Ted Cruz, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Breakfast

What we're reading...In "Why the Color of Nina Simone's Skin Is as Important as the Sound of Her Voice," Britt Julious examines why the casting of Zoe Saldana as the title character in Nina contributes to the erasure of her Black womanhood in the public eye. She goes on to recount her own formative experience with the music of Nina Simone, an artist she describes as "troubled, profoundly talented, and immensely important."New York Times bestselling author Ta-Nehisi Coates is responsible for the reboot of Marvel's Black Panther comic series. The release will coincide with the cinematic release of Captain America: Civil War. Reflecting on the transition from journalist to graphic novelist, Coates says, "It’s a very backwards, in my mind, process. It’s not the process of writing journalism. I’ve had to totally rethink certain things. If I wanted to introduce somebody, say a villain, in a scene or even T’Challa in a scene, that’s tough to do."Politically, we are reading  "A Most Hated Man." Professor Clancy Martin explains the difference between Trump and Cruz, why Cruz may be more dangerous, why he is so despised, and whether or not the bullied are morally superior. We are also enjoying Mieke Eoyang's explanation of "What Democrats Must Do To Win Back National Security Voters in 2016," and the New York Times' "Geography of Trumpism."What we're listening to...Andrew Bird and Fiona Apple struggle to write the perfect "simple" love song in "Left Handed Kisses," from the upcoming album, Are You Serious? The video was just released, and you can listen to the audio below.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdZqgyz84YY[/embed]Lawrence's new album, Breakfast, is served. Juxtaposing a three-piece horn section with other background instrumentals, Clyde and Gracie Lawrence ask and answer the question, "Who's hungry?"[embed]https://open.spotify.com/album/48pEv4Aat4rTDSUi6lqnvS[/embed]