A few days ago, I wrote about reading more diverse authors. James Baldwin was on that list. Admittedly, I’ve never read him. I know! Quell your scathing remarks. I’m working on it.
Today, during my lunch break, I went hunting for his work. Actually, I had a doctor’s appointment and there was a Barnes and Noble across the street – oh, lucky me. So, I ventured inside and went straight for the letter B. That’s where I found these little beauties.
I love it when a book is so beautiful that it calls to me from the shelves. These books were more than calling, they were singing arias in all their colors. I’ll be starting with his first book, Go Tell it on the Moutain next week. I’m very excited for it.
You know, even just a few years ago, I believed books like this were boring. Unless it was a “thriller” or a good old-fashioned “whodunit,” I wasn’t interested. But then I tried the wonderful world of literary fiction. I think I started with Alice Walker’s The Color Purple and haven’t looked back since. It turns out that books exploring the beautifully tragic paradox of being human are pretty damn gripping.
Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.
-Eddy
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