Antoinette (l) and Shanti (r)
Photos Courtesy Around the Way Curls

There are so many natural hair websites out in the blogosphere these days that when I stumble upon one I haven't read before I usually think, "Oh gosh, not another one." But when I found Antoinette and Shanti's blog Around the Way Curls (formerly known as A Curl's Best Friend), I knew I'd found something special. 

Antoinette and Shanti are best friends and together have created an online publication that explores pop culture and women's issues with an emphasis on celebrating naturally kinky and curly hair. They say their goal is to re-define popular notions of beauty and inspire women to embrace their uniqueness and to encourage a strong sense of self-worth within their readers. 


In less than a year, Antoinette and Shanti have managed to garner a strong following of loyal readers and were recently named by The Root as two of the best black bloggers of 2012. 

The ladies of Around the Way Curls graciously shared with me how they've managed to build a strong online community and how they deal with issues they face while blogging. 

image via

Great American science fiction author Ray Bradbury has died at 91. According to CNN, HarperCollins released a statement saying Bradbury "died peacefully, last night, in Los Angeles, after a lengthy illness."


Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451 is one of my favorite books of all time and has been since I was a high school student. Now that I'm an educator, I have the pleasure of teaching this book to my students each year. 


Bradbury has not only left us with great works of literature to enjoy, but for us writers he's also left invaluable advice. Here is one of my favorite Bradbury quotes on writing: 

"You must write every single day of your life…You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads….may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world."    

Rest in peace, Mr. Bradbury. 

Summer Reading List - Part 2

I'm back with part two of my summer reading list. (If you missed part one, you can read it here.) 


Yesterday's list was full of the funny, but today it's time to get serious, folks.


Reading Women: How the Great Books of Feminism Changed My Life, Stephanie Staal

image via

More than a decade after her graduation from Barnard College, Stephanie Staal decides to revisit the classic feminist literature she studied in college. Her quest is prompted after rereading The Feminist Mystique and finding that now, as a married stay-at-home mom living in the suburbs, she actually identifies with the laments of 1950s housewives. I'm looking forward to reading about the life lessons Staal learns on the pages of these classics. 




Black Feminist Thought, Patricia Hill Collins 

image via

And speaking of classics, I am ashamed to admit that I've never read this one. Used as a textbook in many women's studies classes, this book is thought to have taken black feminism to a new level with its exploration of black women's oppression, love relationships, motherhood, activism and more. 


Sister Citizen, Melissa V. Harris-Perry

image via

In this book Harris-Perry examines the most persistent stereotypes black women face today in America such as the hypersexual Jezebel, the devoted Mammy and, of course, the angry black bitch. If you know me well you know about my super girl crush on Melissa Harris-Perry. In fact, one of the things on my bucket list is to be a guest on her show. So go on and start writing letters to her about how awesome I am. 



Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?, Toure 

image via

I've spent most of my life feeling like I'm not black enough, even though if you asked me to define what it means to be black I couldn't tell you. In this book, iconic commentator and journalist TourÉ tackles that very topic -- what does it mean to be Black in America today. Toure begins by examining the concept of “Post-Blackness,” a term that defines artists who are proud to be Black but don't want to be limited by identity politics and boxed in by race and argues that all expressions of blackness are legitimate. 

How to Be Black, Baratunde Thurston

image via

Well, I decided to close out this list by bringing back the funny. In this book Thurston also addresses the topic of defining blackness but does so with humor. He blends satire and memoir to create a hilarious look at the complexities of contemporary racial politics and personal identity. And I can't wait to read this book because really the idea of being too black or not black enough truly is ridiculous. 


Happy reading!

As an English teacher I am constantly reading something whether it's a student's poorly written persuasive essay on why the legal drinking age should be lowered (sigh) or professional literary criticism on the ambiguity of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw. 


When it comes to books, nine months out of the year I'm usually rereading the great classics such as Fahrenheit 451, The Scarlet Letter, and The Awakening as I work to revamp my lesson plans. But my summer reading lists often look nothing like my syllabus. Here are five of the books I plan to read over the next few months. Tomorrow I'll be back with five more. Let me know if you'd like to read any of them along with me so we can get a little virtual book club going. 



Summer and the City, Candace Bushnell

image via

This book seems like the perfect way to kick off the season. Plus, as some of you know, in my head I pretend I'm the black Carrie Bradshaw of the South. Summer and the City is the sequel to The Carrie Diaries. Together these two novels serve as a prequel to Sex and the City. Amazon.com says  "With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw."


Baby Proof, Emily Giffin

image via

Last summer I had the pleasure of meeting Emily Giffin at the Skirt! Creative Conference in Atlanta. After hearing her speak I lamented the fact I hadn't read any of her books because in her talk it was obvious how funny and smart she is. Though she's best known for books like Something Blue and Something Borrowed, which was later adapted into a movie, Baby Proof seems like the novel for me. Baby Proof tells the story of Claudia Parr a successful editor at a publishing house in Manhattan. While Claudia is a devoted sister, aunt, and friend, she's never wanted to become a mother--which she discovers is a major hurdle to marriage, something she desperately wants. Then she meets her soul mate Ben who, miraculously, feels the same way about parenthood. The two fall in love and marry, and begin a life of adventure and discovery together. Then, one of them has a change of heart. Someone wants a baby after all.

How'd You Get This Number, Sloane Crosley 

One day I hope to be half as funny as Sloane Crosley, who's been described as the female David Sedaris. How'd You Get This Number is a collection of nine essays that I hope is as funny as her collection I Was Told There'd Be Cake. According to Publishers Weekly the collection includes such pieces as "the requisite essay about moving to New York and replacing her anorexic-kleptomaniac roommate with a more acceptable living arrangement: in Crosley's case, delineated in Take a Stab at It, she is interviewed by the creepily disembodied current occupier of a famous former brothel on the Bowery, McGurk's Suicide Hall." That should give you a taste of what's in store.


Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), Mindy Kaling

image via Amazon.com

Best-selling author Jennifer Weiner, in her Amazon.com review of this book, says "no matter how many quirky memoir-slash-observational-essay collections by funny ladies you’ve got on your shelves, you’re going to want this one there, too." Especially considering since this one is by a  first-generation Indian-American comedy writer-slash-sitcom star who shot to fame with a cross-dressing impersonation of Ben Affleck. Need I say more?

The Power of Unpopular, Erika Napoletano

image via Amazon.com

To find this book you'll have to head over to the business and marketing section of your favorite bookstore, but this is like nothing you had to read for that economics class you hated in college.  The book's subtitle is A Guide to Building Your Brand for the Audience Who Will Love You (and why no one else matters). That perfectly explains exactly what the book is about and exactly how the witty, smart, foul-mouthed Napoletano, better known as RedHead Writing, made a name for herself. Confession: I totally have a girl crush on Napoletano and played hookie from work back in April so I could meet her and get her autograph in my copy of this book. See!

Come back tomorrow for the last half of my summer reading list. 

What are you reading this summer? 

I know that summer doesn’t technically start until June 20, but I’m a teacher so for me summer began the moment I graded my last exam.

For the next 10 weeks I’m looking forward to spending my days writing, reading, and running. And I’m going to get in a few days of relaxation too. Here’s what I resolve to do this summer:

I resolve to get up early (most days). Even though my mind knows I don’t have to go to work, my body does not and will wake up no later than 6 a.m. each day. Instead of lying in the bed staring at the ceiling, I’m going to just get up early and head to the gym or to my favorite trail and get in my exercise for the day. In the words of the great Fergie, “I be up in the gym just workin’ on my fitness.”

I resolve to learn how to relax. Many of my friends often fuss at me for being so busy all the time. They say I need to learn the value of rest. And I know they’re right. So I do plan to sleep in sometimes if my stubborn early bird body allows it. And some days I plan to do nothing but sit on the couch and watch old episodes of NCIS. Don’t you just love Gibbs?

I resolve to act like a writer. Blogger and author Jeff Goins has a new e-book called You Are a Writer: So Start Acting Like One. This summer I will do exactly that. This means I am going to write every day. Every. Single. Day. I am going to submit essays and story pitches to all of my favorite online publications and print magazines. And I’m going to really make efforts to grow this blog since its focus is on writing.  It’s time for this “Writeous Babe” to live up to her Twitter handle.

What are your plans for the summer?

Image via Creative Commons

I can't believe tomorrow is the first day of June. This year is flying by!

It's time to review my May intentions and see how I did. 

See New Edition in concert!

- Check! And the show was amazing. I was so impressed that Ralph, Ronnie, Ricky, and Mike could still hit all those dance moves just as they did back in the day. Bobby and Johnny were struggling a bit, but that just made for more entertainment.  

Successfully host See Jane Write presents Freelancing 101. 

- Check! This panel discussion was a huge success. Click here for my wrap-up post on the event.

Survive the end of the school year.

- In the words of Alice Cooper, SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER! I survived grading nearly 70 research papers and nearly 100 exams. And I even cleaned my desk before I left. 

Start some late spring cleaning.

- This had to be put on hold due to some last-minute travel plans. So my late spring cleaning will become VERY late spring cleaning as it will be pushed to mid June. 

Write my summer manifesto.

- Instead of posting June Intentions tomorrow, on June 4 I'll be back with my resolutions for the summer (which for me, since I'm a teacher, means June and July and the first two weeks of August). 

I have HUGE plans for The Writeous Babe Project this summer so I hope you'll come along with me on this journey. And I leave you with this from one of my favorite authors:

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”  -- Henry James

Hey babes, I'm freelancing for Magic City Post now! I recently had the chance to write about an issue that many of your know is near and dear to my heart. Check it out!

***

Team Katie at Walk for Lupus Now Birmingham

When Katie Held tells someone that she has lupus the response is typically, “What is that?”

This is one reason why Held has been striving to raise awareness of the disease and to raise funds for its cure through the Walk for Lupus Now Birmingham event. The event is the Lupus Foundation of America, Mid-South Chapter’s largest fundraiser to support programs and services for lupus patients in Alabama. This year’s walk will take place Saturday, June 9 at Heardmont Park, located at 5452 Cahaba Valley Road.

May is Lupus Awareness Month, a great time for not only the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA), but also for people like Held to educate others about the disease.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. Held calls lupus an “invisible disease” because oftentimes there are few visible signs that a person with lupus is sick.

“It is a hard disease to have because everyone thinks you look fine, but you feel terrible,” Held said. “I try every day to smile through the pain and fatigue. Sometimes people have no idea I am having a bad day.”

Finish reading this article at Magic City Post.