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by CAR Williams on 25 October 2010, 13.00
by CAR Williams on 06 September 2010, 09.12
My Never Ending Reading List
* = Denotes current book being read.
by CAR Williams on 17 January 2011, 09.15 in Teaching
It has been too long since I blogged last, but I felt compelled to write today to recognize and appreciate the many contributions Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made toward obtaining equality for African Americans in the United States.
On this 25th anniversary of the first federally recognized King holiday, I reflect on how we are honoring Dr. King's legacy, particularly in our discussions of his activism.
Many of us will turn on our radios and hear Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech played countless times, alongside Stevie Wonder's birthday song. While I recognize and appreci
by CAR Williams on 25 October 2010, 13.00 in Writing
When I first moved to Tennessee, I remember driving home from work one late afternoon and noticing a white crop that seemed to have appeared over night.
From a distance, it looked like a large field of white flowers, and I was surrounded by them on either side of the road. I wondered why I never noticed them before.
As my car approached the fields, it took me a long time to recognize that the strange crop before me was indeed cotton.
Yes, cotton! Before six years ago, I had only seen cotton in books, movies, and the Smithsonian Museum.
As my "About Me" page says, my
by CAR Williams on 13 September 2010, 16.00 in Teaching
So, a couple of weeks ago I began a new academic year. This year, more so than usual, I am particularly cranky about teaching (someday I will blog the details--I promise). Anyway, the only thing to shake me of this feeling was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. How appropriate for the beginning of an academic year?
I know that many of my friends are still a tad bit salty with her performance at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Maryland, and I cannot speak to that experience because I wasn't there. I followed the tweets of die hard fans who shockingly said things like, "I us
by CAR Williams on 08 September 2010, 14.02 in Competitions & Giveaways
So, how many times have you watched Oprah give away cars, outdoor grills, fabulous jeans, pricey jewelry or whatever else she considered to be her favorite item? Did you daydream and think about what it would be like to be in the audience and receive these wonderful items? Not only have I imagined myself being in Oprah's audience, but I also imagined being Oprah.
So. . . today is our lucky day (on a much smaller scale)! In my Oprah voice: I'm giving away books to five loyal readers.
I cannot thank you all enough for your support of Diving Into Beans, and as a way of showing
by CAR Williams on 06 September 2010, 09.12 in Writing
It has been way too long since I was last in the blogosphere! One certainty about writing is that the longer the time between writing acts, the harder it becomes to get back into the swing of things.
Believe me, you all have let me know that I need to get back to writing! Thanks for the gentle pushes *hugs*
The truth: I have been writing, just not blogging. I have been working on my short stories and a novel. As I reflect on the summer and all I planned to accomplish (many of you who teach know about this end of summer reflection/panic), I have to remind myself t
by CAR Williams on 18 August 2010, 11.00 in Writing
There are missing pages in my journal. In fact, there are a series of days marked in my journal with unwritten passages, dating from the middle of September 2006 to the middle of September of the next year.
For an entire year I could not write because every time I sat down with a pen in my hand, all I could think about was that horrible weekend in September.
Before September 2006, I had gotten into a writing stride and was writing regularly in my journal. At the time, I was trying to make peace with living in an unfamiliar Southern town, while longing for crowded restaurants
by CAR Williams on 09 August 2010, 09.12 in Writing
Before I get into today's discussion, I want to remind you that the Diving into Beans competition ends this Friday, August 13, 2010. Enter to win a collection of Toni Morrison books!
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Alright, so today I want to talk a little bit more about writing, particularly for those of you considering a career as a writer (and, let's be honest: I need this as a reminder myself!)
So, writing takes time and a significant amount of hard work. I only wish that some people who do not write understood how much effort is put into writing. And equally
by CAR Williams on 01 August 2010, 20.45 in Literature
One of my favorite moments of the 2010 BET Awards was when Larenz Tate and Nia Long showed up on stage to perform their poems from the movie, Love Jones (1997). I couldn't have been the only thirty-something woman screaming at the television at the site of Larenz Tate--he was as lovely to look at that night as he was when Love Jones first came out.
From that movie emerged a very attractive guy who was no longer the quirky odd kid he played in The Inkwell (1994). Anyway, I was absolutely in love with him and the idea of the "Renaissance Black man" his character described himse
