Today’s a big day: we celebrate both Super Bowl Sunday and the start of Black History Month. Not to mention Langston Hughes’ 113th birthday!

I’m rooting for the Patriots (we lived in the Boston area for a few years that happened to be some of their winningest sports-wise) and am lucky enough to be able to attend the game and other festivities! Last night we attended the Direct-TV pre-party with headliner Rihanna who casually brought on surprise guest Kanye West. Easily one of my top five favorite concerts ever. I could gush about them for the rest of the post, but I don’t think it would be terribly productive.

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So without further ado, here are some Langston-themed Sunday Reads.

“I Too,” my most favorite Hughes poem.

“Harlem,” my other most favorite Hughes poem.

“We know we are beautiful. And ugly too.” From Hughes’ 1926 article for The Nation on the difficulties of creating multi-dimensional black art.

“For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf” by Ntozake Shange. This should be required reading for everyone.

“Systa,” by Mahogany Brown, one of New York’s best slam poets.

“Wear Wear the Mask,” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. This poem inspired my senior solo performance thesis.

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This weekend has been so much fun. The Super Bowl, of course, is going to be great (Idina Menzel is singing the National Anthem + John Legend will be singing “America the Beautiful.” My heart might stop.)  But just being with my family for the whole weekend is always such a treat. Being busy, ambitious people, we don’t always get to spend as much time together as we would like, so I really savor these opportunities. My dad calls them “moments,” which he resolved to have more of in 2015. Couldn’t agree more, dad.

Love and theatre (AND GO PATS!),

-K