New Crayons: What's New Our Our Shelves

Remember when you were a kid and getting new crayons was a big deal? Getting new books holds the same kind of magic for some of us big kids. Every week on Sunday, I post what's new in our box. I think crayons is a pretty cool metaphor for multicultural lit. Every week we receive a book is a good week.

Color Online staff and I have had a good week. Check out our treasures:

Vasilly-

Little by David Treuer because of Susan's CORA Diversity Roll Call.

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde. I have this. Lorde is amazing.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

Little Machine by Victor LaValle

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat. You cannot go wrong with Danticat.

The Girl who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow. Want this. We need to feature this writer. Can anyone get a hold of her?

I got Page from a Tennessee Journal by Francine Thomas Howard. Thanks, Zetta! Stay tune for Zetta's interview with the author.

Ari-

Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti by Frances Temple. Had this on the shelf. Must push this up tbr.

Fabulous by Simone Bryant. The first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover. 3 African American girls in private school uniforms, it screams chick lit about POC. So I've decided to give it a try.


What did you get this week from the library, bookstore or on trade?

Happy Reading.

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The Sunday Salon: How Do You See Black History Month?

Hello all and welcome back to our weekly salon. Before we get to our query, I want to share that in order to keep our book discussion on the front page a bit longer (some of you don't read the sidebars), I'm not posting New Crayons until Monday.

This week's query: During BHM are slave narratives and Civil Rights enough? Can you readily recall lesser known African American historical figures? How do you feel about the standard iconic figures that are promoted and celebrated every year? Do you think the standard figures are enough study for our children? Who do you think deserves a nod that most or many folks don't know about?


This week's query is inspired by my reader's response to a review of The Listeners at Rhapsody In Books. If you've wondered if we were going to run special Black History Month features at Color Online. We're not. Personally, I'm black 365 days a year. This community is committed to people of color, 365 days a year. I figured I'd enjoy other folks' fussing over us this month. Of course, it's hard for me to keep my mouth shut so despite what I said, I am going to be speaking about matters related to Black History Month.

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Poetry Friday: The Interrogation

THE INTERROGATION
Li-Young Lee

Two streams: one dry, one poured all night by our beds.

I’ll wonder
about neither.

The dry one was clogged with bodies.

I’m through
with memory.

At which window of what house did light teach you tedium?
On which step of whose stairway did you learn indecision?

I’m through
sorting avenues and doors,
curating houses and death.

Which house did we flee by night? Which house did we flee by day?

Don’t ask me.

We stood and watched one burn; from one we ran away.

I’m neatly folding
the nights and days, notes
to be forgotten

We were diminished. We were not spared. There was no pity.
Neither was their sanctuary. Neither rest.
There were fires in the streets. We stood among men, at the level
of their hands, all those wrists, dead or soon to die.

No more
letting my survival
depend on memory.

There was the sea; its green volume brought despair.
There was waiting, there was leaving. There was
astonishment too. The astonishment of
“I thought you died!” “How did you get out?”
“And Little Fei Fei walked right by the guards!”

I grow
leaden with stories,
my son’s eyelids
grow heavy.

Who rowed the boat when our father tired?

Don’t ask me.

Who came along? Who got left behind?

Ask the sea.

Through it all there was no song, and weeping
came many years later.

I’m through
with memory.

Sometimes a song,
even when there was weeping.

I’m through with memory.

Can’t you still smell the smoke on my body?

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Color Online Group Read Discussion: Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice

Welcome to Color Online's first group book read! For the inaugural read, Carleen Brice's Children of the Waters has been chosen for a five day long discussion. This is Brice's second novel and it explores the idea of identity mainly through mixed-race adoptee, Billie. Once her white half-sister discovers her existence and shares the startling news, Billie is faced with having to re-examine who she is. This novel is not subtle in its statements on race, but it is nuanced in dealing with the complexity of the protagonist processing being adopted and biracial.

Now, here are a few questions to get things started.

Which aspect of the discovery do you think was more profound for Billie, being adopted or being bi-racial and why?

Why do you think Zenobia and Herbert kept Billie's adoption a secret?

Juxtaposing how Billie and Will identify ethnically, how is the idea of race as a social construct proven or disproven?

2/8- new questions

For those of you who have multiracial children or you have family members with multiracial children how do parents help their children form their own sense of racial identity and how do you help them with different responses from others to them because they are multiracial?

What about Will? What did Carleen get right? What about Will didn't work for you?

Does have anything in common with Celicia? If yes, does she recognize it?

*Please remember to reference questions and/or commenter when responding.

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