FICTION
Go Tell It on The Mountain x James Baldwin
A lot of these books are about characters that occupy the space between two worlds. Many people can relate to, but few can express the dread and wonder of perpetual purgatory the way Baldwin can. His semi-autobiographical debut novel is strangely personal to me. Not only because I’m also the son of preachers, but because two of its central characters—two that represent this internal conflict between worlds—share my first and middle name.
Crime and Punishment x Fyodor Dostoevsky
Earns its title, in my eyes, as one of the greatest novels of all time. Beneath the skin is a dark and nuanced well of psychology, and above it is a plot so anxiety-inducing and unpredictable that it never ceases to be entertaining. Thankful to this book for helping me get through those never-ending shifts at work this year—moments between tables spent in the mind of Raskolnikov.
Corregidora x Gayle Jones
Jones’ prose is like no other. She effortlessly traverses time while blending poetry, memory, and dreams into the stream of life. A story ripe with a deep understanding of generational trauma and Black womanhood.
Spring Snow x Yukio Mishima
“But now that old wars are finished, a new kind of war has just begun; this is the era for the war of emotion. The kind of war no one can see, only feel—a war, therefore, that the dull and insensitive won’t even notice. But it’s begun in earnest. The young men who have been chosen to wage it have already begun to fight. And you’re one of them—there’s no doubt about that.”
Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? x Kathleen Collins
Within the span of a year, Kathleen Collins has become a lightning rod for me. After weeks of protests and demoralizing news headlines, it was Losing Ground that brought me back to the movies. And after a depressive stupor rooted in the uncertainty and isolation brought about by this year, it was her collection of sorrowful, humane and sensual short stories that brought me back to reading. Highly, highly recommend anything with her name on it.
Mother Night x Kurt Vonnegut
A light and hilarious read. It doesn’t quite dive into the glorious unreality of Slaughterhouse-Five, but it’s just as pointed in its reality-based absurdity and political satire.
Ubik x Philip K. Dick
Flow My Tears… remains my favorite PKD book, but I just couldn’t put Ubik down. It’s got all the trappings of a great dime-store science-fiction or mystery novel, but its in a tier of its own for its ability to level both reality and consumerism without sacrificing a single thrill.
If Beale Street Could Talk x james baldwin
I found my love for Barry Jenkins’ beautiful film adaptation extending towards its source material. What this book captures that its cinematic counterpart can only embody to a degree is Baldwin's poetic rendering of Tish’s inner-monologue, as well as the childhood shared by it’s two central characters.
Notes from a Black WOman's Diary x Kathleen Collins
Perhaps the thing you should read last by Kathleen Collins, chronologically speaking. Its sort of the last puzzle piece to her work—the one that reveals the writer herself in her most personal state. It also contains numerous screenplays and stage plays from Collins, including a few that are, to-date, unproduced.
Journey to the End of the Night x Louis-Ferdinand Céline
A man sheds his humanity in order to survive the horrors of human kind. It’s hilarious, deeply pessimistic, racist, and ultimately insightful if you have a sense of irony.
BOOKS ON FILM
Poetics of Cinema x Raul Ruiz
Ruiz’s prose is brain-bending in the best way imaginable. He deconstructs every facet of central conflict theory—including its political implications—in order to explore the mysteries and questions of cinema that lie beyond it. Covers everything from the concept of utopia to a man who reportedly used cats as an “engine” for his piano (see: Althanasius Kircher).
Sculpting in Time x Andrei Tarkovsky & Tarkovsky Interviews
Finishing Tarkovsky’s filmography and reading Sculpting in Time this year has probably, in itself, been one of the greatest film schools anyone could ask for. Fundamental in the quest to create an authentic relationship between oneself, one’s art, and one’s life. The Interview series is an interesting companion, if only for its ability to round out a picture of the artist in his own time.
Thinking Like a Director x Michael Bloom
This year, I wanted to read a book on directing from a theatre perspective. The section that covers the art of rehearsal here is invaluable, and its also a great look at the inner-workings of character. It embraces a broader scope than Judith Weston’s Directing Actors, but I’d recommend both as companion pieces.
Seeing the Light x James Broughton
Similar to Poetics of Cinema in its commitment to unearthing the cinema that lies behind cinema. It's incredibly brief, and almost like a long form poem that you can knock out in an evening.
CRITICAL THEORY
Are Prisons Obsolete? x Angela Davis
It’s possible, for some, that the existence of Ava DuVernay’s 13th (which features Davis) negates the need for this book. I figured that if it seems like the world is on fire that someone, somewhere is standing by with a box of matches. This is the written word that helped me identify that someone, and that box of matches.
Regarding the Pain of Others x Susan Sontag
I’ll be honest, I didn’t necessarily enjoy Susan Sontag’s theoretical dissection on the implications of images within different cultural contexts. But I do respect it for its ability to make me recognize my own privilege. With hundreds of images affirming and shaping our realities every day, this book has helped me create somewhat of a filter by forcing me to consider the political framing and authorship behind each one.
Sister Outsider x Audre Lorde
As much a balm for the soul of the poet and the parent as it is for the revolutionary. My favorite essays from this one:
-Uses of Anger
-Uses of the Erotic
-Poetry is Not a Luxury
-Grenada Revisited
A Brief History of Thought x Luc Ferry
Ferry’s trip through the history of philosophy and religion put last years reading of Meditations within a larger context. Hope, salvation, evil, meritocracy and singularity are among the many concepts that Ferry has made me take into consideration or rethink entirely.
The Fire Next Time x James Baldwin
Oddly, I don’t think I really understood sensuality until I read this book. Baldwin’s piece on it is only a small section around page 53, but it really did create a world of difference, not only in my understanding of his work, but in my own relationship with life.
POETRY COLLECTIONS (UNFINISHED)
I read poetry books out of order, over a lifetime, and often before writing. Here are two I enjoyed in the last half of this year:
COLLECTED POEMS X Bob Kaufman
I got into Bob Kaufman by reading his poem Would You Wear My Eyes? and watching Billy Woodberry’s documentary on his life—And When I Die I Wont Stay Dead. I’d say start there, but really you can start here or anywhere because that’s how Kaufman’s mind works.
S O S: POEMS 1961-2013 X Amiri Baraka
A good starting place: Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note
