#jenifer lewis
This time we’re bringing the mixture of topics from different genres. A bit of political analysis, some historical fiction with plenty of interesting historical facts, a psychological thriller, a brilliant biography of the 20th century martial arts and film icon, and a memoir of the mother of black Hollywood. Here are this week’s picks—we hope you find them as enjoyable as we did.
The Death of Truth-Michiko Kakutani
“Trump is as much a symptom of the times as he is a dangerous catalyst,” Kakutani says in his new book The Death of Truth, and demonstrates how his disdain for facts and civility grew from fascism and postmodernism. She cites chilling parallels between Trump’s use of language and Hitler’s, and shows how ideas such as cultural relativity and deconstruction softened the lines between objective and subjective. This dangerous tendency to give equal weight to substance and nonsense has been abetted by technology, with social media ensuring the most inflammatory stories get the widest circulation. Where the founders emphasized “the common good,” the very idea of consensus is now in tatters. What can save us? Institutions such as the three branches of government, the press, and education; the courage to insist on the truth, as the Parkland students have; and books like this one. Laurie G.
Varina-Charles Frazier
Varina is a haunting and beautifully written historical novel about Varina Davis, the wife of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy. It traces her escape from Richmond with her children, her life before meeting her much older and already widowed husband, and her turbulent years after the war including her many losses and struggles. She was truly a fascinating woman who lived during a time of great tragedy, change and upheaval. Frazier includes so many interesting historical tidbits throughout the novel and reading Varina is a pure delight. Nancy R.
The Shades-Evgenia Citkowitz
The Shades is a great little pressure cooker of a novel—an ideal literary thriller. It springs a mysterious death-by-falling on you in the first pages and slowly, calculatedly brings back to the root of the event until everything becomes clear. Well, not everything. The best thing about this book is its daring lack of resolution, as powerful an evocation of dispersed familial grief as they come. Fans of Ali Smith’s The Accidental will find this a powerful warp on its portrait of a family ravaged, and hopefully built back up, from within and without. Jonathan W.
Bruce Lee: A Life - Matthew Polly
By the time of his death at the age of thirty-two, Bruce Lee had achieved unparalleled success in martial arts and film. With the posthumous release of his movie Enter the Dragon, he became one of the icons of the 20th century. Although much has been published about him, Matthew Polly has written the definitive biography - Bruce Lee: A Life. By the end of this excellent book, readers will feel like they’ve come to know the man behind those fists of fury. Michael T.
The Mother of Black Hollywood-Jenifer Lewis
Many people know Ms. Lewis from the hit TV show Blackish, but she has contributed much more to TV and film than meets the eye. In her memoirThe Mother of Black Hollywood she discusses her struggle with mental illness, sex addiction, and her road to stardom. Fans of Jenifer Lewis will adore this book. Morgan H.
Patricia’s green satin twist front dress on I Love That For You
Twist Midi Dress in Pale Lime by Theory at Amazon, $395
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NOVEMBER 29 - JENIFER LEWIS
Once nicknamed the “Black Mother of Hollywood”, Jenifer Lewis is known for playing maternal roles films that include Poetic Justice,What’s Love Got To Do With It,Dead Presidents,PantherandPenny Marshall’sThe Preacher’s Wife. It is likely no coincidence that she was selected to portray Dre’s mother Ruby on the ABC sitcom Black-ish, delivering some of the biggest laughs alongside Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross and the rest of the cast.
In her early career, Lewis was cast as Effie White in the workshop for Dreamgirls, but when the show moved to Broadway, Jennifer Holliday was chosen for the role instead. Shortly after, she landed a gig as one of Bette Midler’s back-up singers, earning her first television and film credits with the diva’s HBO specials and the 1988 film Beaches. She would also play one of Whoopi Goldberg’s back-up singers in both Sister Actmovies.
On television, Lewis had memorable roles as Dean Davenport on A Different World, Aunt Helen on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Veretta Childs on Girlfriends. She appeared in six seasons as Lana Hawkins on Lifetime’s Strong Medicine, also performing the show’s theme song.
Lewis has contributed her vocal talents to several animated projects, bringing to life Mama Odie in The Princess and the Frog, Flo in the Cars franchise and Bebe Ho on Eddie Murphy’s television series The PJs. Her stage credits include a Shakespeare in the Park production opposite Meryl Streep and five Broadway credits, including the role of Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray.
In 2007, Lewis revealed on The Oprah Winfrey Show that she has bipolar disorder. Beyond participating in causes to promote mental health awareness, she has continued to speak out about her diagnosis since then.
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¼/22 : Season 8 Promo / Final Season
@blackishabc final season premiere Jan. 4th @ 9:30/8:30c on @abcnetwork / farewell season promo photoshoot by @dario.studio
Jenifer Lewis is a vibe we should tap into
2019 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards Luncheon
Honoring: Regina Hall, KiKi Layne, Amandla Stenberg, & Jenifer Lewis
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Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner and Jenifer Lewis as Zelma Bullock, Tina Turner’s mother, in Whats Love Got To Do With It (1993). Jenifer was born in Kinlock, Missouri, and has 131 acting credits from an uncredited bit in Red Heat (1988) to 143 episodes of Blackish.
Her other notable credits include Beaches, two episodes of Murphy Brown, Sister Act, five episodes of In Living Color, nine episodes of A A Different World, an episode of Friends, Dead Presidents, eight episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Girl 6, an episode of Cosby, The Preachers Wife, 36 episodes as a voice on The PJs, Antwone Fisher (uncredited), Shark Tale (as Motown Turtle), 131 episodes of Strong Medicine, Madea’s Family Reunion, and voices in Cars 2 and 3 and The Addams Family.
