What she said!

I don't have time to write, lately.

Scratch that...time, I have. Motivation, maybe not so much. The last ten months have been nothing short of hell, for me, and while blogging about it could be cathartic, I'm too deep in the weeds to bother. When I find my way out - likely more by forcing my way out via a machete than being led out gently, I'll hop back into taking care of my novels. Blogging is a fun hobby that I've left behind to tend to life.

But now and then, I take a few minutes to read a blog or two. And Denene Millner, co-author of the Hotlanta teen series, took me to church with this post over at Elia Ulen's. It's from last year, but somehow, I figure if I asked Denene how she's feeling she probably still has days where this blog is quite relevant.

If anyone wants to know how I've felt about publishing and the life of an author/writer, lately...well, what Denene said is pretty much it.

This is Us

One of the reasons The Cosby Show was such a huge breath of fresh air, back in the 80's, was because it assumed that Black folk lived that way - upper middle class, professional, college bound- instead of forcing a message down people's throats that doing those things were special.

We did it in the 80's. We did it in the 30's even among horrendous civil discord. And we do it now.

An exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture Gallery reinforces that the African American experience has always been a diverse one. Photos* left by Addison Scurlock and his two sons depict high society, not as a unique perspective of Black life, but simply as one of the many.

It's Black History Month. The time of year when Black this and African American that is ballyed about in an effort to give "special" attention to the contributions African Americans have made. But the Scurlock exhibit and its photos dating back nearly eighty years reminds me - this is us and it's always been.

So can we finally, please Lord, put to rest entertainment that caters to the lowest common denominator of the Black experience?

Please!

The Scurlock exhibit runs through November 15, 2009.

*If you click the link, you may be required to register at Washinton Post.com to view the story and photos.