Nelle Harper Lee

Nelle Harper Lee was born and raised in Monroeville, Alabama which is about 84 miles from my hometown of Mount Vernon, Alabama.

Monroeville had a Vanity Fair Outlet, and as a child, my family would go to Monroeville to buy underwear, jeans, socks etc. So, whenever I would teach To Kill A Mockingbird, I would lovingly show my students a map of Alabama, and we would pay careful attention to my hometown and the hometown of Harper Lee. I would fondly tell my students about my trips to Monroeville whose only claim to fame was Nelle Harper Lee and The Vanity Fair Outlet.

I would teach To Kill A Mockingbird with my whole heart, because I love the characters, the fictional town of Maycomb, and the storyline.

The premises of the entire novel is Atticus, one of the main characters, defending a Black man who was accused of raping a White girl. After a little research, I realized that this plot was based on The Scottsboro Case. This was a real case where nine Black youth were accused of raping two White ladies in Alabama. All of the youth, except one who was twelve years old, was convicted, and this caused a uproar in the North.

My students would do presentation on The Scottsboro Case, and each time that I would teach this novel and listen to the presentations, my love and respect for Nelle Harper Lee and To Kill A Mockingbird would intensify.

If you have not read To Kill A Mockingbird, I highly recommend that you do.

So, today there was some breaking news. One of my co-workers sent us an email early this morning with an article attached which stated that another book by Harper Lee would be released July 14. Now, I read this email, and my heart started racing. The only book that Harper Lee ever published was To Kill A Mockingbird, and I sure did want her to write another one. However, I had given up. Now, fifty years after To Kill A Mockingbird, another book by Harper Lee is going to be released that is titled Go Catch A Watchman.

Today is a GOOD day in the literary world.... Long Live Nelle Harper Lee!!!

I've started the countdown to July 14.....

Books That Inspired Dr. King

 

I absolutely love this photo of Dr. King....

I have looked at this picture as closely as I possibly can, because I am curious to know "What does a King read?

So, I did a little research and I discovered several sites that listed books that inspired Dr. King. Here are some of the titles:  

Civil Disobedience by David Thoreau,  
The Bible, 
Republic by Plato (Books I, II, V, VI, VIII, and X), 
Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle (Books I, II, III, IV and V),
Politics by Aristotle (Books I and III),
The City of God by Augustine
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli,  
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes,  
Treatises on Civil Government by John Locke,  
The Social Contract by Jean Jacques Rousseau,  
Critique of Practical Reason by Immanuel Kant 
 Principles of Morals and Legislation by Jeremy Bentha,
 Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill

What an impressive book list that's definitely fit for A King!

The list contains mostly history and philosophy books. I must admit that I have only read two of the books on the list: Civil Disobedience and The Bible. However, when I asked my students about this list, many had read or were familiar with many of these books. (I teach some well-read students.)

Dr. King studied sociology, ethics, and philosophy, and it appears that he applied what he learned to lead one of the greatest movements of all times.

I am a firm believer that we must be thoughtful about everything that we do, because I believe that we are always, sometimes unbeknownst to us, being prepared for next.

Happy Monday, and Read, Read, Read, and Read!

Langston Hughes's Birthday, First Day of Black History Month, Super Bowl Sunday, Book Club Meeting... PERFECTION!

Sometimes, the planets and stars all work together, and you get what I call a PERFECTION....

Today is Langston Hughes' birthday; he would have been 113 years old. I just love Langston Hughes. If you get a chance, pick up his book titled The Best of Semple. It is a collection of Hughes' short stories on a random man in Harlem called Jesse B. Semple. I see myself and people who I know in these short stories, and I laugh out loud when I read them.

Today is the First Day of Black History Month, and I absolutely love Black History Month. You all know that everyday that I wake up Black is Black History day. However, I just love that this country specifically uses this entire month, not day or week, to recognize us. I just happened to live in the DC area and the possibility of things to do to celebrate Black History month are limitless. Have I told you lately that I love where I live?

Today is Super Bowl Sunday, and I also love Super Bowl Sunday. It is the idea of getting together with friends, people are usually in a celebratory mood, there is normally foods that I don't normally indulge in, but I will dabble a little bit today, and we are just together to be together. I am not a football person at all, so I will talk throughout the entire game, crack jokes, eat, and be merry.

Last but not least, my book club is meeting at a sports bar before the Super Bowl game. It was not planned this way, but we just happen to be discussing Assata by Assata Shakur, and it just happens to be Black History Month.

Now, you can't tell me that the planets and stars are not lined up!

In honor of Black History Month and Langston Hughes, I am going to join the National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) challenge. The goal of this challenge is to get bloggers to post a blog every day of the month and to read the blogs of a few other bloggers who have accepted this challenge. The NaBloPoMo site gave a theme for February, and they will also give writing prompts throughout the month. The theme for this month is Make. Now, I do not have to write on this theme, but I will try and write on it often. I am going to conjure the writing spirit of Langston Hughes and write, write, write this month...I know you'll stop by daily to support me.

My readers, I am challenging you to set a challenging, attainable goal this month just because we can.

Happy Hughes' Birthday, Black History Month, and Super Bowl Sunday!!!

I'm going to leave you with a poem by Langston Hughes:

Democracy

 Democracy will not come
Today, this year
Nor ever
Through compromise and fear.

I have as much right
As the other fellow has
To stand
On my two feet
And own the land.

I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I'm dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.

Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In a great need.

I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.


Langston Hughes

Working for Myself!

This morning I got up around 8, watched the news for a little while, and I grabbed my computer and headed to Wholefoods to do some work! (Super excited to discover, last weekend, that my favorite Wholefoods has WIFI!)

I was busily working... putting the polishing touches on two essays that I am writing for applications for summer programs that I am applying to, tweaking my resume, and doing others things that needed to be done to get these applications completed. I started thinking: "It sure is good to be working for myself."

However, my second mind stepped right in and stated: "Aren't you always working for yourself?"

I sat for a minute and pondered this thought, and I came to the conclusion that I am always working for myself.

Now, I know that this may sound selfish, but let me explain....

When I read and study for my classes, I am doing these things so that I can be an effective, knowledgeable teacher and reach my students. No one tells me to do these things, but I do them for myself, and my students and I both get to reap the benefits. You feeling me?

When I train, train, and train on my bike, I am doing that for myself, not that it is mandated, but I train for myself so that I can become a stronger rider and help my team doing the races.

When I write this blog, I am getting no pay and no fame yet, but I write it as if I have one million readers. I do it for myself, but I know that this blog will attract people to it and inspire them as much as it inspires me.

When I am at work, or training on my bike, or writing this blog, I never do these things begrudgingly. No one makes me do these things. But, I do them for myself. I like striving for excellence, and the bonus is that other people and I both get to reap the benefits.

I am saying that if we work for ourselves, that makes us better people, and everyone gets to reap the benefits.

I have a sign next to my desk at school that states that "Excellence Conquers Every Obstacles." So, when I am reading and studying to teach my classes, going to summer programs, training to race, being consistent with my blog, I am doing all of those things for myself. I expect excellence for myself, because "Excellence Does Conquer Every Obstacle," and everyone under my circle of influence and the people that those people influence, get to reap the benefits... Right???

My People, I love working for myself!

Racing Season Is Coming.....

I finished my first road racing season and first cross racing season, AND

It's winter, and I am training. (Racing Season is Coming!)

I ride my bike three days during the week. (On the trainer of course!)

And, I ride outside with my teammates almost every weekend....

My People, I am training, because Racing Season is Coming!

THIS IS A LITERARY BLOG!

I write about a lot of different stuff on this blog, but THIS IS A LITERARY BLOG!!!

I have been trying to figure out how to make all of my blogs about books easily accessible for people who don't want to read all of the other stuff that I write about.

So, if you scroll to the side of this blog, I created a tab that states to click the word BOOKS to see post about books! Well, when you click on that link, it gives you every blog that I have written about books; however, this did not satisfy my need to make the blogs that are written about books easily accessible. I decided to keep the tab there just in case someone has a lot of time and wants to scroll and scroll through a whole bunch of blogs about books.

I know that the right person is arriving in Divine order at precisely the right time. Wayne Dyer

So, you know that I totally believe that people need other people right?

I can't and won't live without people.....

So, I met this fellow literary blogger through my blog, and we eventually took our conversation off of the blog to emails. We discovered that we both graduated from Tuskegee, and you know that was an instant connections.

Well, I just love the layout of Shannon's Blog, and I sent her an email to see if she would give a girl some help, and she did.

We met up, and I feel like I have been knowing Shannon forever; I have officially claimed her as my new friend. (I know that the right person is arriving in Divine order at precisely the right time. Wayne Dyer)

So, this is one of the things that Shannon helped me with:

If you look under the title of this blog, The Big Sea, you will see a tab that states Links to Blogs Reviewed Here. If you click on that tab, you will see links to every single book, over 100, that has been reviewed on this blog. (EXCITED!)

I know a lot of stuff, I figure a lot of stuff out on my own; however, I still need other people, because I don't know everything, and I still need help.

Grateful that Shannon arrived in Divine order at precisely the right time!

I hope that you, My Readers, find this link helpful, and please offer any feedback on how I can make this content more accessible.

Have a great Monday!

People NEED other people or at least I do.......

Assata by Assata Shakur

I first read Assata by Assata Shakur about ten years ago, I think. Not sure what prompted me to read it, but I am so happy that I did.

Recently, the United States seems to be developing this new relationship with Cuba, and the first person who I thought about was Assata, and I figured that I needed to read this book again to refresh my memory about Assata and her story.

Assata was a member of The Black Panther Party, and according to Assata, the FBI and the CIA were determined to completely shut down the Black Revolutionaries.

Assata was in the car with two other Black Panther members, and they were pulled over supposedly for a taillight issue. Something transpired and one of the Black Panthers members and a cop were killed, Assata was shot, and the other member of The Black Panther party was on the run.

After this incident, Assata was mostly kept in solitary confinement for years and was tried for armed robbery, several bank robberies, kidnapping of a drug dealer, murder of a drug dealer etc. She was not convicted of any of these crimes; however, she was eventually convicted for the murder of the police officer and escaped from prison to Cuba to became a political refugee.

Now, this book is captivating from the very first page with a foreword written by non other than The Angela Davis.

Angela Davis

I've been rushing home every day this week to gobble up every word of this book!

Reading this book, I thought a lot about the FBI and the CIA....How could a government turn against its people? We know that the FBI and the CIA harassed Dr. King, and so I want to believe Assata when she states that she was harassed and was tried for crimes where she was not even present. I want to believe that these type of things could not be going on today.

I thought a lot about Assata and all that she endured, and she survived with a sound mind: "Whenever i tired of the verbal abuse of my captors, i would drown them out by reading the poetry out loud. "Invictus" and "If We Must Die" were the poems i usually read....The poems were my message to them."

I thought about the idea of being a political refugee with no hopes of ever coming back on US territory again. Assata may not want to come back, but I think that I would struggle with the idea that I could not come back.

I thought about how in the world did Assata get this book published????

I thought about how in the world did Assata escape from prison????

Assata ends the book with her mom, aunt, and daughter visiting her in Cuba. Now how in the world did that happen?????

I will leave you with two of the most profound statements that Assata makes in this book:

"To win any struggle for liberation, you have to have the way as well as the will, an overall ideology and strategy that stem from a scientific analysis of history and present conditions."

"One of the hardest lessons that we have to learn is that the revolutionary struggle is scientific rather than emotional. I'm not saying that we shouldn't feel anything, but decisions can't be based on love or anger. They have to be based on the objective conditions and on what is the rational, unemotional thing to do."

Assata Shakur

My People, read this book and learn.. Knowledge is Power!!

I'm going to completely switch gears, and read Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson.