Nick Petrulakis

Writings on the Wall, from @kaj33. Important. Poignant. Crucial. Urgent. If you’re looking for something to read.pic.twitter.com/E9CkkpqsLE

If you’re looking for something else to read. #OnNicksShelfpic.twitter.com/lxSyfngc1N

And the stack just grows from there. I bought this for my girlfriend (now wife) when I was 19. King was so magnificent on the page.pic.twitter.com/zssbSKgNwf

Or this. I knew Emmett Till was lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman when he was 14. Didn’t know his father was executed at the end of WWII after a trial as farcical as the one that freed his son’s killers. This book is harrowing and that’s why you should read it.pic.twitter.com/Xqam3Csdi1

Maybe you want fiction? You can’t go wrong with @jesmimi. These books are brutal and beautiful and if you haven’t read them, you need to. Now. #OnNicksShelfpic.twitter.com/pnmzToksM2

Mosley’s amazing novel confronts race relations & economic disparity in 1940s LA - & you’ll see things haven’t changed. I picked it up in ‘90 because I was interested in his modern twist on noir. I left w/a deeper understanding of the racial chasm that divides our country.pic.twitter.com/8jv84oKejq

This is my dad’s copy. Most of you aren’t old enough, but the book made a splash. The miniseries made it a monster. My elementary school asked parents to allow kids to watch so we could discuss it in class. Which, thinking about it, was an amazingly good thing. #OnNicksShelfpic.twitter.com/bWRFRN76PH

Did I (only) like A Tribe Called Quest before reading this masterpiece from @NifMuhammad? Yes. Did I love them afterward? Absolutely. If this book isn’t in your life, make it so. Timely, personal, beautiful, powerful. @UTexasPress #OnNicksShelfpic.twitter.com/f3W6lyorN0