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A Spectral Hue
A Spectral Hue | Craig Laurance Gidney
8 posts | 4 read | 9 to read
For generations, the marsh-surrounded town of Shimmer, Maryland has played host to a loose movement of African-American artists, all working in different media, but all utilizing the same haunting color. Landscape paintings, trompe l'oeil quilts, decorated dolls, mixed-media assemblages, and more, all featuring the same peculiar hue, a shifting pigment somewhere between purple and pink, the color of the saltmarsh orchid, a rare and indigenous flower. Graduate student Xavier Wentworth has been drawn to Shimmer, hoping to study the work of artists like quilter Hazel Whitby and landscape painter Shadrach Grayson in detail, having experienced something akin to an epiphany when viewing a Hazel Whitby tapestry as a child. Xavier will find that others, too, have been drawn to Shimmer, called by something more than art, something in the marsh itself, a mysterious, spectral hue. From Lambda Literary Award-nominated author Craig Laurance Gidney (Sea, Swallow Me & Other Stories, Skin Deep Magic) comes A Spectral Hue, a novel of art, obsession, and the ghosts that haunt us all.
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Michael_Gee
A Spectral Hue | Craig Laurance Gidney
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@SincerelyWinona @MeganAnn @Reggie #LPMBC

I had such a great time reading everyone‘s notes. Through this group, a not-good book has become a treasure. I cracked up reading your comments, especially Winona‘s friend‘s summation of the sex scene. I loved what emerged from this: the conversations, the recommendations, the recipe (!), the attention to beautiful lines I overlooked in my first reading.

I 💜 this. I‘m so grateful for the experience.

Reggie 🖤🖤🖤 3y
23 likes1 comment
review
Reggie
A Spectral Hue | Craig Laurance Gidney
This post contains spoilers
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Mehso-so

It‘s gonna be a while before I can read the words, fuschia, flower, and orchid without getting frustrated. At times even Megan‘s pen color choice was frustrating me! (😜) I think if the story character order went like: Hazel➡️Shadrach➡️Hosea/Edna/Scarecrow➡️Tamaris➡️Lincoln/Xavier➡️Amarantha/Fiona. If the story had been told linearly ending with AMA‘s backstory I would have enjoyed it better. There was so much opportunity to dive deeper into👇🏼

Reggie the Black experience and the queer experience but it‘s missed because the author is too busy writing repetitive fuschia color scenes. While this could have been better I really enjoyed being the last reader on this book because it felt like we were all watching the same bad B movie. Thanks for this round of LPMBC, it has been great reading with all of you. Happy Reading! (edited) 3y
14 likes1 comment
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MeganAnn
A Spectral Hue | Craig Laurance Gidney
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Mehso-so

I‘m hovering between a low pick and a so-so on this #lmpbc book. As an amateur artist myself, I found the art descriptions + idea of a spectral muse fascinating and somewhat inspiring. However the book is disorganized and would have benefited from some heavy editing.

@SincerelyWinona your paragraph on page 200 was something else 😂😵

@Reggie I mailed this off at the post office just now and you should have it early next week.

Reggie Thanks @MeganAnn @GhostStories I‘m finishing up Winona‘s book today and you‘ll have it Friday or Saturday. 3y
35 likes1 comment
review
SincerelyWinona
A Spectral Hue | Craig Laurance Gidney
Mehso-so

A book about art, the African-American experience, salt marshes, & the color fuchsia.

Hang out until page 200 for an unexpected paragraph that almost (but not quite) makes the shuffled narration worth it.

Finally finished this last night and getting it mailed to @MeganAnn today! Sorry it‘s belated, but thank you for the kind patience as I had to wait a few weeks to comfortably read after my concussion. I‘ll get caught up before the end of May!

Michael_Gee Oo I can‘t wait to get it back and see which paragraph you are referring to! 3y
9 likes1 comment
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SincerelyWinona
A Spectral Hue | Craig Laurance Gidney
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My physical TBR stack is just piling up and I‘ve had an absolutely intense month that started with an April fool‘s joke of an interstate car accident and severe concussion that literally messed up my vision, focus, and memory. I‘m trying to keep up with everything, especially my Litsy Markup Postal Book Club reads, but I feel like I‘m barely making a dent even though all I want to do is read!

Reggie Oh no, I‘m glad you‘re ok. Take as much time as you need with the books. I‘m sure we all feel the same way. @MeganAnn @GhostStories 3y
SincerelyWinona I just started April‘s because this is the first week that I‘ve been able to visually focus on the pages and my May one just arrived in the mail to add to the pressure! 😅 I love reading and am a quick reader, so I‘m giving it my best effort to stay on track, but I really appreciate the sentiment and concern! I‘ll definitely reach out if it ends up being delayed! 3y
MeganAnn Oh my goodness! I second @Reggie ... I‘m so glad you are okay and please take all the time you need. I usually plan to read the #lmpbc books mid- to late-month anyway so there‘s no rush to get it to me by the first. 3y
Michael_Gee @Reggie We do! That‘s terrible, Winona, and I‘m so glad you are doing better. Take however long you need! Take care of yourself. 3y
14 likes4 comments
review
Michael_Gee
A Spectral Hue | Craig Laurance Gidney
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Panpan

I am so bummed I didn‘t like this book. AND I picked it for #LMPBC, which is unfortunate. I feel like all the components of a good book are here and at its best it‘s hallucinatory but it‘s also messy and poorly edited to the point that I found myself frustrated and bored. The concept is really intriguing and I‘ve thought about it a lot since finishing it. I will be curious what the rest of #GroupQ thinks.

Reggie Lolol, one of my favorite things in lmpbc is when people pan their pick. I can‘t wait for this! 3y
Reggie As I sit here in my beige painted room, a wicker hamper in the corner full of gold toed socks bought from JC Penny‘s, next to the white painted doors opposite a black eclipse curtain covering the sole window of the bedroom from when I worked graveyard and protected my sleep from the harsh yellow rays of the sun, I‘m wondering what you‘re making me read, Michael! Lolol page 13 and I‘m literally being choked out by details. Lol, I will persevere. (edited) 3y
Michael_Gee @Reggie 😂😂😭 I‘m so sorry!! 3y
18 likes3 comments
blurb
Michael_Gee
A Spectral Hue | Craig Laurance Gidney
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Keeping with the color palette. (💜 this cover)

Reggie The fact that you and @vivastory are the only people to post about this book makes me excited to read this. And plum is nice. 3y
22 likes1 comment
blurb
vivastory
A Spectral Hue | Craig Laurance Gidney
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From the SFF180 YouTube book summary:
A series of vividly colored quilts made by a slave woman in the 1840s exert a powerful paranormal influence upon generations of artists and admirers in a small Maryland village. But is there something deeper and more sinister going on?
This was the most recent selection in SFF180's annual 12 days of Halloween recommendations & I always check them out because 1) they are under the radar selections & 👇

vivastory 2) Thomas has the best radio voice of any booktuber. I don't know much about his background, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out he had spent time on radio. He also carefully presents his reviews & videos. #ancestors #screamathonphotochallenge @4thhouseontheleft 4y
vivastory youtube.com/watch?v=9N-FBdyhoKc 4y
46 likes1 stack add2 comments