Alabama born and raised author, screenwriter, director, and playwright LaDarrion Williams has given new meaning to the phrase carpe diem. Williams, who recently spoke to the AmNews in advance of his May 13 appearance at the 92nd Street Y (92NY), shared that he left his Alabama small town on a whim to strike out in pursuit of his lifelong dreams. “I was working at Taco Bell, depressed, and just wanted to get away. One night, my paycheck hit my direct deposit and I bought a $181 Southwest ticket. I’d never been on a plane before. It was a one-way ticket. I clicked to buy the ticket and I was like, ‘I guess I’m moving to LA!’”

Williams is promoting his soon-to-be-released YA Fantasy novel “Blood at the Root,” a book that appears to fulfill the dashed promises of the once highly anticipated film “The American Society of Magical Negroes (ASMN).” That story wasn’t about a Black Hogwarts as many assumed, but “Blood at the Root” in many ways, is. It chronicles the life of 17 year-old Malik as he tries to forget a traumatic past and begin a new life along with his younger foster brother. His journey brings him to a university, an HBCU in fact, that houses a community of people who, like him, harbor magical powers.

Williams recalls the flurry of activity among his peers when “ASMN” was initially announced. “That morning when I woke up my phone kept going off and there were all these texts and messages saying congratulations on the movie on Instagram and Tik Tok and what not. I was like, ‘Lord did they make my movie and not tell me? Or pay me?’” Williams was relieved, to say the least, when he realized “ASMN” was about something much different. “I was like, y’all, this ain’t my movie. This is not my story!”

Though Williams respects those involved with “ASMN,” the narrative isn’t something he is completely comfortable with, to the point that he decided not to see the film. “I’m at a point in my artistry where I want to consume something that’s going to uplift us though I’m not saying that story’s not uplifting for someone. But I can’t in my good conscience as a Black man and as a Black Fantasy writer who is out here fighting for my stories, go watch a movie where a Black character is only using his magic to help white people.”

Crushed hopes for the film were laid bare across social media after the trailer came out, the comments revealing, in no uncertain terms, the deep disappointment of many fantasy genre fans. “Black people are wanting to see us in a fantasy genre, because we have been excluded for years in the fantasy genre. Or we were only there as the sacrificial lamb. And so what people are really wanting and needing and what Hollywood and publishing needs to start realizing is that we want our own fantasy stories. We want our own Black magical stories.”

Williams’ plan for the story was originally as a film. In fact, the book was adapted from that now viral short film. “Blood at the Root wasn’t supposed to be a book. It was supposed to be a TV show. I wrote and I created a short film and the TV pilot. The reason I turned it into a book is because I had to pivot. Hollywood kept slamming their doors in my face.” His posts on X and TikTok have had tremendous engagement, including with popular existing trends like #BlackatHogwarts and #HBCUHogwarts. 

TV’s “Lovecraft Country” and music—Beyoncé’s music specifically—inspired Williams to write “Blood at the Root.” The song that propelled him was “Find Your Way Back,” the South African House  Music influenced track from “The Lion King: The Gift” album literally about reclaiming what one has lost. “It really sparked something for me,” Williams recalled. “Beyoncé created this beautiful story about a Black boy going from the Motherland all the way to here and the ancestry of it and I was like, I want to write that. That is going to be my mission.”

“Find Your Way Back” was also intensely personal for Williams. “I don’t know what that lady put in that song, but it really, it sparked something for me. It made me come to terms with not only myself but my childhood. My relationship with my father, my relationship with my mother, and my relationship with my hometown. We always talk about the inner child, but we never talk about the inner teenager because my teenage years were rough.”

Hippolyta’s (played by Aunjanue Ellis) mystical, galactic arc and the recreation of the events of the Tulsa Massacre as rendered in “Lovecraft Country” also catalyzed Williams’ writing of “Blood at the Root.” “She said I am—I am Hippolyta. I am.” Those are powerful words.”

Williams’ work contains some of the best examples of ways that popular entertainment can be lovingly referential, affirming, and uplifting. States Williams, “Those elements I took from “Lovecraft Country” and “Find Your Way Back” were like, yes, Blackness is magic. It’s Royal. It’s beautiful. It’s so badass! Beyoncé, thank you. Misha Green, the creator of “Lovecraft Country, Thank you.”

For more info, visit 

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738959/blood-at-the-root-by-ladarrion-williams

The post New YA fantasy novel inspired by Beyoncé’s music appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

For a while there, the landscape of meat-free burgers was a bleak one. Nowadays, graciously, there’s a wide array of top-notch meat-free options throughout the city, from the famed plant-based patties over at Superiority Burger to those “Slut-sauced” options at Slutty Vegan. And now New York burger lovers are getting another no-beef entry with the arrival of Moonburger, set to hit NYC this summer. 

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Born as a drive-thru burger joint in Kingston, New York in 2021, Moonburger became known for its fast food-style vegetarian hamburgers—piled-high creations each made with a griddled Impossible patty, double onion, dill pickle, crunchy lettuce, special sauce and optional American cheese on a Schmidt’s potato roll—oat milkshakes and “hot fries” (flavored with “a secret spice blend with a not-so-secret kick”). To make sure Moonburger’s offerings appealed to both veggievores and meat lovers alike, founder Jeremy Robinson-Leon put together a strong panel of culinary personalities to advice on the menu, including cookbook author Alison Roman, Bon Appétit editor Amiel Stanek and Strange Delight restaurateur Anoop Pillarisetti.

The team parlayed that patty popularity into a few more New York locations, including in New Paltz and Poughkeepsie. And now Moonburger is officially touching down in New York City, with a location set to open this July at 126 Bedford Avenue and North 10th Street in Williamsburg, Eater reports. 

And Brooklynites can expect all of the Moonburger menu favorites, which you can get a la carte or as a “Full Moon Combo” (classic cheeseburger, small fries and a soda.) Along with the main food options, popular extras like the brand’s homemade Cooper Sharp cheese sauce and dairy-free drinks like the MB Brownie Batter Shake (homemade chocolate ganache spun with Oatly milk) will likely be making the move to the big city. 

The various locations of Moonburger all sport a kitschy-fun space theme, so we’re hoping for something truly out of this world decor-wise for the Brooklyn outpost. Stay tuned!

* This article was originally published here

The nominations for the 77th Annual Tony Awards were announced and many Black folks are shining in the list of nominees. The Tony Awards will take place  on Sunday, June 16, live at the David H. Hoch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, from 8-11pm. A huge light has been turned on to “Hell’s Kitchen,” as the Alicia Keys musical has 13 nominations. Included in those nominations are best musical; best book of a musical—Kristoffer Diaz; best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical—Maleah Joi Moon; best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical—Brandon Victor Dixon; best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical—Kecia Lewis. 

There are nominations for best choreography for Camille A. Brown; best costume design of a musical—Dede Ayite, who is actually nominated for three different productions: Along with “Hell’s Kitchen,” Ayite is up for best costume design of a play for both “Appropriate” and “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” “Hell’s Kitchen” is also nominated for best direction—Michael Greif; best scenic design of a musical—Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini; best sound design of a musical—Gareth Owen; Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone for best orchestration; best performance by an actress for a featured role in a musical for Shoshana Bean; and best lighting design of a musical—Natasha Katz.

The beloved revival of the late Ossie Davis’ “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” received six impressive nominations including best revival of a play; best direction of a play—Kenny Leon; best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play—Leslie Odom Jr.; best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play—Kara Young; best scenic design of a play—Derek McLane; and best costume design of a play—Emilio Sosa.

“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” received five Tony nominations for best play—Jocelyn Bioh; best direction of a play—Whitney White; best scenic design of a play—David Zinn; best costume design of a play—again, Dede Ayite; and best sound design of a play—Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella.

“The Notebook” garnered a nomination for Dorian Harewood in the best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical. In the musical, “The Outsiders” Joshua Boone is nominated for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical. In the musical “Suffs” Nikki M. James earned a nomination for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical. “Suffs” also earned a nomination for Paul Tazewell in best costume design of a musical.

When it came to plays, William Jackson Harper earned a nomination for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play for his performance in “Uncle Vanya.” Quincy Tyler Bernstine is up for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play for “Doubt: A Parable.”

A play which is quite powerful to experience and is also up for best revival of a play is “Appropriate” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

The Black folks nominated in these categories delivered exceptional performances and displayed awe-inspiring talent. CBS, Channel 2 will run the production live and Paramount+ will have it on demand. This awards show always lets people see what Broadway has to offer, and right now that is certainly a lot. I’ll be at the awards covering it, and I hope you’ll be enjoying it at home.

For more info visit www.tonyawards.com

The post Black talent shines in this year’s Tony noms appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

We obviously don’t need some groundbreaking study to know that living in New York has gotten way too expensive, but sometimes it’s nice to have some hard, cold data to back the claim up. 

According to a report by StreetEasy that analyzed extensive data from Zillow, rent increases in about half of major metro areas throughout the country have grown at a faster pace than wages, but New York takes the cake when it comes to disparities between the average person’s salary and how much their apartment is costing them on a monthly basis.

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Among its many shocking but also not that shocking findings, the report found that NYC rents grew far faster than local wages—boasting the largest gap in the country as a whole. While wages here grew just 1.2% between 2022 and 2023, rent prices have increased seven times faster. 

The report attributes some of these disparities to surging demand for renting in New York with low vacancy rates, a situation that allows landlords to jack up prices and finding willing tenants.

That will hopefully soon change: last month, the local government approved legislation to combat dramatic rent increases and will allow tenants to challenge any escalation that surpasses 8.5% year to year, per Gothamist. Still, enforcement may be tricky.  

Back to the report: according to the outlet, upfront costs when looking for a home in New York reach an average of $10,500 because of extremely high broker fees, deposits and other factors. 

The news wasn’t all bad, though—if you don’t live here. In some cities, wages have actually increased faster than rent prices, including San Jose, Houston, Salt Lake City, Austin and Raleigh. 

Before you pack it up to try and make a life for yourself in North Carolina, though, it seems like the market is finally, albeit slowly, starting to moderate in some parts of the city. Shockingly, median asking rents in Manhattan for February 2024 dropped 4.6% compared to February 2023, according to StreetEasy. Even more shockingly, though, median prices in Queens have skyrocketed by 13.5% during the same time period, with competition being particularly rough in neighborhoods like Long Island City, Astoria and Sunnyside, according to the data. 

In conclusion, you’re not wrong: you’re not getting paid enough. 

* This article was originally published here

Hot dogs are having a bit of a moment—there’s an enormous frankfurter smack-dab in the middle of Times Square right now, in case you’ve somehow missed it. And while we’ve seen hot dog ice cream, churro hot dogs and hot dog fried chicken sandwich throughout the city’s frank-loving history, New York is now getting a hot dog cocktail. Yes, really. 

RECOMMENDED: Try NYC’s best hot dogs, frankfurters and sausages from all over the five boroughs

LilliStar, the celestial Brooklyn rooftop bar from the creators behind Broken Shaker, reopened for the warm-weather season atop The Moxy Williamsburg on Monday, April 15, and they’re officially cheers-ing to summertime with a whimsical new cocktail creation: the “Hot Doggin’ It” ($18), a savory beverage meant to evoke the nostalgic flavors of one of New York’s most quintessential eats.

Don’t worry, you won’t find any actual dirty water in this drink—instead, it merely gives off the essence of the American classic via Vida, Lustau Vermut, tomato water and mustard seed agave. (There is a hot dog over on the food menu, served on a potato bun with red cabbage and harissa aioli for $12, in case you want the real thing.)  

Keeping to theme, the “Hot Doggin’ It” cocktail is festively wrapped in an aluminum hot-dog wrapper and topped with a twee cocktail weenie.

It’s not the only food-themed drink on the menu. There’s also the “’Nana Pudding” ($20), a clarified cocktail reminiscent of the comforting dessert with notes of vanilla and coconut (crafted with Zacapa, D’usse, banana black tea, coconut foam, and vanilla wafer). There’s a “Fried Pickles and Ranch” bev ($18) made with Ilegal Mezcal, Aquavit, Fino, dill, coriander and lime oleo; as well as an “Elote Twisted Tea” (cotija-washed Abasolo, Nixta, black tea, lemon oleo and smoked paprika salt for $19)

If you want your drinks to, you know, not taste like food, the bar program also includes large-format cocktails like the shareable “Fun in the Sun” (Don Julio Blanco, chinola, salers, passionfruit, citrus, Chinese 5 spice) for $350. Check out that one, as well as the LilliStar space, below:

* This article was originally published here

It’s been two decades in the making, but it’s finally a reality: Abolitionist Place Park, a new 1.15-acre public green space that honors Brooklyn’s abolitionist history, is officially open at 225 Duffield Street.

As Brooklynites are probably aware of, the park was originally called Willoughby Square Park and discussions regarding its debut started as far back as 2004, when Downtown Brooklyn was first rezoned.

False starts and community issues stalled the project, which was officially renamed Abolitionist Place in 2021 when the Economic Development Corporation, who is behind the construction of the area, also pledged to fund a public art installation that would honor the 19th century abolitionist movement in Brooklyn (more on that later). 

The time spent by officials to develop the effort has clearly paid off: according to Brownstoner, the park features a small dog run, an interactive water feature that will be turned on when the weather is warm, seating sections, a children’s playground and a central lawn, among other things.

The on-site public art installation will include two works by Brooklyn-based multimedia artist Kenseth Armstead: his “true North, Every Negro is a Star” will be a 16-by-33-by-33-foot steel dome structure commenting on the trans-Atlantic slave trade while “Conductors” will shed light on folks in the African diaspora “who helped the formerly enslaved people achieve freedom,” reports Brownstoner. Both pieces will debut in upcoming years.

The new destination will also be the site of public programs organized by the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, the same entity tasked with maintaining the park. No exact details have yet been shared about the sorts of events that will take place on site, except for a story hour that kicks off today. 

In terms of operating hours, the park will be closed between 1am and 6am every day and dogs won’t be allowed on the lawn at any point. Police officers will also be patrolling the area regularly. 

It’s always a good day when a new green space makes its debut in this concrete jungle of ours!

* This article was originally published here