Day 11 – 2020 Newbie

As every year there are so many new releases and new authors appearing on the scene and 2020 is no different.  I decided to go with Stateway’s Garden by Jasmon Drain, gifted to me by Penguin Random House.  This debut work is a memoir of connected short stories that take the reader into a housing project on Chicago’s South Side.  For the moment I’m finding it very interesting but will be back with a review once I’m done.  Jasmon Drain grew up in Chicago in the Englewood neighborhood.  He was a Pushcart Prize Nominee in 2010 and 2011.  Having never heard of this literary prize I want to their website to find out more about the prize. The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize which honors the best “poetry, short fiction, essays, memoirs published in the small presses over the previous year. “They welcome up to six nominations (print or online) from little magazine and small book press editors throughout the world.  They welcome translations, reprints and both traditional and experimental writing.  The nominations are accepted between October 1 – December 1.” (pushcart prize.com)

Day 12 – Musical Genius took me a little more effort to find a title.  I originally thought of James McBride’s Kill ‘Em and Leave:  Searching for James Brown and the American Soul, however it was impossible to find it among my books. Trying to combing through when you have as many books as I do, you find forgotten treasures.  That’s when I fell upon Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which is #3 in The Century Cycle by August Wilson.  Now I really want to read all 10 plays in order but sadly I only own this one and the first play of the series called Gem of the Ocean which I read and enjoyed a few years ago.  I think I gave it 3 stars.  Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is about a legendary blues singer so fits the photo challenge perfectly.  Just from reading what this play is about I’m sure it would be fantastic to see at the theatre.  It covers themes of self-hate and racism. Check out the videos below where you can see a few scenes being performed.

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