"Ain't Burned All The Bright"

Twenty Twenty was not an easy year to love…but it was pivotal. A year marred with the threat, shut-downs and reality of Covid-19, the particular murder of one George Floyd and the storming of the US Capitol in an attempted Coup d'état to name a few dilemmas.  Anxiety was hallmark and in many way no real end in sight of the near future.  A newly released young adult fiction  “Ain’t Burned All The Bright” attempts to give it a different texture, tone and perspective. It is the seminal words of Jason Reynolds and groundbreaking pictures of Jason Griffin that succeeds in unusual and excellent form.  It is much, much more than good. It thrives and refreshes in a grand fashion.

The book is in many ways an attempt at understanding events that we try to come to terms and understanding of within ourselves and through the media. Their obsessive fascination with the horrors of contemporary life along with our own as viewed within our households and with our families.  The words and images of “Ain’t Burned All The Bright” flow in a clarity much like the drum beat of a Jack DeJohnette solo using just snare and a single cymbal. Steady, rhythmic and consistent with the occasional perfectly placed accent.  This flow while steady and paced is one of focused interest and a delight in it’s unfolding narration.

                                                                                                  

And I'm sitting here wondering why my mother wont chance the channel

       and why the news won't change the story and why the story won't change into something new

                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                      

or the way we treat the world

 

 

or the way we treat each other

“Ain’t Burned All The Bright” is from the collective efforts of two of today’s brightest young stars. They have individually and collectively received much praise, commissions, accolades and successes including; New York Times Best Sellers, NAACP Image Awards, residencies and world-wide exhibitions. 

                                                                                                       

 The two Jason’s met and bonded while in college and since have become brothers in creativity and spirit. They have collaborated once before on another young adult novel. It has been very well received effort; “My Name Is Jason Mine Too.”  

We can; at this point, hope to see more collaborations and successes between and for the remarkable two Jasons. 

                                        Jason Reynolds          &          Jason Griffin 

                                   jasonwritesbooks.com                jasondouglasgriffin.com

When The White House Went Dark

 Sunday night May 31^st 2020 The White House goes dark. President Donald Trump hides in the bunker beneath the main floors strickened in personal terror. Police and protesters clash in the streets outside; around the surrounding grounds of the White House and throughout other parts of the nation’s capital. 

Metaphorically and philosophically the White House and nation went dark in a somewhat gradual and very real moral way when Mr. Trump was sworn into office January 1^st 2016. His presidential  lies, half-truths and fabrications began with Trump disputing the crowd size of his inauguration over President  Obama’s.  He declared war on the press calling  all reportage that painted him in a bad light or was contrary to his twisted narratives “Fake News.” He extended his ire to his own intelligence community and the FBI. He was out of the blocks with a vengeance and there was no “Honey Moon” for “Mr. Trump,”   

The current climate of unrest is tied to the death of African American Citizen; George Floyd at the bidding of four Minneapolis police officers, Trump’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic  and a greatly suffering economy. 

 At the present Trump continues to tout false cures, untested procedures and quackery as remedies for the corona virus and uses race bating and brutality as solutions to civil disobedience. In his own mind the crumbling economy and unemployment rates are fine so these things are not even addressed. If at all he wants to dangerously reopen all businesses and social activities. This in spite of warnings from his own medical advisors and scientific authorities. Members of his cabinet and appointees are filling the jails as much as they are implementing  policy. Many of the president’s men have been indicted and many convicted (at least six individuals) for criminal activities, a number of which they have admit to. The numbers include his personal lawyer’s paying of hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels for various extra marital escapades with his boss. Most recently his advisor Steve Bannon was arrested for fraud and is currently out on bail as he awaits trial. 

                                                          Unrest @ The White House

Trump when not playing  golf remains busy. He is at this moment trying to suppress voting by shutting down the USPS with the aid of his crony Louis DeJoy; Post Master General who is also his ardent supporter and campaign donor.  DeJoy is removing mail sorting machines, mail boxes and cutting workers over-time hours across the country.  This due to Trump believing fewer voters equal fewer votes against him and will benefit his campaign in the end. The Trump  abuses of power, ignorance and attempts to form a sort of dictatorship  not unlike Putin’s Russia are very important to him. His intentions are to subvert the constitution while staying in power for as many years as possible.  He would love to destroy our system of a three branch system of government with clear separation of powers at the federal level. In this he is most dangerous; a true threat to democracy. 

  

Lastly and equally distressing is Trump’s allusions  to and possibly mentally delusional remarks on the fore mentioned idea of his staying in office after what he will surely call an unfair and rigged election. This is of course if and when he hopefully and prayerfully loses his bid for reelection.  The election happens in a period just over two month from now. Given that he might   attempt to stay in the White House beyond his term I am convinced that he will be evicted shortly after the swearing in of former Vice President and Senator Joe Biden. He will be removed (if not by his own free will) then by members of the Secret Service or if need be the United States’ Armed Forces (Rule of Law will prevail) as Biden takes over the reins of Commander in Chief after his swearing into office; the afternoon of January 1^st 2021.

The Trump Bomb