#palaver

[grapefruiters]

i love when a song is an acquired taste. you can listen to something once and go huh. there's something here even if im not quite ready for it yet. and you listen a couple more times. and then bam a couple weeks or months or years later you listen, youve finally worn the song in and it's the most beautiful thing you've ever heard

[dk-thrive]

But it’s hard to get away from yourself, you know? Even if you think that you have. We bring ourselves wherever we go.

— Bryan Washington, Palaver: A Novel (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, November 4, 2025)

[lgbtqreads]

Happy Black History Month 2026!

It’s Black History Month, and we’re celebrating as we do with books by Black authors (almost entirely) starring Black characters! For even more titles, check out past years’ posts. Picture Books Dancing with Water by Gwendolyn Wallace and Tonya Engel An intergenerational story about a nonbinary child who learns the tradition of well digging in this picture book about community, hope, and…

Happy Black History Month 2026!

[evilhorse]

Yes! The Bongus must be holding a palaver!

(Tarzan Volume 1 #4)

[ekpoikan]

Just saw someone say palava means problem in Yoruba.

Open the schools.

I also once saw someone say Jesu Christi is Yoruba for Jesus Christ.

Open the schools and keep them open.

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Palaver: A Novel

by Bryan Washington

Design by Na Kim.

Cover art by Keita Morimoto.

[hithren]

Prompt 27: Palaver

Character: Ihzu’to Venha Location: Eastern Thanalan Tags: None

Talk, talk, talk.

It was not the first time he had heard similar words. People enjoyed words. Endless prattling on and on as if it would make a difference. Words like that were always the same.

Ihzu’to was no stranger to death. Nor was it as if his own clan had rites and practices of their own. But the ones out here always felt so empty. People made promises. People asked for revenge. People asked for forgiveness. 

People often asked why.

As they spent their days palavering away and wishing things were not the way they were, Ihzu’to was actually solving the deeper issue. Mothers wept over sons and daughters taken by creatures of the night. Not Flame nor Blade sought out the root of it.

Ihzu’to was a hunter. 

He could hear them. The way they spoke of if-onlys and what-ifs. Empty, unfulfilling words. Words did not cut down what caused the pain. Words did not bring peace.

He could hear them say how someone should do something. Someone should have done something.And they were fools. Little did they know the creature that had taken that life was already gone. Met with the end of his blade.

He wondered how many lives could have been saved had they only spent less time with words. He was but one, and there were so many. Empty, useless words.

People like that would spend their whole lives waiting for others to save them. Ihzu’to was full aware. 

He did not linger on it. He had no regrets for being too late to save one more. This world was cruel. This world was dark. 

He pulled up his hood and left the lichyard as the rain started. 

Talk, talk, talk. 

Words were not the way of his world. But people liked words. People would talk their way right into the grave. And Ihzu’to... Ihzu’to spoke with his sword.

[throneoflevin]

Prompt #27: Monologue

“Are you awake? Huh? Ahh...there you go. You lost consciousness for a while there so I decided to give you a short break. No no...don’t waste your time trying to talk. I don’t have any interest in what you have to say any longer. I’ve had enough of your worthless lies and attempt to buy time for yourself. You really are still holding on to the idea that someone is going to come and save you, aren’t you? How precious, and ultimately foolish.”

“For starters, no one in the world but me even knows this place exists. Even if they did, you think anyone is going to come racing over to save you? Don’t make me laugh. Who in their right mind would try to defy me in order to save someone as meaningless as you? No one. So, now that I have taken the time to crush your last little dream to pieces let me explain to you exactly what is going to happen.”

“You made the mistake of crossing me. A very, very poor decision. Sending people after me was smart, that much I will give you, but you should have sent more. You should have sent people who are stronger. Instead, all you did was piss me off. You wanted my bounty so badly, didn’t you? Was that all it was? Was it some sort of vendetta that you have against--”

“Oh! So that is it, huh? You see...people’s eyes tend to be a lot more honest then anything else about them. I can see the look of hatred in your eyes. Did I kill someone close to you? A spouse? Child? Sibling? Hm? Do tell. Oh, right, I wouldn’t be able to hear it anyway. You can cease your senseless mumbling, I can’t make out a damn word you have to say.”

“The reason doesn’t matter in the end; you tried to have me killed and you failed. You had to know the risk didn’t you? That sooner or later I would find out who had sent that useless group to my doorstep? It took more time then I care to admit but in a way that worked to my advantage. You must have thought you were home free...that I hadn’t come after you and you could just go on with your pathetic life and no harm would come to you. Nod your head if that is what you thought.”

“Not playing along now? Well, that makes this much less fun. Come now...I said nod your damn head!”

“Better! There you go! Now...did someone pay you to organize this? You did it all on your own? So, you do have a reason to hate me then? See, was that so hard? All you have to do is cooperate and I’ll make your death nice and quick. You won’t have to--”

“Don’t waste your time struggling. Fight all you want but those chains aren’t just going to break because you want them to. You are a dead man, so you may as well come to accept it. As fun as it is to watch you attempt to escape in vain, I do have other things to do today. With that in mind I believe it is about time to wrap this up.”

“...Are you pleading? Are those tears? Are you truly going to act so childish now? You brought this on yourself, you had to be willing to accept the possible outcome if things went wrong. Did you not prepare for this? You are just like everyone else...never looking far enough forward in order to see what could befall them. That is where you and so many other worthless piles of trash masquerading around as people differ from someone like me.”

“I know my fate. I know the eventual demise I have brought on myself. When that day comes I will not fight against my fate, I will accept it. Someone will bloody their hands over me and I will have brought it on myself. Who am I to deny them what is rightfully theirs? If they have the courage to face me like a man and best me then I will die knowing that I will have destroyed that person’s life for as long as they live. You see...we are just a product of our environment and the events we have to endure. Imagine how things could have been if my life had been...”

“...Bled out, did you? What a shame. I was hoping you would suffer for a little while longer. Ah, well, suppose that is that.”