolent resistance.

Sojourner Truth (c. 1797-1883) - Born into slavery, Truth became an abolitionist and women's rights activist, giving her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech in 1851.

Angela Davis (1944-) - Political activist and author who was involved in the Black Panther Party and later became a professor of philosophy.

Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) - Historian and author who founded Black History Month and dedicated his life to promoting the study of African American history.

Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) - Civil rights lawyer who argued the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education before becoming the first Black Supreme Court justice.

Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) - Political trailblazer who was the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first Black person to seek a major party's nomination for president.

James Baldwin (1924-1987) - Author and civil rights activist who wrote about the experiences of Black Americans in works such as "The Fire Next Time" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain."

Mae Jemison (1956-) - Astronaut who became the first Black woman in space in 1992.

Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) - Jamaican-born political leader and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which advocated for Black nationalism and Pan-Africanism.

Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) - Journalist and civil rights activist who documented lynching and other forms of violence against Black people.

Medgar Evers (1925-1963) - Civil rights activist who worked to desegregate schools and public places in Mississippi before being assassinated by a white supremacist.

Huey P. Newton (1942-1989) - Co-founder of the Black Panther Party, which advocated for Black self-defense, community empowerment, and socialism.

Paul Robeson (1898

[wellreadwyvern]

📖AUTHOR EVENT📖 I enjoyed a lovely evening at @littleshopofstories with authors Lauren Blackwood and Jordan Ifueko. Blackwood’s new book, Wildblood, was one of my most anticipated YA fantasies for February. I can’t wait to dive into this “Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters.” I don’t know why I enjoy listening to authors discuss their writing process, but I do. Maybe it’s because I find the act of creative writing to be so intimidating. The best events are those with two writers in conversation. I’d love to see Jordan Ifueko lead more author discussions. Her energy and enthusiasm were absolutely delightful. And now I’m ashamed it’s taken me so long to read Raybearer. YA readers in Atlanta are pretty spoiled by the number of authors in the metro area. And they are so supportive of each other! There’s almost always at least one bestselling YA author in the audience. (Last night I found myself sitting behind Mark Oshiro.) Looking forward to more great author events soon! ❓What was the last fun event you attended? (Any event, not necessarily book related.) #wildblood #laurenblackwood #raybearer #jordanifueko #fantasybooks #yafantasy #ireadya #authorevent #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocalbusiness #supportindiebookstores #littleshopofstories #decaturga #newbookrelease #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CofL_xkLyw5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[authordenisefyffe]

Saturday Stories: Crushed Hopes in St. Kitts

Saturday #Stories: Crushed Hopes in St. Kitts

Saturday Stories: Crushed Hopes in St. Kitts by: Denise N. Fyffe   Thomas stopped mid-stride on his way out the door. The weight of his regret seemed to push him back, chaining him to the remnants of their shattered life. He turned, took a few steps, and looked at the woman he had loved for fifteen years. “Will you not reconsider, Rosa?” His voice was a fragile plea, like a paper-thin raft…

[alexesguerra]

The Weiser Tarot: A New Edition of the Classic 1909 Waite-Smith Deck (78-Card Deck with 64-Page Guidebook) The Weiser Tarot: A New Edition of the Classic 1909 Waite-Smith Deck (78-Card Deck with 64-Page Guidebook) Cards – September 14, 2022 by Arthur Edward Waite (Author), Pamela Colman Smith (Author), The Editors of Weiser Books (Editor) ---Brand New--- A fresh and vibrant reimagining of the classic 1909 Waite-Smith tarot. "Beautifully done and poised to become the go-to tarot deck for the century to come, The Weiser Tarot is a vibrant and luminous refresh for the 1909 Rider-Waite-Smith that accentuates the elemental correspondences and updates this popular deck for modern readers." —Benebell Wen, author of Holistic Tarot The Weiser Tarot is a new edition of the most popular and influential Tarot art ever created, the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, first published in 1909. The cards have been newly repainted—while, of course, preserving Pamela Colman Smith’s original line art—creating a fresh, flowing aesthetic. Additionally, the cards provide Hebrew and astrological correspondences to the Major Arcana—not included in the original Rider-Waite-Smith deck—for those seekers who have interest in Qabalah and astrology. The accompanying book includes: A brief history of the Tarot A look at how the Rider-Waite-Smith deck came to be The story behind the creation of The Weiser Tarot Keywords for interpreting the cards Tarot spreads, including a new “Ankh” spread created especially for The Weiser Tarot An annotated list of recommended reading for further study The Weiser Tarot was created to speak to your own personal Tarot needs and desires. Whether you are new to the Tarot or a seasoned card reader, you can use The Weiser Tarot for divination, fortune-telling, self-transformation, spellcasting, or any other purpose. About the Author Arthur Edward Waite (1857–1942), commonly known as A. E. Waite, was an American-born British poet and scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters and was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Pamela Colman Smith (1878–1951), also nicknamed Pixie, was a British artist, illustrator, writer, publisher, and occultist. She is best known for illustrating the Rider-Waite tarot deck in collaboration with Arthur Edward Waite. This tarot deck became the standard among tarot card readers and remains the most widely used today. Colman also illustrated over twenty books, wrote two collections of Jamaican folklore, edited two magazines, and ran the Green Sheaf Press, a small press focused on women writers. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Weiser Books; New edition (September 14, 2022) Language ‏ : ‎ English Cards ‏ : ‎ 64 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1578637953 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9781578637959 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.4 ounces Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 3.25 x 1.85 x 5.25 inches

[lboogie1906]

Governor Captain Westley Watende Omari Moore (October 15, 1978) is a politician, investment banker, author, nonprofit executive, and former television producer serving as the 63rd governor of Maryland since 2023.

He is the author of The Other Wes Moore and The Work, both of which are New York Times Bestsellers. He was the host of Beyond Belief, as well as the executive producer and a writer for Coming Back with Wes Moore.

He is the founder and CEO of BridgeEdU, a social enterprise dedicated to helping students in their transitions to their freshman year of college.

He was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, to father William Westley Moore Jr., a broadcast news journalist, and mother Joy Thomas Moore, a daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and a media professional.

When he was nearly four years old, his father died from acute epiglottitis. His mother took him and his two sisters to live in the Bronx with their grandparents. His grandfather, Rev. Dr. James Thomas, a Jamaican immigrant, was the first African American minister in the history of the Dutch Reformed Church. His grandmother, Winell Thomas, a Cuban who moved to Jamaica before immigrating to the US, was a retired school teacher.

He graduated Phi Theta Kappa from Valley Forge Military Academy and College with an AA, completed the requirements for the Army’s early commissioning program, and was appointed a second lieutenant of Military Intelligence in the Army Reserve. He went on to attend Johns Hopkins University where he studied International Relations and Economics and graduated Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He attended Wolfson College, Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, he earned an MA in International Relations. He served in the Army, including overseas deployment for the War in Afghanistan, and attained the rank of captain.

He is married to Dawn, they have two children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #phibetakappa #alphaphialpha

[mybookplacenet]

Featured Post: Sarah’s Jamaican Awakening: A Wife Works the Streets

About Sarah’s Jamaican Awakening: A Wife Works the Streets: Steam Level: 5 Sarah's world has always been one of normality. Her sister Holly, however, thrives in sensual chaos. Her string of black skinned "Bulls," as she calls them, tells of a life of untamed passion, a world far removed from Sarah's comfortable existence with her loving husband, Barry. But when Barry encourages Sarah to explore her desires during a conference trip to Jamaica, everything changes. Sarah finds herself surrounded by a sea of attractive dark bodies and hungry smiles. The allure of their lust is undeniable, and Sarah suddenly understands her sister’s cravings. When Sarah meets Jocko, whose powerful personality matches his physique, she feels a connection she's never felt before. What starts as a flirtation turns into nights of brutal passion, releasing the true submissive Sarah. Jocko’s spell over Sarah is so complete that when he passes her around to his friends, as someone would lend a tool, she happily complies, returning after each is finished using her, eager to see the satisfaction in Jocko’s eyes. Sarah quickly realizes that she enjoys being treated as an object more than she ever imagined, and agrees to be another of Jocko’s girls, available for sale on the street for any act. Her new life feels so exciting and real, that she is jolted when her trip to Jamaica ends, and Barry takes her back to her life of normality. Her life with Barry feels foreign and unfamiliar. Will her sister’s Bulls satisfy her cravings, or must she return to the Jamaican street as Jocko’s possession in order to satisfy her soul? Buy the ebook: Buy the Book On Amazon Author Bio: Peaches loves to write about sexual adventures, whether similar to ones she has actually experienced or complete flights of (horny) fancy. While some of her stories are based upon her adventures, often embellished to fit her wicked memories, others are based upon her nearly-constant dreams and daydreams about sexual adventures. She likes to focus on the emotional feelings, as well as the physical encounters, and truly believes that the best sex organ is your brain (although you DO need the other parts to make it happen!) Please be sure to provide feedback and reviews on her work - this encourages her to write even more and bring her adventures to print for your enjoyment Follow the author on social media: Learn more about the writer. Visit the Author's Website Twitter Pinterest Read the full article

[piperjistic]

Ripping to Shreds - Migration

Saw that illumination Migration on Netflix. It was so fast paced, not even compared to the concept it’s named after, just in general. Maybe I was expecting too much from an illumination film but it was so damn jarring. It switched films and tone immediately at the half way point I presume when they find the bird farm. It goes from dad focused family trip about getting over his fear of literally everything and the outside world as he seemed to never migrated at all. Never with the kids. And possibly never ever before. To a father and son issue, and back to family movie. Ex:

Other ducks fly in and inspire the family to migrate but main duck says no and they sulk. Then they leave their pond to fly to Jamaica after his fearful awakening, go in the wrong direction, stop at the old heron couple’s house to cleanse themselves of stereotyping, get stuck in New York and attacked by Akwafina, she gets them to the trapped Jamaican bird TM, get the cage key in a Ratatouille sequence from asshole chef. Salsa dance romantically for a bit before freeing him and fly to Jamaica. Oh wait, we gotta stop because the daughter duck needs to poop but she’s shyyyy. They discovered the paradise bird farm that looks cool to show papa bird is super brave. Oh no, the farm belongs to the asshole chef so they escape again, brooding angst from dad yelling at his son for running into danger and losing the ability to fly, get captured by chef but Jamaican bird TM get payback on him for the imprisonment with fruit 🍎, family united since son steals some feathers for him and they vaca at Jamaica. 🎉

I did not cut out anything. The movie never slows down or have the characters personally talk about emotions and non-plot things or jags that’s outside of what is mentioned. I think that’s why it feels so fast because of the

This movie really nailed it for me how many authors/writers forgets about character’s history, not background, their history. Why is he terrified of literally the outside world? Doesn’t get answered but fine. I can infer maybe something traumatic happened, whatever with his past family or something. Wait, his uncle is here… and no one else. Did the rest of their family members die from predators? Had to since they never met humans before. Oh wait, the uncle is a shut-in that causes the main duck to realize if he doesn’t change his wats, he’ll he lonely and die alone. Oh nooooooo~ So did the family just leave them there? You know what, I’m looking too much. Moving on- oh wait!

His wife knows he’s scared of everything/paranoid. She’s the opposite of him, like, completely. Adventurous, imaginative and confident! She wants to experience the world! … Wait how did you fall in love with him again???? Did he zap you with the hetero-ray? In the movie, it felt like she didn’t know him at all except for a gag “I know when my husband says stupid shit sometimes teehee. :)”. Like, it you knew how he is, why did you have kids with him???? And before anyone says it, duck biology dictates it can’t be an accident or anything else. It you know, you know. And even then, never migrating? You were okay with that?

It’s so glaring that the writers just created the characters, said they love each other, hug and that’s it. I like the dynamic they have of optimism/pessimism but otherwise they’re just together because of the plot.

Again, fine. I’ll let it be. He doesn’t want to be alone and finally conquer his fears…. Well he did actually which was cool. At the halfway point after freeing the Jamaican parrot TM, he completes his arc via 💃💃💃 with his wife. Shoot to he’s excited to go to new places at the end of the movie- Wait a minute how do we get there again???

The movie proceeds to shift where it suddenly has a son-father relationship thing happens. Up until this point, the movie has ignored the kids unless for gags.

So when they “courageously” explore the secret back entrance to the bird farm, which they could have avoided- they think its a paradise for birds as there’s slide and whatnot. But apparently the asshole chef gets his duck meat from here which the son notices. He tells his dad and wants to help but like any reasonable father, he tells him no and to stay back. He doesn’t listen and gets his feathers stomped on by the chef so he can’t fly. After the father rescues him and everyone else, he scolds him.

The son duck goes pouts in a corner for the night. His sister hugs him which was a cute moment before everyone else gets kidnap and they have to save their parents. And for some reason he gets to lead the pack into the Jamaican island as if he had some sort of arc???? If the arc was trusting his son to do (dangerous) things or lead, they didn’t do it correctly.

It really felt like they were gonna do something…. like the Croods. I literally just realized that. The basic concept and plot direction is the same. A family travels to a new location and face troubles but also an ally. They even have a grumpy older relative and a guide character that was trapped at one point. That’s where the differences end tho. At least that movie actually had characters have private and personal talks that wasn’t banter.

Migration was an alright movie. All I know is I know why the birds never feared their old home. Their pond is as shallow as their movie.