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Style Imitating Art: “Harlem at Night” by Charles Henry Alston
When I initially saw the title of the painting for this week’s selection, the first thing that popped into my head was the Harlem Renaissance. And if you’ve been around me for any period of time, you know that the Harlem Renaissance is my favorite era — there was so much cultural growth within the Black community with writers like Nella Larsen, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and more. But once I saw the art piece, it made me think of a more contemporary Harlem, like Charles H. Alston may have been looking into the future. That being said, I’ve never been to Harlem and I know I romanticize it…
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January 10 on the 10th: Ten Things I Won’t Be Doing in 2026
Hey, y’all, hey! It’s time for our first 10 on the 10th of 2026! And I’m not gonna lie, this has already been a long year and we’re only ten days in. That being said, I do have some fun things to look forward to this year: a work conference, two personal photography projects, and a few other things. Do you have anything you’re looking forward to accomplishing this year? THE PROMPT: 10 Things I won’t be doing in 2026 I’ve never been much of a resolutions kind of person because I’ve usually tapped out by third or fourth day of the month and whispering to myself: “We’ll start this…
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Where Bloggers Live: Winter’s Hidden Charms
I started this post about 8 times with the standard “Happy New Year!” but I just couldn’t bring myself to hit “publish” because what I really want to say is “WTA____?” We’re only eight days in and we’re already on the precipice of a global conflict, people are losing healthcare, women are still not being believed, etc. This is just too much. And, before you say, “I didn’t come here to read about politics” or “I don’t do politics”, I want to warn you that EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL. Reading is political, or people wouldn’t be trying to ban books. Watching television is political, or you wouldn’t have people trying to…
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{Book Review} Yellow Wife: A Novel by Sadeqa Johnson
As the blogger and photographer behind Living Outside the Stacks, I independently select and write about stuff I love and things I think you’ll enjoy too. Living Outside the Stacks has affiliate and advertising partnerships so I get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase. Thank you for your support. BOOK DETAILS Title: Yellow Wife: A Novel Author: Sadeqa Johnson Publisher: 37 Ink Publication Date: 28 December 2021 Genre: African American Fiction, Historical Fiction, Popular Fiction Format: Paperback Print Length: 288 pages ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from the book) Sadeqa Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of five novels. Her most recent novel, The House of Eve, was an instant New…
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What I Wore: Burgundy Blazer, Geometric Floral Top, and Jeans
As the blogger and photographer behind Living Outside the Stacks, I independently select and write about stuff I love and things I think you’ll enjoy too. Living Outside the Stacks has affiliate and advertising partnerships so I get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase. Thank you for your support. Hey, y’all, hey! How are you doing? All is well over here. I’m enjoying my second day of vacation by writing this post and doing a bit of cleanup before we move into the new year. I’m not just cleaning up my physical space, but my digital space as well. I’ve finally emptied my closet of all the…
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Where Bloggers Live: Best of 2025
Y’all, we’ve made it. This is the final Where Bloggers Live post of 2025. This has been such an incredible year for me, professionally. It started with my chancellor and vice chancellor inviting me to represent our college at Leadership Cenla. Leadership Cenla is a year-long program hosted by one of our local colleges with the goal of creating community leaders and ambassadors. Each month had a theme with a lecture, a field trip, and a project attached to it. Yeah, I’m a terrible blogger because I didn’t blog this at all. And I hate that because I know I’m going to lose the visual memories, even though the emotional…
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What I Wore: My DIY Patch Denim Jacket
As the blogger and photographer behind Living Outside the Stacks, I independently select and write about stuff I love and things I think you’ll enjoy too. Living Outside the Stacks has affiliate and advertising partnerships so I get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase. Thank you for your support. Can you believe it’s already December? I haven’t really been up to much, just working and taking care of my family. I feel like I don’t have the energy or the time to do much more beyond that. That being said, I did find some time to DIY this denim jacket that I’m wearing in today’s post. I…
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Where Bloggers Live: My Favorite Thanksgiving Side
I want to pause before we begin to honor our blogging friend, Iris at Iris’s Original Ramblings. Our friendship began through Bettye’s invitation to join “Where Bloggers Live.” What started as simple interactions – sharing blog prompts and leaving comments – blossomed into something more. Our email exchanges soon became deeper, filled with anecdotes about our families, personal health updates, and the casual life discussions that friends share. Friends are not always the people we see every day, they’re the people we share our lives with, and I’m thankful Iris chose to share hers with me and the women in our group. You will be deeply missed, Iris. I also want…
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{Book Review} Patents, Plows, and Persistence: The Legacy of Napoleon Gallien Jr and the Family Whose Faith Tilled the Soil by Dr. Dr. Geralyn Janice
I remember when Dr. Janice first came to me and told me that she was planning to write a book about her great uncle, Napoleon Gallien Jr, aka NAP. Her excitement was palpable. Every time our paths crossed, I found myself waiting, expectantly, for an update. Every shared detail brimming with awe tinged with disbelief. And, when she posted that her book was live on Amazon, I clicked the link and made the purchase. I even shared a video on Instagram of myself with highlighter and pen in hand, ready to take notes. And, today, I share my review for my friend, who shares my passion for history, genealogy, and…
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Where Bloggers Live: 10 Things I Can’t Live Without
Hi, thank you for joining me for another round of Where Bloggers Live. THE PROMPT: 10 Things I can’t live without Let’s just say that my faith and family {this includes the furry members} are a given when it comes to things I can’s live without. I think, for most people, we love those things unconditionally and cannot imagine how differently our lives would be without them. So, I’m just gonna share some random things that I cannot live without: Books – Reading is a form of resistance. Black people were denied the right to read and write, therefore, I consider it my obligation to read and encourage others to…
