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Black Feminist/Womanist Literature

This group is designed for those of us who appreciate the contributions of black feminists and other feminists of color to the literary canon. The group is inclusive of all genres and periods of literature. The group is inclusive...period. :-)

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Womanist is to feminist as purple to lavender.
  • Category: Women | Started February 2007

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  • Jaya

    The little BIG Read: 7 Short Stories in 7 Days

    Hello everyone!

    As someone who majored in literature, short stories are my friend! :) I propose that we read seven short stories in seven days. These stories, which deal with the plight of black women, cover a variety of topics that include love, lust, art, marriage, domestic violence, education, etc. The list of works is as follows:

    DAY 1 *Cora Unashamed by Langston Hughes
    DAY 2 The Blues I'm Playing by Langston Hughes
    DAY 3 *Long Black Song by Richard Wright
    DAY 4 Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston
    DAY 5 *King of the Bingo Game by Ralph Ellison
    DAY 6 *Bright Road by Mary Elizabeth Vroman
    DAY 7 & Recitatif by Toni Morrison

    *Have filmic translations

    VOTE on when to begin The little BIG Read!
    June 8-14
    June 15-21
    June 22-28

    And I will provide copies of/links to all texts so you won't have to scramble to find them. It'll be an easy read, yet a substantive read for sure. Live well.
    Jaya started this discussion 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  • zawadi

    zawadi 

    Are you willing to mail copies because it's not easy nor convenient to take notes from reading online. Seven different links?

    May I ask why you opt to choose seven stories and a book? Most groups decide as a group what they want to read. What you're proposing feels more like a class and assignments.

    We discussed and voted on a selected a text. Initially things started out well with the group read but then we fell off. Maybe we should talk about what kind of time frames we have for this summer and what kind of read we'd be interested in doing.
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
    show 2 replies
    • Jaya

      Jaya 

      zawadi,

      Yes, I am prepared to email copies and, no, there wouldn't be seven different links. Some of the works are on the same site. If you'd like a hard copy, you can either print, or I'll even provide you with the larger work the text is taken from and you can borrow it from your local library. Sula, I thought, would be a good read for our group for a number of reasons. However, it's by no means set in stone. The seven short stories cover a lot of what we've discussed, as a group, in the past so I figured that they could serve as jumping off points for our renaissance. And when I say short stories, I mean s-h-o-r-t. Really. I figured that having the option of participating in the June short story read or the July novel read (or neither/both) would work with whatever time frames we all have for the summer. In the past, we have had people singularly propose a work and fellow members give a thumbs up or thumbs down. This is the same basic idea.
      posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
    • zawadi

      zawadi 

      Jaya,
      If you email me the stories, I will print them off. I'll pass on the novel though. I have a couple other book discussions coming up but I think I can manage the short stories. Thanks.
      posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • imogene

    imogene 

    I'm spending time in Arkansas with grandchildren and my brother. So I have leisure time to read and I will definitely goo over those books when you let me know the web site where tooooo find them. No hurry though, I would like to work on my proposal of what they mean.
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • katrin c

    katrin c 

    with the links i'd love to read them- but in july...
    to bad though, sounds like fun :(
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • Memi B

    Memi B 

    HI Jaya-
    I will participate. Please email links.
    Thanks,
    Memi B
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • Necia R

    Necia R 

    I'm down. please send links and or emails to me.

    thanks for organizing this Jaya.
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • zawadi

    zawadi 

    Jay, are we suppose to cast our vote for a date? When can you forward the stories?
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • imogene

    imogene 

    June 22-28 sounds good, at least one in june or right now give up a link and discuss very soon!
    I am putting that off you see, so send the link...
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • Jaya

    Jaya 

    Let's see...we have six people on the short story bandwagon so far. Great! We can either read the stories during the week of June 22-28 or wait until July if it works better for the majority. No problem. If you send me your email address via pm, I'll provide you with the pdfs/links to all the stories.

    Oh, and Mary Elizabeth Vroman is the author of "See How They Run." "Bright Road" is its filmic adaptation. Would you all be terribly disappointed if we were to read Hurson's "Color Struck" in lieu of Vroman's "See How They Run?" I'm doing my darndest to find a copy of the latter, but I seem to have misplaced it. Everything else is a go. I even found "Sweat" in an audio version, and it's very well directed/produced. I encourage everyone to have a listen.

    Peace.
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
    show 1 reply
    • zawadi

      zawadi 

      my email is pretty public: coloronline2005@yahoo.com. I tried to send a pm before but the option to show for me. Thanks.
      posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • imogene

    imogene 

    Imodina@yahoo.com

    I'll try and private message with the new and improved shelfari
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • Jaya

    Jaya 

    Hola amigas! I'm still in the fold...just settling back into reality after the NWSA conference! And a blast it was! Anywho, for those who haven't provided their email addresses, that's fine. Here's a link to the stories for days 1 and 2. Enjoy!

    Cora Unashamed & The Blues I'm Playing by Langston Hughes http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/americancollection/cora/works.html

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
  • bhang.

    bhang. 

    Sorry I missed the little BIG read I found the first two sorties but not the others anyone still have the links?
    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )
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