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B. Lit Doesn’t Quit Neither rain nor darkness nor insufficient signage nor inconveniently located (for easy transport of one’s event materials) kept the B. Lit Black Literature Festival organizers, participants, supporters or vendors from being inspired, entertained, and enlightened at Goucher College last Saturday night! A spirit of openheartedness and camaraderie permeated the venue and that inviting feeling deepened throughout the night as talented poets and musicians performed with compelling artistry and emotional gravitas. Vendors Paparazzi, and a blinged-out accessories artisan (whose sister saved me from a daunting hike from the visitors’ parking area to the venue), Olivia L. Baylor of Before “I Do” counseling resources, the Jesus Gang (who also rapped like superstars), and Urban Unicorn all offered an irresistible variety of merchandise along with encouragement and networking opportunities. Thank you to the American University grad student who interviewed eve...

#StrahanandSara #GMA #AmericanSoul In a complete 180-degree serendipity flip from Monday’s travel frustrations, Tuesday’s commute into NYC from the ‘burbs went smoothly, leading to an early arrival for priority check-in to see Strahan & Sara. Fabulous new line friends were interesting and charming and so funny! One of them had the inside scoop on behind-the-scenes tidbits about The Wendy Williams Show, Kelly and Ryan, and Rachel Ray. Jui-cy. Sara Haines and Michael Strahan were even more entertaining in-person than they appear to be on television. (Seems impossible, yet it’s true!) Michael was headed over the Sara’s home after the show to babysit her two kids. Looking forward to seeing video from that experience. 1iota priority ticketholders received fab swag! Thanks, Grande Cosmetics, Flora.py, and Amazing Cosmetics! My lashes will be lush. My skin will be primed, toned, and glowing thanks to your generosity. The audience wranglers were hilarious a...

Plan A for Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 18, 2019: ·          Take an early a.m. Greyhound bus from Maryland to NYC with an ETA of 10:45 a.m. into the Port Authority. ·          Visit @StrandBookstore, @BookCulture, @SistersUptown, @WordUpBooks to scout locations for future bookish events and to browse titles in preparation for a #bookhaul on Indie Bookstore Day 2019 on Saturday, April 27. ·          Surprise loved ones with a late-evening appearance. Please notice that getting on 3 different rickety buses (pics above), taking 2 hours to travel 20 miles round trip to nowhere, and arriving more than 5(!) hours late was not on my agenda. To recap: Once loaded and en route, the 7 a.m. bus from B’more City to NYC started overheating about 10 miles away from the terminal. The driver pulled onto the shoulder, waited a few minutes, then proceeded t...

German Calendar No December by Sylvia Ofili, Birgit Weyhe, illustrator Cassava Republic  November 2018 international, May 2019 U.S.A. YA contemporary graphic novel In German Calendar No December, Sylvia Ofili tells the coming-of-age story of Olivia Nneka Evezi whose father is Nigerian and mother is German. It’s no coincidence that her initials spell O.N.E. as each stage of her development into young adulthood taps into universal themes of the onerous search for one’s true self and welcoming communities beyond biological family. Olivia, her classmates, and later, her coworkers navigate challenging situations where one’s designated status as insider or outsider, powerful or powerless dictates the direction of a person’s life and their safety in this memoir about immigration, otherness, and assimilation. References to popular music, movies, and television shows from the 1950s through the 1990s explore the global reach of entertainment media. Catch phrases from one of Ni...

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Redemption of the Heart by Moni Boyce contemporary romance Love Snacks Publishing  8 January 2019 Despite addressing heavy themes of domestic violence, incarceration, and grief, Redemption of the Heart is a charming and sweet spicy read in the tradition of a 21st-century interracial homage to Janet Dailey’s monthly romance era. Gemma’s open-hearted ingénue contrasts starkly with Alex’s jaded workaholic. They struggle with a variety of challenges, but ethnicity isn’t one of them—a spin that feels particularly modern. Once readers commit to their suspension of disbelief regarding the cascading impact of lacks in due diligence by several characters, it’s easy to settle in to enjoy this love story. The recent public debate about the pros and cons of Gillette’s “We believe the best man can be” campaign ties in with the contradictory messages in the story threads about toxic masculinity. There’s a scene in which Alex apologizes to someone who was openly bragging among cowork...