The Drip

Episode 42 -- A Touch of Grey: Attica Locke’s THE CUTTING SEASON

It's been a minute, but the Spoilers are back with another compelling book conversation -- this time about Attica's Locke's best-selling mystery. The novel takes place on a plantation, so you know we have to ground things with a little bit of history (Dr. Moten would have it no other way). As usual, we have a lot to say about this book. We offer some praise and some criticisms, but in the end we give a pretty positive take on what we all seem to think is a pretty solid read. The fact that we keep comparing it to Queen Sugar has to tell you something about how we end up feeling about Locke's novel. Check out the episode and see what you think. It's definitely work the listen.

Episode 41 -- Don’t Say It: Language, Teaching, and Community

In this special "bookless" episode (in which we actually talk about many books), the Spoilers take on the question of language use in the classroom -- specifically, what do we do as teachers when material we want to use with students contains offensive and/or hurtful language? We decided to discuss this subject, first, because Anita had been thinking about it a lot and wanted to see what we thought, but also because we all happened to be in the same town together for the first time in almost three years and we needed to talk about something! None of us were finished reading The Cutting Season, so we had to figure out what else we could discuss for the episode. We settled on this question, and it did not disappoint. Our conversation touches on multiple aspects of teaching and ends up providing insight into how each of us understands our role in the classroom (whatever kind of classroom it may be). We hope you enjoy it! (THIS EPISODE CONTAINS OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE.)

Episode 40 -- Easy Does It: Walter Mosley’s DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS

It's been a while, but the Spoilers are back -- this time taking on the dangerous, seedy underworld of 1940s Los Angeles in Walter Mosley's classic novel about the factory worker turned private detective, Easy Rawlins.  Not surprisingly, the conversation quickly turns to the racial and gender politics of the book. It's a spicy discussion that ends with an inevitable extended comparison of the book to Barbara Neely's Blanche on the Lam, a contest no novel can ever win because Blanche is just the GOAT. Still, we had fun with Devil in a Blue Dress, and anyone who loves mystery and detective novels should love this episode. Check it out.

Episode 39 -- Apparently, We Love Her: Toni Morrison’s SULA

The Spoilers have been on a roll lately, doing shows about books that have just blown us away -- and this show is no exception. In this episode we talk about Toni Morrison's perplexing and captivating heroine, Sula Peace. What a woman! Just when you think you hate her, you realize that apparently, you love her. The novel itself is filled with unforgettable characters and amazing moments, and we talk about a whole lot of them. All of this is to say that in the end, we all agree that damn it, we adore and really miss the great Toni Morrison, but we're glad she left us a novel like this one to remember her by. Girl, Girl, GirlGirlGirl.

Episode 38 -- Eloghosa Osunde’s VAGABONDS!: We Are the Majority!

In this episode, the Spoilers can't stop gushing about Eloghosa Osunde's new novel, VAGABONDS! Structured like a spiritual text that challenges the orthodoxy and self-righteousness of those who would deny freedom and life to those on the margins of Nigerian society, this novel expertly constructs a narrative of self-salvation, told from the perspective of the vagabonds of Lagos. In reading this novel the Spoilers realized an important truth: the marginalized are the majority, and when the revolution comes, when the end times arrive -- in is the vagabonds who are gonna party together in love! Check out our emotional show on this unforgettable novel.

Episode 37 -- Around the World, Around the Corner: Discombobulated Migrations in Namrata Poddar’s BORDER LESS

In another quiet episode, the Spoilers dig deep into issues of borders and migration both in Poddar's novel and in their own lives. It quickly becomes clear that while migration is a more immediate issue for some, it really impacts us all in significant ways. Whether you're venturing around the world or around the corner, we all have to reckon with the impact of moving and crossing boundaries in our lives. Check out this pretty personal episode to see what the Spoilers have to share about their own experiences.

Episode 36 -- Ghostly Reverberations: Louise Erdrich’s THE SENTENCE

In a bit of a quiet episode, the Spoilers revisit 2020 with Tookie, the protagonist of Erdrich's beautiful novel. The novel takes them back to the beginning of the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and the tumultuous summer that followed. But while Erdrich's book is about the haunting reverberations of the past, it is also about efforts toward individual and collective healing. It is about how we move through and respond to injustice and trauma, and how we can try to become whole again. It's about language and books and absolution and love. It's about the sentences we all carry and the ones we speak to each other when it seems like there is nothing that can be said. Damn it, Louise Erdrich! This book is too much! 

Episode 35 -- Genre, Critique, and Relaxing Hair Grease: Zakiya Dalila Harris’ THE OTHER BLACK GIRL

In this episode the Spoilers engage in a crescendoing conversation about Harris' NYT best selling debut novel. Uneasy with their reading of the book, anxious about their commentary, and unsure if they are on steady ground, the Spoilers carefully inch forward, refusing any relaxing balm, eventually careening toward inevitable exasperation. You're going to love this sometimes quiet, sometimes rollicking examination of a definitely provocative but sometimes maddening novel. What's our final verdict? We plead the fifth! 

Episode 34 -- Seams of Subjection: Afia Atakora’s CONJURE WOMEN

The Spoilers are back after a long hiatus, anxious to take on this compelling novel by Afia Atakora. Right from the git go they have a lot of questions to answer, but Crystal, Anita, and Todd eventually arrive at an acceptable understanding of this rich novel of slavery and the ties that bind together the enslaved and the enslavers on this plantation: when do they break and when do they hold fast?

Episode 33 -- No More Crumbs: Deesha Philyaw's THE SECRET LIVES OF CHURCH LADIES

The Spoilers are back with an intense conversation about Deesha Philyaw's award-winning story collection. We have a lot to say about it and all of it is good. Known for sidestepping the sexy stuff, the Spoilers bravely tackle the intimate elements of this often steamy text -- and just for good measure, Adriana says the d-word at least once. It's definitely worth a listen. You're welcome America!