Voices: Silver Lining: A Letter to You

Thankfully, in the middle of our feeling disturbed or bothered or anxious or stagnant there is a silver lining to every situation that will bring all things into clarity. Recently, when my mind felt like it was being scattered to the four winds, I found the silver lining in one of the "happiest places on Earth": the bookstore.

I went to Barnes & Noble after work one Friday and gathered as many books as I could hold. Books I've wanted to read for a long time but never got around to. Books I've fingered and thumbed through over and over just because of their pretty covers. I had collected Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth, Andrea Levy's Fruit of the Lemon, and lastly, Maya Angelou's Letter to My Daughter. It is this book that dug a little hole in my mind and nestled itself in the crevices of my thoughts and whispered a secret: you are human and you are free to live with wonder in your eye, courage in your spirit, and unabashed love in your heart. All of which are virtues that sometimes take longer to manifest themselves, but are nevertheless always present.

With her trademark sense of cool, Maya Angelou reveals her own life lessons with a soft yet unshakable voice. She's incredibly candid with her personal stories of being beaten by a lover, having a child out of wedlock at a young age, knowing her mother's unconditional love, and learning that being a philanthropist does not always equal being charitable.

My personal favorite was a short anecdote about how Angelou experienced her own shortcomings in humility. In a chapter entitled "Senegal", Angelou speaks of how she ventured to Senegal to visit a couple who operated in the upper echelon of the artistic and intellectual circles. She was the guest of honor in their home during a dinner party they had arranged. Angelou talks of how she walked among the dinner guests and made her way into a room that had a decadent carpet on the floor. Her mind flashed back to a woman she had known in previous years who would not allow her maids to walk on her good carpets, declaring that if anyone is going to wear down her good carpet it will be her family and friends. Angelou commences to walk across this beautiful carpet belonging to her Senegalese friends, showing that a carpet is meant to be stepped on. The guests look at her and offer hospitable smiles. Angelou finally steps away from the carpet after her attempts did not encourage more people to join her. The maids come in and roll up the carpet she had walked on, but they replace it with another--one more beautiful this time. The maids then begin placing silverware and plates and decadent dinner entrees onto the carpet, and Ms. Angelou begins to feel her face and neck burning with embarrassment realizing she has just walked across the dinner table. She offers this timeless piece of advice to women and girls everywhere:

"The epitome of utter sophistication is simplicity. In an unfamiliar culture it is wise to offer no innovations, no suggestions, or lessons."

Letters to My Daughter offers poetry and prose from one of the most giving and candid literary figures to stir up the richness inside every woman. She treats your ills with laughter, stimulates your mind with questions, and fills your heart with joy knowing that you are armed with a slightly stronger arsenal to keep you encouraged in the world. It is, among other things, a book about values and about knowing when to fight for yourself. It is also about about being daring in the face of adversity, lessons in judging others and measuring ourselves against pillars we were not meant to.

The following is a picture of a video clip that Amazon.com has provided of Maya Angelou introducing her book. If you click the following picture, you'll be directed to the video.

The Big Read

One of the biggest initiatives to help promote reading across the country is now underway. The Big Read is happening in cities large and small, and currently 208 communities are participating as the events kicked off in September 2008.

For readers in D.C, our events take place during the months of April-May with the official kick off of The Big Read D.C happening on April 25th at 11am. Writer/Co-producer of The Wire George Pelecanos will be present. The Humanities Council of Washinton, located at 925 U. Street NW started reading and discussing Carson McCullers' The Heart is A Lonely Hunter on April 1st. But be not weary oh ye anxious bibliophiles. This coming Tuesday, April 7th, at King Jordan Student Academic Center, First Floor G Area, Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002 there will be another discussion of this novel. Here's a link to the list of events happening in D.C concerning The Big Read. I would love to check out the film "Deaf Characters in Popular Films: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" showing at the MLK Library on April 21st or the Dance performance happening just a few days after.

The site also lets you check what others communities across America are reading, and even offers radio clips, essays and interview excerpts for you to engage in. One of my favorites is the radio clip of Alice Walker speaking about the woman whom she helped the world rediscover: Zora Neale Hurston.

Later this year, Uptown Literatti aims to be a contributing member to The Big Read's initiatives, so be on the look out for a big announcement in the summer.

The Amazon Wish List

Dear UL readers, here is something else that you must, must know about me: I am a listmaker. I have lists for everything. Grocery lists, to-do lists, things to do before I'm 25 lists, books/stories I want to write lists, movies I want to see lists, jobs to apply for...if it can be done, then I will list it.

So, the Amazon Wish List has become a virtual smorgosboard of inspiration for me. Not only can I keep track of all the fabulous books I hear about on NPR (which never seem to make their way to my home!) or friends, I can also remember that I have to snag a pair of Vera Wang for Kohls' cute purple gloves.

If you don't have one, get one immedately. It really helps to relieve some of the anxiety you feel when you know there's good stuff out there that you keep forgetting to do/read.

Some of the books on my to-read list are:

The Book of Night Women, Marlon James: An NPR find, this book sounds fascinating. I'll actually be reading it, God-willing, once I finish The Stranger by Albert Camus.

Said the Shotgun to the Head, Saul Williams. I'm not a fan of poetry, but I am a huge Saul Williams fan. He's the sexy, artsy hustler of my dreams.

The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling. I'll admit that I had no idea one of my favorite childhood movies was a book. After Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wintz named their firstborn Bronx Mowgli, I was inspired to read the inspiration.

Click here for the full list. What books will you put in your to-read wish list?