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Featuring Georgia State University professor Layli Phillips Maparyan and cover artist Linda Costa, Charis Books in collaboration with Charis Circle’s Founding the Future of Feminisms Programs, Charis was proud to reveal Maparyan’s newest book, The Womanist Idea on January 20, 2012. Through both direct excerpts and open explanations, Maparyan describes her latest creation as one that “connects with and departs from what has been said about womanist idea” and womanism up until now. The book outlines this idea as an “underlining architecture of womanism” and a “spiritual intellectual hybrid”. She describes this ideology as a necessary intervention for humanity and the current functions of our society. While describing photographer Linda Costa’s ability to “capture a person’s light”, Maparyan emphasizes the importance of finding both light and sacredness in life and in the world.
The Womanist Idea blurs the boundaries between scholarly writing in the world of academia and spiritual writing; it emphasizes the need to use “new language to encompass emerging possibilities.” This meshing of worlds, spurring many arguments between Maparyan and her editors, put the academic quality of the book into question. The inclusion of Maparyan’s spirituality and personal journey through life intertwined with academic research and conclusions, created within her editors, a level of resistance about what should and shouldn’t be in scholarly discourse. Manifesto or not Maparyan’s deep investment in the creation of this book allowed her to maintain her ground and have the book published as she saw fit. 
Reminding the audience that “spirituality should not be confused with religion” nor do you have “to be a theistic person to have a spiritual journey”, she explains how “the engine of womanist politics” is the ability to recognize the sacredness of yourself, of others and of the world. This is recognition with sacredness is what she labels as her formula for change and guideline to truly productive activism. In her systematic approach to understanding womanism and its hidden functions, she came to the realization that womanism is not just a social movement but rather a spiritual movement. It is about “changing consciousness and changing the world”. The Womanist Idea stresses the importance of do it yourself methodologies that move away from pure reliance on established institutions. It also highlights and gives insight into the spiritual journeys of women activists that Maparyan herself both admires and respects. Through this examination of other female activists, she explores and highlights how spirituality can be used to impact change. Shifting the fight from humans to issues, womanism can be and is practiced by many individuals who are unaware of their womanist roots. The Womanist Idea weaves together Maparyan’s academic mind, personal heart and growing spirituality through prose, research, poetry, and personal divulging in order to teach, question and causes personal reflection. As a mother, professor, and writer Maparyan also takes us through the struggles of losing a child and inner reflection. The Womanist Idea is guaranteed to be a book that will be both hard to resist and to forget. -By Sabrina Lopez, Charis 2012 Intern |
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Feb 17 2012 19:30
Feb 17 2012 21:00
America/New York
Join us for a special performance of several scenes from the play "Lying in Bed", followed by discussion with featured cast members. “LYING in BED” offers educational and performing arts exposure primarily to lesbian, gay, trans and queer-identified (including pansexual and gender non-conforming individuals) people of color across the lifespan and explores poignant questions about sex, identity, safety, and love between those in nontraditional relationships. Location:
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Feb 22 2012 19:30
Feb 22 2012 21:00
America/New York
Edible landscaping is the perfect solution for
homeowners who advocate sustainability and appreciate fresh organic
produce. Fresh culinary and medicinal herbs, fruits and vegetables are
among the possibilities for your yard. Learn the basics of how to
transform your slice of urban pie into a productive and beautiful haven
of abundance. Lindsey Mann of Sustenance Design
has been turning yards into aesthetic, edible landscapes for the last 5
years in the Atlanta area. She'll give some examples for inspiration
and advice and resources for getting started. This is a Charis Circle Urban Sustainability Program and the suggested donation is $5, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Location:
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As Kindle Fires are popping up around the US, many of you have been asking whether it The answer is that it is in fact possible to run the IndieBound Reader app on the Kindle Fire through a process called sideloading. Sideloading refers to the practice of installing apps without going through the official app store on a device. There are many great sideloading walkthroughs for the Kindle Fire online. Below is a particularly thorough one from Liliputing: And a YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE4dAmZGe0I And finally, some threads on Amazon's own forums on the topic: http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdThread=Tx3V9111SCT2CFM An APK file (described in the tutorials above) for IndieBound Reader can be downloaded directly from http://www.indiebound.org/reader. Please note: IndieBound Reader was not specifically developed to Also, customers should consult
How do I read the Google eBook I bought on...?
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Remarks by Pearl Cleage at FWHC Gala, January 20, 2011 It is a great honor and a deep pleasure to present the Creative Leadership Award to Charis Books. Talking about Charis is a difficult thing for me. Of course, I am familiar with their work. Of course, I am grateful for their presence in Little Five Points for all these years, balancing the other creative energies that make the neighborhood the vibrant place it is, and always has been. Of course, this award is richly deserved, but talking about Charis is difficult for me because once I get started, I’m not sure I would know when to stop because it was always more than a bookstore. Should I talk about reading poetry there in the early days with my friend, Kay Hagan? Should I share our excitement at standing in front of that packed house, reading ourselves into the next phase of our womanhood, feelings ourselves getting stronger by the minute; more confident; more amazed at how amazing we really were? Should I talk about coming in one long ago Saturday afternoon with my daughter, who loved the play space that Charis provided for their younger customers, since she was still a toddler? Or should I talk about how much I now look forward to bringing her children, my grandchildren, to Charis to pick out a book that we can read together? Should I talk about finding Andrea Dworkin and Mary Daly and Alice Walker, all in one place? Should I mention Marian Zimmer Bradley, whose Amazon books were the litmus test I used for years to determine whether or not a potential gentleman caller was worth the time of day by asking him to read first Shattered Chain, and then Thendara House? When I found a man who read both books immediately and then came to my apartment full of questions, eager to listen, eager to be sure he got it, I married him, but that’s not this story. I’ve spent some of the best moments of my life at Charis. Reading from my own work; listening to other writers reading from theirs. Laughing with friends; sometimes crying; but always knowing that if I could get to Charis, I’d find solace and clarity and community and love. Lots and lots of love, because… It was more than a bookstore. It was more than a gathering place. It was more than an unwavering beacon of feminist light in moments of darkness and doubt. It was more than a sister space/mother space/child friendly/man friendly place. It was more than a poet place/a music place/a spirit place. Charis was the place that let us practice being freewomen until we got good at it. And would we ever have survived without them? And why would we ever want to try? It was always more than a bookstore… 1/21/11
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(1) Bring a friend. Bring a friend to our store, a program, an event. Introduce us to more free thinking folks! (2) Volunteer. Help with everyday tasks, at programs, we always have things that need to be done and love the company. Email charisvolunteers@yahoo.com to find out about volunteer opportunities. (3) Give gift certificates. What better way to show your love to someone you care than to give them the gift of community? (4) Make your own wish list up at Charis or online at Indiebound.com. Once you've spent hours listing everything you could ever want from us, just tell your friends and loved ones to trot on down to Charis and ask for your wish list or to look you up on indiebound.com. Hey, you'll get gifts you really love and you can support a good cause. (5) Ask your professors, your child's teachers, your school, office, or organization to think about buying their books through Charis. They'd be surprised at how easy it is.We are always open to doing a book table at a community event or at a conference or school. Email Sara@charisbooksandmore.com to inquire about book tables in the community. (6) Educate yourself and others about why buying local and independant helps all of us. Below are just a few reasons from indiebound.com. We're sure you can think of many more. When you shop at an independently owned business, your entire community benefits: The Economy
The Environment
The Community
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