2017 LIS 7190 Social Justice and Children’s/YA Literature

Posted on April 3, 2017 by

sarahpark.com

Here it is! My LIS 7190 Social Justice and Children’s/YA Literature reading list for summer 2017!

Almost-Final Reading List (in alphabetical order)

  1. Alko, Selina. Illustrated by Sean Qualls. The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage
  2. Austrian, J.J.. Illustrated by Mike Curato. Worm Loves Worm
  3. Budhos, Marina. Watched
  4. Charleyboy, Lisa and Mary Beth Leatherdale (eds.) Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices
  5. Cohn, Diana. Illustrated by Francisco Delgado. ¡Sí, Se Puede! Yes We Can! Janitor Strike in LA
  6. Elliott, Zetta. A Wish After Midnight
  7. Favilli, Elena. Illustrated by Francesca Cavallo. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
  8. Friedman, Darlene. Illustrated by Roger Roth. Star of the Week
  9. Gansworth, Eric. If I Ever Get Out of Here
  10. Gonzalez, Maya Christina. Call Me Tree/Llámame Árbol
  11. Harris, Duchess and Sue Bradford Edwards. Hidden Human Computers
  12. Herrington, John. Mission to Space
  13. Jensen, Kelly (ed.) Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World

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2017 Debut Authors of Color & Native Americans

Posted on February 13, 2017 by

 

Note:
1) The list will be updated as needed for additional author names, book release dates, and book covers.
2) All book titles link to Teaching for Change bookstore, which carries multicultural and social justice books for all ages. Proceeds from sale benefit Teaching for Change, a non-profit that “provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write and change the world.”

 

January

after-the-fall-coverKate Hart (member of Chikasaw Nation with Choctaw heritage)
After the Fall; Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, January 24th, 2017
@Kate_Hart
Seventeen-year-old Raychel is sleeping with two boys: her overachieving best friend Matt…and his slacker brother, Andrew. Raychel sneaks into Matt’s bed after nightmares, but nothing ever happens.

9780545767033Celeste Lim (Malaysian American)
The Crystal Ribbon; Scholastic, January 31st, 2017
@veryCeleste
In the village of Huanan, in medieval China, the deity that rules is the Great Huli Jing. Though twelve-year-old Li Jing’s name is a different character entirely from the Huli Jing, the sound is close enough to provide constant teasing-but maybe is also a source of greater destiny and power.

9780544785106Linda W Jackson (African American)
Midnight Without A Moon; HMHKids, January 3rd, 2017
@LindaWJackson
It’s Mississippi in the summer of 1955, and Rose Lee Carter can’t wait to move north. But for now, she’s living with her sharecropper grandparents on a white man’s cotton plantation.

9780062422644Tiffany D. Jackson (African American)
Allegedly; Harper Collins, January 24th, 2017
@WriteinBK
Orange Is the New Black meets Walter Dean Myer’s Monster in this gritty, twisty, and haunting debut by Tiffany D. Jackson about a girl convicted of murder seeking the truth while surviving life in a group home.

Jennifer Torres
Stef Soto, Taco Queen; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, January 17th, 2017
@jennanntorres
A heartwarming and charming debut novel about family, friends, and finding your voice all wrapped up in a warm tortilla.
Estefania “Stef” Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family’s taco truck. She wants nothing more than for Papi to get a normal job and for Tia Perla to be a distant memory. Then maybe everyone at school will stop seeing her as the Taco Queen.
,

February

9780062498533Angie Thomas (African American)
The Hate U Give; Balzer + Bray, February 28th, 2017
@acthomasbooks
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas’s searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty.

9780062473042Ibi Zoboi (Haitian American)
American Streets; Balzer + Bray, February 14th, 2017
@ibizoboi
American Street is an evocative and powerful coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Everything, Everything; Bone Gap; and All American Boys. In this stunning debut novel, Pushcart-nominated author Ibi Zoboi draws on her own experience as a young Haitian immigrant, infusing this lyrical exploration of America with magical realism and vodou culture.

9781101999103Rhoda Belleza (Asian American)
Empress of a Thousand Skies; Razorbill, February 7th, 2017
@rhodabee
Empress
Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.

9781250079213S. “J.J.” Jae-Jones (Korean American)
Wintersong; A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin’s Griffin, February 7th, 2017
@sjaejones
Dark, romantic, and unforgettable, Wintersong is an enchanting coming-of-age story for fans of Labyrinth and Beauty and the Beast. The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride…

9781481472111Lilliam Rivera (Latinx)
The Education of Margot Sanchez; Simon and Schuster, February 21st, 2017
@lilliamr
Pretty in Pink comes to the South Bronx in this bold and romantic coming-of-age novel about dysfunctional families, good and bad choices, and finding the courage to question everything you ever thought you wanted—from debut author Lilliam Rivera.

see-you-in-the-cosmosJack Cheng (Chinese American)
See You in the Cosmos; Dial Books, February 28th, 2017
@jackcheng
11-year-old Alex Petroski loves space and rockets, his mom, his brother, and his dog Carl Sagan–named for his hero, the real-life astronomer. All he wants is to launch his golden iPod into space the way Carl Sagan (the man, not the dog) launched his Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977.

 

March

9781481486965Karuna Riazi (Muslim American)
The Gauntlet; Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster, March 28th, 2017
@KarunaRiazi
A trio of friends from New York City find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game that they must dismantle in order to save themselves and generations of other children in this action-packed debut that’s a steampunk Jumanji with a Middle Eastern flair.

 

May

9781101997239Pablo Cartaya (Cuban American)
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora; Viking Books for Young Readers, May 17th, 2017
@phcartaya
Save the restaurant. Save the town. Get the girl. Make Abuela proud. Can thirteen-year-old Arturo Zamora do it all or is he in for a BIG, EPIC FAIL?

9781481478687Sandhya Menon (Indian American)
When Dimple Met Rishi; Simon Pulse, May 30th, 2017
@smenonbooks
A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.

Misa Sugiura
It’s Not Like It’s a Secret; Harper Teen, May 9th, 2017
@misallaneous1
This charming and bittersweet coming-of-age story featuring two girls of color falling in love is part To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and part Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.
Sixteen-year-old Sana Kiyohara has too many secrets. Some are small, like how it bothers her when her friends don’t invite her to parties. Some are big, like the fact that her father may be having an affair. And then there’s the one that she can barely even admit to herself—the one about how she might have a crush on her best friend.

June

S. K. Ali (Muslim American)
Saints and Misfits; Simon and Schuster, June 17th, 2017
@SajidahWrites
How much can you tell about a person just by looking at them?
Janna Yusuf knows a lot of people can’t figure out what to make of her…an Arab Indian-American hijabi teenager who is a Flannery O’Connor obsessed book nerd, aspiring photographer, and sometime graphic novelist is not exactly easy to put into a box.

5142dan-2ol-_sx320_bo1204203200_Leah Henderson (African American)
One Shadow On the Wall; Atheneum, June 6th, 2017
@LeahsMark
An orphaned boy in contemporary Senegal must decide between doing what is right and what is easy as he struggles to keep a promise he made to his dying father in this captivating debut novel laced with magical realism.

 

August

Rebecca Barrow
You Don’t Know Me But I Know You; HarperTeen, August 29th, 2017
@RebeccaKBarrow
There’s a box in the back of Audrey’s closet that she rarely thinks about.
Inside is a letter, seventeen years old, from a mother she’s never met, handed to her by the woman she’s called Mom her whole life. Being adopted, though, is just one piece in the puzzle of Audrey’s life—the picture painstakingly put together by Audrey herself, full of all the people and pursuits that make her who she is.
 

Celia C. Perez (Mexican-Cuban)
The First Rule of Punk; Viking Books for Young Readers, August 22th, 2017
@CeliaCPerez
The First Rule of Punk is a wry and heartfelt exploration of friendship, finding your place, and learning to rock out like no one’s watching.
There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school—you can’t fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malú (María Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School’s queen bee, violates the school’s dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process.

F. C. Yee
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo; Amulet Books, August 8th, 2017.
@yeebookauthor
The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie’s every waking thought. But when she discovers she’s a celestial spirit who’s powerful enough to bash through the gates of heaven with her fists, her perfectionist existence is shattered.
September

Tochi Onyebuchi (African American)
Beasts Made Of Night; Razorbill, September 26th, 2017
@TochiTrueStory
Packed with dark magic and thrilling action, Beasts Made of Night is a gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy perfect for fans of Paolo Bacigalupi and Nnedi Okorafor.
In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts – lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt.

Akemi Dwan Bowman
Starfish; Simon Pulse, September 26th, 2017
@akemidawn
A gorgeous and emotionally true debut novel about a half-Japanese teen who grapples with social anxiety and her narcissist mother in the wake of a crushing rejection from art school.
Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.
October

Julie C. Dao (Vietnamese American)
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns; Philomel Books, October 10th, 2017
@jules_writes
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her.

tigers-daughterK Arsenault Rivera (Latinx)
The Tiger’s Daughter; Tor Books, October 3rd, 2017
@ArsenaultRivera
Even gods can be slain
The Hokkaran empire has conquered every land within their bold reach―but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now, their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests.

dear-martin-coverNic Stone (African American)
Dear Martin; Crown Books for Young Readers, October 17th, 2017
@getnicced
Justyce McAllister is top of his class, captain of the debate team, and set for the Ivy League next year—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs.

 

Fall

Heny Lien (Taiwanese American)
Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword; Razorbill/Random Penguin House, Fall 2017
@HenryLienAuthor

Axie Oh (Korean American)
Rebel Seoul; Tu Books, Fall 2017
@axieoh

Ki-Wing Merlin
Weaving a Net is Better Than Praying for Fish; Balzer+Bray / HarperCollins, Fall 2017
@KiWingM

 

Edits:
February 28, 2017 to add Jack Cheng’s See You in the Cosmos, Celia C Perez’s website and book cover;
April 1st, 2017 to add F. C. Yee, Misa Sugiura, Akemi Dawn Bowman, Jennifer Torres, and Ki-Wing Merlin.
Book Cover Release: Rebbeca Barrow’s You Don’t Know Me But I Know You, S. K. Ali’s Saints and Misfits, Julie C. Dao’s Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

 

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#GameChangingKickstarter: BLACK COMIX RETURNS – African American Comic Art & Culture

Posted on February 7, 2017 by
Black Comix Returns -- Source: Kickstarter

Black Comix Returns — Source: Kickstarter

What’s the buzz about:
A collection of art and essays showcasing the best African American artists in today’s vibrant comic book culture.

On this blogger’s bucket list (one can dream):
That a publisher contacts the creators — Professor John Jennings and Dr. Damian Duffy, offers them a book contract (if they so wish), and thus makes Volume 1 of this awesome collection available again in print. Thank you.


How this is changing the game:
We need reference books like this one on the market. Readers of all backgrounds, who are curious about diversity in the field of comic books, will benefit from this if they’re
1) looking to diversify their bookshelf,
2) being intentional about their reading (in this case, focusing on African American comix, their origins, and creators),
3) doing research on the topic,
4) wanting to keep up with up and coming comic books creators.

To support Black Comix Returns and for further information, head over to its kickstarter’s page.

If you’re reading this and the kickstarter is over, fret not. Black Comix Returns is on:
* Facebook
* Twitter

Its website, http://www.blackcomixbook.com/, is under construction at the time of this article.

Source: Kickstarter

Source: Kickstarter

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#OwnVoices February Contests, Agents Wish List

Posted on February 3, 2017 by

Here are some news #OwnVoices contests for the month of February:

1. Restless Books Immigration Writing Prize.
No entry fee. Deadline: February 28, 2017. Eligibility: 1st generation immigrant writer. Writing that addresses U.S. identity in the global age. Submit a non-fiction manuscript of at least 25,000 words. Prize: $10,000 advance, and publication by Restless Books. For more information, visit http://www.restlessbooks.com/prize-for-new-immigrant-writing

2. Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award.
From MPLRA website: The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award is a grant of $12,500 to support the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition. In 2017 for the first time we will also name a runner-up, who will receive $2,500. Deadline: February 21, 2017.

3. HBO Writing Fellowship
“The HBOAccess® Writing Fellowship provides mentorship for up to 8 diverse, emerging storytellers. Following a one-week intensive of master classes, participants are immersed in 8 months of mentoring by HBO creative executives, as each participant develops a script suitable for HBO® or Cinemax®.” Applications are accepted from March 1 to March 4, 2017.

Check these resources for further information on contests, grants, calls for submissions for magazines, and more:
* Funds for Writers
* Poets & Writers – Grants & Awards Database

A few #OwnVoices Literary Agent wish lists
1. Sarah Davies, of Greenhouse Literary, is looking for “a dynamic Syrian writer who writes fiction (or non-fiction) for children and teens.”
2. Lorin Oberweger, of Adams Literary, is looking for awesome stories of resistance, not fantasy or dystopian.
3. From Jennifer Azantian, of Azantian Literary Agency: “As a side-note, just for #WriteYourResistance and #Ownvoices, I am open to contemporary stories not just ones with a speculative twist.”
4. Justin Wells, of Corvisiero Literary Agency, is looking for Muslim own voices middle grade and young adult manuscripts.
5. Lauren Spieller of Triada US Literary Agency, is looking for Muslim own voices picture book manuscripts.

Learn more about literary agents’ wish lists, year round, on Manuscript Wish List‘s website.

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Book Review: Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, by Laura Atkins & Stan Yogi, illus. by Yutaka Houlette

Posted on January 30, 2017 by

“If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”
— Fred Korematsu

fk-speaks-up-coverIt’s traumatizing to be arrested and thrown in jail. Maybe even more so when it’s simply because of your skin color, religious affiliation, or gender identity. The memories remain painful. It takes courage to speak up.

Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, written by Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi, and illustrated by Yutaka Houlette, tells the story of the unsung American hero who stood up to the government when an executive order was issued to send all Japanese Americans above fourteen to internment camps. He fought not just for his sake, but for civil liberties and for the Constitution of the United States, and the government later thanked him for it.

Fred Koretmatsu Speaks Up isn’t a typical history or biography book. Chapter after chapter, the book not just gives facts, but also turns the table on the reader, asking questions such as, “Why do you think discrimination happens?”


What I liked about this book and why I recommend it:
1) Fred Korematsu Speaks Up has a surprising universal appeal. Indeed, Mr. Korematsu’s experience is not just told in relatable ways through his daily activities–at home, in school, looking for a job, but it also relates to current events, and it relates to communities beyond the Asian American ones.
2)  His story can help children and adults alike, of any background, understand what it is like to grow up being an immigrant or a child of immigrants in the USA. We’re given a glimpse into his family dynamic, as well as into the reality that an immigrant’s identity isn’t as clear cut as stereotypes make it be. To the reader who is an immigrant, this is an empowering story. To the one who is not, this is the bridge to help him understand what it took for his neighbor, classmate or friend to enjoy the same freedom today.
3) In the light of what is going on in the world, this book introduces the young reader to the legal and political vocabulary, and is useful in presenting and understanding historical American values, the government role, and activism (ACLU has a central role).
4) The book’s interactive structure as a teaching tool: short chapters telling a slice of Mr. Korematsu’s story, followed by pages filled with historical facts and documents, a glossary, and a timeline…
5) The clean, sobering and soothing illustrations by Yutaka Houlette.

January 30 is Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, and also his birthday. Several news outlets (NPR, CNN, The Smithsonian Mag, just to quote a few) celebrated him via their articles. Google contribute with a unique doodle.

screen-shot-2017-01-30-at-02-27-14

I humbly urge every librarian, teacher, and parent to read it, and to do so with a child. If you’re reading this review, please pick up the book and spread the word about it.

fred-k-portraitFavorite quote:
“Am I an American or not?
he wonders.”

 

 

Further steps to take:
o You can purchase the book at the EastWind Books.
o Help Fred Korematsu Speaks Up‘s book drive, and nominate or give the book to a library.
o Connect with the Fred Korematsu Institute to support his legacy, and spread the knowledge about civil liberties and the Constitution. Educators receive a free teaching kit, shipped worldwide, free of charge.
o Join the book’s group on Facebook, to discover school or library resources, discuss the book or ask questions to Laura Atkins, one of the book’s creators. You will also have access to the dates of upcoming book events or school visits.
o If you tweet about the book or otherwise discuss it online, it would help if you use the hashtag #FightingForJustice.

Recommended age range: 8-14.
Publisher: HeyDay Books
Release date: January 30, 2017.

Updated on January 31, 2107, to correct spelling error on “Korematsu.”

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#KidlitforAleppo

Posted on December 18, 2016 by

 

Help.

 

Aleppo. Source AFP, via BBC.

Aleppo. Source AFP, via BBC.

This is happening today, and once again, the kidlit community is rising to the occasion by taking action.

You’re probably aware of the dire situation faced by countless innocent civilians in Syria right now, prisoners of a war between the government and the rebels for over five years. This week the legendary city of Aleppo is the main battlefield, and seem to have reached a gory climax.

Kidlit author Dana Alison Levy is spearheading #KidlitforAleppo, a spontaneous fast twitter-based fundraising initiative for reliable non-profits providing shelter and medical help to the Aleppo victims. She needs our help, and is calling on other authors to join. Read about the call for action below, from her website:

“WHERE: TWITTER – look for the hashtag #KidlitForAleppo

WHAT: A group of authors will offer these prizes under the hashtag #KidlitForAleppo on Twitter. Prizes will include critiques, signed books, signed advanced reader copies of books not out yet, and more!

WHO: Anyone who donates to one of the following organizations, or another proven organization doing work on the ground in Aleppo. Just screenshot your donation (keep private info private, of course) and respond to the author’s tweet.

RULES: Only one prize per donation, using the honor system. Don’t be a jerk.

DONATE: Any one of the following organizations are amazing and worth your money:

There are other trustworthy organizations worth donating to, and certainly if people choose to donate that counts toward a prize. Some other groups mentioned here are also doing good work.

AUTHORS: If you want to participate, email me or just jump in tomorrow on Twitter, offering a prize for those who donate, using the hashtag #KidlitForAleppo. ”

For further information and to participate:

  • Look for the hashtag #kidlitforAleppo on Twitter
  • Click here to read Dana Alison Levy’s original blog post.

I recommend the following articles:

Thank you Dana, and thanks to anyone who cares. Please spread the word.

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Marvel’s Luke Cage: UPS ain’t the only brown that delivers.

Posted on October 2, 2016 by
Image courtesy of Deadline.com

Mike Colter as Luke Cage. Image courtesy of Deadline.com

This post is merely an attempt to describe my last Netflix viewing experience. I like to start my reviews (of books or else) with a quote that stood out and inspired me, but with Marvel’s Luke Cage I admitted defeat 17 minutes and 45 seconds into the first episode; at that point I realized that I was drinking the actors’ words like a famished kitten sipping on sweet milk. Hats down Cheo Hodari Coker, the creator, and his writing team. Here are some of the quotes that either cracked me up or made me ponder within the first minutes:

“UPS ain’t the only brown that delivers.” — Cottonmouth.

“Everyone has a gun, no one has a father.” — Luke Cage

Marvel’s Luke Cage’s cast. Picture courtesy of http://www.mcuexchange.com

“Now, Harlem is a community that welcomes everyone, all people. But at the same time, since the days of Langston Hughes, Malcom X, Zora Neale Hurston, Duke Ellington, Harlem has been the jewel of Black America. It’s a perpetual symbol of… hope and prosperity and excellence. For black lives to matter, black history, and black ownership must also matter.” — Black Mariah

I’ll cut to the chase and say that, as a Marvel Comics fan, I had an incredible time watching Luke Cage: It’s funny and action-packed, yet while being entertaining, it doesn’t shy away from some of the heartbreaking topics currently headlined in the news. That is a feat, considering that the script was written a year ago.

In bullet points, here’s why I loved Luke Cage and would recommend it to anyone, regardless of the ethnic background:

  • For the sport fans out there, the NBA names throwing is funny and timely, with the season starting in a few weeks.
  • Mike Colter and Simone Missik melted my screen from their first appearance together, and onward (you owe me!).
  • The differing point of views regarding the word “Nigga,” within the black community. I like that this was addressed.
  • These topics: state violence, gun control, the criminal justice system, Harlem history, black history…
  • The dynamic in these male relationships: father/son, brother/brother, mentor/mentee…
  • The diverse representation of black characters within one single TV show (I’m referring here to their professions) and the shades of skin tone unapologetically represented.
  • The ethnicities represented within the Harlem community, beyond the afro-american one.
  • Mike Colter’s somber voice, which matches Luke Cage’s dark and grave persona.
  • Alfre Woodard. Enough said.
  • Rosario Dawson, Mahershala Ali, Frankie Faison, Theo Rossi… the whole cast is incredibly good.
  • luke-cage-mahershala-ali-cornell-cottonmouth-stokes_netflix-brightened

    “Everyone wants to be king.” — Cottonmouth

    This superhero makes reading cool. The literary conversations taking place in the barbershop between Pop and Luke… Here’s to another shattered stereotype.

  • The Bruce Lee / Jet Li verbal jest. Not many realize how much martial arts mean to the black community, and how much actors such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, just to quote a few, are appreciated for their on-screen and off-screen contributions beyond our cultural boundaries.
  • The music. The featured artists, the insane playlist. You need to see and hear for yourself.
  • Dapper Dan, the famously creative Tailor of Harlem, who also happens to be a natural on screen.
  • Feminism: The show features several strong and courageous women, from the Asian American landlord to the female high players, i.e. the politician, the detective, the police chiefs, the nurse, the psychologist, the mama running a crew, all standing for themselves… There’s an interesting gender role reversal to a magnitude that I don’t often observe in TV shows or movies, with, for example, the super self-educated male superhero who humbly chooses to wash dishes and sweep a barbershop for a living.
  • I grew up reading Marvel Comic books in Cameroon, in Central Africa, at a time when people of color in books for children and teenagers were nearly non-existent. While my friends and I were very grateful to Stan Lee and his crew for creating the Black Panther and Storm, I’ve always been bothered by the hyper-sexualization of women in comic books in general, and in Marvel in particular. This didn’t translate in Jessica Jones and in Luke Cage.

I gotta stop there.

Luke Cage broke Netflix down for about two hours on Saturday. That, of course, sent the fans worldwide into a frenzy. You can follow the Luke Cage twitter saga via the #LukeCage and #SweetChristmas hashtags.

Picture courtesy of www.411mania.com

Picture courtesy of http://www.411mania.com

Controversy sells, and Mike Hale from the New York Times obliged, stating in his review that “Mr. Colter was better served (…) playing a stoic Cage in a supporting role [in Jessica Jones] — here he doesn’t seem comfortable carrying the show.” Uh, no.

Quentin Tarentino lamented about the show not being set in the 70s, and not following the first comic book issue to the T. I side with the showrunner on this one, who managed to blend the 70s with the present, to give us a character that is relatable across generations, and to serve us plenty of food for thought via the multiple cultural and historical references (not to mention the books read here and there by the characters). Cheo Hodari Coker created a platform that makes us appreciate a portion of the richness of America’s black history, while causing us to ponder about current events. That, in my opinion, prevented me from being detached from the show. Hours after I watched the last episode, the questions that Luke Cage raised in my mind still lingered.

A few additional links of interest:

Luke Cage was released on Netflix on September 30, 2016.
Genre: Hip-hop western.
Rated: R, but contrary to Deadpool, my hands didn’t spontaneously shield my eyes for most of the duration of the movie; the action scenes were not gruesome from beginning to end, and I don’t remember screaming. Laughing out loud, that was inevitable.

If you’ve seen it, feel free to share your thoughts.

 

*Edits as of 10.03.16 8:55 AM. It took me a few times to get the title of this post right.*
*Very last edits on 10.04.16 4:46 PM. Convalescent and fever-free proofreading…

 

 

 

 

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