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Sue (5 KP) rated Gone to Green (Green #1) in Books
Aug 13, 2018
The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.
When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people.She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2,
she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with
the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer
Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named
Kevin.
Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial
prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of
real people and the importance of being part of a community.
While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.
When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people.She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2,
she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with
the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer
Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named
Kevin.
Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial
prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of
real people and the importance of being part of a community.
While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated My Life As A Rat in Books
Dec 6, 2022
218 of 230
Book
My life as a Rat
By Joyce Carol Oates
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Which should prevail: loyalty to family or loyalty to the truth? Is telling the truth ever a mistake and is lying for one’s family ever justified? Can one do the right thing, but bitterly regret it?
My Life as a Rat follows Violet Rue Kerrigan, a young woman who looks back upon her life in exile from her family following her testimony, at age twelve, concerning what she knew to be the racist murder of an African-American boy by her older brothers. In a succession of vividly recalled episodes Violet contemplates the circumstances of her life as the initially beloved youngest child of seven Kerrigan children who inadvertently “informs” on her brothers, setting into motion their arrests and convictions and her own long estrangement.
This was one of those books that just had you shocked to the core from the start. It’s raw and hard to read in parts. It’s well written and up until the last quarter I was enjoying it but it just got a bit tedious. This does have a few triggers for abuse and racism! Overall it’s a good read.
Book
My life as a Rat
By Joyce Carol Oates
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Which should prevail: loyalty to family or loyalty to the truth? Is telling the truth ever a mistake and is lying for one’s family ever justified? Can one do the right thing, but bitterly regret it?
My Life as a Rat follows Violet Rue Kerrigan, a young woman who looks back upon her life in exile from her family following her testimony, at age twelve, concerning what she knew to be the racist murder of an African-American boy by her older brothers. In a succession of vividly recalled episodes Violet contemplates the circumstances of her life as the initially beloved youngest child of seven Kerrigan children who inadvertently “informs” on her brothers, setting into motion their arrests and convictions and her own long estrangement.
This was one of those books that just had you shocked to the core from the start. It’s raw and hard to read in parts. It’s well written and up until the last quarter I was enjoying it but it just got a bit tedious. This does have a few triggers for abuse and racism! Overall it’s a good read.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) in Movies
Jan 21, 2019
Starts slow...and then slows down...
Director/Writer Barry Jenkins scored an unexpected Oscar upset a few years ago when his film MOONLIGHT won the Best Picture Oscar (besting LA LA LAND), so it was with much anticipation that his follow-up film was coming out, just in time for Oscar consideration this year - and the Oscar Buzz was loud. So, I decided to check it out...
And...I'm glad I did, so I can warn you to stay away for IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK starts slow and then...slows down even more...and, if that isn't slow enough for you, kicks it down a couple of notches before finishing up on an even slower note.
Based on the best selling book by James Baldwin and telling the tale of a wrongfully incarcerated African-American man and his family, BEALE STREET is a languidly paced meditation on the constant living in fear of the African-American community in NYC in the early 1970's, and when "the system" fails this family, they are afraid of doing more for it might just make things worse.
The film starts out winningly enough when the 2 sets of parents of our young lovers get together to discuss the unexpected coming of a grandchild into this world. The 4 parents (Regina King, Coleman Domingo, Michael Beeach and Aunjanue Ellis) start out civilly, if coldly, but things quickly escalate into a crackling scene that explodes on-screen and I was looking forward to more of this foursome combating with each other for the rest of the film.
Unfortunately, the rest of the film focuses on the two young lovers (Kiki Layne and Stephan James) and these two are not charismatic or charming enough to hold the audience's attention during low-key scene after low-key scene.
Blame for this must go to Jenkins, who is making a very personal, intimate film, but - unlike something like ROMA - the world that this personal pastiche is thrown into is not interesting enough to hold interest nor are the pictures rich enough to look at, they are mostly washed out and boring.
Regina King is being touted as a "sure-fire" Academy Award nominee (and front runner to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar) and I just don't see it. She was "fine" but nothing more in an underwritten role that was just as low-key and uninteresting as the rest of the film.
Give me the 4 parents feuding and we just might have an interesting film.
If you are looking for a low-key, moody film, check out ROMA, you can skip BEALE STREET.
Letter Grade: C
5 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)
And...I'm glad I did, so I can warn you to stay away for IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK starts slow and then...slows down even more...and, if that isn't slow enough for you, kicks it down a couple of notches before finishing up on an even slower note.
Based on the best selling book by James Baldwin and telling the tale of a wrongfully incarcerated African-American man and his family, BEALE STREET is a languidly paced meditation on the constant living in fear of the African-American community in NYC in the early 1970's, and when "the system" fails this family, they are afraid of doing more for it might just make things worse.
The film starts out winningly enough when the 2 sets of parents of our young lovers get together to discuss the unexpected coming of a grandchild into this world. The 4 parents (Regina King, Coleman Domingo, Michael Beeach and Aunjanue Ellis) start out civilly, if coldly, but things quickly escalate into a crackling scene that explodes on-screen and I was looking forward to more of this foursome combating with each other for the rest of the film.
Unfortunately, the rest of the film focuses on the two young lovers (Kiki Layne and Stephan James) and these two are not charismatic or charming enough to hold the audience's attention during low-key scene after low-key scene.
Blame for this must go to Jenkins, who is making a very personal, intimate film, but - unlike something like ROMA - the world that this personal pastiche is thrown into is not interesting enough to hold interest nor are the pictures rich enough to look at, they are mostly washed out and boring.
Regina King is being touted as a "sure-fire" Academy Award nominee (and front runner to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar) and I just don't see it. She was "fine" but nothing more in an underwritten role that was just as low-key and uninteresting as the rest of the film.
Give me the 4 parents feuding and we just might have an interesting film.
If you are looking for a low-key, moody film, check out ROMA, you can skip BEALE STREET.
Letter Grade: C
5 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)
Jacqueline Stewart recommended Lime Kiln Club Field Day (1913) in Movies (curated)
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) in Movies
Apr 17, 2021
Strong Central Performance...The Rest Of The Film Is A Scattered Mess
Lee Daniels is a passionate filmmaker and his passion for bringing the story of Billie Holiday to the screen as the embodiment of the African American struggle against White Officials who are trying to mute her is evident in every frame of THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY.
Unfortunately, he tries to do so much with this film, that he accomplishes very little.
Let’s start with what works in this film: the TERRIFIC performance of Andra Day as the titular character. Day embodies the troubled artist strongly and she does all of the singing of this world renowned performer. It is a superb performance and she rightfully deserves her Oscar nomination.
What doesn’t work? Pretty much the rest of the film.
Daniels has so much material to work with - and a terrific actress at the center of it - that he tried to cram EVERYTHING into this film, consequently, the film is scattered and doesn’t know what it wants to be.
Is it a biopic? A look at an artist who overcame a horrific childhood? A look at an artist that is battling demons? A look at an artist that has toxic relationships with men? Or…is it about the United States Government trying to suppress free speech in order to keep the African American from rising up in the 1950’s?
The answer is…it is all of that…and none of that. Just when you think the film has it’s footing in one direction, it pivots in another and rarely gets back to tie off the other.
For example, look at the title of the film - THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY. So, it must be about the United States (in this instance, the Federal Drug Agents) trying to bring Billie Holiday to justice. And…at the beginning it IS about that…namely in the guise of stopping her from singing STRANGE FRUIT and trying to frame her for her drug use. So…you would think that the film will, eventually, get Holiday on stage to sing a triumphant FULL version of Strange Fruit.
You would think that, wouldn’t you.
Now…to be fair to Daniels and this film, there is about a 15 minute portion of this film in the middle that shows Holiday’s heartbreaking childhood, followed by a haunting song sung by Day. It is a very effective portion of the film, and that (and Day’s performance) are worth wading through the “highlights and lowlights” of Holiday’s life that is the rest of this film.
I have not seen the lauded 1972 LADY SINGS THE BLUES that is a more straightforward Bio-pic of the singer (starring Diana Ross), after watching this film, I think I will.
Letter Grade: B- (because of Day’s performance and that 15 minute segment)
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Unfortunately, he tries to do so much with this film, that he accomplishes very little.
Let’s start with what works in this film: the TERRIFIC performance of Andra Day as the titular character. Day embodies the troubled artist strongly and she does all of the singing of this world renowned performer. It is a superb performance and she rightfully deserves her Oscar nomination.
What doesn’t work? Pretty much the rest of the film.
Daniels has so much material to work with - and a terrific actress at the center of it - that he tried to cram EVERYTHING into this film, consequently, the film is scattered and doesn’t know what it wants to be.
Is it a biopic? A look at an artist who overcame a horrific childhood? A look at an artist that is battling demons? A look at an artist that has toxic relationships with men? Or…is it about the United States Government trying to suppress free speech in order to keep the African American from rising up in the 1950’s?
The answer is…it is all of that…and none of that. Just when you think the film has it’s footing in one direction, it pivots in another and rarely gets back to tie off the other.
For example, look at the title of the film - THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY. So, it must be about the United States (in this instance, the Federal Drug Agents) trying to bring Billie Holiday to justice. And…at the beginning it IS about that…namely in the guise of stopping her from singing STRANGE FRUIT and trying to frame her for her drug use. So…you would think that the film will, eventually, get Holiday on stage to sing a triumphant FULL version of Strange Fruit.
You would think that, wouldn’t you.
Now…to be fair to Daniels and this film, there is about a 15 minute portion of this film in the middle that shows Holiday’s heartbreaking childhood, followed by a haunting song sung by Day. It is a very effective portion of the film, and that (and Day’s performance) are worth wading through the “highlights and lowlights” of Holiday’s life that is the rest of this film.
I have not seen the lauded 1972 LADY SINGS THE BLUES that is a more straightforward Bio-pic of the singer (starring Diana Ross), after watching this film, I think I will.
Letter Grade: B- (because of Day’s performance and that 15 minute segment)
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Mick Hucknall recommended Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan in Music (curated)
Kurt Vile recommended Live At The East by Pharoah Sanders in Music (curated)
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies
Feb 17, 2018
Diverse casting (no, seriously.) (6 more)
STRONG WOMEN
Subverting stereotypes all day long
Excellent soundtrack
Ambiguous "villain"
Representation
The seamless blending of tech and tradition
BEST. MARVEL. MOVIE.
Contains spoilers, click to show
OH my god. This was definitely the best Marvel movie yet. Chadwick Boseman was absolutely amazing as T'Challa. (Warning, SPOILERS AHEAD.)
I loved that the love interest was already established - there weren't any "falling in love butterflies" to distract from the plot. SO MANY STRONG WOMEN. All of T'Challa's support were strong, gorgeous women of color. His mother, his sister, his general, his love interest. The female guards. Absolutely fantastic.
The blending of technology and traditions was superbly done. People still tend crops and animals and tan hides and go to the marketplace in Wakanda - but they have vibranium armor and weapons, and technological wonders on their wrists that pop up virtual screens, and their medical care is the best in the world. Oh, and ships. Spaceships, basically.
THE CLOTHES. The dresses, the makeup, the armor, the weapons - the appearance of Wakanda was amazing.
And then the plot. The difference between "Well, we're Wakandan, and we look out for the Wakandan people" and "We should be looking out for ALL of our people (black people all over the world, not just Wakandans.)" That was where the real conflict arose in Black Panther - and it was interesting that the two leads, while opposing each other, actually felt the same about it. Just with different ideas of how to do so. (There's a lot to unpack about why they feel this way - some of it, I think, goes back to African-Americans having their nationalities forcibly stripped from them during the slave trade - so being black is the only thing white people left them with; while non-American Africans have their national identities to look to. So they might be Nigerian or Ethiopian instead of one unified black group. And the opposing lead was brought up in America.)
The differences between how the Wakandans viewed white people, and how the American prince viewed white people, are a very important conflict. You can watch the movie as just another superhero movie, and it'll be good. But watching it looking for the racial undertones makes it absolutely fantastic.
Also - the casting is diverse. Just because it's almost all black people doesn't mean it's not diverse. Again, that's a white American thing, looking at black people as one unified group. They're not. Also how many movies have been almost all white people with a token black guy? People complaining about "lack of diversity" in this movie need to take their white supremacist selves out of the theater and away from this amazing movie.
I loved that the love interest was already established - there weren't any "falling in love butterflies" to distract from the plot. SO MANY STRONG WOMEN. All of T'Challa's support were strong, gorgeous women of color. His mother, his sister, his general, his love interest. The female guards. Absolutely fantastic.
The blending of technology and traditions was superbly done. People still tend crops and animals and tan hides and go to the marketplace in Wakanda - but they have vibranium armor and weapons, and technological wonders on their wrists that pop up virtual screens, and their medical care is the best in the world. Oh, and ships. Spaceships, basically.
THE CLOTHES. The dresses, the makeup, the armor, the weapons - the appearance of Wakanda was amazing.
And then the plot. The difference between "Well, we're Wakandan, and we look out for the Wakandan people" and "We should be looking out for ALL of our people (black people all over the world, not just Wakandans.)" That was where the real conflict arose in Black Panther - and it was interesting that the two leads, while opposing each other, actually felt the same about it. Just with different ideas of how to do so. (There's a lot to unpack about why they feel this way - some of it, I think, goes back to African-Americans having their nationalities forcibly stripped from them during the slave trade - so being black is the only thing white people left them with; while non-American Africans have their national identities to look to. So they might be Nigerian or Ethiopian instead of one unified black group. And the opposing lead was brought up in America.)
The differences between how the Wakandans viewed white people, and how the American prince viewed white people, are a very important conflict. You can watch the movie as just another superhero movie, and it'll be good. But watching it looking for the racial undertones makes it absolutely fantastic.
Also - the casting is diverse. Just because it's almost all black people doesn't mean it's not diverse. Again, that's a white American thing, looking at black people as one unified group. They're not. Also how many movies have been almost all white people with a token black guy? People complaining about "lack of diversity" in this movie need to take their white supremacist selves out of the theater and away from this amazing movie.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Far From the Tree in Books
May 10, 2018
I thoroughly enjoy the way, Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant capture the true essence of African American female relationships in their books. Far from the Tree was no exception.
Ronnie and Celeste are sisters that have never really gotten along. Odella, their mother is also not the easiest to get along with. When the three are brought together in the same house after many years of being apart, their relationships start to take on a whole new meaning. Following the death of Will, the husband and father who had always been around to love and support them, the women are forced to examine their lives and make some hard decisions in order to move forward and grow.
Celeste, married to Everett, who is a doctor, has never been satisfied with their simple lifestyle. She has always wanted more for them even though she has never had to want for anything.
Ronnie, who has been a struggling actress in New York and fools herself and her family into thinking that she has it all together and is doing great. She actually has had more addresses than acting roles.
Odella, who had run from her past for so long that when it comes rushing back at her, she is overwhelmed by it all.
Together these women learn to love themselves and one another again.
There are talks that this book may be made into a major motion picture. I would be the first in line for a ticket. I would love to see who they get to portray the characters.
Ronnie and Celeste are sisters that have never really gotten along. Odella, their mother is also not the easiest to get along with. When the three are brought together in the same house after many years of being apart, their relationships start to take on a whole new meaning. Following the death of Will, the husband and father who had always been around to love and support them, the women are forced to examine their lives and make some hard decisions in order to move forward and grow.
Celeste, married to Everett, who is a doctor, has never been satisfied with their simple lifestyle. She has always wanted more for them even though she has never had to want for anything.
Ronnie, who has been a struggling actress in New York and fools herself and her family into thinking that she has it all together and is doing great. She actually has had more addresses than acting roles.
Odella, who had run from her past for so long that when it comes rushing back at her, she is overwhelmed by it all.
Together these women learn to love themselves and one another again.
There are talks that this book may be made into a major motion picture. I would be the first in line for a ticket. I would love to see who they get to portray the characters.