Here’s my December 4 interview on WTJU with host and longtime friend Brian Keena. The music and memories shared in this two-hour show extend a hand for holding tight until the vaccine liberates us all. The songs come from a windowsill radio beloved by Maria and me—my mother June’s tunes the kickiest kitchen spice in my childhood home celebrated in Leaving 1203.
Read MoreFor many years I’ve looked skyward with Maria, listening as she shares the magic of clouds. Her new book, A Sideways Look at Clouds, is an irresistible invitation into cloud land. Now you can walk with my cousin—your neck flexing, shoulders back, and eyes searching upward. Her book guides you through the sky, an opportunity to rediscover floating beauty every day.
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When Lucille Clifton asks, “won’t you celebrate with me,” we answer yes. What does this Black woman decide when she finds no model for how to create her life? “what did i see but to be myself?” she responds. The poet fastens her hands and makes her life of “starshine and clay.” What does a boy from the staunchly-segregated south long to do before he dies? Jimmy Carter casts his ballot for Kamala Harris. Won’t you celebrate the 39th president with me?