The History of Juneteenth
"Only those feigning blindness fail to see the body of work we are, and the work of body we have done.
Everything is what it is because of us. It is misunderstanding to believe that free fell upon us like a blessing,
that it was granted by a signature and an abruptly opened door. Listen to the thousand ways to say black out loud.
Hear a whole people celebrate their free and fragile lives, then find your own place inside that song. Make the singing matter. "
— Patricia Smith (from The Stuff of Astounding: A Poem For Juneteenth) Read Poem
Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom lineup features Coi Leray, SWV, Davido and more
Photo: Jamie Lamor Thompson-Shutterstock | newsobserver.com--May 31, 2023
This year’s Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom, scheduled to take place at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, marks the return of Live Nation Urban and Jesse Collins Entertainment after their 2022 inaugural concert. Among the performers and presenters scheduled to appear this year are Miguel, Kirk Franklin, Davido, SWV, Coi Leray, and Jodeci.
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Pride Month 2023
Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket-Getty Images | history.com--May 13, 2023
Pride Month is an annual celebration of the many contributions made by the LGBTQ+ community to history, society and cultures worldwide. In most places, Pride is celebrated throughout the month of June each year in commemoration of its roots in the Stonewall Riots of June 1969. However, in some areas—especially in the Southern Hemisphere—pride events occur at other times of the year. Discover more
21 Top Pride Parades and Celebrations in the U.S. for 2023
Photo: getty images | travel.usnews.com--May 31, 2023
Explore the biggest gatherings and unique events celebrating LGBTQ communities from coast to coast.
On June 28, 1969, in the New York City neighborhood of Greenwich Village, police raided a popular gay bar: the Stonewall Inn. Fed up with the frequent raids and harassment from law enforcement, both patrons and local residents began to fight back, leading to six days of protests and clashes between LGBTQ people and police.
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"When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free."
- Barack Obama
New this month (by Gabrielle Bellot for Lithub.com)
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“Novels and films have been devoted to Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, but Charles Glass’s elegant non-fiction account has an indelible poetry of its own. Surprise and suspense, character and conviction, horror and heroism are seamlessly woven together in a fast-moving narrative.”
–Christopher Benfey
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“It’s beginning to seem like Binyavanga Wainaina’s satirical essay ‘How to Write About Africa’ might be, after the Bible, the most read English-language text on the African continent…. This collection of his writing—the first to be published since he died—makes it difficult not to feel the scale of [his] loss…. A f
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“It’s beginning to seem like Binyavanga Wainaina’s satirical essay ‘How to Write About Africa’ might be, after the Bible, the most read English-language text on the African continent…. This collection of his writing—the first to be published since he died—makes it difficult not to feel the scale of [his] loss…. A fierce literary talent…. [Wainaina] shines a light on his continent without cliché.”
–The Guardian
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“Countries of Origin is a tender and heartfelt novel about homecoming in all its complexity and gay love in all its rawness and wonder. It paints a brilliant and evocative portrait of the city of Madrid as it slowly becomes a kind of home for our wandering hero.”
–Colm Tóibín
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“The narrative here has a fittingly musical quality, running forward in spurts, pausing, repeating key phrases…. The wistful, fabular quality is appealing, as are those aphoristic statements Levy is so skilled at dispensing: sly comments on contemporary power dynamics likewise in the process of changing into new and as yet uncertain forms.”
–The Guardian
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“KB Brookins’ Freedom Houseis an unapologetic, forward-dreaming manifesto for a better, shared future. Based out of Austin, Texas, Brookins writes about growing up queer, Black, and trans in Texas…. With a particular Afrofuturism and feminist focus, this poem speaks to Brookins’ interest in intergenerational trauma and healing.”
–Southern Review of Books
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“Bushnell (The Weirdness) seamlessly blends mystery, urban fantasy, and an exploration of gender identity into the kind of fun and fantastical ride that his readers have come to expect. Recommend to fans of T. J. Klune and Kevin Wilson.”
–Library Journal
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“Ingenious…. Lubchansky’s script and art both achieve a deadpan style reminiscent of Daria and 1990s Nickelodeon, which amplifies the surreal delirium…. A hilarious and terrifying send-up of capitalist-driven masculinity and a poignant story about the perception-altering blessings (and burdens) of queerness.”
–Publishers Weekly
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“Moby Dyke is a hilarious adventure story, a full-throated love letter to lesbian bars, and an open-hearted memoir all wrapped up in one glorious package. Come for the bars and stay for the people inside them.”
–Emma Straub
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“Between Two Moons is a fearless and unflinchingly honest debut. With dangerous accuracy, Aisha Abdel Gawad depicts a particular kind of immigrant existence…. More than anything, Between Two Moons is a story about the place so many Arabs in this part of the world have been forced to inhabit in the post-911 age: tha
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“Between Two Moons is a fearless and unflinchingly honest debut. With dangerous accuracy, Aisha Abdel Gawad depicts a particular kind of immigrant existence…. More than anything, Between Two Moons is a story about the place so many Arabs in this part of the world have been forced to inhabit in the post-911 age: that malicious, disorienting chasm between the hope of being seen and the fear of being watched.”
–Omar El Akkad
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“Williams deftly swirls science fiction and domestic suspense plotlines into this fresh and unpredictable tale…. Imbued with a sharp feminist consciousness…. My Murder shakes up the same-old, same-old conventions of every genre it touches and has a ton of fun doing so.”
–The Washington Post
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“Strong Female Character is a testament to the importance of self-knowledge. Fern Brady is a natural and engaging writer, weaving bleak episodes with moments of pure comedy as she reappraises crucial moments in her life through the lens of her autism diagnosis. Brutal honesty and a talent for storytelling combine t
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“Strong Female Character is a testament to the importance of self-knowledge. Fern Brady is a natural and engaging writer, weaving bleak episodes with moments of pure comedy as she reappraises crucial moments in her life through the lens of her autism diagnosis. Brutal honesty and a talent for storytelling combine to make an insightful memoir that’s not only very funny, but will no doubt provide invaluable moments of recognition for many readers.”
–The Guardian
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“With humor and insight, Gill traces the quicksand of assimilation, her immigrant parents’ dogged pursuit of the American Dream, and the job uniquely left to first-generation children to rediscover the homeland they’ve never known…. A joyful read of memory and forgiveness.”
–Hafizah Augustus Geter
May is Asian American & Hawaiian Pacific Islander month
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HERE IS THE 2023 WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION SHORTLIST.
lithub.com--May 1, 2023
Across the pond this morning, the good people at the Women’s Prize for Fiction—one of the literary world’s most high-profile and prestigious awards—announced the 2023 shortlist, which includes both former winners and three first-time novelists. Read more
POET SARAH HOLLAND-BATT WINS THE 2023 STELLA PRIZE
lithub.com--May 1, 2023
Sarah Holland-Batt spoke at an Australian royal commission in 2019 on the poor state of aged care on behalf of her father, who had Parkinson’s and died in 2020. She later worked her experiences into a collection, The Jaguar, that has taken out the 2023 Stella Prize, awarded last night in Sydney.
Stella prize chair, Alice Pung OAM, offered an appraisal of Holland-Batt’s poetry:
In The Jaguar, Sarah Holland-Batt writes See more
HOW THE POET JORIE GRAHAM WROTE THE BEST BOOK OF HER LONG CAREER
Photo: Jeannette Montgomery Barron | vulture.com--May 1, 2023 Late Work How the poet Jorie Graham — living with cancer, reeling from her mother’s death — wrote the best book of her long career. Discover more
What are the most anticipated new novels and nonfiction book releases for May 2023?
dandelionchandelier.com--May 1 2023
The Favorite Poem Project is a collection of 50+ short video documentaries showcasing individual Americans reading and speaking personally about poems they love.
APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH
Spoken Like a True Poet
Art by Adeshola Makinde | poetryfoundation.org--April 1, 2023 In Joshua Bennett’s history of spoken word, poetry is alive and well thanks to a movement that began in living rooms and bars.
Early in Spoken Word: A Cultural History (Knopf, 2023), Joshua Bennett assures the many parties keeping vigil over poetry that the ancient art remains alive and well in the United States. “Spoken word is the best possible rejoinder to anyone claiming that poetry in this country is dead or not relevant to younger... Read More
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Follow this step-by-step guide
to become a Slam Poet
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Become "Unprisoned" With Tracy McMillan - Writing Black with Maiysha Kai
Photo Credit: gettyimages | thegrio.com--April 1, 2023
Maiysha brings on relationship expert and acclaimed writer, producer and creator of Hulu's new hit series "Unprisoned" which stars Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo. Tracy and Mayisha discuss how "Unprisoned" is based on Tracy's actual relationship with her father who was in prison for close to two decades. The two talk about what it takes to make it in Hollywood, relationships and what Tracy has planned for the future.
What Should You Read Next? Here Are the Best Reviewed Books of the Month
lithub.com--April 1, 2023
Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood, Catherine Lacey’s Biography of X, Matthew Desmond’s Poverty, By America, and Sebastian Barry’s Old God’s Time all feature among the Best Reviewed Books of the Month.
Brought to you by Book Marks, Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.”
20 new paperbacks hitting shelves this April.
lithub.com--April 1, 2023
As April rolls around and scattered showers might keep us indoors (or nudge us to a sheltered spot outdoors), it’s a great time to revisit the books we had been meaning to read. Whether you choose to read indoors or out—and I support both—a list of some intriguing books that will be released in paperback this month!
MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Phenomenal Woman
Celebrating National Women's History Month
Proclamation: Women’s History Month, 2023
Proclamation: Women’s History Month, 2023
Celebrating National Women's History Month
Proclamation: Women’s History Month, 2023
whitehouse.gov--February 28, 2023
Every March, Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to honor the generations of trailblazing women... Continue reading
Celebrating National Women's History Month
Celebrating National Women's History Month
Celebrating National Women's History Month
Photo by John Olson for Getty Images | PoetryFoundation.org--March 1, 2023
Poems, articles, podcasts and blog posts that explore women's history and rights.
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“WE NEED WOMEN WHO ARE SO STRONG THEY CAN BE GENTLE, SO EDUCATED THEY CAN BE HUMBLE,
SO FIERCE THEY CAN BE COMPASSIONATE, SO PASSIONATE THEY CAN BE RATIONAL
AND SO DISCIPLINED THEY CAN BE FREE."
—Kavita Ramdas, Advocate
2023 BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME CELEBRATES BLACK RESISTANCE
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Black History Month With NMAAHC Curator Mary Elliott
Mary Elliott, the museum’s curator of slavery and freedom, discusses the origin of Black History Month, its significance and why it's a special occasion at the museum. In 2023, the theme is "Black Resistance," and stories of Black Resistance abound throughout the museum.
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2022: Poetry’s Year in Prose
Art by Rob Dobi | poetryfoundation.org--January 1, 2023
This year, the Poetry Foundation published more than three dozen longform features—a trove
of criticism and conversations that explores, celebrates, and provokes.
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"Lessons"
by A. Shawn McKinney ~ Gallery Particulier
is a collection of 50+ short video documentaries showcasing individual Americans reading and speaking personally about poems they love.
Ekphrastic Poetry
Art by Sirin Thada | PoetryFoundation.org--August 1, 2022
Responding to flurries of circumstances around us is challenging. Ekphrastic poetry is a way of exploring a complex world, while working within containment. Ekphrasis is defined as the use of detailed description of a work of visual art as a literary device. The artwork’s reality holds the viewer within it, while also firing off personal associations that construct a second world—the world of the poem—then yield another world—the poetic space opened in the mind of the reader, replete with their associations.
Poems of Protest, Resistance, and Empowerment
Illustration by CHema Skandal! | PoetryFoundation.org--July 1, 2022
Why poetry is necessary and sought after during crises?
Pithy and powerful, poetry is a popular art form at protests and rallies. From the civil rights and women’s liberation movements to Black Lives Matter, poetry is commanding enough to gather crowds in a city square and compact enough to demand attention on social media. Speaking truth to power remains a crucial role of the poet in the face of political and media rhetoric designed to obscure, manipulate, or worse. Learn more
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event highlights - "word" april 30, 2022 (photos by V.I.P)
Poetry Online
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
(poetryfoundation.org)
Resources for teaching and learning remotely.
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
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