American

[close] Hey yall, I'm Romeo. Back two years ago, one of my teachers gave me a book called the New Jim Crow and told me that before too long I'd have the kind of influence to make a difference in this world. I read it cover to cover and couldn't stop thinking about it. I have read more books about the inadequacies that are tolerated and encouraged in the United States that allow a small number of people to exercise absolute control over the rest of us. Give a person a badge and a gun and they can get away with anything, at least until you murder a man on video and people finally start wiping the sleep out of their eyes and asking questions. This is not a black vs. white group. This is group for people who are frustrated by the way some individuals and groups are allowed to exist above the law and control those of us who are below it. I have read some amazing books during the quarantine and talked to alot of cool people here. I want to hear your ideas and try to build ideas with you on how we can make change happen and stick. Killing each other in riots won't work. I can't wait to hear your ideas. It's a cheesy quote for what we gonna try to do here, but I'm going to quote the original pimp Billy Dee Williams from The Rise of Skywalker about how I feel about this. Poe Dameron says to the Rebels, "I'm sorry my friends, I thought we had a shot but there's just too many of them." Radio crackles and then here's Lando saying, "But there are more of us, Poe. There are more of US." Poe looks up and there's thousands of ships flying in to fight. One Imperial looks at the other and says, "Where did we get all these craft from? They have no Navy." The other Imperial says, "It's not a navy sir, it's just people." That's us right now. Just people. But there are more of us. RL

[close] This is where we will share our reading journeys by posting and commenting on our independent novels. You will also find booklists and other recommendations for American Literature.

[close] Literature and Lapdogs is group hosting online and in-person events for literature enthusiasts. Our online events include slow readings of classical and contemporary literature, and lectures and discussions for major authors and their works. Our first in-person event will be Dalloway Day, on June 20th at 5pm at the Center at West Park (www.centeratwestpark.org). To join one of our events, simply sign up. You can also check out the Literature & Lapdogs Podcast, our online newsletter, and our online courses (via CharlotteFiehn.com).

[close] Welcome! This is a digital book club discussion space. Each month we'll be reading a select piece of classic writing that features themes of social protest, intersectionality, feminism, and more. Woohoo!