Wash by Ebony Stewart
Though available, I read via an online reader copy. I did not read all of the poems by Ebony Stewart in their collection Wash. This is because it is difficult to read poetry online for me and second, they were terribly intense and it was not something I really needed to immerse myself in at the time. However, I will find a finshed copy and just sit and read. Stewart has a passionate voice that needs to be slowly enjoyed. And I hope this does […]
The Apprenticeship of Andrew Wyeth: Painting a Family Legacy by Gene Barretta
Read via an online reader copy, though it is currently available, The Apprenticeship of Andrew Wyeth: Painting a Family Legacy by Gene Barretta is a lovely story about a painter who may not necessarily be “mainstream” (I judge “mainstream” as “pop culture” and by does my dad know who Person X is) but he was well known in the artworld. We also see how his childhood and youth would influence Wyeth to become the painter and adult Wyeth. There are lovely illustrations that capture the […]
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
There is a long history of “public intellectuals” in America. Ben Franklin and Alexander Hamilton all the way down to Noam Chomsky and Susan Sontag. When I was a younger man, I became fascinated with the idea of a public intelligentsia. Not any specific person, but the idea of knowledgeable, erudite experts who wrote and spoke for public, rather than academic, consumption. When YouTube became a thing and old clips that had previously been difficult to find became readily available to anyone with an interest, […]
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
I picked this up because I wanted to have more of an idea of what it might be like for Black individuals to navigate predominantly White spaces, including the ones I am part of. As much as I strive to be anti-racist and to learn, I know that I will fall short sometimes. And while I have done a lot of learning and work at an organization that values diversity, even a memoir such as this one was able to open my eyes yet more […]
Otherwise Known as Judy the Great: A Poetic Ode to Judy Blume by Selina Alko
Perhaps I should have waited to add Otherwise Known as Judy the Great: A Poetic Ode to Judy Blume by Selina Alko to my Best of This Year Reads list, but I did not know I was going to read it when I put my list together. Besides, it is all good as I will let you know here how FREAKING awesome this book is now. Due in February 2026 (perfectly timed as Blume’s birthday is the 12th of February) this book is set up […]
A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst
I’ve found a number of interesting books when I need a new audio book by just seeing what is “available now” at my library, sorted by popularity. Is that how I found A Marriage at Sea (2025) by Sophie Elmhirst? Honestly, now I can’t remember. I may have seen it on a list somewhere. Also, now that I’ve read it, I’m seeing this book everywhere, including NPR and NYT’s 2025 lists. Spoilers follow. A Marriage at Sea is the true story of a couple, Maralyn and Maurice, who […]
