Chanel Cleeton’s novel The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba appeared in 2021. It’s the first book by Cleeton that I’ve read, so I was hoping to find a new author to follow. The title and cover of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba are a little misleading, however. The cover features a woman in a […]
Tag: New York City
Marcus Garvey Quotes, Life, and Importance of an Enigma
Marcus Garvey isn’t much of a public figure in the U.S. these days. If this were 1923 instead of 2023, however, you’d know who he was. By examining some Marcus Garvey quotes and other statements, we can learn about why he was important and what the U.S. was like when Garvey’s influence was at its […]
Lincoln Highway Book Review: Should You Try This Popular Novel?
Amor Towles’s latest book, The Lincoln Highway, came out a little more than a year ago. I picked it up, feeling hopeful I could write a positive Lincoln Highway book review at the end. This is the second book by Towles that I’ve read. I tried A Gentleman in Moscow a little while back (click […]
West With Giraffes – Was the Story Cute, Fun, or Ridiculous?
The recent novel West With Giraffes appeared in 2021. Linda Rutledge is the author, and this is the first book by her that I’ve read. How did she do? West With Giraffes Summary The plot of the book is both basic and original. It’s original in the sense that West With Giraffes is a story […]
How Did 1920s Culture Influence This One Colorful Decade?
When I taught my college students, I tried to get across the diversity of 1920s American culture. I’d ask students their preconceptions about 1920s culture in the United States. Some thought it was a colorful time of flappers, speakeasys, dance halls, and so forth. Jazz music, the Harlem Renaissance, the radio. To some students, it […]
David Walker & Walker’s Appeal
David Walker, author of the publication Walker’s Appeal, is one of the greatest civil rights figures in early American history. However, it’s quite likely you’ve never heard of David Walker. Today we explore his story. Walker was a free African American who lived from 1796 to 1830. He was born in North Carolina to a […]