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This weekend, we've got two essays on books and a Lenten reflection.

The first essay is a review of The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X ([link removed]) by father-daughter journalists, the late Les Payne and Tamara Payne.

For more than 30 years, the late Payne worked on the biography, which features interviews with people who knew Malcolm X when he was alive, from relatives and classmates to law enforcement, Nation of Islam members and politicians. The biography, winner of the 2020 National Book Award for nonfiction, covers the human rights activist's life, from his birth in Omaha, Nebraska, until he died in Harlem, New York, on February 21, 1965.

"After Payne's death from a heart attack on March 19, 2018, at 76, his daughter and principal researcher Tamara finished her dad's labor of love," writes ([link removed]) reviewer Chris Byrd. "Thirty years in the making and deeply sourced, the biography adds to our understanding of one of the 20th century's more consequential leaders."

Lent began this week. As COVID-19 deaths continue to rise and countless citizens struggle to survive following this week's winter storm, many of us are asking ourselves: How can our God allow such things to happen?

In her essay, Sr. Christine Schenk reflects on this question using A Deadly Education (Lesson One of the Scholomance) by Naomi Novik. "Aside from a complex and clever reflection about how power for good — and bad — affects and afflicts our planet, this intricate narrative nails the delightful snarkiness of college students who encounter the good, the bad and the ugly in our human enterprise," writes ([link removed]) Schenk. "This intriguing and intelligent story led me to think in new ways about how we are called to use our own graced 'superpowers' to overcome evil and promote good."

One way to promote good, according to our last essay this week, is "to pair one's faith with action."

Anne Gardner recalls how volunteering with her mother growing up shaped her. Amid racial tensions in her hometown, her mother took part in a ministry to help citizens experiencing homelessness. "My mother and I would drive through our neighborhood in a borrowed station wagon and gather sandwiches, fruit and sugary treats from the church ladies of St. Bartholomew Parish," writes ([link removed]) Gardner. "By mid-afternoon, with the car smelling of egg salad, bananas and homemade cookies, we would head into Boston for our dinnertime debut." Her mother's advocacy continues to inspire and inform her faith this Lenten season.

I can't wait to hear what you think of this weekend's essays. (P.S. you should also read Chris White's profile of Luis Miranda, Jr. ([link removed]) , the father of "Hamilton" creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda.)

This week, special shoutout to reader Stephanie, who writes that Hanif Abdurraqib is her "favorite contemporary writer by a mile. I return to They Won't Kill Us Until They Kill Us often, especially the Fleetwood Mac essay." One quote in particular from Abdurraqib’s essay ([link removed]) is especially haunting for her: "There are people we need so much that we can't imagine turning away from them, people we've built entire homes inside of ourselves for that cannot stand empty, people who we still find a way to make magic with, even when the lights flicker and the love runs entirely out.

Send me your best and worst pop culture takes, your favorite songs and books or say hello. You can shoot me an email at [email protected] or chat with me on Twitter.


** What I'm Watching
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I started HBO’s “30 Coins” this week. The series features Father Vergara, a priest sent to live in a remote town in Spain after performing a controversial exorcism that leaves a young man dead in Italy. I’m only on episode four, but it’s one of the best horror series I’ve ever watched so far, and the depiction of Catholicism on the show is surprisingly nuanced. You can stream the entire first season on HBO.


** What I'm Reading
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I'm still working my way through Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest by Hanif Abdurraqib.

But, supplementary reading I'd like to suggest for you all this weekend: Doreen St. Felix's writings, a television critic at the New Yorker. She — and Hunter Harris — is my favorite pop culture writer. Even if I haven't watched every show St. Felix is reviewing, I always enjoy her writing.

Start here: "The Crass Pleasures of 'Tiger King.' ([link removed]) "


** What I'm Listening To
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This week, I’m especially nostalgic for the days before the pandemic, when attending monthly concerts was a norm in my home. One of the last concerts I attended was Lucky Daye, a New Orleans-born R&B artist. He released his second EP, “Table for Two ([link removed]) ,” on February 12, 2021. I love his voice, lyricism and production.

Take a listen and let me know what you think.

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