Welcome
Using coffee and books to connect the community to 'LIT'erary experiences!
Hours of Operation:
Sundays: 12pm - 5pm
Mondays: CLOSED
Tues -Fri: 8:30am -6pm
Saturdays: 9am-6pm
SEE BELOW FOR SPRING BREAK HOURS
Discover LIT Java Bookstore
SPRING BREAK HOURS
Welcome to LIT Java
Discover LIT Java
The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois Book Discussion: 3 Part Series
Grab your book and a friend and join us as we delve into, The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois, by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. Share your thoughts about the joys, pains, triumphs and losses explored in this novel.
March 6th: "Song" through end of "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"
March 20th: "The Debate" through end of "You Can Be Proud"
April 3rd: "Which N*groes Do You Know" through "The Voices of the Children"
All discussion sessions will begin at 6pm.
March Book of the Month
Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
A gripping narrative, don't miss this historical fiction about the woman who kicked off the Harlem Renaissance."--People Magazine
"A page turner and history lesson at once, Harlem Rhapsody reminds us that our stories are our generational wealth."--Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage (Oprah's Book Club Pick)
She found the literary voices that would inspire the world.... The extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian.
In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a preeminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all.
W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only Jessie's boss, he's her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart. Amidst rumors of their tumultuous affair, Jessie is determined to prove herself. She attacks the challenge of discovering young writers with fervor, finding sixteen-year-old Countee Cullen, seventeen-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie's leadership, The Crisis thrives...every African American writer in the country wants their work published there.
When her first novel is released to great acclaim, it's clear that Jessie is at the heart of a renaissance in Black music, theater, and the arts. She has shaped a generation of literary legends, but as she strives to preserve her legacy, she'll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.
Discussion: April 10, 6pm
From Silence to Power: Reclaiming Our Stories
Women's History Month
"Storytelling is more than just sharing experiences; it is a powerful act of visibility, autonomy, self-definition, resistance, and healing. Once upon a time, storytellers were the keepers of knowledge and truth. They were esteemed and invaluable to the community. In recent times, however, the power of stories has become weaponized to distort or reinforce ideologies regarding various groups of people, including women.
In this Women’s History Month lecture, we will explore the transformative power of personal narratives as a lens to examine the social construction of gender and the ways in which women are defying oppression.
Drawing inspiration from Viola Davis’ transformation from invisibility to self-ownership, Rachel Cargle’s path to unlearning and reimagining identity beliefs, and Glennon Doyle’s quest to break free from societal constraints that confine us, this lecture encourages the community to reflect on:
- How have the stories told about us shaped our identities?
- What barriers prevent us from living authentically?
- How can we use storytelling as a tool for radical social transformation?"
~Dr. Unique Shaw-Dismuke
Audiobooks
We are happy to announce that we have partnered with libro.fm to bring you thousands of audiobooks!
