A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets
We’re proud to announce A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets, the new memoir from our CEO and Founder, which reveals the vision, challenges, and triumphs behind opening Busboys and Poets. Packed with misadventures, unexpected triumphs, and insights on race, business and politics, Andy Shallal’s memoir takes us on a “How I Built … Continued
For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday
Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals. He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.” … Continued
Palestine Week 2024
January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued
Everest Base Camp #9
Quaint is the word. I am starving. The lack of sleep and exhaustion makes me famished. To my surprise, the menu at this tea house (as in every tea house along the route I come to learn) looks like any roadside diner along I-95 South. It’s even laminated. The only thing missing was, the “hi … Continued
9. The Art Factory (Fabrica De Arte Cubano)
Reflections from the Busboys and Poets Travel Tribe’s Cultural Exchange trip to Cuba (July 6-13, 2022) Of all the places I visited in Cuba. Of all the events. The panels. The museums. The sights and sounds. The Fabrica De Arte Cubano (aka Fabrica) stands out. An old repurposed oil factory. Transformed into a multi level. … Continued
‘Tis the Season for Holiday Gift Cards
Delight a friend, family member, co-worker or maybe even yourself with a gift cards to Busboys and Poets! Our gift cards can be used to purchase food (mmm sweet potato pancakes), drinks (Langston Cooler, anyone?), books and any other items sold at our bookstore. This includes Busboys merch, notebooks, cards and other fun gifts. Send a physical … Continued
Busboys and Poets Book Review: Young, Gifted, and Black
Bearing the same name as Nina Simone’s iconic song, “Young, Gifted, and Black” explores the lives of 52 black people, both past and present, who have helped shaped different aspects of black culture. As author Jamia Wilson explains in the foreword, “this book is a love letter to our ancestors and the next generation of … Continued