Sundays and Hot Buttered Rolls: A Granddaughter of Harlem Speaks by Carla M. Cherry

This is a riveting piece of prose and poetry that can only be compared to Jean Toomer’s Cane. From her daddy’s eyes the reader is taken on a journey through Harlem. The churches, restaurants, schools, the activities, the grace, and style of Harlem residents are all mentioned here. You can taste the food, watch the dancing, appreciate the photographs of the great Van Der Zee. She doesn’t miss a beat. The journey is rich with culture and exciting with reverence to a place the world has come to know as the citadel of Black culture. She goes on to enhance the journey with the accomplishments Blacks have made despite many saying we’ve made none other than the Blues. She provides a potent history lesson of names and inventions that are used today created by Blacks. There is no book of poetry like this out there. I am personally proud of Carla and this brilliant undertaking. Whether you know Harlem or not, this is a must read.

–Abiodun Oyewole, Founding Member of The Last Poets

Carla M. Cherry’s chapbook Sundays and Hot Buttered Rolls: A Granddaughter of Harlem Speaks is a stunning celebration of family, beloved memories and is filled with rich Harlem history from start to finish. Cherry’s poems mesmerize and paint a memorable portrait. “Ode to Harlem” opens this collection with a rhythm and beat infused with the music, scenes, and art of Harlem. The author’s use of historic locations, people, politicians, and foods to celebrate, center and document Harlem’s vibrant past is inspiring. Cherry’s ekphrastic poems bring renowned Harlem photographer James Van Der Zee’s portraits to life, at times magically transporting the reader to another era. Ultimately the portraits and interior musings of Van Der Zee, an influential figure in the Harlem Renaissance, anchor this collection. Just as Van Der Zee’s portraits documented Harlem’s vivid and diverse lives, so does this captivating collection.

–J.P. Howard, author of Say, Mirror and Curator of Women Writers in Bloom Poetry Salon, Brooklyn, NY

Carla M. Cherry’s Sundays and Hot Buttered Rolls: A Granddaughter Speaks of Harlem, makes one giddy with joy. It is a love letter to a much-admired father and to the “long ago” days of Harlem. This is a litany for dreams and lives lost prematurely and a roll call of revered ancestors. Cherry is an astute cultural historian who weaves the past into this present moment. Be prepared to learn something. This poet writes for the generations.

–Jacqueline Johnson, author of A Woman’s Season