Oh Brothers...

I met with a guy named John Bryan. He is an uberadvocate for the arts in Richmond. He works for this advocacy through arts outfit called Culture Works (white guy). He likes to be up on all the happening artistic goings on and was intrigued about BMR. Dude wants to sit in on a book discussion and blog about us on his blog. You all game?

And the Movie Was...

I’m Through with White Girls directed by Jennifer Sharp!

The First Black Men Read?! Summer Screening was a resounding success. We got together at UR and screened and discussed I’m Through with White Girls, a film with a terrible title(so potentially inflammatory and misleading that I was reluctant to share it in advance), but in the end a film that was enjoyed by all, as well as gave us a lot to talk about afterwards.

Thanks to all who came.

We’ll resume our usual schedule with the beginning of our new season on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 5 p.m. at the University of Richmond. We’ll be discussing Philip Roth’s The Human Stain. I’m looking forward to it.

Summer Film Discussion

Brothers:

REMINDER: We’ll meet exactly one month from today, on Saturday, July 24, 2010, for our first—and hopefully annual—Black Men Read?! Summer Screening. We’ll do it at the University of Richmond at 6 p.m. in a room to be selected. We’ll watch the to-be-revealed film (it’s 93 minutes long), take a quick break, and then we’ll reconvene in that same room and talk about what we just saw for another 90 minutes or so, more or less. At that point it’ll be 9 p.m. or so and those of us who are free can head to a local watering hole if so desired.

SIGNIFICANT OTHERS AND FRIENDS are enthusiastically invited. I’ll cast about for some kind of head-count only to get a sense of which room to use. I’m expecting that some of our number won’t be able to make it, it being summer and all. And yet, there’s also no telling how many folks brothers might want to invite (there’s no limit).

SO MARK YOUR CALENDARS, and spread the word amongst those you think might enjoy a screening and a good discussion.

In more familiar news, we'll meet to begin our fall season on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 5 p.m. at UR—and it looks like our usual room will be all spiffy and remodeled for our pleasure, as well. We'll discuss Philip Roth's The Human Stain.

(Can you guys briefly confirm that you've read this? I’m curious whether I can get the word to everyone without sending out an e-mail warning that there’s a new blog-post.)

About Last Saturday...

Excellent meeting, men---

For those who missed our discussion of The Art of Manliness, or came late, hopefully Hobbs will have the audio up sooner rather than later.

We’ll read and discuss Philip Roth’s The Human Stain in September (Saturday, September 18 at 5 p.m., to be exact).

And on Saturday, July 24^th, at 6 p.m., we will hold our first Black Men Read?! Summer Screening! Bring your wives or significant others or interested friends. We’ll do it in at UR, exact location to be determined.

Have good summers---

Bert Ashe

TIME TO VOTE!

Here, in alphabetical order, are the choices for our September novel:

David Bradley’s "The Chaneysville Incident"

Edward P. Jones, The Known World

Ann McMillan, Chickahominy Fever

Philip Roth, The Human Stain

Please vote for no more than three (3).

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

Men:

We’re meeting to discuss The Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man on Saturday, May 15, in our usual room in Ryland Hall at the University of Richmond at 5 p.m. Leading up to the meeting, as per usual, we'll select our next book. This time our September 18 meeting is [cue fanfare] a NOVELS ONLY nomination situation.

Nominations are NOW OPEN for NOVELS you want to discuss in September. You may nominate TWO (2) novels from now until I go to bed on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning we’ll vote on the novels that have been nominated.

TIME TO VOTE!

Here are the nominations; please vote in the comments section below for THREE (3) of the following:

Helene Cooper, The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood

Miles Davis, Miles: The Autobiography

Will Haygood, Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson

Jimi Izrael, The Denzel Principle: Why Black Women Can't Find Good Black Men

Robin Kelley, Thelonius Monk: The Life and Times of An American Original

Bret McKay, The Art of Manliness

Jackie McMullen, When the Game Was Ours: Magic Johnson & Larry Bird

Richard Pryor, Pryor Convictions: and Other Life Sentences

Sapphire, Push