Friends -- This post ends this iteration of the coloring books project -- which was my concerted attempt to read, watch, listen to, and learn about artists and intellectuals of color and post about those artistic efforts and those cultural spaces during the year of 2015. That concerted attempt will not end, because if I've … Continue reading 01/01/16 — coloring books 2015 finale
Tag: Magically Real
Beautiful translators — China trip, 2 — coloring books 2015
We want to be in charge of our speech. Those of us who work with words for a living -- we want to control the message, the input and output of words, dancing themselves out in lines that kickstep from left to right, even when spoken. The lexography of the Roman alphabet. Caesar writing "veni, … Continue reading Beautiful translators — China trip, 2 — coloring books 2015
Wyl Villacres, “Dear White People in my MFA Program” and commentary — coloring books project 2015
Friends -- I was just about to post a piece on satire, where I talk about the ways in which satiric writing has become a problematic mode of address for white writers trying to be "edgy" -- when lo and behold, here appears a great example of a satiric essay, written from a POC perspective. … Continue reading Wyl Villacres, “Dear White People in my MFA Program” and commentary — coloring books project 2015
Let’s talk story! — Ryka Aoki’s magic, joyous novel He Mele a Hilo — (coloring books project 2015)
Friends – There’s a lot of dystopian fiction out there. We see it in fantasy. We see it in SF. We see it on tv. Some of it is fabulous. But having looked at and read dark non-realist fiction for at least 30 years, I think I’m ready for something else. That something else can … Continue reading Let’s talk story! — Ryka Aoki’s magic, joyous novel He Mele a Hilo — (coloring books project 2015)
last friday of august poetry — (coloring books project 2015)
friends -- trundling through facebook i came across an amazing poet. i'll try to post poets i discover from time to time on a friday. please check out the work of this extraordinarily talented person by the name of Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo. thank you and happy weekend. XOCHITL-JULISA BERMEJO
No Kidding American genius in Mud City Journal — 08/13/15, Coloring Books project 2015
Friends -- We literary folks are often awash in the many literary facebook like this page requests that come our way. Like this page Like this page. Whatever. Except sometimes you're asked to like a page, and you go because you want to be a nice supportive older writer person and then you look and … Continue reading No Kidding American genius in Mud City Journal — 08/13/15, Coloring Books project 2015
Chinese-American and Male?: watching 9-Man — July 15th, the coloring books project
Friends – I have to admit that I know very little about what it might be like to be a Chinese-American man. The only male friend of Chinese-American descent that I can remember ever having was my friend Pete. I got to know Pete in St. Louis in the mid 70's when we were both … Continue reading Chinese-American and Male?: watching 9-Man — July 15th, the coloring books project
May Day! — 60 year old white woman tries to grasp hip hop aesthetics #coloringbooksproject
Dear Friends – Ok, this is embarrassing. I tried a couple of months ago to start educating myself about hip hop, and I got all kinds of good suggestions from friends and acquaintances as to what artists to listen to. While collecting those suggestions I looked up hip hop on Wikipedia to try to … Continue reading May Day! — 60 year old white woman tries to grasp hip hop aesthetics #coloringbooksproject
Allen’s Travels: comic questioning in Top Five — coloring books project 2015
Dear friends – I’ve been busy launching my debut novel, and haven’t had a lot of time to blog. But I have been thinking a lot about comedy, and how crucial a form it can be to do cultural work and to ask important, uncomfortable questions. I used to love the 1942 film Sullivan’s Travels-- … Continue reading Allen’s Travels: comic questioning in Top Five — coloring books project 2015
The coloring books project goes to AWP15: some (amazing) sample panels
Friends -- I've received some wonderful, thought-provoking and thought-ful responses to my previous blog post "When jews aren't white." Thanks to these comments, I'm reading Albert Memmi's novel about being a Jewish person of color in Tunis right now. I hope to blog more about this topic soon. But for now, I'd like to share … Continue reading The coloring books project goes to AWP15: some (amazing) sample panels
Stephanie Barbé Hammer Writing (Un) Real 