RAMble, the University Libraries' blog

Luster: A Novel, Raven Leilani

Leilani’s debut novel, Luster, takes the domestic genre and turns it on its head. We follow Edie, a black woman, as she struggles with bad choice after bad choice, enjoying the momentary rightness while dealing with the fallout as she goes. The biggest of these bad decisions comes in the form of 40-something Eric, a wealthy white man in an open marriage. When Edie meets Rebecca, Eric’s wife, the novel changes shape, and Edie quickly becomes entangled with the family, not as a homewrecker, but as an addition to the home. Edie’s role is complicated by Akila, Eric and Rebecca’s recently adopted black daughter, whom Rebecca believes might benefit from Edie’s (black) presence. Luster is a page-turner full of red-flags that are deeply explored in a sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, always relatable manner.

Luster was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 
This book won the Kirkus Prize and the Center
for Fiction First Novel Prize in 2020.

My Vanishing Country: A Memoir, Bakari Sellers

What is it like to grow up black and working class in the rural South? Sellers explores his family’s roots from Denmark, South Carolina and the shifting landscape that has kept the “forgotten men & women” struggling both to survive and thrive. Bakari’s retelling of generational poverty has an underlying message of hope, for his children and the children of the, “forgotten men & women,”: that progress can be achieved and the voiceless made heard through advocacy and action.

Published in 2020 by Amistad.

The Wedding Date, Jasmine Guillory

Honest, light-hearted, and fun, this debut novel takes its characters from strangers in an elevator, to fake couple at a wedding, to long-distance sweethearts learning how to make things work with one another. Guillory perfectly blends romance tropes with real-world relationship experiences. If you’re looking for a quick, heartwarming read, look no further.

Published in 2018 by Berkley. Recognized as 
a bestseller by USA Today.

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019, ed. Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

“And collectively this choir sings the chords of survival, of struggle, of success, of death, of life, of joy, of racism, of antiracism, of creation, of destruction – of America’s clearest chords, year after year, of liberty, justice, and democracy for all. Four hundred chords.”

At a substantive 528 pages, Kendi and Blain have pulled together a community of voices in an extensive retelling of the history of African America as we pass the 400^th year as a nation. Each author takes on a five-year period of history and brings their own perspective to the retelling, through essay, poem, and experience. Involving 90 authors, this project is an immersive and necessary read. The audiobook version of this text engages listeners with the voices of each author as they tell our histories.

Published on February 2nd 2021
By One World.

Blog post written by Sarah Corapi

I agree with Morgan Freeman who, in a 60 Minutes interview said, “Black History month is ridiculous.  Are you going to relegate my history to a month?”  However, there is no denying that Hollywood has a real problem with African American representation. While they are slowly getting better, there is still a long way to go. Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on the original Star Trek, inspired actors and scientists. Imagine who would be inspired by more representation. The New York Times ran a wonderful list of 28 Days, 28 Films for Black History Month. Here are a few suggestions of my own to add to the mix, to be viewed at any time of year. As always, DVDs of the reviewed movies are available from IMC as well as many from the NYT list.

Good Hair, 2009

This documentary, written, produced, and starring Chris Rock, focuses on the importance of hair in the African American community. He was inspired by his then young daughter and her questions about her own hair to create this film. For me this documentary was really eye-opening and a little sad. I knew about straightening and braiding and even why Afros were trendy in the 70’s, but I was not aware of just how complicated an issue hair can be with the pressure to conform to certain beauty standards. Chris Rock, being a comedian, mostly keeps the tone light but touches on the deeper issue of how hair can affect a person's identity and self-worth as well as its importance in the African American community. 

Starring Chris Rock, Maya Angelou, and Al Sharpton. 
Directed by Jeff Stilson.

20 Feet from Stardom, 2013

Another documentary, this time exploring Rock-n-Roll back-up singers in a tribute to the women whose powerhouse voices you sing along with but probably never knew. 20 Feet from Stardom is full of interviews with these amazingly talented women and famous rock stars, and lots of song clips. I really felt a sense of frustration knowing some of these women wanted to strike off on their own but never quite made it as solo stars.

Starring Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, and 
Lisa Fischer. Directed by Morgan Neville. 

Into the Spiderverse, 2018

Those of you who know me already know I love this movie. Into the Spiderverse is a superhero coming of age story featuring Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino teen who is bitten by a radioactive spider and turns into Spiderman. But not the only one: Miles is joined by Spider-folk from other dimensions to fight the bad guy and save the world. The animation is amazing, crisp computer graphics with the styling of print comics (think Roy Lichtenstein). Every time I watch it, I see something new. The music is spot on and the main character is completely relatable. I love that the writers never make Miles' ethnicity a defining trait but still an important part of who he is as a character. He’s just a teen trying to step into a role he isn’t ready for at the beginning of the film, but fulfills that role by the end.

Starring Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, and 
Hailee Steinfeld. Directed by  Bob Persichetti, 
Peter Ramsey.

Post written By Amanda Brooks.