Roy L. Pickering Jr.'s Blog
July 5, 2025
My conversation with Grok
I enjoy a good debate of important issues. But you can't have a quality debate with just anyone because people with different viewpoints than your own are often led by emotion rather than reason. If someone quickly resorts to insults and name calling rather than addressing what it is you said and why they feel it is incorrect, it's best to abort that mission. The person is either intellectually incapable or simply not interested in attempting to persuade by presentation of facts. Say what you will about Artificial Intelligence (I've certainly had unflattering things to say about it), but at least it attempts to stick to what's reasonable and probable and pertinent rather than hurling insults when it doesn't like what you said. When Elon Musk claimed on Twitter that @Grok has been significantly improved in answer giving, I decided to put it to the test. Its debate technique was to ask me questions in return rather than truly answering what I had asked, as well as consistent reference to the Heritage Foundation. Admittedly, my question was an accusation. So when Grok requested examples of my claim, for me to prove that I was not being partisan just for the hell of it, I provided two to get the ball rolling.I invite any polite humans willing to engage in civil discourse to answer my two-part question. Below is what Grok had to say in response, and my rebuttals, and so on and so forth. Pick a winner if you wish. In the end, while I believe in being open to having my mind changed by a potent counter argument, I remained unswayed by Grok's replies.
WHAT HE SAID...
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June 3, 2025
LOCAL AUTHORS EXPO
I'm thrilled to announce that I will be participating in the LOCAL AUTHORS EXPO at my town library. It's taking place during Grand Opening weekend for the new and improved Union Library. I will have signed copies of my children's book The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Ava Appelsawse along with my novels Patches of Grey and Matters of Convenience. Between now and then I plan to select an excerpt from that last one to read aloud at the event. Attendees will also be able to obtain a printed excerpt from my novel in progress - Second Shot - along with other book'ish goodies. If you're in the area of Union, NJ - I hope to see you on Sunday, June 8th. There will be a variety of activities going on for the library's Grand Opening. The Local Authors Expo portion is taking place from 12 PM - 2 PM in the Black Box Theater. Union's brand spanking new library with its various attractions (see below) is located at 1980 Morris Avenue.
A cozy fireplaceIndividual study roomsA learning lab for classroom activitiesA creativity lab with innovative equipmentOutdoor programming and seating areaDedicated spaces for adults, teens, and childrenPlenty of seating options (with outlets and charging stations)Restrooms on every levelA state-of-the-art theatre and art gallery on the lower level
NOTHING BUT LOVE TO LOCAL AUTHORS, AND TO AUTHORS WORLDWIDE. NOTHING BUT LOVE TO INDIE AUTHORS, AND THOSE WITH CONTRACTS FROM THE BIG FIVE PUBLISHERS. NOTHING BUT LOVE TO AVID READERS WHEREVER THEY ARE TO BE FOUND. NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR ALL VARIETY OF BOOKS. THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE ESSENTIAL.
P.S. HERE'S A FRIENDLY REMINDER FROM AN AUTHOR BORN ON ST. THOMAS, USVI THAT JUNE IS CARIBBEAN HERITAGE MONTH.
@mudhousebooks #readcaribbean #readcaribbeanmonth #readcaribbeanliterature #readcaribbeanauthors ♬ Walking Around - Instrumental Version - Eldar Kedem
@mudhousebooks Let me know your scores in the comments, fellow book lovers. #bibliophiles ♬ original sound - mari
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March 28, 2025
Sneak Peek at SECOND SHOT
Drum roll please...............................
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I have settled on a title for my third novel. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it will come to the light of day sometime between now and whenever (year's end?) with the title of: SECOND SHOT
It's still a work in progress as I am currently working on the third draft. After that, draft # 4. After that, your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps deemed worthy to begin querying literary agents. Maybe deciding from the start to cut out the middle man of Big 5 book publishers (remember when there were so many more than five of them?) and publishing on my own under the umbrella of M.U.D. House Books. Or perhaps some plan in between that has not presented itself yet. We shall see. In the meantime, here's a brief sneak peek excerpt from the beginning of Second Shot. I won't entirely rule out the future possibilities of revising this section, or moving it to another part of the book. For now I like it well enough as is currently written and placed. Therefore I'm allowing you to check it out, plus a little extra that you'll find below the excerpt. Let me know what you think. Much more to come. Happy Reading!
~~~~~
It’strue, what they say. Your life DOES flash before your eyes. Or at least Isuppose it’s a flash when you go quickly. When death takes its time, the wounddeep enough to bring down the curtain but not in a particular rush, thenmemories meander. They come in no discernible order. Certainly notchronological. Perhaps there is a reason for this pattern but figuring it outis not a primary concern. Continuing to breathe takes top priority, but howlong you get to do so is a matter beyond control. You let recollections washover you, try to cling to the sweeter ones, prolong them if possible. But thisis another matter over which you do not have much say. A memory fades whetheryou want it to or not and the next one takes its turn at center stage. Somefeel important and make understandable appearances. Others seem insignificant, andyet here they are among what may be your final ones. If it was up to me, theywould all be centered on her. The rest of it, whether deemed noteworthy orirrelevant, is a chain of details that add up to the life I have lived. I wouldprefer to dwell exclusively on who I love. But it isn’t up to me. I no longerget to make choices. Along with essential redness, memories spill as they wishto occur. Fade to whatever comes at the end of this predicament. Probablysilence.
~~~~~
@mudhousebooks Matters of Convenience - A novel by Roy L. Pickering Jr. Available at Amazon in print paperback, Kindle, and audiobook format. #booktok ♬ After Nine - Veil
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January 30, 2025
Patches of Grey
I'll let words already written in my debut novel PATCHES OF GREY [available at Amazon in print paperback and Kindle format] do the talking in this post...along with some carefully selected pictures.
The Kaos Krew paid little heed to those who supposedlycontrolled their neighborhood. They felt nothing but disdain for landlords,store owners, politicians, and especially cops, who were considered to benothing more than a better funded gang. The boys in blue thought they calledthe shots, but were deluding themselves. The streets belonged to those mostintimate with them.
Was love ever easy for anyone? If less complicated, wouldthis make it less appreciated? Perhaps love was difficult for good reason.Perhaps everything on God’s green earth was the result of a flawless plan, eventhat which seemed most muddled.
When he spoke of love, it was in the manner of someone whocan recite a phrase in a foreign language but has no idea what it means. Heonly knows that it sounds pretty.
Henow realized that right and wrong were intertwined notions. His arms could notdifferentiate between just and unjust causes. They only knew that they wereempty.
They demanded to be heard, even though it didn't seem theyhad much to say. Perhaps the futility and smallness that characterized theirlives was too overwhelming to articulate in any manner other than a primitive,incoherent scream. Maybe it was inevitable that those who felt they had nostake in society would opt to destroy it.
Atightrope walker uncertain if he could make it to the other side probably wouldnot. A racecar driver wondering if he was taking a turn too fast was likely tolose control. If a man feared death, whether his own or the taking ofanother's, death would surely come calling.
Thewall again exerted its magnetic pull. It was just a word. It took nothing fromhim. It made him feel only as low as he allowed himself to feel. His ownbrother used it in conversation habitually. But not in the same way - filledwith malice, overflowing with insult. He couldn't tear his eyes away, shookwith lust for retribution. Six little letters making one huge statement.
It was his experience that life worked under the sameguidelines as a capitalistic society. In order to get what you wanted, it wasusually necessary to give up something in return. Sometimes gaining what youdefined as everything meant losing what you most needed.
Time had taught him that whether his sins were pardoned orleft unforgiven, they would remain committed. Tomorrow he would hopefullychoose wiser, with a stronger measure of compassion.
There were many tomorrows to be lived through his children.He could only hope that they would face them more courageously than he had,that his mistakes would serve as warning signs rather than crutches to lean on.
The genesis of their love was physical attraction, and hiscomplexion had lured her the same as hers undoubtedly pulled him. It was nothis blackness that she fell in love with, but it was a part of him, andtherefore, a part of what she loved.
C.J.had once believed that he understood who he was, what he was about, what he wascapable of. But when the moment came to act upon these convictions, hediscovered that his knowledge of self was faulty. Had his lack of killerinstinct been a momentary lapse, first time jitters? Or was there more to itthan that? If not the fearless, remorseless man he supposed himself to be, thenjust who was he?
Tony and Tanya had grown accustomed to seeing their motherpushed around. Listening to her now, they viewed her as if for the first time.She was indeed a wise woman. She was a teacher. Her lessons would be in how tosurvive, for she possessed a PHD in the subject.
I want it for him too. But the things he wants have a way ofchanging a man. He'll start thinking that the money and the white man'slearning are all that matter. He’ll get himself a college degree and a paperpushing job, and he won't have to sweat and strain to make it from one paycheckto another. That's a blessing. But he'll take it for granted. He'll feelashamed that no matter how different he acts and thinks and feels, he'll beseen the same as the rest of us. The same as me.
Whenit came to race relations, why was the exception so often taken to be the rule?
Butthere was no denying that a generic hatred had been stirred up. Wide spreadingripples can reach calm waters far removed from where a stone has been tossed.
So,he decided to suffer from selective amnesia. Forgotten would be the sound ofJanet’s laughter; the feel of her lips against his skin; the way her hairspread out over his chest as they lay in repose; the look on her face as theymade love; the sound of her voice when she said he was her sun and moon andstars. Only by deleting heaven from his memory did he have a chance to surviveon earth.
Tonywas no doubt looking down on him, thinking that once he was out on his own, hewould never allow himself to be imprisoned by poverty. He would not acceptlimitations that others attempted to impose on his options. He had no intentionof blaming racism for that which was brought about by submission. In otherwords, Tony had arrogantly concluded that he would never become his father.
They all believed back then that love lasted forever. By nowthey surely knew, as did he, that forever was a treacherous myth, thoughprobably a necessary one.
January 12, 2025
The Lessons of Bondage
The past can be a treacherous place to navigate. My advice/caution. Do not dwell on it to the detriment of progress towards a better future. Do not allow it to be whitewashed, or worse, banned in order to protect the sensibilities of those who think they are suppressing anger, but to the contrary, are stoking it. Do not dishonor the memory of those who went through Hell on earth by attempting to minimize their ordeal. Yesterday is to be learned from, and sometimes atoned for, but never forgotten. We are the descendants of kings, and queens, and enslavers, and the enslaved. Blame and shame are legitimate responses, but do not allow how we treated each us other then to dictate how we view each other now. Break those chains. Onward bound, with the truths of our history left intact so that we may try to heal and move on with our battle scars.
Kindred by Octavia E. ButlerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
An excellent novel that wonderfully blends science fiction with literary fiction. The science fiction aspect is pretty spare for although the concept of time travel is critical to the narrative, the author does not go into much detail about it. It simply happens for reasons that are left unexplained physically (Why bother explaining the impossible anyway? Doesn't make it any more plausible) but make sufficient sense for the reader to easily accept. The main character (Dana, a black woman recently wed to a white man in 1976) needs to keep an ancestor (who is white) from dying on a few separate occassions throughout the course of his life in order to sustain the family lineage that will eventually lead to her. She doesn't need to keep Rufus (who she first meets as a boy) alive to a ripe old age, just long enough for him impregnate the woman who will give birth to the earliest relative that Dana was aware of having. The extremely unfortunate thing for Dana is that the time she is repeatedly transported back to is America's period of mass production by slavery. She has no control over when she'll be called back in time. Rufus summons her subconsciously and perhaps consciously as he grows older whenever he is in grave danger. Dana is able to return to 1976 only when her own life is in immediate peril, something that usually but not always is beyond her control. The amount of time she spends on the plantation does not match the length of time that she is whisked away from her real life. Months in the past correspond to the passage of a couple hours in 1976 on one trip. On another trip, two weeks in the present correspond to three months in the past. So the connection is arbitrary, which is fine, for as I said this book isn't really about H.G. Wells style time travel. It's about the kind of time travel that affects all of us, because reality dictates that what happened in the past impacts our present and shapes our future. And as we learn more about our past and discover what had previously been unknown or misunderstood, our present understanding of the world adapts and generates a different future than the one we were previously headed towards. Bravo to Octavia E. Butler, a fine writer indeed.
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi CoatesMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this well written book, the first novel by esteemed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. It received a great deal of hype including the valuable OPRAH seal of approval. So I went in thinking it would blow me away. Instead I ended up liking but not quite loving it. 3-1/2 stars out of 5. Comparisons to The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead were inevitable since they both tackle the same subject matter. Both books stray from the reality of what the underground railroad was in the telling of their respective tales. In Whitehead's case he made it a literal train traveling underground, so basically the subway. As for Coates, he came up with the concept of conduction which is where certain people (such as Harriet Tubman who is a character in The Water Dancer) possess the mystical power to transport themselves and others along with them over great distances rather than needing to travel in pedestrian fashion by horse or foot. It's kind of bordering on Harry Potter territory. The Water Dancer delves into the life of a man named Hiram Walker who is a slave in possession of the power of conduction, although for much of the narrative he doesn't have full mastery of it or control over when it will happen. But even though he isn't a conduction expert yet, his talent makes the operators of the Underground Railroad greatly desirous of his services. Unlike Hiram and Harriet "Moses" Tubman, most slave escapes are orchestrated by people without magical powers. These ordinary escapes involve strategy, forgery, and following paths that lead to various locations of shelter by abolitionists when perilous journeys from bondage to safe haven in the northern half of the US are undertaken. Hiram, like many slaves, has half African ancestry and half Caucasian. His biological father is also his master. He is treated better than many other slaves, not quite like a son by his father or like a brother by his father's officially recognized son Maynard. But Hiram is certainly treated better than a brute animal, in part because of his talents beyond conduction such as an incredible memory and mastery of card tricks that entertains guests at parties. In blood as well as circumstances, Hiram has a lifestyle somewhere in between that of "The Tasked and that of "The Quality". But neither he nor those he loves best has freedom, and without that precious commodity, time on this earth is just an advance preview of Hell with stolen moments of sweetness all the more cherished because they can be taken away on a whim at any time. I didn't feel as emotionally invested in Hiram and the woman he loves (Sophia) and the woman who raises him after the death of the mother he barely remembers (Thena) as I was in the protagonist of Whitehead's Underground Railroad, or that of the wonderful Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr.. I wasn't as impressed by the writing as I was by the prose in Edward P. Jones' The Known World or Charles R. Johnson's Middle Passage. I wasn't as absorbed in The Water Dancer as I was by the remarkable Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. Coates has not taken the literary throne from Toni Morrison and her novels such as Beloved and A Mercy. But this isn't to say that I did not enjoy The Water Dancer. It's just that I've read some incredible books that deal with the abomination of slavery. Ta-Nehisi is a very talented writer and I hope he continues gifting us with both his fiction and non-fiction writing on any topic of his choosing.
James by Percival EverettMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
James is a brilliant retelling and reimagining of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that is told from the point of view of Jim rather than Huck. Most people are familiar with the original novel, even those who haven't read it. They know that Huck's adventures take place during the days of slavery and that the setting is on or nearby the Mississippi River. The mischievous white boy of Twain's creation rebels against domesticity, often along with his best friend Tom Sawyer. As an African American man in a state of bondage, Jim does not have the luxury of rebelling against anything. Not without paying the ultimate price. His only choice, which comes at great peril, is to escape and hope that he is able to evade capture. However, Jim is a family man devoted to his wife and child. Freedom is meaningless to him without them by his side. He does not seek adventure or fortune or amusement to distract himself from daily boredom. Stakes for him are much higher than they are for Tom or his good friend Huck, even though Huck is not without problems of his own such as an alcoholic father who is quick to anger and acts of violence. Since the plot of James is already set by Mark Twain's novel, Percival Everett starts his novel out on footing that is familiar to us. We're seeing the world through the eyes of an enslaved man rather than an All American boy, but the events of James stay true to what takes place in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For starters anyway. Huck runs away from home to get away from a bullying father, Jim escapes to avoid being sold away from his family, planning to somehow be reunited with them down the road, perhaps by being able to purchase their freedom with money that he will need to figure out how to obtain. The two of them end up in the same hiding place and decide to team up. As in Mark Twain's novel, Jim learns that Huck's father has died but keeps this knowledge from the boy. As they alternate traveling on the Mississippi by raft or whatever else they're able to obtain that will float, and moving about by foot when necessary, they make the acquaintance of various characters who are known to us from the original version of this story. And as with Twain's version, there are times when Jim and Huck get separated from each other. This is where Percival Everett is given the most freedom to invent his own story, since rather than sticking with Huck at these times, here the narrative remains with Jim. Among the differences between Twain's and Everett's novels is code switching. Jim speaks the way he is expected to when white people are around, but his true language is proper English that is spoken when the coast is clear. Jim can also read and write. Language is a critical aspect of the story, which makes sense since in the days of slavery Black people had to find ways to communicate with each other that was undetectable to white people. In a way, that tradition carries on to this day. The person named Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a slave. That defines who he is and what he does. It is his motivation and the limitation imposed on him by society and also by the author. As for Percival Everett's James, he is a man that happens to be enslaved, but "slave" does not define him. He is also a husband and a father and intelligent and curious and shrewd and caring and angry and optimistic and vengeful and cynical and a dreamer and sympathetic and wise and wary and a variety of other things. James is multifaceted as written by Everett because he is not merely a vehicle for Huck to learn how he feels about a society that permits and enforces slavery. James is not there primarily for a boy to realize what type of man he wants to become and avoid becoming. James is a fully realized fictional character who acts not how Twain's plot dictates he must, but rather, one who behaves how a man in his situation might when push comes to shove. There are plot elements that I won't reveal because I don't want to play spoiler. Instead I will urge you to immediately obtain a copy of this fantastic novel in order to find out for yourself what happens. The only clue I will give is that I could see a movie adaptation of James being directed by Quentin Tarantino. Or Spike Lee. I said it upon review of his novel Erasure and I will repeat it here. Percival Everett is a great writer. Give him his flowers. I can't wait to see what he gifts us with next. If you're one of those people who has not already read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, you might want to pick up Twain's classic first.
Homegoing by Yaa GyasiMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This novel is magnificent. A truly extraordinary achievement and an absolute pleasure to read. The plot is perfectly simple. A family tree gets split into two branches in Africa. Two sisters who never get to know each other are separated, one married off to a white slave trader and the other ending up as one of the slaves held literally beneath their feet. Subsequent chapters bounce back and forth between descendants of the two sisters. Each chapter gives us a slice in the life of a character. It picks up at what seems like a random spot in a person's life, gets us absorbed in that story, and then abruptly abandons it. The next chapter introduces us to a new character who falls in the other half of the family lineage. Reading Yaa Gyasi's wonderful novel is like watching a literary tennis match, our attention drawn to one side of the net and then pulled to the other and back and forth the narrative goes. We reach the end of each chapter with a tinge of regret because it was a riveting tale unto itself and we are naturally curious to follow it further. But we are equally anxious to dive into the next story from the other side of the net. Homegoing is a novel that very much has the feeling of an anthology of short stories. Each story is a sequel to the one that we read two chapters back, introducing us to the son or daughter of the father or mother we previously read about. Inevitably the two family/narrative lines will meet up, or so we hope and expect. Ultimately it is a single family and story divided up into various segments that contain varying amounts of joy and tragedy and hope. Homegoing is the story of the atrocities of the slave trade, and colonization, and segregation, and Jim Crow, and the Great Migration, and the war on drugs, and mass incarceration which is basically full circle back to slavery in modern society. It is a story of family, not just this particular fictional one but the real world African American family. Splintered into pieces that may never reconnect. Like the characters who populate this book, each of us have entirely different and unique stories. Yet we all share the same, single path. We are each other's brothers and sisters even if fated to never cross paths. Trace back far enough and we can find where the connection began. And if we cannot, we still know that the connection is out there somewhere, and so we should relate to and treat one another with this understanding. Decades ago Alex Haley gave us the masterful Roots and now Yaa Gyasi has given us the brilliant Homegoing. The latter is a work of pure fiction but feels like truth as the best of fiction does. Put this book immediately into the literary canon. Homegoing should be mandatory reading for all students of African American history, and Black Literature, and English Majors. If you're not a student in any of those classes then read it anyway because it's a wonderful novel that you will be glad to have read. It is a story for everyone as the best of fiction is, but will resonate particularly with the souls of black folk. Bravo, Yaa Gyasi. Bravo!
Middle Passage by Charles R. JohnsonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a wonderful, powerful, thought provoking, surprising read. The first two attributes are on account of Charles Johnson's mastery of the written word. His prose grips the reader from first sentence and doesn't let go for a second. It goes by so quickly that I found myself wishing it had been padded to last another 50 pages or more. Why was it surpising? Well, I expected it to focus primarily on the horrific middle passage in which people were enslaved and transported in barbaric fashion from Africa to America. And the bulk of this book does in fact describe such a voyage. But before we get to it we are introduced to the protagonist, a fascinating character who is a freed slave that ends up on the ship basically by accident as he flees to avoid a forced marriage to his impatient girlfriend, a seemingly mild mannered lady who has taken matrimonial matters into her own hands in rather brutish fashion. Once Rutherford Calhoun is aboard ship and particularly once it has monstrously taken on cargo, which includes not only members of an ancient African tribe but also their god, the narrative is so intense and perilous and chock full of life and death double dealing on the unpredictable high seas, that the early part of the novel is mostly forgotten. But without giving too much away, as Middle Passage reaches its conclusion suddenly we are back in the world of the original cast of characters. The physically battered protagonist is much changed mentally and emotionally due to his adventurous ordeal. But he has one last dangerous set of circumstances to navigate before he can be fully saved. Ironically, being saved means opting for a degree of monogamy and commitment that his avoidance of got him into so much trouble in the first place. Freedom has an entirely different definition to him from beginning of the story to the end. So yes, this book as expected was about the atrocities of the slave trade. But slavery is more of a backdrop than focus of the action packed tale. What it ultimately ends up being about is the lengths a man goes to live a carefree existence, and what he must go through to learn that caring for people other than himself is a far superior way to live.
The Known World by Edward P. JonesMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Bravo, Edward P. Jones - Bravo! Finished this masterpiece with about 20 minutes left to go in the year 2013. Looking forward to quite a few more great reads in 2014 but they'll need to be magnificent to share a bookshelf with this one. Reading The Known World put me one step closer to my goal of reading all of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction award winners - http://lineaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/...
Is the question "how (morally) could there have been black slave owners who were formerly slaves themselves?" a predecessor to "why is black on black crime so prevalent?" or "why do some black people (Michael Jackson being an especially well known example) seem to be trying to escape their blackness by cloaking it in what is commonly accepted as whiteness?" or "is the survival Darwin spoke of primarily achieved by looking out for yourself, even if the most effective method of ascension is using your own people to reach and remain at the top?"
Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon NorthupMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The excellent film adaptation of this novel, which I watched after keeping a promise to myself to read the book first, was more melodramatic and pulled on heartstrings to greater effect and purpose than Solomon Northup's telling of his life story which was written without consideration of Hollywood retellings in mind. He writes in somewhat stilted prose, his style academic rather than evocative. Unlike a movie director years later in a world that Solomon never could have imagined, Solomon is not trying with the telling of his life story (or a portion of it anyway) to draw out our tears. He is not attempting with every stroke of the pen to stir up emotions. Solomon Northup is simply telling us like it was - straight no chaser. No need to exaggerate the brutality or the tragedy, no reason to willfully demonize people whose monstrous acts and barbaric attitudes speak for themselves. Is the reader outraged, astounded that people could casually treat others in such a manner? Only if the reader has a soul. Solomon Northup doesn't place his words on page to move us the way his violin playing moved the people who heard it. He is both impartial reporter and the subject of this piece of journalism that required no investigation because it happened to Solomon directly. Years later we may need to remind ourselves that no matter how dramatic the cruelty of stealing people away from their homes and loved ones for profit may be, this is a work of non-fiction, not make believe. Solomon doesn't ask us to feel sorry for him, or to hate his oppressors. What he does is recount what it was like for a man to suddenly find himself in bondage and servitude, endure it for over a decade, and then somewhat miraculously find himself free again with a most amazing and devastating tale to tell. He reveals the truth to us in as unbiased a manner as possible and allows us judge it for ourselves. How did any man ever convince himself that it was okay to treat another this way? How did people ignore the humanity they surely saw in the brethren that they stole from another continent? How was a single one of them able to look in a mirror? Twelve Years a Slave asks these questions but is unable to answer them, nor does it bother to try. Nothing can adequately answer them. The mystery of such heartlessness has not revealed itself over a couple hundred years. This is what our country was founded on, inalienable rights unevenly dispersed with extreme prejudice. This is what America needs to atone for and move forward from. This is the stain that will never fade. Yet quite tellingly, those 12 years are not what made Solomon the extraordinary man that he was. Those 12 years happened to him but did not become him. Otherwise he probably would not have been able to write his book. The past brought us to this present, but it need not define any of us. In even the most suffocating of circumstances, we have the freedom to do that for ourselves.
Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr.My rating: 4 of 5 stars
FREEMAN is a fantastic book. Readers will highly empathize with the well developed characters. History buffs fascinated by the Civil War time period will be enthralled. Those who take great interest in this nation's troublesome history of race relations will be deeply drawn in, and on numerous occasions will shake their head at the realization that centuries old truths stubbornly remain valid to this day. Those in eternal search for bittersweet love stories should immediately add Freeman to their reading list. The only bone I had to pick with it is that in order for certain events to go the way the author intended them to, there were a couple instances of characters leaving incriminating evidence lying conveniently around, allowing for trails that otherwise would have gone cold to remain hot. I temporarily felt the presence of Leonard Pitts Jr. directing the narrative when this happened. "No way she doesn't toss that newspaper in the fire immediately" I may have said aloud at one point near the end of this riveting story. This is probably the only thing keeping me from going with a 5-star review, but please don't let it prevent you from following up on my recommendation to read this wonderful novel. From its first sentence to the last, it packs a powerful emotional punch. Bravo to a job well done.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is especially near and dear to my heart. I don't suppose there are too many readers who are not already familiar with it. I wrote a blog post on Huck Finn in 2011 http://lineaday.blogspot.com/2011/01/... due to the decision to put out a new edition with all instances of "the N-word" omitted. The reason why this decision was made and the reason I was opposed, despite its good intent, says all that needs to be said about why this book is a classic. The brilliance of Twain's novel is that it shows how basically good people can be conditioned to have reprehensible attitudes and not even realize their wrong doing. We forgive Huck Finn's ignorant beliefs because we recognize that he is a good person at heart. This makes us wonder what sins by others in real life we should perhaps be more forgiving of, and which ones we ourselves may be unknowingly committing. How many of us would be willing to do what our conscience says is the right thing when society says such behavior will result in banishment to Hell?
The Underground Railroad by Colson WhiteheadMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This novel is a grand literary achievement, well deserving of its accolades and the Pulitzer Prize. It is a story of American slavery, and of daring to dream of freedom. It depicts the shackles that physically held people in bondage as well as mentally chaining them to the inescapable past. Slaves who did not have their spirits broken by enforced servitude had one chance to claim a life worth living. They could run and hope to make it to the underground railroad. Colson Whitehead makes the interesting choice of depicting it as an actual railroad running beneath the ground, giving the story somewhat of a science fiction feel. But for the most part the narrative is a gritty, realistic one. A woman named Cora is at its center. She escapes bondage much as her mother, who was never heard from again, did before her. Freedom is fleeting. Just as Cora has grown comfortable and believes she has found a permanent place for herself, she ends up imprisoned in an attic, hiding until found and recaptured. Once again she escapes and this time she finds a utopia, a community of black people living prosperously and independently. But paradise found is only a sweet respite until it is lost. A slave catcher named Ridgeway relentlessly pursues Cora even after the man who hired him to find her has died. His determination to return Cora to bondage is a match for her desire to live on her own terms rather than those dictated by a barbaric society. Yet Ridgeway can hold Cora captive to no greater degree than one can grasp the wind. Once again she escapes and goes on the run, riding the subterranean rails towards a future that is beyond the reach of slavery. The story is told at a pulse quickening pace, with quiet moments interspersed that resemble freedom and present the possibility of Cora choosing a lifelong home, until she finds herself being hunted again. We hope for Cora's fate to be merciful, knowing that the railroad's journey to a better tomorrow is mighty long, continuing in certain ways to this very day.
Last but certainly not least, I could not leave out Toni Morrison from a list of books that have explored the abomination of American slavery. Beloved is one of her better known masterpieces, so I will instead use this platform to shed light on a lesser known gem that she gifted us with. Additional Toni Morrison praise can be found by taking this link to Roy's Book Reviews.
A Mercy by Toni MorrisonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
“What a man leaves behind is what a man is.”
Simply stunning.
View all my reviews
***************************While you're here, check this out.
December 23, 2024
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Gifts for your listening pleasure...
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September 22, 2024
Don't Ban Books - Read Them
@mudhousebooks Somehow somewhere at some time a bunch of great books have been banned by someone. Make it make sense. Here are some of my favorite #bannedbooks - #booktok ♬ Make No Sense - YoungBoy Never Broke Again
August 5, 2024
Worth a Listen
I will be brief, because the purpose of this post is not for you to read what I have written. It is primarily for you to listen. So rest your eyes if you so choose, but kindly indulge and lend me your ears.
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Yoga Lady is one of my favorite pieces of Art by Erin Rogers Pickering
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For those of you who like to sew, her work can now be found on fabric at Spoonflower
So many great patterns to choose from. Click on their logo below to be taken to her shop.
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Another audio book fan!
According to Publishers Weekly, US audiobook sales hit $2 billion in 2024. I'm responsible for a dollar or two of that courtesy of Matters of Convenience.
@mudhousebooks My novel Matters of Convenience is available at Amazon in print (paperback), Kindle and audio formats. Readers loved, reviewers adored, word of mouth spreaders revered. #booktok ♬ Please Please Please - Sabrina Carpenter
BONUS TRACKS
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Roy Pickering (@roylpickering_author)
@mudhousebooks Quotes from an assortment of my works of fiction. #booktok Books by #RoyPickering are available at #Amazon ♬ Aesthetic Vibes - Megacreate
AND NOW FOR SOME BOOK HUMOR COURSESY OF ELLIS ROSEN
August 3, 2024
All The World's A Stage
According to the principle of Occam’s Razor, the simplestexplanation for an occurrence is most likely to be the correct one. Entitiesshould not be multiplied unnecessarily. This makes sense to me. Mostconspiracy theories are too far fetched to be believed by rational thinkers.Just as the shortest physical distance between two points is usually a straightline, the less convoluted a theory is the less probable it will be that holescan be poked in it. The simplest, least serpentine explanation of theassassination attempt on Donald Trump is that some nutjob didn’t like him(there are no shortage of reasons to dislike the man) and decided on his own totake him out. Thomas Crooks was killed after firing a series of shots thatfailed to kill Donald Trump, but did end the life of an innocent bystander whoput himself in the path of a bullet to heroically protect his family.
With this simple explanation accounting for everything thattook place that day, why did many people (including me) immediately reach adifferent conclusion? Why did #Staged trend on Twitter (I can’t make myselfcall the thing X)? Probably because of an alternative theory that has no fancyname that I am aware of. The theory goes like this. If it looks like a duck,swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Man didthat assassination attempt, particularly Trump’s dramatic gesture and tough guychant moments after a bullet whizzed by his head, look and swim and quack likea staged event.
Within minutes after Donald Trump was ushered to safety, Iwrote on Facebook that the whole thing struck me as a poorly produced movie scene rather than chaotic reality. Ireferenced Tyler Perry because making fun of his work is something that I dosometimes, but I’m trying to cut down on that. Then I learned that a man named CoreyComperatore was killed by a bullet meant to prevent 45 from having a chance tobecome 47. The life of the gunman was also ended by sharpshooters who openedfire after Crooks took several shots in the direction of the ex-president. Twoother people were reportedly shot by Crooks, but they survived and have sincebeen released from the hospital. Calling the event staged when lives had beenlost, including a rally attendee unfortunate to be in the wrong place at thewrong time, a man who lost his life by being a shield to protect his family, seemedto be in very poor taste. Surely a result of an orchestrated event would not be the unintended death of a civilian. Comperatore’s death along with injuries suffered by others confirmed that it was best to go withOccam. So I took down my Facebook post and put aside my suspicions.
In the time that has since passed there have been no newdevelopments or revelations. It has been remarkably quiet. Trump rode the highof narrowly avoiding death into the Republican convention. Those who adore himturned the camera captured sight of him throwing a fist in the air, blood streaming down hisface, the American flag fitting neatly in the frame, into merchandise imagery. Onemore reason to be enthralled by the guy. He’s a bad ass who came away from theordeal with nothing more than a band-aid on his ear. A bandage that seemed waytoo big, but why quibble? Bad assery was still on display, and what could be amore essential characteristic for a President of the United States than that?No way was Biden going to steal his thunder with comparatively mundaneachievements like low unemployment or record high stock market numbers.
Yet somehow Joe Biden did subsequently steal the spotlight –by dropping out of the race and shortly thereafter being officially replaced byVice President Kamala Harris. Within ten days or so, hardly anyone was talkingabout Trump being shot at anymore. His campaign was forced to pivot to a differentderogatory accusation than “Sleepy.” As of the time I’m writing this they arestill searching, because accusing Kamala Harris of suddenly becoming Blackafter previously being exclusively Indian is not going to cut it. A disastrousinterview with the NABJ won’t be helpful to the Trump campaign either.Meanwhile, the Democrats still have momentum from selection of a running matefor Kamala and their own convention to look forward to. By all appearances,narrowly avoiding death turned out not to be the deal closer. Instead,Americans may go the old-fashioned route of looking at the candidates’ policiesand qualifications to determine who our next president will be.
With less emotion and greater imagination, I decided tore-evaluate the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, PA. Why did it initiallyfeel staged, and if in fact it was, what would the specifics of the scam be? How could everything be accounted for? Why would they think they could get away with it? As a writer offiction, I am accustomed to coming up with a dramatic scenario and thenfiguring out how to lead up to it in a way that is plausible. For a conspiracytheory to be effective, one need not be able to prove it. It only has to bepossible, to be sensible, to hold up under scrutiny. The main hurdle to overcomewas the death of Corey Comperatore. Nobody would stage something meant toimprove a political candidate’s poll numbers at the expense of someone dying.His death needed to be an accident. The following is what I (in discussion ofthe matter with my wife) came up with. I have no proof. Occam’s Razor statesthat it is nonsense because it has too many moving parts. Certain fantasticalevents are staged not by duplicitous man, but by God. This is why the word“miracle” was created and added to the dictionary. Logic can’t explaineverything. But that doesn’t mean we can’t come up with alternative theories.
Trump’s campaign realizes that their lead will probably be short-lived because they have read the tea leaves. Too many prominentfigures are calling for Joe Biden to bow out. So, he probably will, to bereplaced by the far more dynamic Kamala Harris, and Trump’s advantage wouldevaporate. As a pre-emptive strike, shortly before the boost they hope to getfrom the GOP convention and selection of Best-Selling author JD Vance asrunning mate, Trump’s team hatches a devious plan. The main thing needed topull it off is a patsy. Someone with shooting experience who would be willingto help the GOP campaign because he is either Republican or neutral. Someone whowould gladly take a duffel bag full of cash in exchange for getting up on theroof of a garage and firing shots in the direction of Donald Trump. Convince the kid that nobody will beharmed because the gun will contain blanks or some non-lethal projectile. 'Don’t even hit him' would be the directive, just come close to make it look good. Tell Crooks that he will be allowed toescape and never become a suspect. In case anyone sees and can ID him, it isbest to put Crooks into hiding. Change his identity. Live the rest of his lifesomewhere else under a new name and plenty of money in his new bank account.Even if spotted by people prior to shooting, which is what happened, nobodywill interfere until he has done his part. Crooks agrees because he believes no one, including himself, will be killed. He agrees for the age old reason of greed $$$ along with securing victory for the Republican.
Crooks is being lied to by plan organizers. His gun will contain liveammunition because bullets need to be retrieved from the scene to make it lookreal. The bullets fired at him in return will also be real. He will not beallowed to escape. That would be reckless. Eventually he would talk too much,maybe under the influence of alcohol while trying to charm a pretty girl.Leaving him alive is too big of a risk to take. Crooks must be the sacrificiallamb, only he does not realize he has volunteered for that role. Nobody other than him issupposed to die in this plan. If Corey Comperatore stays in his seat, the only blood shedwill be from a bag that Trump presses to the side of his head while covered bySecret Service agents. Movie magic. Then he majestically arises, refusing to let the agentskeep him safely out of potential harm’s way until he…you know the rest, that the crowd goes wild in response to his display of patriotic machismso instead of him ducking for cover in case morebullets are on the way. Trump probably would have shouted “Yippee Ki-Yay, MF”if Bruce Willis didn’t already claim that line for Die Hard. But "fight fight fight" is a suitable battle cry.
The reaction of rally attendees seen behind Trump was somuted (imho) given the circumstances prior to their hero rising like a phoenixfrom the ashes, that I considered if they were in on the plan. Not everyone atthe rally, just those you could see on TV. If they did not know what was goingto happen, then the result could have been a stampede that killed someone. Evenwhen bullets miss, it does not necessarily mean that nobody dies. Those withgreat seats being in on the plan, believing like Crooks that the bullets wouldbe blanks, enabled them to remain calm. But not too calm. It would also mean that CoreyComperatore did not think his heroic gesture would cause him harm.
This is probably too far of a stretch though.The fewer people involved in a plot, the better the odds of success.Involvement of more people creates more opportunity for someone to crack andspill the beans. Best to keep the number of perpetrators in the know as few aspossible. The real reaction of those in the frame therefore is not calm, but people who are stunned by what's happening.
The plan worked, if a plan is what it was, because no funnybusiness has been exposed. Not yet anyway. An investigation is not going to belaunched as result of this blog post. Medical records have not been released toprove or disprove that Trump was hit by a bullet, or shrapnel, or glass fromthe teleprompter. We are left to accept the official story that Trump’s bloodwas legitimately shed. Remarkably little has emerged about the shooter in theaftermath. He did not leave behind damning social media posts that showed hewas a ticking time bomb. Thomas Crooks was simply a young man who had access toan AR-15 and decided to kill Donald Trump when he came to town to forceRepublicans to run a better candidate. That’s a crazy thing to do, so we’releft to accept that even though nobody in his life had reason to suspect it,Crooks was insane. Or insanely hateful of Donald Trump, a man that it is prettyeasy for many to loathe. Corey Comperatore tragically died in heroic fashion.And Donald Trump – he continues his streak as the luckiest man of all time.Can’t take him out in criminal court, can’t take him out with a wannabeassassin’s bullet, so all that’s left is for Kamala Harris to repeat onElection Day 2024 what Joe Biden accomplished on Election Day 2020.
As for my conspiracy theory presented here for your examination, I’m not sure if it has anyholes in it. But it is still probably less convincing than the principle ofOccam’s Razor. Most likely there was a legitimate attempt on Donald Trump’s life. Factors such as security incompetence, and the wildness of a man beingshot at and receiving only a scratch on his ear for the effort, and Crooks being immediatelykilled so unavailable for comment, and a presidential candidate being giftedwith the photo-op of the century to assist his campaign, stirred suspicion ofstaging. Unless/until an investigator much closer to the evidence than I amunearths evidence of a fake assassination attempt, the official story must be accepted asgospel. Sherlock Holmes was not available to look into the matter, him beingfictional and all, so I did my best detective work in his place. If it turnsout that the theory presented here is correct and Occam has been defeated, then yes, I do wanta cookie as reward.
For now, we must accept that Donald Trump is so brave anddetermined that not even a bullet nicking his ear as it flew past could fazehim. But you would think that someone supposedly so courageous wouldn’t be afraidof a little debate, unless the debate is moderated by his friends and takes place in front ofhis fans. If a bullet can’t stop him then what danger can be posed by Q&Ain an impartial setting where journalists are allowed to fact check the mostblatant of perceived lies? If theshooting in Pennsylvania was not staged then surely Donald Trump can’t beintimidated by a mere debate stage. So one would think. But the world is a strange place indeed.
July 22, 2024
Thanks Joe - Go Kamala Go
The time is now
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https://t.co/fOv96em9pA pic.twitter.com/5ANH8emVz2
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 21, 2024
A reminder from the archive: pic.twitter.com/lhPQJF2tFJ
— Morten Morland (@mortenmorland) July 21, 2024
View this post on InstagramA post shared by BINGE (@binge)
🚨 BREAKING: Hunter Biden releases statement on President Biden's decision:
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) July 21, 2024
“For my entire life, I’ve looked at my dad in awe. How could he suffer so much heartache and yet give so much of whatever remained of his heart to others?
“Not only in the policies he passed, but in… pic.twitter.com/o7h3Ul50E7
Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded – again – that he’s a patriot of the highest order.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 21, 2024
Here’s my full statement: https://t.co/Bs2ZumFXxe
Let me explain why Kamala Harris presents a much bigger challenge to Trump than Joe Biden does:
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) July 18, 2024
Generational Shift: Harris is a much younger candidate, aligning with the preference of many Americans who want to see a younger leader.
New Messaging: Harris could introduce a fresh… pic.twitter.com/KqxLTnegpp
“I mean, what has Kamala Harris even accomplished as Vice President anyway?!?”
— Kaylan_TX (@Kaylan_TX_) July 21, 2024
I’m so glad you asked! Get comfortable🧵
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/EQWibPOyXo
Two old dudes ran for POTUS, one to stay in the job and the other to get it back. 1 got shot at, the other began to wear down before our eyes from blows by Father Time. 1 finally gave in with grace for the good of party/country. The other found the largest band-aid for a scratch.
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 22, 2024
The one “gaffe” that Joe Biden could not overcome was aging. Heckuva run as POTUS though. Ran the joint with both brains and heart. Curious to see how he wraps things up.https://t.co/ggxy3Rj0US
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 22, 2024
— OkieKimono (@OkieKimono) July 22, 2024
JD Vance seeing what’s happening and looking at Trump like pic.twitter.com/zlPtwB7Thr
— Ben Howe (@BenHowe) July 21, 2024
I'm impressed that #RacistTwitter held off on trending "She's Indian", despite seeing JD Vance's wife at the RNC convention, until today in honor of Kamala Harris. pic.twitter.com/ZM3bIboyw1
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 22, 2024
Both sides are not the same. pic.twitter.com/V7t10KVi0v
— Jeffrey Ⓥ (@LiftForever67) July 22, 2024
When Joe picked Kamala it was “DEI” but when Kamala picks a straight white dude from a swing state it’s “strategic.”
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 22, 2024
Got it.
Kamala’s menu of potential VPs pic.twitter.com/JUf9BSFodM
— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) July 21, 2024
https://t.co/YdUJ1IoMtW pic.twitter.com/ZiUWpWVKXU
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica)
Beats me, although I did try to answer that question for the sake of my sanity.https://t.co/rwvE2hDEKb
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 21, 2024
Electoral College system is 🗑️ and a simple way to actually make America great again is to get rid of it and use basic math. Electoral College system is even more ridiculous than Common Core math. Regular math remains RIGHT THERE. https://t.co/LUHV1sh0EX
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 21, 2024
So many laptop jabs that will now remain in Draft
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 22, 2024
When you're personally for nothing (except shutting down a border, which will never be accomplished) all you have left is to be anti-opponent and hope it sticks. 87% of Trump's campaign was "Joe is sleepy". Never mind that Biden's term >>>>>> Trump's. What's he going to pivot to?
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 21, 2024
Lorne Michaels better be clearing Maya Rudolph’s schedule pic.twitter.com/FA0avXXrZo
— Rohita Kadambi (@RohitaKadambi) July 21, 2024
Even Donald Trump thinks Kamala Harris is great! I hope MAGAs don't see this. 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/Vjjp8qLeLb
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) July 21, 2024
I made this one years ago, but right now it tells you EVERYTHING you need to know. pic.twitter.com/owUb6Mpqsy
— PaulleyTicks (@PaulleyTicks) July 21, 2024
This, my friends, is what they call a mic drop.#PresidentHarris2024 pic.twitter.com/XIe32ckW25
— Mary L. Trump (@MaryLTrump) July 21, 2024
Three of the most popular people in the entire history of this country are Michelle Obama (check her book sales for proof), Oprah Winfrey (check her ratings),and Beyonce (check her album sales). So there's that. https://t.co/MTnZq7O06U
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 21, 2024
#CrooksWasARegisteredRepublican who used a gun that is accessible to lunatics because of Republicans .
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 21, 2024
He thought for a second it was Ivanka. Then he realized it wasn’t. pic.twitter.com/xkWm92Xw12
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) July 19, 2024
Project 2025 now knows how Tiffany feels. https://t.co/j8smWlVWK8
— Greta (@GretaGrace20) July 20, 2024
BOOM! CNN just fact checked every single one of Donald Trump’s lies in his RNC speech tonight! This is truly humiliating for Trump. We need more of this!!! pic.twitter.com/CALAvUajtn
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) July 19, 2024
When all is said and done, unelected Trump will be going to jail. I can continue to be patient.
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) July 21, 2024
While I wait, I will be supporting Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States. Be sure to vote in November as if Democracy (among other things) depends on it.
NEW from @KamalaHQ >>
— Ammar Moussa (@ammarmufasa) July 22, 2024
We raised $81 MILLION in the first 24 hours of her campaign.
That is the LARGEST 24 hour raise in history. pic.twitter.com/0oE8dZkxsX
