Fun Summer Reads

[blk_reign]

I actually had to read E Lynn Harris' Invisible Life for an African American Cultural Experience course (not at AU rofl) and our professor told the men that if they didn't read the book they'd fail the class ...

but it definitely opened up my eyes to some things...

[faith2005]

invisible life was a good book imo. it spoke to many issues surrounding afr. am. culture as it relates to the lgbt community, aids, relationships, and it was self-published by a black man, so i gave it props just for that.

[blk_reign]

i agree.. it was definitely a good book.. If This World Were Mine is excellent as well

invisible life was a good book imo. it spoke to many issues surrounding afr. am. culture as it relates to the lgbt community, aids, relationships, and it was self-published by a black man, so i gave it props just for that.

[Lexington]

awww blk, i love those love poems by nikki giovanni. my favorite is the poem thats like, "how do you write a poem about?" and I liked blues dancing too.

lexington--yeah, generalization is wrong, esp. since there isn't one genre of "black authors." black authors exist across every genre. i mean there are science fiction writers like octavia butler/hist. fiction writers like lalita tademy/literature like toni morrison and james baldwin/erotica like zane and the brown sugar series/chick lit like terri mcmillan and mystery like walter moseley and the tamara mchayle novels. i hope you continue to open your mind. have you read anything by any of the authors i mentioned in my last post? or this one? if you do, let me know what you think.

What I was referring to in my post was specifically the modern black fiction (if I can call it that).  I do realize that there are excellent black authors in every genre and that one or two people are not representative of an entire population.  I also realize that my exposure is limited.  The problem is that I do so little reading for fun that its a very slow process.

Of the ones you mentioned, I've read toni morrison, james baldwin and eric jerome dickey.  I started something by E. Lynn Harris but couldn't get past the first few chapters.  I've been meaning to check out Edwidge Danticat so perhaps that'll be next. 

[Abevigoda]

I'm not black but I read this great book in college by Octavia Butler called Parable of the Sower.  It is highly recommended for those who like black female science fiction writers, or for anyone who likes a good book.

[lucky7]

I always liked Ray Bradbury- Something Wicked This Way Comes, Graveyard for Lunatics, One More for the Road- dark, strange comedy. Most is sci fi, but not all of it.

[lucky7]

ok, i just noticed this thread is in the blsd, so the previous post doesnt really fit, considering ray bradbury is an old white dude. he is, however, a fun read

[! B L U E WAR R I O R..!]

aye used to work in a spot where august wilson
used to come in sit and listen to two of my workmates bicker for years...
funny thing is...they did not know who he was...aye never bothered him...but shite...aye know he got some ideas from their confabulations...strange aye had forgotten all about that time...

my two workmates always had me laughing...while we ALL bickered...we all had respect for each other...august wilson would just sit...quietly laugh sometimes...certainly write and once in a while he'd be just reading...always by himself.

aye consider august wilson one of the best...he "worked" broadway...he and his pal, lloyd richards...

his plays are treasures!

px.o.rsta

[faith2005]

I'm not black but I read this great book in college by Octavia Butler called Parable of the Sower.  It is highly recommended for those who like black female science fiction writers, or for anyone who likes a good book.

i started with parable of the sower, and got hooked. i think i've read that series, kindred, and most of her 2nd series too. its good stuff.

[lex19]

Sister Souljah is cool, I read both the coldest winter ever and no disrespect. i liked no disrespect, but I came away thinking, wow, she was really insecure. she had an affair witha married man, got taken for all of her $, stuff that I can't even imagine. the coldest winter ever was cool, but i didn't really enjoy it. it seemed like she was trying to hard to document this super ghetto girl's lifestyle. it didn't seem real to me.

i thought the coldest winter ever was right on and the truth, and as for no disrespect, i couldn't believe how low her self-esteem was either faith, every guy she dated had a major malfunction, and i thinks it's more about her life as a young adult and not as fragmented as crash...definitly a good read


if anyone hasn't i reccomend maya angelou's autobiographical series, there are five books and man she is truly a phenominal woman....she's done it all, i mean i was so impressed and taken back i started collecting the first print editions..i have one more to get! 

edit: yes i realize i can't spell to save my life