#ring shout

[untalented-but-opinionated]

Books I Loved In 2025: Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

"This is my pain. My scar to carry. Ain’t theirs to feast on, to suck dry like marrow from a bone. I’ve had enough of monsters, devouring bits of me, trying to eat me up altogether."

[half-bloodorange]

THE RING SHOUT IN SINNERS

I haven’t seen many people talk about the Ring Shout in Sinners so I wanna bring up a few points. Ring Shouts , or Plantation Shouts (sidenote: I grew up hearing it called Cake Walk Shout [ side note to the side note: cake walk is also an African American Carnival Game and also a style of dance that mocked white people “fancy dancing” back in the day]). The ring shout is an affirmation of black life, a declaration of the sanctity of it. I’ve read that in days of share croppers and plantation workers (slaves) we used to bless ourselves, our work , and our land.

“You got a right to the Tree of Life.”

I was raised with a song similar but in the early 2000’s in the region of the south I grew up in our cry had/has morphed into “You got a right to stay alive.” This change is likely due to the prevalence and impacts of police brutality on our men, women and children. Our realities have changed yet our need to affirm to ourselves that our lives matter have not.

Here’s where Sinner comes in. When they are outside of the Juke Joint the fledgling vampires and Remmick were doing a Ring Shout. Remmick imbued it with some of his Irish culture (which was not uncommon at the time black and immigrant and native traditions were in constant conversation with each other) but it was an AA Ring Shout all the same. Like I said multiple times before this Ring Shout was an Affirmation of Life and all of them motherfuckers was dead, ironic lol. Not only were they dead but their “right to the tree of life” (joining the ancestors and being venerated) and their “right to stay alive” was cruelly and brutally stolen from them.

There’s also this comparison of the vampires being culty that struck me as odd. I know it was one of their tactics to be let in/ to get Sammi but why this specifically. I consume a lot of vampire media and the way Remmick and Cornbread and them were trying to reel the humans in with the sixties hippy ‘love will heal us all’ is so unique to the vampire genre. I at least haven’t seen that before. The temptation is always immortality, strength, power yada yada ya. I’ve done a Cake Walk Shout before and it is an overwhelmingly lovely experience, and you do feel love all around you but it’s not cult-y like that. Lmao I am rambling but it definitely means something. I just don’t know what yet.

Some one smarter than me could probably make some deeper points (please do!) but I thought this was all worthy of noting.

Additional Information 🤎

it was serious, but also it was also fun. we can always have fun. i really love my people. 🥺♥️✨

• those of us that attend church still shout just not in a circle 🤍

• also if you grew up playing “Little Sally Walker” you’ll find that it is likely inspired by all of this this.

[samduqs]

The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Une Si Longue Lettre by Mariama Bâ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James ⭐️⭐️

Besar a un elfo by Tamara Molina ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[torpublishinggroup]

if you liked the movie Sinners, you simply must read Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark, a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the KKK's reign of terror.

Can Maryse stop the Klan before it ends the world?🔥

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Ring Shout | Author: P. Djèlí Clark | Publisher: Tor (2020)

[uzumaki-rebellion]

I do have to say one thing about a particular scene in "Sinners" that was another red flag about Remmick's intentions....

*spoilery things ahead*

I couldn't get over how insidious it was of him to use our ring-shout ceremony to force-assimilate the Black juke joint folks into his little vampire cabal.

That clockwise and counterclockwise dancing in a circle is so powerful for us. We did it in Congo Square, among the Geechee/Gullah in the low country, and elsewhere. It is the place of communing with spirits to put us in a trance-like state to open that doorway. We use it in Hoodoo, Voodoo, Candomble, Obeah and other syncretic religious off-shoots that we've created and used throughout the Black Diaspora to bind us with our ancestors and call down our Gods/Orishas/Loas to often ride us like horses.

For him to use our most intimate way to connect with our own for his nefarious use--forcing us to dance to his music, and sing HIS Irish songs--offended me the best way in a movie. Ryan did his homework! I almost shouted in the theater, "Oh, no this dude did not just use our cultural practices to uplift him and his own. Tricking them into thinking they were the same."

Anyhoo, shout out to the ring-shout. The details in this fucking movie still blow me away. The ring-shout dancing is liberation for us and often had be done hidden away in the woods. Watching it used to enslave Black people again was intense.

Sidenote: Jack O'Connell was dancing his ass off and I'm so happy he got to get back into his Irish dancing roots himself! Somebody throw on Beyonces "Riverdance"! Lol!

[ninsiana0]

If you loved the film SINNERS, read RING SHOUT by P. Djèlí Clark if you're interested in a book with similar themes & vibes.

[clinttbartton]

give me your hand. if you liked the sinners movie you will like ring shout by p. djèjí clark. run not walk to your local library or bookstore to get a copy

[book--brackets]

Green Rider by Kristen Britain (1998-present)

On her long journey home from school after a fight which will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her future as she trudges through the immense forest called Green Cloak. But her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves as a galloping horse bursts from the woods, the rider slumped over his mount's neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan that he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king, and that he bears a "life and death" message for King Zachary. He begs Karigan to carry his message, warning her not to read it, and when she reluctantly agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission "for love of country." As he bestows upon her the golden winged-horse brooch which is the symbol of his office, he whispers on his dying breath, "Beware the shadow man..."

Karigan's promise changes her life forever. Pursued by unknown assassins, following a path only her horse seems to know, and accompanied by the silent specter of the original messenger, she herself becomes a legendary Green Rider. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (1872)

Princess Irene lives in a castle in a wild and lonely mountainous region. One day she discovers a steep and winding stairway leading to a bewildering labyrinth of unused passages with closed doors - and a further stairway. What lies at the top? Can the ring the princess is given protect her against the lurking menace of the goblins from under the mountain?

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton (1936-1985)

Jo, Bessie and Fanny move to the country and find an Enchanted Wood right on their doorstep. In the magic Faraway Tree live the magical characters that soon become their new friends – Moon-Face, Silky the fairy, and Saucepan Man. Together they visit the strange lands (the Roundabout Land, the Land of Ice and Snow, Toyland and the Land of Take What You Want) atop the tree and have the most exciting adventures – and narrow escapes.

The Last Binding by Freya Marske (2021-2023)

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Ash by Malinda Lo (2009-2011)

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher (2020)

Kara finds the words in the mysterious bunker that she’s discovered behind a hole in the wall of her uncle’s house. Freshly divorced and living back at home, Kara now becomes obsessed with these cryptic words and starts exploring this peculiar area—only to discover that it holds portals to countless alternate realities. But these places are haunted by creatures that seem to hear thoughts…and the more one fears them, the stronger they become.

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark (2020)

In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan's ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride, spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to bring Hell to Earth. But even Ku Kluxes can die. 

Standing in their way is Maryse Boudreaux and her fellow resistance fighters, a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Armed with blade, bullet, and bomb, they hunt their hunters and send the Klan's demons straight to Hell. But something awful's brewing in Macon, and the war on Hell is about to heat up. 

Can Maryse stop the Klan before it ends the world?

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones (1977-2006)

Cat doesn't mind living in the shadow of his sister, Gwendolen, the most promising young witch ever seen on Coven Street. But trouble starts brewing the moment the two orphans are summoned to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Frustrated that the witches of the castle refuse to acknowledge her talents, Gwendolen conjures up a scheme that could throw whole worlds out of whack.

The Thief of Always by Clive Barker (1992)

Mr. Hood’s Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles, a blissful round of treats and seasons, where every childhood whim may be satisfied. There is a price to be paid, of course, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by Mr. Hood’s wonders, does not stop to consider the consequences. 

The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes (2019)

Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.

Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities—and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.

Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past—and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity—and own who they really are.

[caribeandthebooks]

Caribe's New Works by Black Authors TBR - Part 2

Category: Mystery & Horror

[patheticblorbloscholar]

Sinners put me in a gothic/horror mood[bought from a local independent bookstore]

[mfred]

August Reading Wrap-up

August was a hard month. I only read 13 books. Perhaps surprisingly, when things get hard and I feel very stressed, I read less. I can't focus or concentrate enough to get into a book. Reading is a source of joy and comfort for me, so my inability to lose myself in a fictional world really makes things worse.

But on to the books:

I started the month strong with Ilona Andrew's Sanctuary (4 stars). It was a lot of fun going back to the Kate Daniels world, this time through the character of Roman, the dark god Chernobog's high priest. Then I rode that high for a little bit by re-reading a couple of Andrew's Innkeeper's Chronicles books. I only re-read a couple and not the whole series because at their worst, Andrews can get really expository and explainy, and I find them at their worst in those books.

On the romance front, I also did some re-reading of Megan O'Brien's The Ride series, which is just mid motorcycle romance. It's kinda where my brain was at-- mediocre, mindless entertainment. I also fit in S. Cole's The Fates We Tame, which should have been more emotionally impactful than it was (4 stars). And I trudged through Blaze by Lynn Raye Harris, which ended up being pretty slow and boring (3 stars).

And then I picked up the Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley and really shocked myself by not liking it that much. On the surface, it had everything I should have loved: time travel, intrigue, romance! But I found it to be more lit fic than speculative fiction, which is not my bag. The twists at the end weren't suprising and twisty, just kind of flat. I ended up giving it 4 stars for technical merit, but feelings-wise, it was more of a 3 star book.

I thought I finished off the month with a DNF, Lindsay King-Miller's The Z Word. I read the first few chapters, felt like I knew exactly how the book would end, and then decided to skip to the end to see if I was right. And I was. And I didn't like it.

But at the last moment (literally the night of August 31st) I said, fuck it, I'm reading P. Djèlí Clark's Ring Shout, which has languished on my TBR for years. Years! AND IT WAS AMAZING. 5 full stars! Horror, humor, great characterization, thrilling plot! It had everything! I laughed and cried and was grossed out in equal measure.

It's so awesome, what reading a good book can do.

[whatcha-reading-today]

Summerween Day 3: Screams Under 200 pages

This is part of the recommendations for Summerween 2024. See the masterpost here.

A good scare can be very long, or can be quite short. Here are some recommendations of quick and scary reads under 200 pages (or slightly over).

Ring Shout | P. Djèlí Clark (185 pages): Racism is a disease that transforms Klan members into monsters.

Tender is the Flesh | Agustina Bazterrica: (208 pages): Disgusting! Humans can't eat animal products anymore for reasons, so we now cultivate humans for consumption.

The Hellbound Heart | Clive Barker: (164 pages) The story that inspired Hellraiser. Barker's writing is crisp and easy to read quickly, but boy is THH a blast.

Audition | Ryu Murakami (208 pages): There's a movie version of this and I have such a hard time watching it. But, a guy auditions women to be his girlfriend, and unfortunately, the woman he's interested in may have some violent tendencies.

Night of the Mannequins | Stephen Graham Jones (144 pages): If you love SGJ's work, I highly recommend you go in as blind as possible on this one.

Ring | Kōji Suzuki (288 pages): What if you watched a video tape and died a week later?

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream | Harlan Ellison (134 pages): I first interacted with this story as a point and click adventure horror game. Recommend both the story and the game.

[sjwallin]

”Spiritual Songs of the New World” for Orchestra (MIDI Demo)

Certain musical patterns are shared among all of humanity, transcending geographical and temporal boundaries. This selection of early spiritual songs originating from the North American continent exemplifies this remarkable unity. Whether it be the music of indigenous peoples displaced by European colonists, the religious songs adapted from folk songs of European origins, the poignant spirituals of the enslaved forcibly brought to America’s shores, or the hymns sung by impoverished rural Southerners, humanity expresses hope through their shared language of music.

This orchestral suite opens with a rendition of a Lakota lullaby titled, “��haŋté Wašté Hokšíla (My Kind-Hearted Boy)”. This then transitions into a New England colonial rendition of the traditional song “Wayfaring Stranger”.  The song’s sentiment of constant journeying, being a stranger in a strange land yet lifting the eyes in hope toward the promise of a better home, links the stories of all who reside on this continent: European immigrants fleeing oppression, indigenous communities forced upon trails of tears, and African people enslaved against their will.

From this wayfaring song that links them all, a lone trumpet introduces the melody, “I Wade the Water to My Knees”, a traditional ring shout song that recalls the historic 1803 rebellion and subsequent mass suicide at Dunbar Creek on St. Simons Island, Georgia. The lyrics of this call-and-response shout song bring this powerful imagery to life:

I wade the water to my knees.

I’m gonna pray, gonna pray.

I wade the water to my knees.

I’m gonna pray til I die.

Lord, the water’s so cold… Til my body but not my soul… I’m gonna sink and never rise… Won’t rise now but don’t know when… With my faith I’ll rise again…

Following a brief harmonic transition, a faithful orchestration of “Wondrous Love” is presented. The harmonies are accurately reproduced from those found in the Sacred Harp tunebook of 1844. This distinctly American tradition of harmony and singing-style originated in New England during the late 18th century and was subsequently codified in the aforementioned tunebook, published in the American South.

 After this rugged rendition of “Wondrous Love” comes “Idumea”. The melody was initially composed by Ananias Davisson in 1816. Subsequently, it was paired with Methodist lyrics (authored by Charles Wesley in 1753) and included in the shape-note hymnal Southern Harmony in 1835. The hymn was further incorporated into the Sacred Harp collection in 1844.

At long last, our journey culminates in a seamless fusion of the melodies from “Idumea” and the Lakota Lullaby that began this musical narrative — once more, illustrating the striking commonalities shared in the music of our diverse heritages.

[smittyreads]

Top 7 of 70 for 2024 ❤️📚

[noahsbookhoard]

🦇📚September 2024 Book Review (Part 1/4)📚🦇

Today is Halloween so in honor of that I pulled every spooky read from September and put them all together!

The Eyes Are The Best Part by Monika Kim

Ji-won's life has fallen apart since her father left her mother and her mother found a new boyfriend, George, a misogynist, condescending man who eyes out every Asian waitress. Adding to this stress due to her collegue studies and the persistent nice guy who won't take no for an answer, Ji-won starts having wierd dreams, dreams of bright blue, delicious looking eyeballs.

In terms of taboos, cannibalism ranks pretty high. It is deeply uncomfortable to hear stories about it yet it is an interesting question whwne it comes to moral vs survival. Yet I had never read a book that dived into the subject. What is interesting here is that Ji-won's hunger is 1) pretty specialised 2) entirely opportunistic and not driven by a need to survive. There's no point in judging the moral values of a fictional characters and I know that's kinda the point of horror as a genre but Ji-won's action sometimes made me really uncomfortable.

There is also a critique of misogyny and Asian fetishization which is well handled as far as I could tell. The father cheated and left with another woman, George to is cheating but he is even more disturbing than the whole eye eating thing, he is a creep, a cheater, demanding, borderline pedophile and just unsufferable as a person. If I was Ji-won I would have done more than hide is car keys in the fridge.

As for the end, it's wierd, it's just wierd. It's hard so say what was really murderous pulsions because George deserved it and what was Ji-won being sick, what was real and what was supernatural (if any of it was).

Overall it was a pleasant enough read in term of style. As for the theme I don't know if I like it or hate it. Maybe it's also a matter of setting, I usually like my horror a little bit less modern and down to earth but that is a matter of preference.

Ring Shout by P Djeli Clark

Just after World War I in the South of the US, the KKK is everywhere. Most of them are human, except among their ranks are hidden monsters just as dangerous as those men and women. Maryse and a group of resistant are fighting the Klan, through skirmish and sabotage but something more evil than before is brewing in Macon...

It has a really creepy but really cool twist on the Klan: there is still human member who embody the values of the KKK, and that's horrifying; but there are monsters with the same white form but wierd limbs, eyes and teeth. I love the author's way of introducing those supernatural elements: they are the first Klan members we see and it is unsettling to see them pounce on a dog carcass when you were expecting humans in costume. It's interesting to use real historical racist threats (the KKK, Birth of A Nation) and add to it a supernatural element while still maintaining the actual real life danger. It also raised the classic question: where is the line between man and monster?

I am neither American nor black so I can't really comment on the African American cultural aspects but they were really interesting and fitted well in the fantasy aspect of the novella as well as creating a contrast with the white side of Macon.

The characterization is great, I love the characters, Maryse and her comrade Sadie especially but the antagonist really brought the "Love To Hate Them" feeling for me. Also the Aunties, they are just the best.

I really liked it, but I might have appreciated even more with a deeper understanding of the period and the culture (too bad for me). Lots of actions, great characters and a really cool battle at the end, go for it!

What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier #1) by T Kingfisher

Alex Easton just arrived in the most rural and isolated part of Galicia at the request of Madeline Usher, a childhood friend. Her brother, Roderick, reveals what has been going on for the last months: Madeline is ill, dying probably. However some things sticks Easton as odd: why is Madeline sleepwalking all of the sudden? What is the white fur like substance growing on her skin? And what does it have to do with local superstition of Witch Hare?

Short but incredibly impactful. Fungi are really a freak of nature that works really well in horror: there's a ton of them, they interact with other living things in wierd ways and they are really hard to classify for non mycologist. The rewriting of Poe's classic short story The House of Usher is good, it keeps the key elements of the plot and characterization but develops everything around it. Roderick and Madeline are pretty much in character and I liked what she added to them. I liked Galicia, the country Kingfisher created for this story a lot: the land sets and atmosphere, it's cold, gray and wet. It also all happens in a very isolated place, ifused with traditions and superstitions that serves as foreshadowing and red herring.

Alex Easton also is a treat. A gender non conforming former soldier with no people skills whatsoever. The Sworn Soldier system is really cool and allows some ambiguity with Easton's gender that I loved. The PTSD is really well treated and adds both to the characterization and to the atmosphere. I also loved Angus and Miss Potter who added some much needed common sense to the cast.

I really loved it. The traditions, legends and history of Galicia are imersive and the way it tied supernatural elements with more natural but just as spooky threats works really well. I have just finished reading What Feat at Night, I heard somewhere that a third novella will be released somewhere in 2025 and I'm really looking forward to that.

The Book of Blood (Vol. 1) by Clive Barker

A series of twisted stories, from a serial killer on the subway in NYC to a theater of undead, not forgetting a monstrous man eating sow.

This was September's blind draw, let's say many of the book club members skipped this one. This is a collection of short stories, they vary a lot on theme, ton and unfortunately the enjoyment I took reading them: some where really good and disturbing, some where forgettable, some still baffle me six weeks later.

"The Book of Blood" is the prologue, and it sets the tone: creepy, characters that are deeply flawed and supernatural gory elements. It is also the shortest. It did well as an introduction but it wasn't very memorable to me.

"The Midnight Meat Train" left me divided: I was sold on the serial killer butchering people in subways. I was interested in the part where the city knew and let it happened. I was mildly disappointed by the supernatural element that fell a bit short after the adrenaline of the subway train scene. Yet it was interesting and well written.

"The Yattering and Jack" didn't left me much memories, except that it was quite funny. It is a Beetlejuice meet the Grinch kind of atmosphere. I liked the twist on the demon haunting that made the main character aware of what was going on but pushing through and frustrating the demon to no end. I never felt any real threat from the demon, though.

"Pig Blood Blues" is the gory twisted tale I was promised in the back cover: ghost, scary animals, possessions, ritual sacrifice and cannibalism; you name it, it's in it! Redwal's as a very down to earth character that you usually see in Stephen King's main character and his discovery of the giant sow who is at the center of human sacrifice rituals is just as satisfying. The sow itself gave me shivers, it is described in an entirely too human way to be comfortable. Lacey, a young boy that starts as the frightened victim scared of ghost and ends up just as monstrous as all the over character perfectly sets the mood. I was really wiered out by Redwall's attitude toward Lacey but his punishment at the end is really satisfying.

"Sex, Death, and Starshine" is my favorite but not the scariest! The living characters takes some time to realise that other are dead but once they do it's all fun and games and playing Twelfth Night in front of a ghost audience before going on a road trip! Just the tiny bit of whimsy, loved it!

"In the Hills, the Cities" is the most disturbing to me because I'm still wondering what the hell that was. Every years two cities straps themselves together to create a giant man shaped structure and they merrily go as a Flesh Transformer to the other city's Flesh Transformer. People die. Not because of the battle but because there assigned place in the comstruct is the sole of the feet. I guess I was supposed to feel some sort of eldritch fear but mainly I was working out the how and why and couldn't focus on the scary parts. Just plain bizarre.