Literary Fiction by People of Color discussion
Read And Recommended
Haven't finished it yet, but I'm reading a very interesting book on the willful ignorance of white people living in the "heartland" at the moment. It's nothing we don't already know, but it's interesting to read a white person's take on how this insistence on preserving white privilege is quite literally killing white people in the US. This willful ignorance and insistence on feeling better than would be amusing if it wasn't so deadly to people of color in this country. I find it infuriating but well researched and written. Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland by Jonathan M. Metzl.
I totally loved the just published novel A Particular Kind of Black Man by Tope Folarin. The writing is a bit understated so the depth of its themes snuck up on me. One of my favorites of the year so far.
Lark wrote: "I totally loved the just published novel A Particular Kind of Black Man by Tope Folarin. The writing is a bit understated so the depth of its themes snuck up on me. One of my favorites of the year..."This looks excellent - and my library has a copy. I happened to see this while I was in the library, so I grabbed a copy - yay!
Abby wrote: "I also just read On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong which is stunning and unlike anything I've ever read before."Agreed! On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is incredible. It might be my favorite book this year. Ocean reads the audio version and it is so poignant. But I had to buy the print book as well.
Abby wrote: "The Gone Dead by Chanelle Benz is so powerful."So glad to hear this! I picked it up from my library last weekend and am delighted for help prioritizing. I have high hopes for The Gone Dead.
Abby wrote: I just got Night Sky with Exit Wounds from the library! I can't wait to read it.
Speaking of Summer
This title is getting mixed reviews but it is definitely thought provoking and relevant.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ella wrote: "Lark wrote: "I totally loved the just published novel A Particular Kind of Black Man by Tope Folarin. The writing is a bit understated so the depth of its themes snuck up on me. One of my favorites..."I too got this book from my library this past Friday.
I am looking forward to read it!
Abby wrote: "I also just read On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong which is stunning and unlike anything I've ever read before."Yes, a wonderful read!
This book will be one of my top reads for the year!
Katrisa wrote: "I read Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli this week and loved it."I too loved this book!
So timely and I loved how all of the storylines/themes worked well together and seamlessly.
I read They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. Highly recommended. It’s as impactful as the March series.
President Obama recommends Téa Obreht, Lauren Wilkinson, and more for your late summer reading. Emily Temple via LitHub Aug 14, 2019https://lithub.com/president-obama-re...
Etaf Rum’s A WOMAN IS NO MAN, narrated by Ariana Delawari, Dahlia Salem, and Susan Nezami. This is a sad, painful, poignant, hopeful story about Palestinian women and their families, refugees living in Brooklyn. It is a tale of love, violence, happiness, fear, longing, regret, and ultimately hope. We women, of all generations and religion and race and national origin, have more in common than we sometimes like to think we do. I kept thinking of my mother, my grandmothers, and women I have known throughout my life. To women everywhere - dare to dream, dare to change, dare to act.
I recently finished A Particular Kind of Black Man by Tope Folarin.I found this to be a compelling and thoughtful read. It was richly textured, beautifully written and the characterization was well done.
Here is a link to a short interview by NPR where you can hear Tope Folarin read from his book.
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/24/751917...
Beverly wrote: "I recently finished A Particular Kind of Black Man by Tope Folarin.I found this to be a compelling and thoughtful read. It was richly textured, beautifully writte..."
I also just read that, Bev, thanks for the link - I'm very interested in this man and his writing now. I adored the book.
Ella wrote: "Beverly wrote: "I recently finished A Particular Kind of Black Man by Tope Folarin.I found this to be a compelling and thoughtful read. It was richly textured, be..."
Glad you enjoyed.
Here is a link to his short story that won 2013 Caine Prize for African Writing:
http://www.magunga.com/miracle-by-top...
Just finished Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran. Excellent! Poingnant! Heart wrenching! Timely in light of today's America and the plight of undocumented immigrants from a certain border. Riveting and well written. I listened to the audio book which was excellent! Highly recommended!
Monica wrote: "Just finished Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran. Excellent! Poingnant! Heart wrenching! Timely in light of today's America and the plight of undocumented immigrants from..."Agree that this is a meaningful book. Last year, Sekaran spoke at a book event in my little suburb of Denver. She is an absolute delight. She spoke about how the story evolved and her upcoming writing plans. I'm a fan for life!
As far as I can tell from a quick search no one here has yet mentioned or recommended A Different Drummer by William Melvin Kelley. It is fantastically good. Published in 1962 and every bit as relevant and timely as any book being read or written today. I can't believe this novel isn't in the African American literary canon. I can't even remember how it got on my radar but I'm so glad it did. I'm going to nominate it for a group read the next chance I get.
Lark wrote: "Here is a New Yorker article on William Melvin Kelley:https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20..."
Lark -
Thanks for sharing this info on William Melvin Kelley.
I had read several of his stories back in the day - but not A Different Drummer but you have piqued my interest to read it.
I recently finished Everything Inside by Edwidge DanticatDanticat's mastery of prose and her excellent storytelling skills made this a stunning short story collection for me.
This collection is equal parts piercing, impactful, and hopeful.
Beverly wrote: "I had read several of his stories back in the day - but not A Different Drummer but you have piqued my interest to read it."Beverly, I know we both read a lot of just-published fiction, and to me this novel felt just-published, very close in tone (although I like this one better) to The Sellout.
Mod
Danticat's mastery of prose and her excellent storytelling skills made this a stunning short story collectio..."
Ooh, this is so good to hear. Thanks for that!
Two things - I also just adored, but that's the wrong word, Everything Inside. It was more like I dove in and swam around in these stories. They are stunning, just stunning. She is truly doing some very interesting and great writing. Also, Lark - I went from your recommendation, clicked "want to read" immediately, then I read the description, and I'm pretty sure I've read that at some point, but I can't figure out when or where or even how. It sounds eerily familiar plotwise. I don't know that I knew anything more than the name William Melvin Kelley, so thanks. I'm going to read it (either for the first time, or again) b/c it does sound like I could stand a reread if, in fact, I've actually read it. (Old age is not kind to my memory. I frequently think I'm psychic only to realize I've read the book before.) Anyway, thanks for the tip.
I recently finished Octavia Butler's 'Xenogenesis Series', Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago, which has been sitting on my shelf for years. I only planned to read the first book, but once I started, I couldn't stop, and now I'm sad that I have to live in a world without the Oankali ;) Review of Dawn: Review of Adulthood Rites; Review of Imago
I've seen people talking about David Treuer's "The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee" on here. I just finished an earlier book of his called "Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life" and quite enjoyed it. It's a mash-up of memoir, history, and cultural criticism. You get a history of how reservations came to be created as well as historical and contemporary look at what life is like on a reservation. He touches on Indian casinos, tribal justice, trying to preserve Native languages, and other topics that non-Native people probably wonder about. I really enjoyed it and found it highly readable as well as informative.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Sarah wrote: "I've seen people talking about David Treuer's "The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee" on here. I just finished an earlier book of his called "Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life" and qui..."Thanks for the info.
Treuer is a great author to read - either his fiction or nonfiction.
November is Native American Heritage Month!
I loved the positivity (is that a word?) in The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee -- also it's incredibly informative, even if you already read/know a fair bit about native american life, I guarantee there are things here that will add to your store of knowledge. Plus, it's a great AMERICAN book, beyond one group of races. I really really loved this book, and it made me cry tears of joy, which is rare for a book about indian life.
Ella wrote: "I loved the positivity (is that a word?) in The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee -- also it's incredibly informative, even if you already read/know a fair bit about native american life, I guarantee there..."That is a wonderful endorsement!
This is my current NF read - I moved it up based on your thoughts.
We can all use some positivity!
Beverly wrote: "We can all use some positivity!"It's probably a sign of my mood at that specific moment, but I wept tears of thanks and joy at the end of this book. I have seriously wanted to force other people to read it. It's just a great example of how to take a situation that's always been portrayed as so very bad and turn it on its head -- lighting the way (should we choose to follow) for the entire country.
I recently finished The Man who cried I am by John Williams. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!
Just finished Foreign Soil by Maxine Beneba Clarke. Still processing, but it was an excellent collection of short stories that are very thought provoking. Definitely recommended!
Looking for any LF written by Native American, Aboriginal Australian or Pacific Islander authors.Grateful for this group.
I have just finished The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali by Uzma Aslam Khan and recommending it to everyone. I just started There There by Tommy Orange and really enjoying it, so would recommend both these books.
Julia wrote: "I have just finished The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali by Uzma Aslam Khan and recommending it to everyone. I just started There There by [au..."
Thanks for recommending The Miraculous True History If Nomi Ali - I am adding to my tbr list as I enjoy historical fiction.
I too enjoyed There There!
Monica wrote: "Just finished Foreign Soil by Maxine Beneba Clarke. Still processing, but it was an excellent collection of short stories that are very thought provoking. Definitel..."Glad you enjoyed!
I keep meaning to read more of Maxine Beneba Clarke books and am hoping more gets published in the US.
It seems that it take a little while for Australian books to get published here.
Harlow wrote: "Looking for any LF written by Native American, Aboriginal Australian or Pacific Islander authors.Grateful for this group."
Alexis Wright is an Aboriginal Australian writer whose books have won several awards.
Barbikat60 wrote: "I recently read Black no more by George Schuyler. Written in the early 1930s, it’s topic of racism and race relations is still relevant today. I highly recommend it."This is so interesting to me, because this discussion was the first time I'd heard of Schuyler, but I'm currently almost done reading an anthology called "Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora" and not only is there an excerpt from "Black No More" but also an essay by Samuel R. Delany called "Racism and Science Fiction" that contains an excerpt from and discussion of "Black No More."
I recommend the anthology, by the way!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Didn't know I stepped into it! Read reviews of American Dirt..put it on my TBR list. Then I looked at the pic of the clearly Anglo author..Hmm cant put it on a monthly poll. Well low and behold read the Ron Charles WAPO Book World review and find out that there is a whole contretemps about white folks appropriating third world experiences in this book. Apparently the author has many qualifications and reasons to write the story but how much is enough when you are a white woman writing about people of color experiences? Anybody that can get ahold of last weekends Washington post book world should read the review before reading this very popular book. Eye opening.
William wrote: "Didn't know I stepped into it! Read reviews of American Dirt..put it on my TBR list. Then I looked at the pic of the clearly Anglo author..Hmm cant put it on a monthly poll. Well low and behold rea..."I've been reading a lot about this. This article has links to a lot of the other good essays out there about it: https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/1/22...
Yes- loads of good links there. I think it included all the ones I loved, but I don't know if it My favorite of all was the "pendeja, please" from Myriam Gurba. Hilarious and awesome.
I loved Parul Sehgal's review (linked from the vox article too)
But I think the most scholarly look at the real problems comes from one that I didn't notice at Vox: https://thebluenib.com/a-poor-imitati...
Maybe I just missed it w/ all those links. Well worth a read.
Ella wrote: "Yes- loads of good links there. I think it included all the ones I loved, but I don't know if it My favorite of all was the "pendeja, please" from Myriam Gurba. Hilarious and awesome.
I loved P..."
I read Gurba’s rant for breakfast today. That NYTimes Book World question about what three authors you want to have dinner with. She’s definitely on my list. I’m still planning to read it with the Newest LitFic Group next month, borrowed from my library, but it feels akin to listening to a Michael Bolton CD.
I recently finished The Arab of the Future 3: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1985-1987 by Riad Sattouf. It's a graphic novel memoir series I've been reading and enjoying. My brief review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've been enjoying this series for years!
Literary Fiction by People of Color
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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"The Ballad of Black Tom" by Victor LaValle was excellent, and a quick read. It's a retelling of an old HP Lovecraft ta..."
I've just gotten a copy of Claire of the Sea Light - it's sitting here in front of me! I would agree that while some of her books are better than others, I've yet to be let down by Edwidge Danticat.
I am also a huge fan of Victor LaValle . He's a favorite of mine. I think my favorite of his books is Big Machine - it's a fun and interesting read. Takes on topics in a different way and as such, makes for a deeper book than the blurb seems.