Tag Archives: literature

Review of Charles Johnson’s Taming the Ox

Posted on April 2, 2019 by tonipressleysanon

I am an admirer of the African American Buddhist writer cartoonist extraordinaire Charles Johnson. Johnson is the recipient of several awards including the coveted MacArthur “Genius Award” as well as Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships. I was … Continue reading →

| Tagged angel kyodo williams, black buddhist, black women buddhist, book review, charles johnson, creative writing, jan willis, literature, peace is every step, ruth king, taming the ox, thich nhat hanh, women, zenju earthlyn manuel | Leave a comment

Review of Nafissa Thomas-Spires’ Heads of the Colored People

Posted on March 19, 2019 by tonipressleysanon

Nafissa Thompson-Spires’ short story collection Heads of the Colored People (2018) is incredibly SMART!! All of the stories are amazing—expertly crafted and honed works of literary genius. Some of them are very clearly connected by the individuals who are their subjects … Continue reading →

Posted in African-American, literature | Tagged black and brown feminism, black feminism, black women, black women feminists, black women writers, creative writing, literature, Nafissa Thomas-Spires, short stories, women | Leave a comment

Bonus! Review of Well-Read Black Girl and If Beale Street Could Talk

Posted on February 19, 2019 by tonipressleysanon

I’ve been thinking a lot about service lately; more specifically, I’ve been thinking about how people serve their communities in ways that ring true to them and are impactful. While there are things that we do that we can easily … Continue reading →

Posted in African-American, culture, film, literature, Writer | Tagged A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich, Alice Childress, Barry Jenkins, bell hooks, black feminism, black women, black women writers, cinema, film, Glory Edim, Google, I Am Not Your Negro, If Beale Street Could Talk, James Baldwin, literature, novel, Raoul Peck, teaching, teaching to transgress, Well-Read Black Girl, women | 1 Comment

Review of Washington Black

Posted on February 5, 2019 by tonipressleysanon

The simply named Washington Black (2018) by Canadian Esi Edugyan , though expansive in its reach, takes place over a mere four-year period. In that short period of time young Washington, or Wash as he is called by Christopher (Titch) … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Afro-Caribbean, Britain, Caribbean, culture, history, literature, slavery, slavery. britain, Writer | Tagged barbados, Caribbean, creative writing, esi edugyan, literature, novel, review, washington black | Leave a comment

Review of Blackass by A. Igoni Barrett

Posted on June 15, 2016 by alligatorwoods

Blackass by A. Igoni Barrett, 256 pp.Graywolf Press, 2016, $9.52 paperback On a most basic level, Blackass by A. Igoni Barrett is about identity and its fluidity. But it’s also about how slavery, colonialism, and one of my favorite misnomers, … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa | Tagged A. Igoni Barrett, Africa, African Literature, Blackass, literature, Nigeria, review, West Africa | Leave a comment

Review of The Hairdresser of Harare: A Novel

Posted on April 18, 2016 by alligatorwoods

My first encounter with Zimbabwean writer and certified podiatrist Tendai Huchu was a few years ago when I found his short story “The Sale” in AfroSF: Science Fiction by African Writers (2012), edited by the incomparable Nnedi Okorafor. Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, literature, review, Writer | Tagged Africa, creative writing, literature, review, Tendai Huchu | Leave a comment