Giving Thanks
Some nice things from the last few weeks.
As we gather together this week, here’s some book news I’ve gathered over the past few.
Oh, if you’re looking to get a jump on your holiday shopping, I have several books that make excellent gifts (hint, hint).
Read on!
Jessica King on DW,DD
Last week, Jessica King posted this nice video review of Different Waves, Different Depths. She uses words like “punk,” “romance,” and “a little bit of existentialism” to describe these nine short stories.
As seen in the video, Jessica makes really cool dolls. Check out her Etsy shop!
Josh Feit Writes…
As you know, I interviewed my friend and fellow poet Josh Feit a few weeks ago. Well, Josh posted about it on his blog. Here’s an excerpt:
Prolific pop culture critic and academic Roy Christopher wrote one of my favorite non-fiction books of the past five years, Dead Precedents: How Hip-Hop Defines The Future, which I’ve lovingly placed on my bookshelf right beside classic cultural texts Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang, Cut ‘N’ Mix: Culture, Identity and Caribbean Music by Dick Hebdige, and How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt (not as monumental, but a personal revelation).
I met Christopher in 2019 when I came upon his Dead Precedents reading at Elliott Bay Books. Knowing nothing of him beforehand, and suddenly captivated, I asked an audience question (which I never do) about William Gibson and Caribbean music. We ended up getting drinks next door at Oddfellows with his wife and our mutual friend, Charles Mudede (who had emceed the whole bookstore event.)
We have stayed in touch ever since; meaning, I subscribe to Christopher’s newsletter, and I’m continually awed by his non-stop writing and non-stop mind. I asked him to blurb my book The Night of Electric Bikes earlier this year, and he did.
So very nice. Check out Josh’s blog and his books!
The Return of the Boogie Down
After selling out of its initial print run, our collection Boogie Down Predictions is available again! Pictured above on the counter at Chamblin’s Uptown in Jacksonville, Florida, BDP is a literary mixtape of the highest caliber. I mean, just look at it.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop author Jeff Chang says,
Roy Christopher’s dedication to the future is bracing. Boogie Down Predictions is a symphony of voices, beats, and bars messing with time, unsettling histories, opening portals.
The Medium Picture
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m hoping to have some news to share about The Medium Picture soon. I can say that it’s under review at a publisher I’d love to work with. So…
Think happy thoughts!
Thank you for indulging me every week,
-royc.
http://roychristopher.com