Three days ago,  I posted a story about a poetry book  inspired by Aretha Franklin’s performance at President Obama’s inauguration.  The focus was Aretha Franklin’s hat.

Brian of NYC, commenter at T/S,  wrote in to tell me there’s a great book called Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats.”

Found the book.  It’s a truly beautiful thing.

Take a look if you need a positive moment in your day.  Just buy yourself a cup of coffee and pull it off the shelf at your local bookstore, or order one online, and let the warmth remind you that we don’t need summer to feel some sunshine if we’ve got art.  But then again, summer’s a good thing, too.

Aretha Franklin’s royal hand on our souls, poet Patricia Spears Jones’ clever response, Michelle Obama’s high style.  They’re all a “fashion statement” in these tough times.   Makes a nice break from all the heavy chaos we tromp through in the news and in our daily lives.  And good to see some beautiful women in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, in the show.

Thank you, Brian, for letting me know.   And one more thing about Crowns – it inspired a play reviewed by NPR in 2002. Wouldn’t that play be perfect for drama class at schools across the country come Back to School this Fall?

Enjoy:

Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats