16 Books to Read in September
nytimes.com--September 1, 2023
New novels from Zadie Smith, Stephen King and Lauren Groff; Walter Isaacson’s hotly anticipated Elon Musk biography; a history of the AR-15 assault rifle; and much more.
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“Smuggling A Mango Is Hard,” A Poem by Melania Luisa Marte
From the Collection Plantains and Our Becoming
lithub.com--September 1, 2023
Origin: The mango is native to southern Asia. It spread early on to Malaysia, eastern Asia and eastern Africa. Spanish and Portuguese explorers of the fifteenth century brought mangoes to the Caribbean along with genocide, slavery and whitewashed religion.
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apnews..com--August 1, 2023
Megan Fernandes’ new book, “I Do Everything I’m Told,” is a collection of unruly, irreverent love poems
Featured FAta Artist: Amaryllis greene
A book of poems based on some life experiences of my own as well as those of the children I've met who have similar yet different growing pains. I wrote this book to be a voice for those children who may have endured things like loneliness, hate, and colorism. I want those children to see that if you put in the work, your goals and aspirations can be accomplished Just like my poem says: B.Y.B.Y. - Be Your Best You and NEVER GIVE UP
August is National Black Business & National Wellness Month
Easy Ways To Take Care of Yourself and Improve Your Overall Well-Being
Photo Credit: Getty Images | latestly.com--August1, 2023
During National Wellness Month, people are encouraged to engage in various activities and practices that contribute to a healthier lifestyle. During this month, people try to adopt some healthy habits that are good for their own self.
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Dr. Myron Golden Explains How To Finally Be Free From Poverty
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The businessman, investor and Shark Tank star Daymond John, shares pointers to help first-time entrepreneurs.
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July is Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Flag
It is a little known fact that July is Disability Pride Month in the US. We celebrate Disability Pride in July because it coincides with the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, and the year we made this marked the 30th anniversary of its signing. In celebration, we wanted to boost recognition of this proposed Disability Pride Flag, which was created by Ann Magill with significant input from the Disability Community.
The flag incorporates vast symbolism about the Disabled experience and makes a point to be inclusive of any and all disabilities. Disabled people have secured basic rights with the ADA, but are still fighting for social change and acceptance. Disabled members of the Morpheyes team have expressed that the personal rejection and suppression of a Disabled identity is detrimental to the individual, and to society, so this Disability Pride Month we want to let their flag fly! And you can, too.
Happy Disability Pride Month.
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“Disability is not something an individual overcomes. I'm still disabled. I'm still Deafblind. People with disabilities are successful when we develop alternative techniques and our communities choose inclusion.”
― Haben Girma, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law
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“Disability is not something an individual overcomes. I'm still disabled. I'm still Deafblind. People with disabilities are successful when we develop alternative techniques and our communities choose inclusion.”
― Haben Girma, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harv
Here Are the 10 New Books You Should Read in July
time.com--July 2 2023
The lazy days of summer are upon us, which means plenty of leisure time—making this month the perfect opportunity to dive into a great, absorbing book. This July, a crop of new reads promise to provide an enriching escape, whether you’re looking for something a little spooky and mysterious or a lighter beach read. From Nicole Flattery’s Nothing Special, a delicious coming-of-age romp through Andy Warhol’s Factory studio to Dwyer Murphy’s The Stolen Coast, a thrilling heist novel set in a beach town overrun with unsavory characters, to Beth Nguyen‘s heartfelt memoir Owner of a Lonely Heart, about the complexities of motherhood, there’s an option for every reader.
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World Editions publishing has been bought out by a senior staff member.
litjub.com--July 2, 2023 Fans of the publisher World Editions, which has brought translations of work by Maryse Condé, Amin Maalouf, Pilar Quintana, Jaap Robben and Zhang Yueran to English-language audiences, has found a new owner—none other than the US director Christine Swedowsky. A rare fairy-tale finish! Discover More
Read Joyce Carol Oates’ 1983 review of The Stories of Breece D’J Pancake.
litjub.com--July 2, 2023 Seventy-one years ago today, the prodigiously gifted but deeply troubled West Virginian short story writer Breece D’J Pancake was born. Pancake was twenty-six when he died by suicide on the outskirts of Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1979, leaving behind just 12 stories—six published, six unpublished—which were collected and published in 1983 as The Stories of Breece D’J Pancake..
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A fascinating collection of graphic reviews and illustrated prose addressing the last century of American poetry—to be published simultaneously with his latest poetry collection, So to Speak
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For readers of Rachel Cusk and Maggie Nelson, the rapturous memoir of a soon-to-be-mother whose obsession with the reclusive painter Agnes Martin threatens to upend her life
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“We may not relight the fires that used to burn in our villages, but we can carry the embers from those fires in our hearts and learn to light new fires in a new world.”
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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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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.
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
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New in june (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
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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
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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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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