follow the leader

I watched I Will Follow this weekend—it's a gentle, quiet film by Ava DuVernay. It was a bit slow and could've used tighter editing, but it was also a refreshing view of black women and their rich yet complicated relationships—something we rarely see on the big screen. No T&A, no cursing, no black men mocking or abusing black women…there's laughter, tenderness, emotional honesty. It's on DVD so check it out:

We spend a lot of time critiquing negative portrayals of black women in Hollywood but we don't do as much as we can to support those filmmakers who are trying to set the record straight. In a few weeks I'll be showing my students A Place of Rage, a hugely important film by Pratibha Parmar. She's currently making a film about Alice Walker, Beauty in Truth, and YOU can help bring this film to the big screen. Go to IndieGoGo to support this progressive feminist filmmaker.

Nathalie also has information about another woman filmmaker who needs your help; if you saw Pumzi, you know just how good Wanuri Kahiu is—help bring her latest project to life.

Lastly, I got confirmation late last week that Ship of Souls, my next novel, will be published in March 2012. If you're a book blogger or reviewer, or if you work for a literacy org and would like an advance copy, please let me know.