Summer Screening Difficulties

You've read the e-mail; here's my response, again:

Looks like it was one-and-done for our usage of the screening room we used last summer. 

I don't know about you guys, but ain't no way I'm advocating coughing up hundreds of dollars for the use of a theater we used for free last year.  Anyone want to offer their house as a venue?  I would offer mine, but our den is pretty small; we’d have to adjust the number of people who can come.  But then again, I can offer a classroom on campus for discussion, but there won't be any plush, theater-style seating, and as I recall, I did receive some complaints year before last (from the womenfolks) about discomfort in a basic classroom.  Monti, you might know: are there screens in the “living rooms” on campus---I really have no idea. 

In any case, I haven’t yet replied to Carla---maybe you guys WOULD like to pay for the Ukrops Auditorium…

Any ideas?  Any preferences?

Weigh in below...

B.

Summer Screening, 2012

I’m hereby announcing our Third Annual Black Men Read?! Summer Screening. On Saturday, July 21st, in the Ukrops Auditorium in Queally Hall, home of the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond (same place as last year), we'll screen and then discuss Pariah, a critically acclaimed, Sundance Film Festival selection, directed by Dee Rees, and executive produced by Spike Lee: http://focusfeatures.com/pariah

The film is 90 minutes long.  As we have in previous summers, we'll meet an hour earlier at 4 PM; watch the film; and then discuss it at 5:30 in the lobby outside the Ukrops Auditorium.  Last year my wife and I had a nice dinner afterwards at Mama J's with Eric McNeely and his wife.  Anyone who wants to eat afterwards is invited  to do so again this year...

As is always the case, WIVES AND/OR FRIENDS are more than welcome for the Summer Screening (the more the merrier), but certainly come alone if your better half can’t come.

See you in July,

B.            

TIME TO VOTE!

We'll meet on Saturday, May 19th, to find out, according to Baratunde Thurston, How to Be Black.  5 p.m. at our usual place.

As for our September selection: from today, WEDNESDAY, to FRIDAY, May 18, you may vote for up to three (3) of the books below.  If there’s a tie we’ll take a secret-ballot vote at the meeting to determine the winning book selection.

Breath, Eyes, Memory, Edwidge Danticat

I am Not Sidney Poitier, Percival Everett

Our Man in the Dark, Rashad Harrison

The Book of Night Women, Marlon James

Big Machine, Victor LaValle

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

First, I'd like to co-sign Aubrey's suggestion that you guys check out the "30 Americans" exhibition at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk.  I saw it at the Corcoran Gallery in D.C.---twice---and highly recommend it.

Since we're selecting our book for September, we're selecting a NOVEL this time out.  Nominations are officially open.  From tonight, SATURDAY, to TUESDAY night, May 15, you may nominate no more than two (2) books of the above genre.  From WEDNESDAY, May 16 to FRIDAY, May 18, you may vote for no more than three (3) of the books that were nominated earlier in the week.  If there’s a tie we’ll take a secret-ballot vote at the meeting to determine the winning book selection.

Good morning, gentlemen

In case you have not already done so, I would suggest that you check out the 30 Americans exhibit at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, http://www.chysler.org/. It is a wide-ranging exhibit featuring art by 30 contemporary African American artists. It is available through the middle of July. UR undergraduate graduation was yesterday so it is much less congested on campus. See you in a couple weeks.

Aubrey