Books for black history month

February may be past the midway mark - still not too late to check out some books in celebration of black history month. I'm taking advantage of the event to fill a big gap in my own familiarity with the canon. What's on my bedside table? It was a coincidence, but one of the writers in my critique group recently gave me Toni Morrison's Beloved, in which I'm now immersed.

While living in the Bahamas for several years when I was growing up, I encountered some great literature by authors of African descent. I remember stumbling on an dog-eared copy of Chinua Achebe's masterpiece, Things Fall Apart, in the College of the Bahamas library. That classic made an indelible impression on me. Then there were pivotal historical works by Americans like Malcolm X (The Autobiography of Malcolm X), Eldridge Cleaver (Soul on Ice), Alex Haley (Roots) and Maya Angelou (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings). My mother gave me some of these, others I sought out myself. It was thought provoking, often disturbing reading - and it helped raise my consciousness during my own coming of age.

For a West Indian POV, my friend Marie Sairsingh, a PhD candidate in Caribbean literature at Howard University, recommends Edwidge Danticat's Brother I'm Dying and Merle Dodge's Crick Crack Monkey.

Add to that a dusting of poetry - while my son was enrolled in a wonderful enriched English program in grade school - he found time to read Langston Hughes for extra-curricular pleasure. I would recommend all of these to young adult readers.

Looking for more contemporary literature on the theme of black history - for kids of all ages? Here's a great list posted by Bianca Schulze in the blog, The Children's Book Review: blackhistorybooks.

Girl at the Getty - pictures and stories

A friend and I wandered around the Getty Center this weekend, on a mission to achieve cultural fulfillment in three courses. Beginning with a generous amuse bouche to inform our own art - we study the drawings of Rembrandt and his students, in a brilliantly curated exhibit. Like a comfort food entree, we explore the unexpected and curiously scented flora in the Central Garden. Then dessert - three captivating collections of photography.

Satiated, we're ready to leave except for one thing. A visit to the Getty is not complete until we venture to the upstairs gallery with its selection of 19th Century masters. It's a small group of paintings - a smattering of exquisite Monets - one each of the lily pond at Giverny, the haystacks and the cathedral at Rouen, along with a few delectable morsels by Renoir, Gauguin, Degas, Van Gogh, Pissarro and Cezanne. I forget we've been in the museum for hours when I enter this room.

In the adjacent gallery is the last painting of the day - an after dinner mint? Portrait of Jeanne Kefer by Fernand Khnopff. The girl stands alone in front of the adult-sized door - its scale capturing her smallness and delicacy. The bonnet with its pink bow tied to the side, the stockings a little rumpled, her timid gaze combined with the subtle gesture - a tiny hand tucked into the front of her coat - enough to suggest so much about her character. Like all great art, a story. We walk away inspired.

The kid lit blogosphere fancy ball

For the past few days, I've been in acute withdrawal. In the aftermath of the kid lit blog Comment Challenge, hosted by Mother Reader and Lee Wind, the buzz of kid lit bloggers faded to a whisper. It was my blogosphere event debut - the first time I've participated in a challenge since starting my blog last June. What a revelation. I was thrust into a virtual social whirl for which I didn't even need to buy a new dress. The only requirement was to visit other kid lit blogs and make five comments a day. I did so with diligence. It was time consuming - and in the process I treated my writing and painting WIPs with callous disregard, ignoring their screeches for attention.

As I plodded through a list of kid lit blogs, leaving comments like dropped glass slippers at so many balls - I noticed something. Visitors were stopping by my own blog. Many left their calling cards. Several of them began following me too. I gathered valuable insights about the Kidlitosphere, met new people and joined in the party. No downside involving rags or pumpkins - most often I was in pajamas.

Now I know - I need to continue to make the effort to sustain that community. Thank you Lee and Mother Reader for the invitation.

And the winner is

In the spirit of awards season, I'm happy to announce that Tiana Lei has won a copy of Thereby Hangs A Tail, the new Chet & Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn. This is my first book giveaway - a random draw of everyone who commented on my recent two-part interview with New York Times bestselling author Spencer Quinn - below.

Many thanks to Spencer Quinn for providing the book - with his signature and Chet the dog's paw print. I will send it off to Tiana as soon as I receive her mailing address.

Congratulations, Tiana and happy reading!