Month: February 2018

Black Panther is Fiction, but Black Excellence is Real

Published by Lawrence Otis Graham

Did you get the inside jokes about race in the film Black Panther? They were all there, lying in plain sight for those of us who grew up black in certain decades and certain kinds of households. As I watched Black Panther with my family on its debut weekend, I found myself making eye contact and laughing aloud with my wife and kids at times during the movie that some of my fellow movie-goers didn’t quite seem to get. It’s the same feeling I have when I watch the TV show Black-ish – with its upscale family of five children who attend private school, and whose parents are professionals. It’s so spot-on with the wry humor that lives in every striving black family that I still can’t believe America has embraced the show so enthusiastically. Like all great entertainment, both of these properties exist on multiple levels – and it feels as if some of the jokes were written just for us: for the members of the black community.

What are the Best New Books Coming in March 2018?

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

New month, new books! Book Light  is our Dandelion Chandelier curated list of the titles we’re most excited about for the coming month. March brings a wave of debuting authors and the return of some well-loved favorites. Not surprisingly, the month that celebrates Women’s History will see several new publications about ground-breaking female leaders. There are also new novels set in dreamy, exotic locales: two in Italy, and one in Tangiers. Three female novelists explore life in New York City through very different lenses; a wise woman spins fractured feminist fairy tales; and love stories of all kinds abound – after all, spring arrives in March, and you know what that means.

The Best Way to see the Rain Forest in St. Lucia

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

There are many ways to experience a tropical rain forest: taking a hike, sliding down a zip-line, or via canoe, elephant, helicopter or jeep. Those are all great options. But in our view – if its possible, and especially if you’re short on time – the very best way is to take flight on an aerial tram that will take you gliding through and ultimately above the foliage. All of your senses will be engaged, and while you won’t emerge on an adrenaline high (at least, as long as the equipment is operating properly), there’s the very real possibility that you might return from the forest having had a spiritual epiphany. We recently visited the Caribbean island of St. Lucia for the first time, and we decided to give the island’s Aerial Tram a go. The adventure takes only about an hour from start to finish, and it’s a truly ethereal experience.

Here are the Top Ten Reasons to try a Luxury Cruise

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

Is a luxury cruise the new avocado? You know – the thing that has been right there under our noses the whole time, a thing that we knew about but never cared to personally experience, but that has suddenly become a Thing? According to the Cruise Lines International Association (who should know of what they speak), more than 27 million people will take a cruise in 2018.  Why are so many people cruising? And if you’re not one of them, is it time for you to jump on board? Perhaps. Here at Dandelion Chandelier, we just took our first cruise – on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer – and we loved it. Here are 10 reasons why you might decide to sail away sometime soon.

The Best of the Red Carpet from the BAFTA Awards 2018

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

Hollywood awards season rolls on, and the most recent stop was in London on Sunday night for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) ceremony. Did the hop across the pond make a big difference in the sartorial splendor of the red carpet? And did #MeToo and Time’s Up make the trip? No, and yes, dear reader. Have a look at what was the same and what was different as noir came ashore in England.