The Fat Lady Sings
At a high‑profile cocktail event, the author and his wife mingled with media personalities, Broadway talent, and an outspoken French woman who bluntly suggested they exercise more. The evening featured a brief People Magazine interview, conversations with Andy Cohen and director Whitney White, and a memorable encounter that highlighted the mix of glamour and candid health commentary. The anecdote underscores how social gatherings serve as informal networking platforms while also exposing guests to unexpected personal critiques. The story ends with the French woman’s unsolicited fitness advice, leaving a lingering impression about image and well‑being at elite events.
Introducing The Violence: My Family's Colombian War
Adriana E. Ramirez’s new memoir, *The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War*, weaves her grandmother Esther’s experience into the turbulent aftermath of Colombia’s 1948 civil war, known as La Violencia. The conflict, sparked by the assassination of Liberal leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán,...
Black. Single. Mother.: Sharing the Burden
The blog spotlights Jamilah Lemieux’s book, which compiles stories from Black single mothers describing the heavy caregiving load they bear. The author notes the contrast with single fathers who often handle only the “fun” aspects of parenting. Readers are prompted...
Black. Single. Mother.: The Mother Of It All
Roxane Gay’s April 21, 2026 essay, “Black. Single. Mother.: The Mother Of It All,” examines the lived realities of Black single mothers, weaving personal reflection with broader social analysis. The piece highlights systemic barriers—such as wage gaps, limited childcare access,...
Black. Single. Mother.: The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Ourselves
Roxane Gay’s new book, *Black. Single. Mother.: The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Ourselves*, examines the internal narratives that Black single mothers navigate, blending memoir, interviews, and cultural critique. The reviewer highlights Jamilah’s raw confession of personal flaws as a...
Black. Single. Mother.: What Makes a Family
Roxane Gay’s new book, *Black. Single. Mother.: What Makes a Family*, centers on Jamilah Lemieux’s experience as a Black single mother dealing with an absent father and her own journey into motherhood. The memoir blends personal narrative with cultural critique,...
Introducing Black. Single. Mother.
Jamilah Lemieux, the writer who once penned an open letter to Tyler Perry critiquing his stereotypical portrayals, has released her debut book *Black. Single. Mother.*. The memoir intertwines personal anecdotes with scholarly analysis of the Moynihan Report, intersectionality, and the...
Dear Roxane: Seeking Creative Sustenance
The post asks Roxane how she sustained her writing before gaining an audience, probing the emotional and practical challenges of early‑career authors. It frames the question through the lens of a tired MFA‑trained mother juggling school drop‑offs and writing on...
Introducing Tell Me How You Eat
Amber Husain’s third book, *Tell Me How You Eat*, expands her previous explorations of flesh and labor to a sweeping meditation on humanity’s relationship with food. Drawing on examples from World War II starvation experiments to modern vegan debates, the work...