Voracious DPC

Category: Books and Writers

  • In honor of Lucille Clifton’s birthday

    won’t you celebrate with me  By Lucille Clifton won’t you celebrate with mewhat i have shaped intoa kind of life? i had no model.born in babylonboth nonwhite and womanwhat did i see to be except myself?i made it uphere on this bridge betweenstarshine and clay,my one hand holding tightmy other hand; come celebratewith me that…

  • Gwendolyn Brooks thought of clouds, too

    I spend a lot of time looking at clouds. Their shapes, colors, and textures offer a universe of gorgeous possibilities. A cloud is a cloud is a cloud. Unless it’s a mermaid or an ice cream cone or whatever else comes to mind. Clouds tease and spark the imagination. They can be whatever someone wants…

  • There was no place in Hollywood for Juanita Moore

    In 1959, Juanita Moore was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in “Imitation of Life.” The career changing opportunities that should have come her way after that role never did. Her nephew is campaigning to get her the recognition she deserves. ‘A Star Without a Star’: An Oakland Man’s Mission to Get his…

  • Links For The Voracious

    So be curious, be adventurous, be tenacious, and you cannot be intimidated by the answer “no.” -Bevy Smith A group of gay activists reflect on their revolutionary 1970 road trip to rally gay people to attend the Revolutionary People’s Constitutional Convention in Washington, D.C. organized by the Black Panther Party. “Then I felt around, and…

  • Five Songs For The End of The Week

    In this special edition of 5 Songs, it’s a celebration of the birthdays of Patti LaBelle (May 25) and Gladys Knight (May 28). The two living legends have a combined 120 plus years of experience in show business. They are standard bearers of the unmatched skill and discipline Black performers brought to the stage across…

  • Links For The Voracious

    NPR’s Audie Cornish breaks down getting over imposter syndrome and knowing when to stop and take care of yourself. Photographer Tommy Kha on making the work you want to create and not succumbing to the limits of other people’s imaginations. What Black critics have to say is essential for expanding our understanding of the arts.…

  • Five Songs For The End of The Week

    The one and only Grace Beverly Jones celebrated her birthday on Thursday, May 19. She shares that birthdate with Malcolm X, Lorraine Hansberry, and Yuri Kochiyama. May 19 looks to be an auspicious day to bring people into the world who will grow up to be brave. Ms. Jones’ singular body of self-expression is guided…

  • Links For The Voracious

    Meet Doña Viviana Alávez, the undaunted doyenne of candlemakers preserving Zapotec tradition in Oaxaca, Mexico. “City of Ghosts” is a love letter to Los Angeles that will probably make you cry. The animated Netflix kids show uses the city’s neighborhoods as the foundation for a beautiful rumination on memory and loss. Listen to author Rachel…

  • Five Songs For The End of The Week

    President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan COVID-19 relief bill and all adults are to be eligible for vaccines by May 1. There is still a lot more to be done, but we’re off to a promising start. What a week. We made it! Enjoy.

  • Five Songs For The End of The Week

    Smooth as silk. Sweet like honey. Made for the moonlight. Brighter than sunshine. There is no voice like Ms. Dionne Warwick’s. If you haven’t already dipped into her catalogue of hits, it’s time to get into it. Here are five of my favorites for the end of the week.