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| Viola Davis (audible narrator) and Cicely May 21 #fanartFriday Twitter |
Dear Bookclub,
A brilliantly orchestrated outdoor evening, produced by our own in-house event coordinator-extraordinaire, included another visit by a glowing moon, boxed delectable charcuterie, warm cobbler, and the pièce de résistance: a fabulously individually-delivered, wi-fi shared interview by Gayle King with Cicely Tyson. Only Diane can out-do Diane!
Tyson's frank interview sparked our discussion and reinforced our admiration for the icon's amazing abilities and contributions.
Historical events provided the scaffold for Cicely's telling of her journey and motivations, eye-opening and emotional, providing a clear path to communing with the plights of African Americans... women in particular. Our observations spanned the spectrum from how far society has come (media's depictions, equal rights movements, cultural representation) to the power of psyche in love, in the arts and in behavior. While being serenaded by Miles Davis over Diane's speakers, we analyzed Cicely's relationship with the drug-addled musician.
Cicely on Miles' album cover
Dying merely two days after "Just As I Am" was published, Tyson's timing for her departure seems dramatic and meaningful, in step with the rhythm of her life. I have searched high and low and cannot find a specific reason for her death, although one unofficial source named it a heart murmur since birth. Please take a moment to watch a clip from her funeral:
https://nypost.com/2021/02/16/clintons-tyler-perry-attend-private-nyc-memorial-for-cicely-tyson/
Diane's suggestions for an upcoming read:
"The Midnight Library" Matt Haig *(chosen)
"Radium Girls" Kate Moore
"Dirt: Adventures, with Family, in the Kitchens of Lyon, Looking for the Origins of French Cooking" Bill Buford
Up next:
Happy reading.
LK
