Rhode Island Monthly | July 29, 2020

“Normally when you’re at your local bookstore, you’re expecting to walk out with only the book you’re dying to read. But now, Ink Fish Books in Warren has gone one step further to make your next purchase even more meaningful. The book shop has come up with a new and exciting way to incorporate a community love of reading and celebrate local businesses in Rhode Island. Ink Fish Books owner Lisa Valentino and local author Vanessa Lillie are teaming up to introduce the first Rhody Reader Box, including a selection of handcrafted gifts paired with a signed book by a bestselling author. Ten percent of the sales will be donated to the Rhode Island Writers Colony, a local nonprofit supporting writers of color through residency programs founded in Warren.”

Follow the link above to learn more!

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The Little Black Book of Discrimination | Book Publishing Insiders’ Secret Battles with Systemic Racism

“Her voice still gets choked up when she talks about it. After working her way from an assistant position to a senior level publicist at a major publishing imprint, Robin* (who chose to withhold her identity for fear of retaliation) was proud to have worked her way into a competitive field as a black woman in an overwhelmingly white field. 

She worked tirelessly, sacrificing personal relationships for the company, traveling mercilessly at a breakneck speed—giving everything to her job.  Even as a debilitating illness painfully ravaged her body, and she went into the office under the effects of the medical treatment, Robin dedicated herself to the book publishing company, telling herself that if she had their backs in turn, they would have hers. And then, at what should have been the height of her career, her position was eliminated. 

‘After many years of stellar performance reviews, all of a sudden I was having performance issues that were never fully explained and there was NO plan for how I could improve. When I was also denied a cost of living raise, something I had gotten every year, I knew the writing was on the wall. I wasn’t surprised when I was told my position was eliminated. It was a “business decision” which I came to understand to mean that they were no longer going to publish as many books by authors of color. How could they? Many of the editors of color who acquired those books had moved on and the list became more and more white which reflected the staff that was left. The imprint no longer felt like home and in many ways they freed me to pursue my passion elsewhere.’

It was a painful reminder of how far the industry needs to go in terms of creating true equality for people of color who work in book publishing.

[…]

This systemic challenge has not gone oblivious to those outside of the community. There are white colleagues who have gone above and beyond to fight for different voices to be heard in publishing, both authors as well as editors and agents. Multiple professionals who are people of color have mentioned the late Carolyn Reidy, Publisher Judith Curr, literary agents, Victoria Sanders, Theresa Park and Celeste Fine and others who give hope that impactful change is possible by partnering with others.”

Follow the link above to read this important article about the systemic racism present inside the publishing industry.

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The Washington Post | July 29, 2020

“On the surface, La La seems stable and driven: She’s in veterinary school and engaged to a chiropractor named Clem. No one would guess that her father, Zev, a lifelong thief, began teaching his daughter how to pick locks when she was still in elementary school. When one of Zev’s burglaries goes so badly that a homeowner winds up in a coma, La La finds herself torn between the life she has built in Denver and the life Zev gave her after her feckless mother left them.

[…]

Other People’s Pets, with its lively voice and unexpected characters, makes a perfect addition to anyone’s summer reading pile, but it is required for those who understand that coming of age has absolutely nothing to do with age.”

Follow the link above to read the entire review!

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DNC Platform Committee Meeting | July 27, 2020

Patrisse Cullors delivered a powerful speech at the DNC platform committee meeting on July 27. Her speech was modeled after John Lewis’ remarks at the 1963 March on Washington. Follow the link above to hear her full speech, which begins around the 1 hour and 42 minute mark.

More information can be found on her Instagram page: @osopepatrisse.

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Hollywood Reporter | July 24, 2020

“Alfre Woodard has a date with Patrisse Cullors on July 29.

The veteran actress and producer will join the Black Lives Matter co-founder for a SAG-AFTRA Foundation conversation at 1 p.m. PST on the organization's YouTube channel. Viewers will have an opportunity to pose questions during the conversation, which will be recorded and archived in the SAG-AFTRA Foundation video gallery.

Using the story of Woodard's recent film Clemency and death row executions as a jumping-off point, the two are expected to discuss race, criminal justice and incarceration, speaking to actionable steps that can be taken to promote racial justice in the U.S. 

News of the chat comes on the heels of Neon's announcement that it is offering Clemency free to stream until July 31. Directed by Chinonye Chukwu, Woodard stars alongside Aldis Hodge, Richard Schiff, Wendell Pierce, Richard Gunn and Danielle Brooks. The story follows Woodard's character, a prison warden, as she prepares to execute another inmate. In doing so, she must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.

More information about the event can be found here.”

Be sure to tune in to this conversation on July 29!

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O Magazine | July 22, 2020

“I was 34 when my mother changed her face. Too old for tantrums, but that didn’t stop me from having one. Not in front of her—even I wasn’t that self-centered—but among my friends. The softness around her eyes and cheeks was gone, replaced by taut skin and sculpted cheekbones. Looking at pictures, my friends declared her beautiful, but I couldn’t get past that she looked different.

The face I had loved since childhood, that I had gazed at during story and meal times, and that had calmed me when I was anxious about a test or later a job interview, was gone. Just looking at my mother’s face had conjured lullabies and the kisses she bestowed nightly until I moved out of the house. But now that she had altered it, I mourned what was gone. Rightly or wrongly, I felt it had belonged partly to me.”

Follow the link above to read the entire essay in O Magazine!

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Literary Hub | July 22, 2020

“Long before I had a regular writing practice, a friend told me he had hired a local author to give him feedback on a short story. ‘They do that?’ I said. I had never heard of a developmental editor. I filed the information away, not realizing developmental editors would one day become my most important teachers.

When I first began writing, I attended craft classes and workshops. I learned to read other writers’ manuscripts critically, to articulate what was working and what wasn’t, which taught me to read my own manuscripts critically, too. Listening to teachers read their work, I was inspired by the range of literary notes they hit.

But I was never comfortable in a classroom. I sweated through the give and take of workshops, craving the attention that came with holding the floor, afraid of looking foolish when I did. Beneath the tables around which we gathered, I would wring my hands. Perhaps my anxiety was linked to introversion. Or maybe it was the result of having an impatient and unkind father.”

Follow the link above to read the rest of the article.

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CBS News | July 20, 2020

“Congressman John Lewis' legacy has inspired a new generation of civil rights activists, including those in the Black Lives Matter movement. Jericka Duncan spoke with two co-founders of the movement, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, and Dr. Bernice King, the daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about Lewis' fight for equality and how it can be carried on.”

Click the link above to watch the video.

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Star Tribune | July 19, 2020

“Of all the ways that John Lewis influenced American life and politics, his indelible impact on young people may be among the most enduring. From student activist to elder statesman, Lewis continually encouraged the nation's youth to start ‘good trouble’ — and modeled just how to do that.

He was arrested alongside millennial activists pushing for comprehensive reform of U.S. immigration laws in 2013. He led a sit-in in the House of Representatives over gun control following a mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando in 2016. And when he was not protesting, he was helping young people understand history, as when he cosplayed as his younger self at San Diego's Comic-Con to celebrate the release of his Selma, Alabama-themed graphic novel series in 2015.

Lewis, the Black civil rights icon who some called the ‘conscience of Congress,’ died Friday.

In one of his last public appearances, he posed for a picture in June, standing on the Black Lives Matter Plaza mural painted just outside of the White House amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd.

For the Black Lives Matter generation, the connection to Lewis is deeper than many may realize. As a young man, through clouds of teargas and a hail of billy clubs, Lewis nearly lost his life marching against segregation and for voting rights. As a Georgia congressman, Lewis was generous with his time, taking meetings and sharing stages with activists who, from Sanford, Florida, to Ferguson, Missouri, Baltimore to Minneapolis, also withstood teargas — as well as rubber bullets, pepper spray and arrests — in their own protests against racism.

‘He didn't have to stand with us, he chose to,’ Malkia Devich Cyril, the founder and senior fellow of MediaJustice, which advocates for open and democratic media and technology platforms, told The Associated Press. ‘That's real leadership.’

In exclusive interviews with the AP, prominent organizers from the Black Lives Matter movement reflected on Lewis' example and his kinship with their generation.”

Follow the link above for the full article and to read Patrisse Cullors’ reflections on John Lewis.

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USA Today | July 17, 2020

“Expressing support for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement isn't political or partisan, an independent federal agency has said in an opinion addressing questions from federal employees on the topic.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel cleared the way for federal employees to support the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black Lives Matter Global Network while on duty, including wearing or displaying materials related to the cause, according to an advisory opinion obtained by USA TODAY. The opinion was first issued July 10 and updated Tuesday.

[…]

The Black Lives Matter Global Network traces its roots to both a hashtag and a political project after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin. Founders of the organization include Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tomet.

The most important directive of Black Lives Matter, Cullors has said, is to deal with anti-black racism, to ‘push for black people’s right to live with dignity and respect’ and be included in the American democracy that they helped create.”

Follow the link above to read the full article.

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Heated | July 17, 2020

“In the middle of a global shutdown, Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes From My African American Kitchen debuted — the third book from opera singer and longtime restaurateur Alexander Smalls. The New York resident and partner in The Cecil and Minton’s in Harlem with JJ Johnson (now closed), Smalls has lived a remarkable life: Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, he traveled the world singing, then returned to New York, eventually opening a catering company and his first restaurant, Cafe Beulah, in the mid-1990s. Read on for more on his fascinating journey and advice to young Black chefs at this moment. This interview was edited for clarity and length.”

Follow the link above to read the rest of the interview.

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LibraryReads | July 15, 2020

The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter is one of the top ten books of August 2020 that librarians love! Follow the link above to see the full list.

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Top Shelf at Merrick Library Podcast | July 14, 2020

“Let’s hear it for our amazing Episode 40 and let’s hear it for author: R.L. Maizes as we celebrate her debut novel, the incredible, Other People’s Pets.

This novel is not what anyone would think of as a page-turner, but there I was absolutely riveted. I loved the characters, the story, the writing, it was all just a fab five star read for me.  I’m so honored that she sat down with me to talk about her craft, her essays, magical realism and… her pets!  At least listen for that!  Maizes just writes like a dream; what a blast to host R.L. Maizes on this episode.

Other People’s Pets is out July 14th, for heaven’s sake, don’t miss it.  AND, her fabulous book of short stories, We Love Anderson Cooper is out in paperback also on July 14th. What a day!”

Follow the link above to listen to the full interview!

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Manhattan Book Review | July 14, 2020

“Ever since being abandoned by her mother Elissa, La La has relied on her father Zev for everything. Zev is both protective and reckless, allowing La La to accompany him on burglaries starting when she is eight years old. Zev, a locksmith by trade, has made a career out of what he sees as harmless theft, and La La, his apprentice, proves to be a valuable partner. La La is an animal empath, able to both feel an animal’s physical and emotional pain and communicate with animals to calm and support them. With La La able to soothe barking dogs in target houses, Zev is able to expand his success. It all goes wrong, however, when a homeowner has a stroke in Zev’s illicit presence. Forced to earn money for Zev’s legal fees, La La finds herself going deeper into a world she thought she’d left behind, and she risks losing everything she values in life—including veterinary school and her relationship with her fiancé.

Told with humor, irreverence, and warmth, Other People’s Pets is a story about unconventional choices, great loss, and the dangerous hold the past has over the present. Zev and La La operate in a shadowy area where right and wrong have different shades of meaning, and though there are consequences for every action, their love for each other and their open-throated search for happiness will have readers rooting for their freedom all the way.”

Other People’s Pets by R.L. Maizes is available for purchase today wherever books are sold!

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Bustle | July 13, 2020

“A helpful guide on how to maintain friendships, as well as a crime thriller with a surprisingly pet friendly twist, land in stores this week.”

Other People’s Pets by R.L. Maizes was included in this fabulous round-up! Click the link at the top of the page to read more.

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The National Book Review | July 13, 2020

“The family business takes on a new meaning in this deliciously satisfying debut novel by the author of a fine story collection, We Love Anderson Cooper. La La (Louise) is an ‘animal empath’ who connects with four-legged creatures more than humans. She has been raised by her locksmith father, who schools her in the art of home burglaries until he gets caught and she drops out of veterinary school and takes on his legal fees by burgling houses where pets are in trouble and mistreated. In this Robin Hood twist, Maizes tells a fast-paced story with style and keen insights into the mysterious, powerful bonds between animals and people.”

Follow the link to read more about Other People’s Pets and the other books included on this list.

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CBS 8 | July 11, 2020

“There has been a shift in America following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Their wrongful deaths, as well as those of many other Black lives, have sparked nationwide Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality, shining a light on racial injustice and oppression.

With more people having conversations about race, many are looking to works of literature to better help them understand the issues that Black people face in the United States. From powerful essays, personal stories, non-fiction accounts of mass incarceration and police violence, Black authors have shared their experiences through the written word. While all wide-ranging, they all have one thing in common, highlighting the perils of racism in the U.S.

Here is a collection of books by Black authors that explore race in America.”

When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele was included in this thought-provoking round-up. Follow the link above to read about the other books on this list.

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Wall Street Journal | July 10, 2020

“When Gwendolyn Brooks was a girl, she heard her father reciting poetry. When she was 11, her own verses appeared in a Chicago newspaper. Twenty-two years after that, Brooks (1917-2000) became the first black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize. Suzanne Slade tells how it all unfurled in a lyrical illustrated biography for children ages 5-9.

‘Exquisite’ (Abrams, 48 pages, $17.99) is a testament to the generative powers of a bookish childhood and cultured, supportive parents. There wasn’t much money in the Brooks home, yet Gwendolyn’s family ‘owned great treasure—a bookcase filled with precious poems.’

In Cozbi A. Cabrera’s expressive naif paintings, we see the joy that these volumes gave. We see young Gwendolyn at the piano, her mother coming in to praise the girl’s literary efforts. Through an awkward adolescence, through marriage and motherhood and a series of unedifying jobs, Brooks kept writing. Using different poetic forms, she sought to capture, as Ms. Slade puts it, the ‘nonstop busyness, the hard-luck grittiness, of life in her South Side Chicago neighborhood—Bronzeville—where businesses boomed on 47th Street, where hardworking families didn’t have enough to eat, where people jumped and jived to a new, jazzy beat’” It was her second collection, ‘Annie Allen’ (1949), that would secure her place in the Pulitzer pantheon.”

Follow the link above to read the entire article!

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