Jack Jones Literary Arts

Tonight! 7pm/pst!

This Thursday, September 24th at 7pm/pst, we're teaming up with the Los Angeles Times Book Club for BLACK POETS IN A TIME OF UNREST featuring poets Robin Coste Lewis, Ashaki Jackson, Natalie Graham, Douglas Kearney, Khadijah Queen, Jayy Dodd, Amaud Jamaul Johnson, and Kima Jones.

This isn't a note-for-note retelling. It's something else altogether: a pensive exploration of the deep trauma historically suffered by colonized and enslaved peoples and how that entwines with more recent hardships, like Hurricane Maria, whose damage is worsened by the remnants of those same institutions.

Alice Randall is back with her fifth novel, BLACK BOTTOM SAINTS, available now!

Black Feeling, Black Talk’s title became a spiritual motto for the kinds of engagement we were seeking in late May and June; talks between the two of us emphasized the importance of kinship among Black writers. In this spirit, we also wanted to talk with folks who are asking the questions we’re asking.

Black Journal’s broadcasts spanned 1968 to 1977 and 59 episodes from the series are available to stream for the first time, thanks to The WNET Group’s participation in The American Archive of Public Broadcasting.

The industry has long been criticized for hiring and retaining so few employees of color according to a survey of the work force released this year by the children’s book publisher Lee & Low Books, only 5 percent are Black. But the calls to diversify have intensified in recent weeks, as Black professionals have publicly shared long-suppressed frustrations about how racial prejudice has affected their work. In publishing, that has included discussions of hiring practices, workplace microaggressions and publishing companies’ treatment of books by Black writers.

Authorities have confirmed the passing of Oluwatoyin Salau, a 19-year-old protestor who helped raise awareness about the police shooting of Tony McDade. She was last seen on June 6, and was reported missing on June 9 by the Tallahassee police department. Her alleged killer, Aaron Glee Jr., 49, has been arrested, according to WCTV.

Happy Pub Day to donor and #jjlaretreat fellow, Meredith Talusan!

As one response to this revenue crisis, some outlets are reducing or eliminating book reviews. While we understand and truly sympathize with the grave financial pressures behind these decisions, we believe maintaining book coverage now will benefit readers, authors, reviewers and media outlets themselves. We encourage those outlets to continue to make space for the vital conversation around books in their coverage.