Kazi 88.7 Fm Book Review

Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed New York University Professor Linda Gordon about her new book, SEVEN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS THAT CHANGED AMERICA. Professor Gordon writes a captivating account of historical events that have shaped American society.  By exploring the transformative nature of individual and collective activism in the United States, Gordon reveals the unpredictable and unique significance of past actions that have heavily influenced and even changed the reality of the world that we see today. Professor Gordon is the winner of two Bancroft Prizes for best book in American history. She is a professor emerita of history at New York University and the author of numerous books, including THE SECONDING COMING OF THE KKK.Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media:Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreviewInstagram - @diverse_voices_book_reviewEmail: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com 

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Forest Issac Jones, author of GOOD TROUBLE: The Selma, Alabama and Derry, Northern Ireland Connection 1963-1972. Jones discovered the connection between the Catholic Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland and the Black Civil Rights Movement during a 2021 visit to Belfast. He highlights  the parallels between the movements, including how the 1969 Belfast to Derry Catholic Civil Rights March in Northern Ireland was influenced by the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March. Forest Issac Jones is an award-winning author of non-fiction and essays, specializing in the study of Irish History, the US Civil Rights Movement and Northern Ireland.  Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com 

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Kimberly J. Lau, author of Specters of the Marvelous: Race and the Development of the European Fairy Tale.  In stories retold for generations, wondrous worlds and magnificent characters have defined the genre of European fairy tales with little recognition of yet another defining aspect—racism and racialized thinking. Engaging four classic fairy-tale collections, author Kimberly J. Lau connects close readings of the tales to the cultural discourses, scholarly debates, and imperial geopolitics that established and perpetuated ideas about racial difference and white superiority. Kimberly J. Lau is a professor of literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is the author of Erotic Infidelities: Love and Enchantment in Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber" (Wayne State University Press), Body Language: Sisters in Shape, Black Women's Fitness, and Feminist Identity Politics, and New Age Capitalism: Making Money East of Eden. Diverse Voices Book

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Fernando A. Flores, author of the novel Brother Brontë. Set in Texas in 2038, it is a dark tale of a future where books are burned, the libraries are closed, and your neighbor may turn you in for having books. In the interview, Flores said, "...for those of us who have traveled to the valley by car, we've been through Three Rivers many times. And it's frightening because you posit an authoritarian police city-state with people that are coopted by the city-state, with people that resist the city-state, and with people that are just trying to get by, like our protagonist, Naftali, who's just trying to get by. And I say it's, it's a little bit frightening because of, you know, if, if you look at where we are today and where we could be in 13 years...I'm hoping it's not...prescient..."Fernando A. Flores was born in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and grew up in South Texas. He is the author of the collections Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas and Val

Diverse Voices Book Review host interviewed Keith Clark about his books Navigating the Fiction of Ernest J. Gaines: A Roadmap for Readers, The Radical Fiction of Ann Petry, and Black Manhood in James Baldwin, Ernest J. Gaines and August Wilson.  Clark is a Professor of English and African and African American Studies at George Mason University. Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com 

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviews Lilliam Rivera about her 2024 novel Tiny Threads, a dark thriller set in Vernon, California, in the fashion world. Rivera discusses the novel's blend of horror, fashion, and personal trauma. She explores the connection between fashion and violence, drawing from her experience as a fashion editor. Rivera delves into the protagonist Samara's journey, her struggle with addiction, and the themes of generational trauma and class issues. Lilliam Rivera is a MacDowell fellow and an award-winning author of nine works of fiction: a dark thriller, four young adult novels, three middle grade books, and a graphic novel for DC Comics. Her books have been awarded a Pura Belpré Honor, been featured on NPR, New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, NY Times, and multiple “best of” lists.  Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com 

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Betsy Leondar-Wright, co-author of Is It Racist? Is It Sexist? Two questions that seem simple on their face, but which invite a host of tangled responses. In this book, Jessi Streib and Betsy Leondar-Wright offer a new way of understanding how inequalities persist by focusing on the individual judgment calls that lead us to decide what's racist, what's sexist, and what's not.Betsy Leondar-Wright, PhD, has been a community organizer, a diversity workshop facilitator, and a sociology professor teaching critical race theory and economic inequality. She is co-author of The Color of Wealth (2006), among other publications. Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com 

Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed Brea Baker about her new book, "Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership." Through a close examination of historical events, Brea explores the significance of land ownership and how generations of black families have been impacted by systemic and discriminatory practices that led to the deprivation of land in black communities. You can learn more about Brea at www.breabaker.com.Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com Sign-up for the Diverse Voices Book Review email notification of interviews available to listen to at https://forms.office.com/r/NtvGUfwUgb Web site: https://diversevoicesbookreview.wordpress.com/ 

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed legendary author Walter Mosley about his latest novel Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right, his third novel featuring New York private detective Joe King Oliver. In the novel, Oliver's 92-year-old grandmother asks him to find his father, her son, after she discovers she has a tumor that could be fatal. Oliver has been estranged from his father since he was a young boy. He swore to never speak to the man again when he was taken away in handcuffs. Through his hunt, he gains a deeper understanding of his father. In the interview, Mosley described the evolution of his protagonist through three novels, the complexities of writing about an ex-policeman, and the moral complexity of the world of the characters.Walter Mosley is one of America’s most celebrated writers. He was given the 2020 National Book Award’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, and honored with the Anisfield-Wolf A

Diverse Voices Book Review hosts Hopeton Hay and Amanda Moore discuss their favorite novels of 2024 that were featured in author interviews. For Hopeton, his favorite novels were 54 Miles by Leonard Pitts, Jr., Guide Me Home by Attica Locke, and Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josaphat. Amanda's favorite novels were Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Riverro, Skin & Bones by Renee Watson, and What You Leave Behind by Wanda Morris. Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com 

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Alex Segura, author of the thriller Alter Ego. In the story, Annie Bustamante, a celebrated filmmaker and comic book artist, gets a chance to work on her favorite superhero, The Lethal Lynx. Despite her excitement, she's wary of the offer, and her suspicions grow when she receives anonymous warnings not to trust anyone. The novel also explores Annie as a single mother with a precocious teenage daughter who has a tumultuous relationship with her own mother. Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller, a New York Times Editor’s Choice and an NPR Best Mystery of the Year. He’s also the author of the acclaimed Pete Fernandez series, as well as the Star Wars novel, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, and the YA Spider-Verse adventure, Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow.  Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Joe William Trotter, Jr., author of Building The Black City: The Transformation of American Life. Building The Black City explores the history of African Americans in cities across America from the colonial era to recent times. He emphasized the agency of African people in building their own infrastructure and institutions despite being dispossessed of their labor. Trotter highlighted the importance of understanding the regional dimensions of black urban life, using New Orleans, Charleston, and Savannah as examples.Joe William Trotter, Jr., is Giant Eagle University Professor of History and Social Justice, Director and Founder of Carnegie Mellon University's Center for African American Urban Studies and the Economy (CAUSE), and author of Workers on Arrival: Black Labor in the Making of America.Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversev

 Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Eugene Rogan, a professor of modern Middle Eastern history at the University of Oxford and the director of the Middle East Center at St. Anthony's College, Oxford. Rogan discusses his book, The Damascus Events: The 1860 Massacre and the Making of the Modern Middle East."  The conversation touches on the historical context of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, highlighting its decline and the reforms it undertook to modernize and compete with European powers. These reforms, however, led to social unrest and violence, including the 1860 massacre in Damascus. Rogan explains that the Ottoman Empire was generally tolerant of different faiths, but the massacre was an exception caused in part by the volatile changes and the imposition of reforms without the consent of the people.  Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversevoicesbookrevie

Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed Rafael A. Martinez, author of Illegalized: Undocumented Youth Movements in the United States. Martinez, an assistant professor at Arizona State University, writes a thought-provoking narrative about the obstacles that illegal immigrants face in the United States. By examining various case studies about sanctuary locations, detention centers, and the plight of immigrant families, readers are able to discover how the undocumented youth attempt to fight for immigrant rights through the use of social media, television, and other forms of media publicity. You can read more about this book at rafaelamartinez.com. Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com 

Black cultural icon and poet Nikki Giovanni died on December 9, 2024, at the age of 81. On November 15, 2020, Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed her about her book of poetry and prose, Make Me Rain, which was just published the month before. In Make Me Rain, Giovanni calls attention to injustice and racism, celebrates Black culture and Black lives, and gives readers an unfiltered look into her own experiences. In our wide-ranging interview, Giovanni read some of her poetry, discussed an amazing conversation she had with James Baldwin in 1971 that was taped for the public TV show Soul!, and weighed in on having front porch conversations versus interaction over the internet.  Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com 

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Rachel Howzell Hall, author of the fantasy novel The Last One. Best known for writing crime fiction, Hall was approached by a publisher to write a fantasy novel series, which resulted in her new book. In the interview, Hall discussed how writing the fantasy novel required her to build an entire world from scratch, including creating new languages, creatures, religions, and social structures. She said it was very different from writing crime fiction where she could draw from real-world events and laws.Rachel Howzell Hall is the critically acclaimed author and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist for And Now She’s Gone. A New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister with James Patterson, Rachel is an Anthony, International Thriller Writers and Left Award nominee and the author of They All Fall Down, Land of Shadows, Skies of Ash, Trail of Echoes and City of Saviors in the Detective Elouise Norton series. Follow her on Instagram at @rhowzelllall an

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Fabienne Josaphat, author of Kingdom of No Tomorrow. Kingdom of No Tomorrow  is a historical novel that delves into a the Black Panther Party from 1968 to 1969 through the perspective of protagonist Nettie Boileau. She volunteers at the Black Panthers' Free Health Clinics in Oakland and develops a romantic relationship with Melvin Mosley, a defense captain in the Black Panther Party. Their move to Chicago to assist in founding the Illinois chapter exposes them to J. Edgar Hoover's secret operations against civil rights activists.In the interview, a discusses her journey in writing her second novel, her trepidation in tackling such a sensitive subject, and the importance of accuracy and dignity in portraying the Black Panthers. The novel blends historical events with fictional characters, emphasizing the Black Panthers' community programs and the internal conflicts within the movement.Fabienne Josaphat was born and raised in Haiti, and graduated with an M

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Leonard Pitts Jr., author of the novel 54 MILES. Continuing with characters from his earlier work, THE LAST THING YOU SURRENDDER, set during World War II, "54 Miles" is a historical novel that unfolds during the crucial weeks of the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965 in alabama. The story revolves around characters grappling with past trauma. Pitts delves into the challenges of weaving these characters' stories into the larger tapestry of the Civil Rights Movement. He also explores the intricacies of interracial relationships during the era of Jim Crow laws and the complex emotional dynamics within the families of the characters.The author of five novels, Leonard Pitts, Jr. was a journalist for more than forty years, including a long tenure as a nationally syndicated columnist for the Miami Herald. He is the winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, in addition to many other awards.Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoices

Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed, Wanda Morris, the author of WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND. In her novel, a woman returns to her hometown to restart her career and her life, only to stumble upon a group of individuals whose ruthless ambitions threaten the lives of people in her community. Wanda Morris is the award-winning author of Anywhere You Run and All Her Little Secrets.  You can find out more about Wanda at wandamorriswrites.com.Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media:Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreviewInstagram - @diverse_voices_book_reviewTwitter - @diversebookshayEmail: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Rudy Ruiz, author of the novel THE BORDER BETWEEN US.  Set in Brownsville, Texas, the novel follows Ramon Lopez's life from fifth grade to college, exploring themes of family dynamics, immigration, and coming of age. Ruiz draws heavily from his own experiences, fictionalizing real events and characters, such as his grandmother and a chili-selling story from his childhood. He emphasizes the importance of mentors and the universal themes of parent-child relationships and generational gaps. Rudy Ruiz is the author of The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez and Valley of Shadows. He is a winner of the Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction, the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction, and multiple International Latino Book Awards. Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media:Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreviewInstagram - @diverse_voices_book_reviewTwitter - @diversebookshayEmail: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com