Junot Diaz Is Red Hot

The book debuts tomorrow Thursday, so pick up your copy. I like how the Village Voice (kinda) stole the title I used for an earlier WAO post for this review:

The Ghetto Nerd
A decade after his breakout Drown, Junot Díaz returns with his first novel by James Hannaham

Ten years ago, Junot Díaz dropped Drown — a short story collection, remember, those things that don't sell? — and he's still famous. Son-of-a-bitch is like Sade or something, can go missing for half his career and then show up again with a hit. What was so remarkable about this guy that he could keep the literary world on tenterhooks for that long? Well, in addition to the ridiculous accolades Drown received, Díaz exploded out of the Dominican Republic, which is not known for its literary prowess — not the way Trinidad served up Derek Walcott and a bevy of Naipauls, nor even the way Martinique busted out with Frantz Fanon and Aimé Césaire. Sorry to all you devotees of Salomé Ureña, but it's Díaz in the lead, with Julia Alvarez running a distant second. The DR has baseball by the cojones, but literature? No way, José Reyes.

Bonus Fall Title: Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell

Book Description

Although it is not entirely to her liking, grief-stricken Satha, a dark-skinned woman from a poor Theseni clan weds young Loic, the wealthy Doreni son of the king's First Captain. Loic, graced with ability to see into the hearts and minds of others, begins to help Satha overcome her sorrows. Despite coming from different tribes, they begin to forge a life together. But when Satha's own compassion is used against her and a treacherous enemy contrives to dishonor her in Loic's absence, Loic's love turns to anger and disgust. Embittered, Loic must still avenge his honor and Satha's and he sets out on a journey that brings despair as well as spiritual discovery. Battling him are the Arkhai, the spirits of the land who know his quest will lead him toward the God whom they have usurped. After his departure, Satha is kidnapped, sold into slavery and learns, first hand, how cruel the pioneering Angleni tribe can be. Both face great hardship, danger and anguish apart, but with the Creator's aid there remains hope they will be reunited and heal the love the world has torn asunder.

I'm A Winner!!

Just registered at Powell's and posted a mini-review for Junot's latest and added it to the Daily Dose contest. Today I read this on the site:

Powell's Books - Daily Dose

Wednesday, September 5th
Today's Dose by Ronald from Brooklyn, New York
Congratulations, Ronald, for claiming your $20 gift certificate!

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Diaz

Ronald's comments:
The decade-long wait for Junot's first novel was well worth it....[A] melange of literary styles: at turns a memoir...an urbane history of the Dominican Republic and a fantastical journey. Fans of his short fiction will be greatly rewarded, as will newbies. (read more)

Guess what I'm getting with my certificate?

If you're in NYC today (Thursday, October 6th), he'll be reading and discussing the book at the Union Square (17th & B'way) branch of Barnes & Noble.

Check Maud For Diaz Updates

Maud Newton, that is. I'm sure she'll provide many links to reports and stories on Junot Diaz and his latest work of art. Here's my favorite quote from recent JD news:

"You motherfuckas are so funny," he said. "If I do anything, you'll applaud." -- Junot Diaz at his reading at the Union Square Barnes & Noble

A(nnual?) Bloggers of Color Dining Extravaganza

A Couple of Gentlemen, originally uploaded by ronntaylor

I was thinking about a 2007 edition. I'll send out a mass email and MAY post more depending on feedback.

Update:Please use the "ABCDE07" tag if you post a response to this.

Kola Boof Takes Harlem, USA

Sorry for posting this so late. I'm so excited to finally meet Kola in person!

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Presents: Kola Boof In-Person!!

Sunday, September 16th from 4pm — 6:30pm
at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
(in The Langston Hughes Auditorium)
515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037
Tel. No. (212) 491-2200

ADMISSION IS FREE

Sudanese-born American novelist and poet Kola Boof * will entertain and read from her books including "Flesh and the Devil" and "Diary of a Lost Girl". A question and answer period and reception with book signing to follow.

* Watch a documentary about the life and work of Kola Boof.

7 Years Later...

Happy Anniversary Sweetness

If You Come Softly
By Audre Lorde

If you come as softly

As wind within the trees

You may hear what I hear

See what sorrow sees.

If you come as lightly

As threading dew

I will take you gladly

Nor ask more of you.

You may sit beside me

Silent as a breath

Only those who stay dead

Shall remember death.

And if you come I will be silent

Nor speak harsh words to you.

I will not ask you why, now.

Or how, or what you do.

We shall sit here, softly

Beneath two different years

And the rich earth between us

Shall drink our tears.

Kite Operations: Playing Chicago & Seoul

For those of you not subscribed to the Yahoo Group:

Hey all,

A quick reminder, we're playing at Functional Displacement in Chicago this weekend! We'll be playing on Saturday night (9/22).

And as promised, here are the details of our Seoul, Korea tour!

10/3 Club Spot

10/4 Bbang with Bulssazo & Daydream

10/5 DGBD with Bulssazo

10/6 Korean Festival @ Daehakro with Cui Jian, Nine, Sanawon, et al

10/7 Korean Festival @ Chunggyechun with Nine, Saritah, Sanawon, Sonagi Project, et al

We are so psyched to be playing with Bulssazo (means "phoenix"), our labelmate through Pastel. They are bringing the rawk to Korea! Check out this video clip.

We're sure to have some pictures and stories to share after this trip!

J/D/J/S = Kite Operations | MySpace

The Open Door Project Writing Competition

I saw this on a few blogs, probably first on Koreanish (the blog of writer Alexander Chee, one of the judges):

The Open Door Project:

A five-day publishing introduction intensive in New York City – including a series of lunches with literary agents, book editors, and other publishing figures, a public reading, and a private cocktail reception with New York’s writing community — will be awarded to the winner of the first Open Door Project fiction competition. The contest is open to gay men writing fiction with queer content who have not yet published a book of fiction. Accommodations and transportation will be provided to an out of town winner. Judges include Christopher Bram, Alexander Chee, Samuel R. Delany, Dennis Cooper, Robert Gluck, E. Lynn Harris, Scott Heim, Andrew Holleran, David Leavitt, Stephen McCauley, Dale Peck, and John Weir. Submit stories or stand-alone novel excerpts of up to 8,000 words by March 1, 2008. The winner will be announced June 08. There is no entry fee.

Submissions should be mailed to:

Don Weise, Open Door Project
c/o Oscar Wilde Bookshop
15 Christopher St
New York, NY 10014

Please do not contact the bookstore for information about the Open Door Project. Queries can be sent to dweised@aol.com. No queries confirming receipt or status of submissions please.

The Supreme Court's Last Bastion Of Sanity

A pretty decent, in-depth profile of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens (via of all places, John Gruber's wonderful, insightful (and generally balanced!) Daring Fireball:

The Dissenter By Jeffrey Rosen

Justice Stevens, the oldest and arguably most liberal justice, now finds himself the leader of the opposition. Vigorous and sharp at 87, he has served on the court for 32 years, approaching the record set by his predecessor, William O. Douglas, who served for 36. In criminal-law and death-penalty cases, Stevens has voted against the government and in favor of the individual more frequently than any other sitting justice. He files more dissents and separate opinions than any of his colleagues. He is the court's most outspoken defender of the need for judicial oversight of executive power. And in recent years, he has written majority opinions in two of the most important cases ruling against the Bush administration's treatment of suspected enemy combatants in the war on terror — an issue the court will revisit this term, which begins Oct. 1, when it hears appeals by Guantánamo detainees challenging their lack of access to federal courts.