Moments before boarding the plane to New York City for fashion week, brother and sister singing/songwriting duo Ammon and Liahona chatted with SBC about their time on this past season of American Idol (the fourth season of ABC and 19th season overall for the series), the pandemic, their new single “Make Me Forget it,” (of course you know we asked if they’d ever write a book), and their artistry. … Read the rest
Interview With Clean Water Activist & “In Bad Water” Author Arjun Vij!
The silver lining for debut author and high school student Arjun Vij during the pandemic was writing and publishing his children’s book In Bad Water (May 17, 2021). When he was not doing remote learning, his free time prompted him to think about his time in Eswatini, a life-changing event that inspired his clean water activism.
“One thing I did was, I just imagined the trip that I took,” the … Read the rest
SBC Artist review: Olivia Rodrigo
The rollout of music’s new artist and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star, Olivia Rodrigo, is finely crafted yet still feels organic. Yes, we’re talking about the “Driver’s License” singer, who’s next hit is probably going to be her third single (and “Deja Vu” is underrated, but that’s another write-up). This talented singer/songwriter/performer has been compared most notably to Taylor Swift (and Lorde) and understandably so, but … Read the rest
Author Piece: The Future of Black Speculative Fiction by Nandi Taylor
There has never been a more exciting time to be a science fiction and fantasy writer, and a Black writer in particular. In recent years speculative fiction centering Black characters has been getting more and more of the spotlight, and I absolutely love to see it. I’ve always been a huge SF geek, and growing up I was known to read a book in a day, the majority of them … Read the rest
Author Piece: Is There More To A Job Than Money? By Kyle Grappone
If someone offered you a job, one of your first questions would be: “How much does it pay?”. It is a legitimate question. Our society and economy are based on the fundamental principle that if you are going to perform work for someone you deserve to be compensated. Many students learn this rule early on in life. They get an allowance for doing basic household chores. Then, as teenagers, they … Read the rest
Author Piece: Bosom Friends & Pen Pals in FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME by Mariama J. Lockington
FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME, MARIAMA J. LOCKINGTON. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), $9.99 (336p) ISBN-13: 978-0374308049
Publication date: July 30, 2019
Before I’d ever read the books by L.M. Montgomery, I fell in love with the 1985 Anne of Green Gables film adaptation starring Megan Follows. From the opening scene, where Anne is wandering through the woods reciting poetry dramatically from a worn book, to her first love-sick … Read the rest
Article: How “A Star Is Born” Shines Light on our Own Love Lives
I am going to confess that I am an adoring fan of A Star is Born. I watched the movie from a theater in Germany, after high encouragement from my date. It was the first movie I had seen in a year. And from the onset, I was hooked.
The success of the film A Star is Born suggests that our culture is ready to focus on how we … Read the rest