Tag: Reading

Two Things Thursday #11

trE
1. The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
2. Pictured Poem, “Mushy”. Created by Tremaine L. Loadholt

1. The Darkest Child . . . this book should have come with every type of trigger warning available, but it did not.

I cannot explain how emotionally charged I have gotten while thumbing through these pages. The author, Delores Phillips died without writing any more completed or finished works and we, as readers, cannot question her about WHY she decided to pen this particular tale.

The book is fiction, but it doesn’t feel like fiction. I’ve cried. I’ve gotten angry. I’ve had to read in passing moments to allow myself time to “heal” from the detriment and torture placed on the main characters (children) by their own mother.

It is a rollercoaster ride without a destination in sight, it seems, but it’s so enthralling that I must succeed in making it to the end.

I HIGHLY recommend this book, but I will say this . . . if you are an Empath, please prepare yourself for the pain you will feel, and give yourself time to digest this one. It is not meant to be rushed through at all. It is meant to be savored, dissected, understood, and applauded (if you make it to the end).

Here is a brief description of the book:

Set in Georgia in the 1950s, Delores Phillips’s debut historical novel, The Darkest Child (2005), follows thirteen-year-old Tangy Mae Quinn, an intelligent African American girl, as she battles to finish her education in the face of family tragedy, social upheaval, and her mother’s unthinkable abuse. Before her death in 2014, Phillips worked as a nurse in a Georgia facility that tends to abused women and children.

It is 1958, and Rozelle “Rosie” Quinn has just quit her housekeeping job. Although she is still considered a second-class citizen in Parkersfield, Georgia, she is light-skinned and beautiful. Rosie has always felt she deserved better. Tangy Mae, Rosie’s thirteen-year-old daughter, walks her home as Rosie moans in pain and announces to all the world she is dying.

Rosie is not dying, however, only having a baby—her tenth . . .

The Darkest Child, Super Summary

2. Mushy is the first poem about one of the characters from The Darkest Child. I am writing poems because this is how I move through things that bring pain to my doorstep.

I have written three poems so far for three different characters, and I know a few more will be birthed before I am done reading this book.

I understand Mushy and her need to get far away from her mother and also the need to NOT be like her, but try as she might to remove her, her mother is in her blood–she is her mother’s child.

And there is no running away from that. And really, that’s what hurts me the most about this character. You cannot run away from who you are–you’ll always come back to YOU.

Two Things Thursday #4

trE
1. Spaghetti & meatballs with spinach. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
2. The next book I’m reading; Finding Me by Viola Davis. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

1. This past Sunday, I made spaghetti & meatballs with spinach, and it was absolutely delicious! I like to add spinach to my spaghetti along with fresh garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, brown sugar, onions, bell peppers, and a dash of hot sauce. I made such a big pot of it that I just finished it off last night!

I don’t think one can go wrong with spaghetti. It’s relatively easy. It’s convenient. It’s semi-healthy (depending on how you prepare it), and it lasts long (well, if you don’t have many people to cook for, that is).

2. The next book I began reading is the one you see above by the incomparable Viola Davis. I have a feeling, Finding Me is going to be an incredible read . . . something pulled me toward it, and now I am locked in and ready to be its willing partner for the next one to two weeks.

I love Viola! She’s amazing at what she does; acting and producing. She also has multiple awards to show for her excellence. IMHO, she definitely deserves more.

Two Things Thursday #3

trE
1. Boys And Girls Screaming by Kern Carter
2. bell hooks quote

1. I am currently reading the above book, Boys and Girls Screaming by Kern Carter. Kern is a vulnerable and incredibly talented writer I met through the platform Medium. He uses language in a way I do not see used often, and he is also unafraid to write from various different perspectives.

So far, the book is tearing at my heartstrings and has kept me more than engulfed in it since I began reading it this past Monday night. Here’s a snippet of the synopsis, just in case you’re interested:

When Ever’s father passes away suddenly, she is devastated. Not long after that, her mom has a stroke and Ever’s anguish becomes almost too much for her to handle. That’s when she gets the idea to form a group she calls Boys and Girls Screaming. Along with her brother, Jericho, and her best friend, Candace, Ever wants to bring together kids from their school who have suffered trauma so they can share their stories and begin to heal.

2. The second thing for this Thursday is a favorite quote of mine from bell hooks. I don’t think I really have to say much about bell. You can google her name and read about her on various research and informational sites and you’ll find out she was a writer with which to be reckoned. She had a way of placing words together that you typically wouldn’t see, but bell would make them work and WORK, they always did. I have three of her books in my collection and I intend to purchase more.

She died in December 2021, leaving quite a literary legacy behind.