‘Utopia’ means ‘no place.’ An avenue is a place. So is music. When we’re playing well, I’m here, but elsewhere, too. That’s the paradox. Utopia is unattainable. Avenues are everywhere. Derek, Elf, Jasper, and Griff each has a dream: make it big in the music industry playing music they love. So far, it hasn’t panned out for any of them. But when manager Levon Frankland ... Read More...
Crooked Hallelujah
Texas and Oklahoma, during the 1970s and 1980s oil boom and bust, is the setting for Crooked Hallelujah, a debut novel about the lives of three generations of Cherokee women. Lula is the matriarch, Justine her daughter, and Reney her grand-daughter. The times were difficult, but even more so if you were a Native American and a woman. Against this arid backdrop their lives are ... Read More...
What I’m Reading in July
I realize we’re already 10 days into July, but honestly, can you really tell at this point? If anything, the news feels as if we’re moving backwards. With no guidance or support from the federal government the first ‘wave’ keeps growing. Who knows what’s next? All of which means, I’m behind in sharing the July reading I’m looking forward to. I’ve already had some ... Read More...
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Where to begin with Brit Bennett’s new novel The Vanishing Half? Ostensibly it’s the story of identical twins Stella and Desiree who grow up in Mallard, a small, poor community in the Deep South, comprised solely of light-skinned black people. But given what’s happening in America right now reviewing a book about race feels fraught, even when it’s fiction. As a white woman I ... Read More...
May Reading Recap
It’s getting harder and harder to tell the end of any month. Who knows when one has ended and a new one begun, but apparently May is over. The loss of normalcy and routine means that even as restrictions in Michigan ease I feel unsettled going out and saddened by the fact that what was once normal may not be that way for the foreseeable future. This ongoing uncertainty has led ... Read More...
The First Actress: A novel
Born the illegitimate daughter of a French courtesan, Sarah Bernhardt didn’t even live with her mother until she was eight years old. When she did move in with her, Sarah caught the eye of one of her mother’s patrons and was shipped off to convent boarding school. Not for her safety, but because her mother didn’t want the competition. When she returned to Paris at 15 her ... Read More...
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