Fall begins in September. It is a time of harvest, decay, reset, and autumnal dispossession*. This month’s picks were selected with these themes in mind. Read, watch, listen, engage, share.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
THE SALT EATERS by Toni Cade Bambara
“Are you sure, sweetheart, that you want to be well?”
The Salt Eaters by Toni Cade Bambara (published 1980) is a novel about a battered woman named Velma Henry and her journey towards restoration at the hands of Minnie Ransom, a faith healer. It is set the fictional southern town of Claybourne. As made apparent by the quote above, we’re prepared to question the responsibility of wellbeing. The novel explores the cross-section of race and gender and the role they play in becoming. The story features many elements of magical realism and a lush prose style.
Toni Cade Bambara (1939-1955) was an American author and educator by way of Harlem. She’s known for The Salt Eaters as well as her fiction collection of short stories: Gorilla, My Love.
ADDITIONAL READING: The Future of Time- Literature & Diminished Expectations by Toni Morrison [ESSAY]
Gorilla, My Love by Toni Cade Bambara [FICTION SHORT STORY]
READING LINKS:
BUY FROM YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE IF YOU CAN, IT’S MUCH COOLER!
Si tu peux lire en français, voici es un lien du le livre numérique.
GO TO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY, GET A CARD, AND GET TO READING FOR FREE IF NECESSARY!
FILM OF THE MONTH
CHAMELEON STREET (1989) directed by Wendell B. Harris Jr
“I THINK, THEREFORE, I SCAM”
Chameleon Street (1989) is a film about a man named William Douglas Street who is dissatisfied with the state of his life. He undergoes a process of continuous re-invention, like a chameleon, taking the shade of whatever situation he’s set against. In other words, he’s lying as needed and he lies a lot, getting himself in a series of mischievous hijinks both to the detriment of himself and others.
Chameleon Street is Wendell B. Harris Jr.’s debut and only feature film. The movie won the Grand Jury prize at 1990 Sundance Film Festival. Harris Jr. is a graduate of Julliard and has produced a radio series titled Black Biography, about black icons from the spheres of art, history, and politics.
ADDITIONAL READING/VIEWING:
https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/spotlight-on-chameleon-street-with-ashley-clark [VIDEO]
WATCH:
AMAZON PRIME
PEACOCK
KANOPY
CRITERION CHANNEL
ALBUM OF THE MONTH
SPEAKERBOXXX/THE LOVE BELOW (2003) by Outkast
“Y’all don’t wanna hear me, you just wanna dance.”
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by Outkast is one the greatest, best-selling, and most acclaimed albums of all-time. It won Album of The Year at the Grammys. It’s an unnatural choice for an album recommendation simply because it was so damn unavoidable when it dropped a bit over twenty years ago. The project is many times platinum [literally diamond at this point] and holds some of the biggest hit singles in Hip Hop history. Recommending this album is like telling someone they should checkout water. So why Speakerboxxx/The Love Below?
The primary reasons are simple. This album is a pronounced stylistic schism from arguably the best rap act in history in the form of a double LP. The first half is from Big Boi and the latter half is from Andre 3000. It is the final album from the duo (with all due respect to Idlewild) and somehow both a point of departure and unity. “Hey Ya” and “The Way You Move” is maybe the best a-side/b-side of all time. And it came out September 23, 2003. Just felt right. I promise I’ll have something at least a little niche in the future. Be sure to give the project a deep listen though, it’s so worthy of revisiting.
ADDITIONAL READING/LISTENING:
“Da Art of Storytellin’ (A prequel)” by Kiese Laymon [ESSAY], SUPER IMPORTANT TO READ! WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
“I Can’t Wait” by Sleepy Brown feat. Outkast [SONG]
LISTEN:
The album is available on all direct streaming platforms but if you want to go buy one of the most popular albums of all time on iTunes or a vinyl record or CD, go right ahead! The album art is sick, the design aesthetics of the project are on the top tier of hip hop history.