Unlabyrinth

No more sleeping on YA literature. National Book Award's bountiful long list of books for children and teens makesme teary. Cue Whitney UN-ironically: "I believe the children are our future..." #RepostSave @weneeddiversebooks ・・・ Congratulations to all the National Book Awards longlist finalists for Young People's Literature!#nba #nationalbookawards #longlist #youngpeople #childrenarethefuture #wndb #weneeddiversebooks

@LaShondaKatrice Barnett writes historical fiction act of political resistance. It's an HONOR, not a burden to go into the archives and tell these stories. Our ancestors got a raw deal, an honor to write their history #WRBGFEST #651arts #blackhistory (at BRIC)

Jacqueline Woodson!!! ...So what had happened was, I arrive a smidge after 1pm after #WRBGFEST started. A beautiful tall Black woman w shades who is also unclear where to enter arrives same time. We walk to test a few locked door. I make up chit chat. 🤗 Y'all, I never forget a face. I"ve read and seen her photo om her books BROWN GIRL DREAMING, ANOTHER BROOKLYN. But don't want to misi-dentify another Black woman and embarrass myself. 😶 Finally, a woman walks by and squeals "I love your work!!! I exhale loudly and exclaim, " I KNEW you were Jackie Woodson! I held my cool real well, didn't I?" She laughs!!! So kind. I thanked her being such a champion of Black girlhood. (at BRIC)

"Gentrification is like Male America Great Again's Smarter Brother" --artist Carlos Jesus Martinez Dominguez/feegz (at Word Up: Community Bookshop - Libreria Comunitaria)

Look at Ms. Dominique, ALL GROWN. I just had my favorite kind of reunion! Ms. Volney was the first Gburg student I ever met when I did my campus visit in Spr 2007. 😊 Blame her enthusiastic spirit, social justice and community service priorities, and her leadership qualities that enticed me to teach in Central PA. 🤓 Now, a decade later, she is a speech language pathologist, advanced degree holder, and world traveler. She was inspiring then, and now 💖💖💖💖💖💖

Current mood: "Slaves of the Past and Present" by James De La Vega (Aug 1999) East 124th and Lexington Ave. Las Rambles, Barcelona and Charlottesville weighing on my mind #latergram #ElBarrio #SpanishHarlem #muralsdaily #murales #murals #publicart #art #urbanart #jamesdelavega #slavery #terrorism #destruction #unspeakable (at East Harlem)

Current mood: Disquiet and despair Aspirational mood: Eartha, unbothered "Eartha" (2008) by Rico Gatson, part of the Rico Gatson: Icons 2007-2017 exhibit, which ends August 27. 💜Today, visit art or make art anywhere and get lifted. 🎨 #latergram #art #ricogatson #earthakitt #studiomuseumofharlem #depression #selfcare #blackicons #arttherapy (at The Studio Museum in Harlem)

"Self-determination is a human right." E. 107 and Lexington Ave #spanishharlem #EastHarlem #murales #mural #politicalart #graffitiart #publicart #freedom #selfdetermination #independence (at East Harlem)

"I won't allow people to think I have no value." --- Justice Sonia Sotomayor 🔥☄🔥☄🔥☄🔥 #Repost from the #imwithus series of Brian H @stinkylulu on Instagram #mondaymotivation #wordstoliveby #soniasotomayor #amwriting #jobsearch #hireme (at East Harlem)

It's Fri morning, 9 AM. Do you know where your writing motivation is? This cat is ready. 🐱 Are you? 🖋 ⌨Type type type ⌨ (Points if you recognize the obnoxious judging tone of the daily #psa inspiring this post. It played before NYC-CT-LI-NJ late evening news) #amwriting #writinggroup #accountability #typewriters #catsofinstagram (at East Harlem)

"I, too, am America," she says, then takes a selfie in #LangstonHughes House's mirrored front room for emphasis. Would Hughes appreciate this 21st. c. take on his iconic words? Thankful to @i_too_arts staff for allowing me to wander in this special space. #itooamamerica #harlemrenaissance #walkingtour (at Langston Hughes House)

I'm sure Oprah acted superbly as Henrietta Lacks in the HBO film. Now students will think she *IS* Henrietta Lacks, AND that Oprah wrote the book under her pen name Rebecca Skloot. Think I'm joking? Didya watch what happened when James Franco's face was on the cover of AS I LAY DYING? /ijs #bookcoverdesign #designfail #randomhouse #henriettalacks #amgriping

Have I told you how this @wellreadblackgirl book club *literally* reinvigorated my reading life? Reader, it's so chill these women don't mind if I'm literally or figuratively, YKWIS? We discussed Kathleen Collins's WHATEVER HAPPENED TO INTERRACIAL LOVE (2016). Bonus: Her daughter Nina Collins stories about her brilliant working single mom's INDEFATIGABLE efforts to create. And she fleshed out contentious racial, culture, class and black feminist political setting in which she created...nevertheless. Kathleen Collins was a playwright with Joe Papp of Public Theater (!!!) She was a film editor, film director, playwright, novelist, and an avid letter writter (oh my heart 💗). Her film LOSING GROUND is the first feature length film directed by a Black Woman. I'm here for the Collins Renaissance How grateful I am to share a space where a Black woman writer, whom even AfAm studies omitted, resists our canonical impulse to forget * * * * * Johanne Civil, Executive Director of the Queens Book Festival came to invites us all to blog, volunteer, exhibit, and spread the word. May 27 and 28 Family friendly, in LIC! * * * * * Reader, see what I mean by LITERALLY? Thank you again to Glory Edim @guidetoglo, #squadgoals #blackgirlmagic #amreading #blackbooks #wellreadblackgirl #brooklyn #williamsburg (at New Women Space)

"I am full of a sense of promise, like I often have, the feeling of always being at the beginning" -- Diane Arbus, July 1957

#tbt When I was admired secretly. How I wish I appreciated then how rarely such a sweet, humble, creative, perceptive romantic gesture would recur in my life now Thanks, P, for the jazz, the wakeup call, and the joy. #romance #latebloomer #clueless #valentines

"Not everything that can be faced can be changed, but nothing can change until it is faced" -- James Baldwin (at Book Culture on Columbus)