John Lewis

John Lewis is a national hero. He has every right to say he will not attend this inauguration, since this is not a legitimate presidency. In fact, more than half the nation is saying this. Congressman Lewis was daring when it was not fashionable to be so daring, having joined with Dr. Martin Luther King to walk the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. This is Martin Luther King weekend, a time to honor one of our national heroes. And Congressman Lewis works in the South, and has repeatedly gotten reelected because of what he has brought to Georgia. Before our tweeting-crazy soon to be president puts down this great man of dignity, he needed to check his facts, and understand how Lewis is so beloved in the South, in Georgia where he is a representative, and by both Democrats and Republicans alike. He is a much admired man, and what these tweets, which have become a stand in for public policy, represent, is an insecure, petty man--not presidential. John Lewis represents honesty, integrity and courage, a man who stands on the pillar of all that it means to be Democratic.

Negroland: A Memoir by Margo Jefferson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

NEGROLAND by Margo Jefferson is a glimpse into a world I did not know about, really. Pulitzer-prize winning cultural critic Margo Jefferson was born in 1947 into an upper class Black family in Chicago. There is a whole world of families like these, many of whom have originated with antebellum blacks from the North and South. It is a world of pedigree, with the motto, "Achievement, Invulnerability, Comportment." Margo and her sister went to private schools where they were among the few Black students, and despite her easy ability negotiating both worlds, she offers a glimpse into its own challenges of being different from the other Blacks, almost a class unto themselves. The expected behavior was sometimes constraining, and she was always cognizant of what to do-and not.

What a fallacy this book exposes about post-racial America, and in what a powerful and evocative way!

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Under The Udala Tree Review

Just completed reading UNDER THE UDALA TREE by Chinelo Okparanta. Its focus was twofold: the civil war in Nigeria and its impact on family AND a young girl's coming of age in this harsh landscape, made harsher still because she knows she loves women, even at a young age. Apparently, the government made homosexual love punishable for up to fourteen years in prison. Not only that, but Ljeoma's mother is a strict Christian, and at one point takes to reading passages from the bible to the young girl, so the protagonist feels like a sinner. Written in lovely and lyrical verse, this is a tour de force, and feels extraordinarily relevant not only because of its cultural landscape, but because in America, we have suddenly turned our political and social clock backwards. A must read!

Letter from NARAL Pro Choice America

Pamela, 

Vice President-elect Mike Pence tried to shut down the government in order to defund Planned Parenthood. He said he "longs for the day that Roe v. Wade is sent to the ash heap of history." He repeatedly cosponsored legislation that would make abortion illegal nationwide in almost all cases and while he led the state, Indiana *literally* criminalized a woman for an abortion, throwing her in jail with a 20-year sentence. 

This is the man that Donald Trump picked as his running mate, and in the immediate aftermath of the election—when it became clear that Pence would soon be our nation's vice president—supporters of reproductive freedom were stunned. But you quickly sprung into action. One by one, NARAL started receiving donations "in honor of" Mike Pence. It became clear to us that many members were looking for a way to tell Mike Pence and Donald Trump that we know what their true agenda is and we are NOT taking this sitting down. We are standing up and we are fighting back. 

Soon, the donations totaled over $350,000 from more than 10,000 donors, including you. The agenda put forth by Mike Pence and Donald Trump is dangerous to women and our families, and their victory was a gut punch. But if there's one thing that can give us hope, it's the outpouring of grassroots energy we're seeing for the fight ahead. You're not sitting around feeling helpless. You're ready to fight. And the flood of donations this community made in Mike Pence's name proves it.

We went door-to-door surrounding Pence's new home in Washington, D.C. asking his neighbors to put up signs proclaiming, "This neighborhood trusts women." There was an outpouring of support, and we turned the streets purple.

 

We even compiled a list of the top 10 reasons why NARAL members donated in his name—comments submitted from members like you—in a framed photo we'll deliver to the VP's White House office when he moves in.

 

This was one of the most satisfying campaigns we've run, and I'm grateful to you for being a part of it. Your continued support will help us hold Trump and Pence accountable over the next four years, and I'm so excited to have you on our side.

Thank you for all you do for reproductive freedom.

The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading Brendan Kiely's THE LAST TRUE LOVE STORY, and I am so bowled over that I do not know where to begin. Brendan is the wonderful author of ALL AMERICAN BOYS with Jason Reynolds, a book I truly loved. These are classified as young adult fiction (so is THE GOSPEL OF WINTER, but in the case of this book in particular, this is a book for teens and adults, since it is a love story-about living with loss, and learning to love despite it all.) It is the story about a young boy who has been raised, in part, by his grandfather, who now has Alzheimer's. Hendrix steals his grandpa out of the nursing home to take him on a road trip, so that he can go back East to the place where he first kissed the woman he loved-his wife and Hendrix's grandma, now deceased. He drags Corrina, his friend and designated driver, along for this wild and wacky journey, which is not just about the road, but also about love, loss, race, grief and finally discovery-personal and in terms of love. This wonderful multigenerational story truly proves, in the most poignant of ways, that the only stories that last are the love stories (grandpa's words). I am SO PROUD that Brendan is a graduate of CUNY's MFA program, and that he will be on my young adult panel at AWP. Way to go, Brendan!!!!

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Israel

Worried about Israel. Was worried when I wrote RONIT AND JAMIL, but that was my sign for hope, for a two state solution. According to the NYT, the U.N. resolution has explicitly stated that an expansion of the settlements is illegal, as it should be. However, now there is a special envoy to the U.N, appointed by none other than D.T., who says Israel has a carte blanche. So does Trump. Benjamin Netanayu has forged a wonderful relationship with Donald Trump, and now there is no stopping Israel from doing what it wants, even if it is illegal. The problem, however, is that without the support of the U.N., Israel's actions will legitimately be called war crimes-and they are. What could this amount to? This could amount to war, and The Trump will unilaterally support Israel's illegal moves, because America is now the land of illegal. Clearly, D.T. can do what he wants, and there is no one to stop him.

What is the possibility, my dear vision of the world, my dear book, RONIT AND JAMIL? This could mean WAR between Israelis and Palestinians, with a very sick America (our SICK government, not our decent people) supporting what amounts to WAR CRIMES. Yet again, I feel such grief for this terrible world of danger and despair. 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone. Good things are happening with my book, RONIT AND JAMIL. Not only are the reviews superb, but there is expressed interest in performing the book as a staged reading throughout NYC. There is already one at City College on February 28th, and there will be one some time in the spring at Brooklyn College. This is a book about PEACE, PRAYER, LOVE and POSSIBILITY!

And so, dear friends, these are all my vision for 2017, even if it means I have to fight to make this happen. I hope you will join me on the march, on line, in standing up for all that is decent and kind in the world.

Amen, 2017.