Day 28 – Favorite Author:
My favorite author is extremely difficult to pin down to one person. So, I decided to site an author that I 
discovered last year that I’ve fallen head over heels in love with. J. California Cooper. She was an incredible storyteller and sadly she died last year. I’ve read two of the novels that are pictured here and absolutely loved them. I don’t know how this author managed to fly completely under the radar and not get the acknowledgement she deserved. If you haven’t picked up a book by Cooper I recommend checking out Family. It’s short but poignant. It will suck you in, break your heart, and leave you with lots to think about. Here are a few other titles that you might want to have a look at too: Homemade Love, Life is Short But Wide, Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime , and A Piece of Mine, among others. Nobody knows what the J stands for in J. California Cooper. She wanted it that way. Could she have not gotten noticed because she was so discrete?
Who’s your favorite author?
Thank you for doing these posts all month. They’ve been a lot of fun to read and have added many books and authors to my TBR.
My personal favorite Black History Month read for this year–the book I read this month that I enjoyed the most–is Zora Neale Hurston’s memoir Dust Tracks on a Road. The writing reminded me a lot of Their Eyes Were Watching God, so in other words it’s wonderful.
Thank you again for these posts and the videos you made and arranged for on YouTube.
Thank you Jenny for supporting! Glad you enjoyed it! Dust Tracks on a Road is on my TBR but I love Hurston’s writing.
Hi Didi! I just want to congratulate you on creating #ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge this year! I admire you for coming up with a great way not only to celebrate Black History Month but for building great lists of favorites from black authors worth reading year round. Also, some new creative videos are now on Booktube! Even though I had a hard time committing to a single poem or single author, a number of challenges got me thinking along lines I hadn’t previously considered. How did things go on instagram, facebook, and twitter? Wishing you good health and joy, Leslie
Hey Leslie thanks for supporting! Things went very well on Instagram and on Twitter. Funny the people that seemed to be pushing reading diversely didn’t participate. Why am I not surprised. So many other interesting people participated and that really made me happy. #ReadSoulLit it not going to die. It will continue to be used. 🙂 #ReadSoulLit365! My TBR is overflowing with more titles and I have lists of great authors, artists, and activists. I feel my TBR has taken a great turn and I can’t wait to dig into more inspiring books. Inspiring because I feel like writing again for some reason. Peace to you Leslie! 🙂
Dear Didi –
Congratulations and thank you for creating the #ReadSoulLit Photo Challenge for 2015. This challenge has inspired enriched reading awareness, consideration, and lists for many people! Also, some fresh videos on YouTube (BookTube)! Don’t know what the response was over on instagram and twitter but I am sure many great ripples! In admiration, Leslie
Yes the ripples have been great! #ReadSoulLit365 🙂