Volume 5 - Issue 1 September 2014 What a Spectacular Year Greetings: Reese’s Roundtable members. This is our 15th Year Anniversary and we have just completed the most spectacular year in the book club’s history. Newsletter REESE’S ROUNDTABLE We began 2013-2014 by reading Dear Marcus by Jerry McGill. Thanks to Jackie White, Julia White, Beverly Cooper and Julian Cooper we were able to discuss with the author his experience in writing the book as well as his life experiences. Jerry McGill author of Dear Marcus Remember Mr. McGill was shot by an unknown assailant and was left paralyzed from the waist down as a result. Mr. McGill was open, honest and passionate regarding forgiveness and the impact the shooting has had on his life; a mixture of blessing and tragedy. Next on the calendar on November 16, 2013 we discussed with the author in the flesh this time Daughters of the Stone by Dharma Llanos- Figueroa. This book illuminated the journey of five generations of women in one family that began with the passage from Africa into slavery in Puerto Rico to migration to New York City and reverse migration back to Puerto Rico in pre- sent times. This book was a beautifully written story Dharma Llanos- Figueroa author of Daughters of the Stone about the power of the daughters of the stone. Next we celebrated Kwanzaa on January 4, 2014, with an old fashion holiday gathering, grabbag gifts and a discussion of the book Wife Of The Gods by Kwei Quartey, a whodunit from the mother land of Africa. Our group leaders were Barbara Blair and Elease Edmondson. by Sharon Julius Robinson. Alex Young led us in a lively discussion of this book and he gave us an African American history lesson, that so richly provided in the story, through the vivid dreams of the protagonist. Next we read the book Wading Home by Rosalyn Story. The facilitators were Patricia Morton and Sharon Julius. A story about a father and son surviving hurricane Katrina. The story was brought to life with live props brought in by Ms. Morton. Last but certainly not least Reese’s Roundtable was the host to author Sarah Bracey-White on June 14, 2014. Ms. Bracey-White talked about her autobiography Primary Lessons, Ms. Bracey-White beautifully described her life and Later in January we continued on the mystery trail in Africa with The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin. Our facilitators were Denise Gourdine and Janice YoungNichols. The secret was SHOCKING. Reese’s Roundtable returned the literary experience to the United States with an African twist with the selection of Makeda by political and social activist Randall Ms Bracey-Wh ite author of Primary Lessons all of the social, family and personal dynamics living in and out of the Jim Crow south circa 1960’s. Page 2 continues on the back Inside this issue: Special points of interest: A spectacular year we spent with our guest speakers 1 List of books we have read during past 15 years 2 A continuation of the books we have read 3 More news and the list of books we will be reading this year 4 Please bring a dish to share and $3.00 to every meeting for supplies and sunshine fund . © 2014 Reese’s Roundtable Newsletter Designed by Beverly Garrett Welcome To Our 15 Year Past Book Listing Reese’s Roundtable is in it’s 15th year and we have always maintained a commitment to sponsoring youth and community activities. Listed below are some of the books we have read; events that we have attended and programs that we have presented. July 1998-1999 September January February March April May June July September 1999-2000 February March April May June July August September October October November July Alexander Readers Roundtable: 1998 “The Reader” by Bernard Schlink “No Disrespect” by Sister Souljah “Growing Up X “by Ilyassah Shabazz “Growing Up King” by Dexter Scott King “A Man Finds His Way” by Freddie Lee Johnson II “The Harris Family” by R. M. Johnson “Douglass’ Women” by Jewell Parker Rhodes “Sapphire's Grave” by Hilda Gurley Highgate Alexander Readers Roundtable ended and Reese’s Roundtable began in July. This is the official beginning of Reese’s Roundtable’s first year: 1999 “A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest Gaines “Black and Blue” by Anna Quindlen “Angela's Ashes” by Frank McCourt “Easier to Kill” by Valerie Wilson Wesley “When I Was Puerto Rican” by Esmeralda Santiago “She's Come Undone” by Wally Lamb “The Wake of the Wind” by J. California Cooper “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks “Tell Me Your Dreams” by Sidney Sheldon Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “A Love of her Own” by Bettye Griffin 2000 “The Devil's Riding” by Valerie Wilson -Wesley Suggested Reading for the Summer: “River Cross My Heart” by Breena Clarke, “The Color of Water” by James McBride, “Double Yolk” by Buchi Emecheta, “Yo” by Julia Alvarez, “Zachary's Wings” by Rosemarie Robotham, “The Debt” by Randal Robinson, “The Substance of Things Hoped For” by Samuel Proctor, “Passing conversation” by John Housman, “Blues: For All the Change: New Poems” by Nikki Giovanni. 2002-2003 October October November January March May 2003-2004 September October November January March May 2004-2005 September October November January March May 2005-2006 2000-2001 September October November January March May June July 2001-2002 September October November December January March April May Page 2 Reese’s Roundtable’s first year: 2000 “Abide With Me” by E. Lynn Harris Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “Redemption Song” by Bertice Berry 2001 “Passing” by Patrice Jones “The Shirt off His Back” by Percy Brown “The Flip Side of Sin” by Rosalyn McMillan “Souls of My Sisters” by Dawn Marie Daniels Celebrated our first anniversary by dinning at Londel's in New York City. Reese’s Roundtable's second year: 2001 “Mother To Mother by SindiWe MaGoNa Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “Finding Fish” by Antwone Quenton Fisher We celebrated our Holiday Season by dinning at Yvonne's Southern Cuisine Restaurant in Pelham, NY. 2002 “Cane River” by Lolita Tademy “Church Folk” by Michele Andrea Bowen Held a Poetry Contest for all students grade K-12 within and outside the Greenburg area. “Threesome” by Brenda L. Thomas and “Manchild in the Promised Land” by Claude Brown September October November January March April May 2006-2007 September October November January January March April May Celebrated our second anniversary by dinning at Londel's in New York City. Reese’s Roundtable's third year: 2002 “Alex A Cry For Love” by Lametrius Brown. Ms. Brown joined us for an enlightening discussion and The Best of Simple by Langston Hughes. “Love Don't Come Easy” by Jason T. Smith Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. Celebrated the life and the writings of Sindiwe Magona. 2003 “Emperor of Ocean Park” by Stephen L. Carter “Sitting in The Front Pew” by Parry Brown and “The Warmest December” by Bernice McFadden “Pact Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream” by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt with Lisa Frazier Page. Reese’s Roundtable's fourth year: 2003 “Zenzele: A. Letter for My Daughter” by J. Nozipo Maraire Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “Second Sunday” by Michele Andrea Bowens 2004 “Somebody's Someone” by Regina Louise “Far From the Tree” by Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant “In the Lion's Den” by Geri Blackwell-Davis. Ms. Blackwell-Davis joined us for a discussion and a book signing. Reese’s Roundtable's fifth year: 2004 “Standing at the Scratch Line” by Guy Johnson Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “The Harris Men” by R. M. Johnson 2005 “Ladies in Waiting” by Linda Hudson-Smith “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by Z. Z. Packer “Daughter” by Asha Bandele Reese’s Roundtable's sixth year: 2005 “Josette and Caleb” by Geri Blackwell-Davis Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer “Purple Hibiscus” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 2006 “Some People, Some Other Place” by California Cooper “Graceland” by Chris Abani Presented Flower the Butterfly: a Children's Short Story Work shop for children ages 2-7 years. “Orange Crushed” by Pamela Thomas-Graham Reese’s Roundtable's seventh year: 2006 “Echoes of a Distant Summer” by Guy Johnson Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “George and Rue” by George Elliot Clarke 2007 Celebrated Kwanzaa at the Harlem Tea Room in Harlem, NY while discussing the book Darker Shade of Crimson by Pamela Thomas Graham. “In the Midst of it All” by Linda Taylor Ms. Taylor shared with the club her creation of the story. “Piece of Cake” by Cupcake Brown Presented a Literary Publishing Workshop with Brenda L. Thomas a renowned author “River Woman” by Donna Hemans Ms. Hemans joined us for a lively discussion of her book. NE WSL E T T E R RNO U ND T AB L E N E W SL E T T E R (Book Listing Continues) July Celebrated Reese’s Roundtables 7th Anniversary at the Philipse Manor Hall in, Yonkers, NY – the food was by Lejends. 2007-2008 Reese’s Roundtable's eighth year: 2007 “Red River” by Lalita Tedemy Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “Leaving My Burdens Down” by Brenda L. Thomas. Ms. Thomas shared with the club her story and to facilitate our Domestic Violence Conference for adults. “Measure of a Man” by Sidney Poitier 2008 Celebrated Kwanzaa at the Theodore D. Young Center in White Plains, NY while discussing the book “Their Eyes are Watching God” by Zora Neal Hurston. “How Ya Like Me Now” by Leslie A. Morris. Ms. Morris joined us for an energetic conversation of her book. “Freshwater Road” by Denise Nicholas Sponsored a Healthy Personal Relationships Workshop for teen’s ages 12-17 years. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini Celebrated Reese’s Roundtables 8th Anniversary at Billie Black’s Bar, Restaurant & Lounge in New York, NY . September October November November January January March April May July 2008-2009 Reese’s Roundtable's ninth year 2008 September “One Drop” by Bliss Broyard October Presented a Domestic Violence Conference on Healthy Relationships for Teens. October Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. November “Knots” by Nuraddin Farah 2009 January Celebrated Kwanzaa at the Yvonne’s Southern Cuisine Restaurant in Pelham, NY while discussing the book “Blonde Faith” by Walter Mosley. January “Friends: A Love Story” by Angela Bassett March “Them” by Nathan McCall May “Standing Tall” by Vivian Stringer 2009-2010 September October November 2010 January January March May August 2010-2011 September September October October November January January March Reese’s Roundtable's tenth year: 2009 “The Dew Breaker” by Edwidge Danticat Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “Midnight” by Sister Souljah Celebrated Kwanzaa at the Euro-Asian Bistro in Port Chester, NY while discussing the book My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due “Before I Forget” by Leonard Pitts Jr. “No More Mr. Nice Guy” by James Alston. Mr. Alston shared with the club his creation of the story. “Someone Knows My Name” by Lawrence Hill Went to the Jazz Concert at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah, NY. Reese’s Roundtable's eleventh year: 2010 “Reese's Roundtable Newsletter” September 2010 - Volume 1, Issue 1 “Wench” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez “Perfect Peace” by Daniel Black Mr. Black Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore 2011 Celebrated Kwanzaa at Alvin and Friends Restaurant in New Rochelle, NY while discussing the book The Devil’s Sitting Room by Doug McIntosh. “Small Island” by Andrea Levy “Cooking With Grease” by Donna Brazille and “Stand the Storm” by Breena-Clarke. Ms Breena-Clarke joined us for a discussion on her book. VO L U M E 5 - I S SU E 1 May “Red Hats” by Damon Wayans 2011-2012 Reese’s Roundtable's twelfth year: 2011 “Reese's Roundtable Newsletter” September 2011 - Volume 2, Issue 1 “The Street” by Ann Petry Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “If Beale Street Could Talk” by James Baldwin 2012 Celebrated Kwanzaa at Westchester Hill Community Room in Elmsford, NY while discussing the book “What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day” by Pearl Cleage. “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe “Middle Passage” by Charles Johnson. Professors Ron Brown of Westchester Community College and Dr. Teresa Murphy of Lehman College shared their collective research in African American history and the Middle Passage. “The Spook Who Sat by the Door” by Sam Greenlee September September October November January February March May 2012-2013 September September October November January February March May 2013-2014 September September October October November January January March May June Reese’s Roundtable's thirteenth year: 2012 “Reese's Roundtable Newsletter” September 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 1 “Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “Silver Sparrow” by Tayari Jones 2013 “Something Real” by Bettye Griffin “Die Free” by Cheryl Wills. Ms Wills joined us for a lively discussion on her family’s journey thru history. “Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese “The Twelve Tribes of Hattie” by Ayana Mathis Reese’s Roundtable's fourteenth year: 2013 “Reese's Roundtable Newsletter” September 2013 - Volume 4, Issue 1 “Dear Marcus” by Jerry McGill “Black Count” by Tom Reiss. Reese’s members will be meet at the Havana Central Restaurant in Yonkers, NY to have a hearty discussion about Tom Reiss’s book. Participated in the Westchester's Walk for Breast Cancer. “Daughters of the Stone” by Dahlma Llanos Figueroa. Mr. Figueroa joined us a guest to talk about his book. 2014 “Wife of Gods” by Kwei Quartley “The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives” by Kwei Quartey “Makeda” by Randall Robinson “Wading Home” by Rosalyn Story “Primary Lessons” by Sarah Bracey-White. Ms Bracey-White joined us as a guest to talk about her book. 2014-2015 - Reese’s Roundtable's fifteenth year: 2014 September “Reese's Roundtable Newsletter” September 2014 - Volume 5, Issue 1 September “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander November “Barrel Child” by Pamela Marshall 2015 January “The Supremes at Earl’s All You Can Eat” by Edward Kelsey Moore January “Americanah” by Chimamanda Adichie March “Stokely: A Life” by Perniel E. Joseph May “And the Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini (subject to change) June Anniversary and Special Event Page 3 Reading Schedule for 2014-2015 The reading cycle will be as follows: September 20, 2014 The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Group Leaders: Elease Edmondson and Beverly Barbour R E E SE ’ S R O U ND T A B L E Primary Business Address Your Address Line 2 Your Address Line 3 Your Address Line 4 November 15, 2014 Barrel Child by Pamela Marshall Group Leader: Joan Edwards January 3, 2015 Kwanzaa Party and we will discuss The Supremes at Earl’s All You Can Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore Facilitator: Stephanie Washington Phone: 555-555-5555 Fax: 555-555-5555 E-mail: [email protected] January 24, 2015 Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie Group Leader: Joan Edwards Your business tag line here. We meet bi-monthly at: Theodore D. Young Community Center 32 Manhattan Avenue White Plains, NY Contact us at: [email protected] and [email protected] Wow What a Year March 21, 2015 Stokely: A Life by Perniel E. Joseph Group Leaders: Alex Young, Joseph Mosley, Noel Ellison and Doug McIntosh May 16, 2015 And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (subject to change) Group Leader: TBA June 6, 2015 ANNIVERSARY & SPECIAL EVENT A Woman’s Game by Paula Pinderhughes Paula Pinderhughes will join us for a lively discussion on her book. Program Committee: TBA by Sharon Julius Thanks to all of our Reese’s Roundtable members who help to create all of our exciting Reading experiences. Thanks to the Theodore D. Young Community Center for allowing Reese’s Roundtable to gather within their walls. We hope that our donation of $400.00 will assist TDY center in meeting the needs of the children in the Greenburgh Community. Field Trip Reese’s experienced its singular outing to the restaurant Havana Central located at the Ridge hill shopping plaza in Yonkers, NY. We ate Cuban style and we enjoyed a discussion of the book The Black Count , by Tom Reiss the story of General Alex Dumas, the father of Alexandras Dumas author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. This project was spear-headed by Beverly Brown-Barbour. Thanks for the memories and fun! Page 4 NE WSL E T T E R RNO U ND T AB L E N E W SL E T T E R
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