1 - The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton
2 - Purple Panties: An Eroticanoir.com Anthology by Zane (Editor)
3 - Sisters and Lovers by Connie Briscoe
4 - Missionary No More: Purple Panties 2 by Zane (Editor)
5 - True to the Game III by Teri Woods

1 - Confessions of a Video Vixen by Karrine Steffans
2 - Dear G-Spot: Straight Talk About Sex and Love by Zane
3 - The Vixen Diaries by Karrine Steffans
4 - Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou
5 - It's No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from Seduction to Scandal--a Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All by Carmen Bryan

Complete our eBook Survey (started March 4th 2009)
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Answer 10 questions about eBooks for a chance to win $25. Four (4) of the first 200 respondents to our eBook survey will be randomly selected to win $25. Click here to complete the survey.

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Asha Bandele

From the author of The Prisoner's Wife, a poetic, passionate, and powerful memoir about the hard realities of single motherhood.

When Asha Bandele, a young poet, fell in love with a prisoner serving a twenty-to-life sentence and became pregnant with his daughter, she had reason to hope they would live together as a family. Rashid was a model prisoner, and expected to be paroled soon. But soon after Nisa was born, Asha's dreams were shattered. Rashid was denied parole, and told he'd be deported to his native Guyana once released. Asha became a statistic: a single, black mother in New York City.

Paulo Coelho
http://authors.aalbc.com/paulo_coelho.htm

The Brazilian author Paulo Coelho was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist.

Coelho's novel The Alchemist was one of the most important literary phenomena of the 20th century. It reaches the first place in bestselling lists in 74 countries, and so far has sold 35 million copies. This book also brought the author in 2008 the Guiness World Record for most translated book in the world (67 languages).

Sandra Jackson-Opoku
http://authors.aalbc.com/sandra_jackson-opoku.htm

Jackson-Opoku is an award-winning writer who has published numerous articles, works of fiction and books on Africana literature, travel writing, and African American studies. She has taught Literature and Creative Writing at Chicago State University and the Fiction department of Columbia College.

This is what AALBC.com reviewer Thumper says about an Jackson-Opoku novel: "Do I recommend Hot Johnny (And the Women Who Loved Him)? Oh hell yeah! Definitely put this one on the To Read list. If you aren't a fan of Sandra Jackson-Opoku already, you will be after you read this book".

Virginia DeBerry & Donna Grant
http://authors.aalbc.com/virginia_deberry_donna_grant.htm

DeBerry and Grant have been best friends for 25 years, have turned a friendship into the most successful and enduring writing collaboration in African American fiction.

Donna and Virginia first met as plus size models vying for the same assignments. Their modeling careers led to the opportunity to launch Maxima, a fashion and lifestyle magazine for plus-size women, where Virginia was editor-in-chief and Donna the managing editor. When publication of Maxima ceased, Virginia and Donna decided to try writing a book together. The result, Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made, was a critical success.  Their latest novel, What Doesn't Kill You published in January of 2009.
 

Tony Medina was born in the South Bronx, raised in the Throgs Neck Housing Projects, and currently lives in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. He has earned his MA and PhD in Poetry and American and African American Literature from Binghamton University, SUNY.

Medina is the author of twelve books for adults and children, the most recent of which is the poetry collection, Committed to Breathing (Third World Press, 2003) and Follow-up Letters to Santa From Kids Who Never Got a Response (Just Us Books, 2003). Named by Writer’s Digest as one of ten poets to watch in the new millennium, Medina’s poetry, fiction and essays appear in over eighty publications. His children’s books, DeShawn Days and Love to Langston have garnered several awards, including the Parent's Guide Children's Media Award (2001), the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People (2002), and the Rhode Island Children's Book Award (2003). Among his three anthologies, In Defense of Mumia won The American Booksellers Association's Firecracker Alternative Book Award and Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam was named a Best Book of 2002 by The Washington Post’s Book World.

Red Light Special by Risqué - Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/red_light_special.htm

One day, I was in the mood for a Noire novel, but I had read all of them. I looked around my office and saw Red Light Special by Risqué. I picked it up. Red Light Special is the first book I’ve read by Risqué and it definitely will not be the last. I liked the novel a lot. I have a major issue with the book concerning the sex scenes, but other than that the book is good. I was hooked and did not put it down until I was finished.

Beulah Hill by William Heffernan - Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/beulah_hill.htm

I am sounding the alert that I just read a novel that has a strong black male character in it. Let’s imagine that I’m waving a big neon sign with “Black Male Hero found HERE!” There is no shortage in black male character in our literature today, but there are not many black male characters in today’s fiction that embodies that pioneering, wise, strong, will-beat-you-down-I-don’t-care-who-you-are black male character--the realistic black hero. When I come across one, I feel like trumpeting; there’s a strong black man in this book, there’s a strong black man in this book! In Beulah Hill by William Heffernan, did not only give me a strong black male character name Jehiel Flood, Heffernan placed him in a fabulously, complex murder mystery. Beulah Hill, which takes place in 1933 Vermont, is a solid mystery and examination of racial history and self identity. I loved it! The novel is an ass wiper of the nth degree.

Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey by Colin Grant - Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/negro_with_a_hat.htm

I appreciate the time and details Grant put into this wonderful biography, but I have to admit that the portion of the biography that had me glued to my seat was the constant bickering and snipping between Garvey and his nemesis W. E. B. DuBois. *big smile* You all know I love drama. The battle that Garvey and DuBois engaged in is the stuff movies should be made of. I loved it! Not only did the two see their differences from an ideological point of view, which in my opinion Garvey and DuBois were closer than apart, but it got ugly. DuBois taking Garvey to task over Garvey’s perceived uncouthness and his black skin and Garvey attacking DuBois on his preference for light skin, and his Talented Tenth approach to race, the barbs the two traded is amusing and sad. I cannot help but to think that if the two had set both of their egos aside and worked together, the civil rights movement would have taken place and succeeded 40 years before.

American Library Association Announces Coretta Scott King Award Winning Books for 2009
http://books.aalbc.com/2009_csk_winners.htm

The Coretta Scott King Award Winning Books were announced by the American Library Association during their Midwinter which took place in Denver, CO, Jan 23–28, 2009.  You'll find the author award and honor books, the illustrator and illustrator honor books as well as the John Steptoe New Talent Author Award winning Books. You'll also find links to all the award winning books from prior years.

Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman - Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/scottsboro.htm

Scottsboro is one hell of a good book! From the opening scene, which Ruby Bates narrates, to the last page, Feldman brings forth a strange, yet painfully familiar, world. The atmosphere, the people, the hopeless of victimization, the stifling heat of injustice; Feldman brought it all to the novel. At the same time, the novel had a cinematic mood. The story unfolded like a 1930s or 1940s black and white Frank Capra movie with the addition of stark reality thrown in.

The novel is Ruby Bates and Alice Whittier’s story, with Alice performing most of the narration. Good thing, because Ruby got on my nerves. Feldman created full three dimensional characters that emerged from the pages breathing air. Keeping with the cinematic aura Feldman created, in my mind-eye Alice quickly became Barbara Stanwyck, the Barbara Stanwyck from the Capra movie Meet John Doe. Alice has all of the same quality of that Barbara Stanwyck character, smart, witty, ambitious, creative, strong, vulnerable, and imperfect. The only difference Alice is real. A strange statement for me to considering Alice is a fictional character. I loved her!

Big Enough to Be Inconsistent: Abraham Lincoln Confronts Slavery and Race by George M. Fredrickson - Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/big_enough_to_be_inconsistent.htm

There is a great chance that my review of Big Enough to Be Inconsistent: Abraham Lincoln Confronts Slavery and Race by George M. Fredrickson will have more words than the small book itself. Fredrickson examines the writings of Abraham Lincoln to discuss Lincoln’s true opinions on African Americans, our freedom, and the state of slavery. Ordinarily, I would not have touched this book. For years now, I would get review copies of books on Lincoln – and there are a LOT of books about Lincoln, EACH YEAR. I would not read them. I am from the school of thought that took Lincoln at his word when he wrote that if he could have ended the Civil War without freeing the slaves he would. Needless to say that fact knocked Lincoln permanently off that pedestal of devotion and admiration for me. I was mystified that, even today, many African Americans still hold Lincoln in such regard. I changed my mind about reading this book after reading John Meacham’s American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House (excellent book by the way). So, with Illinois suddenly on my mind because of President Obama, I decided to give ol’ Abe a chance.

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story - Film Review
http://reviews.aalbc.com/gifted_hands_the_ben_carson_story.htm

World-renowned Dr. Ben Carson has long been considered by his colleagues as the best pediatric neurosurgeon around, so it’s no surprise that he remains in such great demand. Besides being stationed at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore where he performs over 300 operations on children each year, the peripatetic physician also crisscrosses the entire planet to share his miraculous talents with less fortunate folks in developing countries who might not otherwise be able to afford his services.

Dr. Carson is particularly famous for his seminal work separating Siamese twins joined at the head, such as the 50-member medical team he led during a 28-hour operation on a couple of nine month-old Zambian babies in 1997. Despite being the recipient of countless accolades including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, the humble doctor has never let his success go to his head. Instead, this devoted family man and devout Christian is quick to credit the Lord for his bounty of blessings.

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - The Lincoln on Race and Slavery Interview with Kam Williams
http://reviews.aalbc.com/henry_louis_gates_jr.htm

Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr. was born in Piedmont, West Virginia on September 16, 1950 to Henry, Sr. and Pauline Coleman. Today, he is a world-renowned scholar and educator and the Alphonse Fletcher Professor at Harvard University.  In his capacity as a public intellectual, he has served as host of “African-American Lives,” a PBS series which employs a combination of genealogy and science to reconstruct the family trees of the descendants of slaves. And just last year, he co-founded “The Root,” a sophisticated website dedicated to the concerns of the black intelligentsia.

Here, in conjunction with the celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, Professor Gates discusses two new projects revolving around the 16th President, his book, “Lincoln on Race and Slavery,” and his PBS special, “Looking for Lincoln.”

Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African-Americans - Book Review
http://reviews.aalbc.com/still_i_rise.htm

A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn is an excellent alternative to that conventional claptrap. However, Zinn’s politically-correct encyclopedia is almost 800 pages in length and thus not exactly easy reading. Another viable option is Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African-Americans by Roland and Taneshia Laird. Originally published by the couple a dozen years ago, the text has been updated to include recent developments, including the election of Barack Obama.

The Middle Sister by Bonnie J. Glover - Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/the_middle_sister.htm

I’m still finding my footing. Being away from reading books for three years, obtaining another degree, has dulled my reading senses. Now that the fire in my belly for books is growing larger and hotter, I decided to play a little catch up, read the books that I did not read while in pursuit of higher education again. Boy, did I strike gold when I picked up The Middle Sister by Bonnie J. Glover. I became familiar with Glover when I read her current novel, Going Down South. Going Down South is a simply MARVELOUS novel! Pick it up and read it, if you haven’t already.

Barack Obama: The Man and His Journey - DVD Review

Designed as a keepsake for fans of the new First Family, no one has a bad word to say about Barack, so this documentary doesn’t have anything controversial to offer, unless you count taking a few funny swipes at John McCain and Sarah Palin. Otherwise the biography is a cloying love fest from start to finish aimed at Obama supporters inclined to revisit every aspect of the campaign.

And it’s all here, from the surprising win in Iowa to the temporary derailment by Reverend Wright to the tide-turning racism speech in Philadelphia clear through to the convention in Denver and the Election Day triumph. Readily recommended as a pleasant recap, provided you’re not looking for much depth.

The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama by Gwen Ifill - Book Review
http://reviews.aalbc.com/the_breakthrough.htm

[Ifill's] timely tome contains a cogent, historical analysis of the evolution of U.S. politics along the color line. Curiously, Ifill indicates that what these inspired, young Democrats have in common, besides their party affiliation, is an impatience to implement a colorblind agenda decidedly different from that of the aging Civil Rights Movement generation.

Ultimately, the author has some tough questions to pose, such as “What is the point of electing African-Americans to high office if their ties to the black community do not bind them tightly enough to black causes?” An added bonus is that Ifill is generous enough to include a few personal anecdotes which reveal a very likable, intimate side her fans never get to see on TV.

State of the Black Union - Tavis Assembles Black Luminaries in L.A. for 10th Annual Gathering - Article by Kam Williams
http://reviews.aalbc.com/state_of_the_black_union_2009.htm

Highlights from the first half of the program included Dyson’s spirited indictment of America as perhaps “post-racial” but not yet “post-racist,” Brown’s assertion that “Any lawyer who is not a social engineer is a parasite,” Waters’ criticizing the event’s sponsor Wells Fargo for being among the corporate vultures taking advantage of the poor via predatory lending, and Jackson’s suggestion that college students ought to have access to TARP loans at the same 0% interest rate available to banks.

By far, the most compelling person sitting in the overstuffed beige armchairs  on the stage had to be Ms. Vanzant, who shared the intimate details of how she recently came to lose her home. The fall from grace was understandably humiliating for the attorney-turned-talk show host and author of 13 books, 5 of which have landed on the New York Times best-seller list.  Also check out an interview with Tavis Smiley on this event: http://reviews.aalbc.com/tavis_smiley.htm

Daughters of Men: Portraits of African-American Women and Their Fathers - Book Review
http://reviews.aalbc.com/daughters_of_men.htm

For what the 44 contributors to this touching collection of intimate memoirs had in common was the sage counsel and unwavering support of a strong dad. Thus, it only makes sense that each of the heartfelt entries in this beautifully-photographed keepsake would invariably reflect the perspective of a daughter grateful for the father figure who helped forge her character during her formative years.

Credit the ostensibly very-well connected Rachel Vassel for talking an enviable assemblage of rich, powerful and famous sisters into participating in the project. Many are household names, such as Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, actresses Sanaa Lathan, Meagan Good, Nicole Ari Parker-Kodjoe and Aisha Tyler, entertainment magnates Cathy Hughes, Tracey Edmonds and Sheila Johnson, national TV news correspondents Deborah Roberts and Rene Syler and Gospel great Yolanda Adams

Keshia Knight Pulliam - The Madea Goes to Jail Interview
http://reviews.aalbc.com/keshia_knight_pulliam.htm

Born in Newark, New Jersey on April 9, 1979, Keshia Knight Pulliam entered showbiz at an early age, making TV commercials as a toddler and already landing a recurring role on Sesame Street by the age of 3. But it was on The Cosby Show that she wormed herself into America’s hearts as adorable Rudy Huxtable, the baby of the much-beloved television family.

She successfully made the transition back to acting, appearing in such movies as The Gospel, Beauty Shop and Death Toll, before returning to TV to join the cast of House of Payne. Just last month, she won another NAACP Image Award for her performance on that Tyler Perry hit sitcom. Here, she talks about co-starring as Candace, a college student-turned-prostitute, in Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail, which opened #1 film at the box-office in it's first two weeks.  Also check out the Madea Goes to Jail film review: http://reviews.aalbc.com/madea_goes_to_jail.htm

Meagan Good - The Unborn Interview
http://reviews.aalbc.com/meagan_good.htm

Born in Panorama City, on August 18, 1981, Meagan Monique Good was raised along with her three siblings mostly by her mom. The precocious tot got her early start in showbiz at the age of four with the help of her mother who served as her agent.  In 2008 alone, the versatile thespian appeared in the horror flick, One Missed Call; the Mike Myers comedy, The Love Guru; and the slasher flick, Saw V. And this year promises to keep Meagan just as busy, since she’s slated for three more releases, Sundays in Fort Greene, Sweet Flame and The Unborn, which is already in theaters.  

Here, the striking actress shares her thoughts about everything from the election of Barack Obama to how she has successfully avoided the pitfalls of early fame which so many former child stars seem to fall prey to.   

Crips and Bloods: Made in America - DVD Review

To get at the roots of such profound dysfunction, you really have dig rather deeply, as does director Stacy Peralta in Crips and Bloods: Made in America. Narrated by Forest Whitaker, this heartrending expose’ opens with actual footage of gang-bangers being blown away in drive-bys and being left lying dead in the street.

Djimon Hounsou - The Push Interview with Kam Williams
http://reviews.aalbc.com/djimon_hounsou2.htm

During an interview with me [Kam Williams] last year, Djimon Hounsou prematurely broke the news that he planned to pop the question to his girlfriend, Kimora Lee Simmons. The casual comment might have landed the Benin-born actor in a little hot water because the model-turned-fashion magnate wasn’t yet divorced from hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. That might explain why Djimon remained button-lipped about the rumor currently circulating in the tabloids that Kimora is now expecting their first child.

A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy - DVD Review
http://reviews.aalbc.com/a_good_day_to_be_black_sexy.htm

You know how they keep nightclubs too dark to see exactly what you’re hooking up with? This is the case, at least cinematically, with A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy, an otherwise unexpurgated sex romp which relies on dim and red lighting for a modicum of modesty. Shot mostly in shadows, my guess is that writer/director Dennis Dortch deliberately decided to make it hard to see the steamy action unfolding onscreen.

The film is actually comprised of five, separate, steamy vignettes, my favorite being the last, entitled American Boyfriend. That one revolves around a 25 year-old accountant (Alphonso Johnson) whose Asian girlfriend (Emily Liu) is busy fantasizing that he‘s a basketball player when her family who has no idea she’s dating a black guy comes home unexpectedly.

Yellow Moon by Jewell Parker Rhodes - Book Reviewed by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/yellow_moon.htm

Allow me to state up front that I am a huge fan of Jewell Parker Rhodes; have been since I read one of her earlier novels, Magic City. I got extremely excited when I discovered that she had written her latest novel, Yellow Moon. Yellow Moon is the second book in the contemporary trilogy of Dr. Marie Laveau, descendant of the great Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, in a tale of a killing spree under mysterious mystic circumstances. Dr. Laveau will have to travel back into the past to track down the killer in present day New Orleans. While I did not fall head over heels in love with the novel, it was slow going there during the first half of the book. The second half of the book was excellent. I did not love Yellow Moon like I thought I would, but by the time I reached the end of the novel, I was tremendously glad I read it.

The African Book of Names: 5,000+ Commom and Uncommon Names from the African Continent by Askhari Johnson Hodari, Ph.D.
http://aalbc.com/authors/askhari_johnson_hodari.htm

Askhari Johnson Hodari, Ph.D., shares names from 37 African countries and at least 70 ethnolinguistic groups, and provides in-depth insight into the spiritual, emotional, social, and political importance of names from Angola to Zimbabwe. It is the most current and comprehensive book on the subject, in which Dr. Hodari offers more than 5,000 names organized by theme -- from religion, birth circumstance and physical characteristics. This timely and informative resource guide vibrates with the culture of Africa and encourages Blacks across the world to affirm their African origins by selecting African names.

Dancing With The Devil: How Puff Burned the Bad Boys of Hiphop by Mark Curry
http://hiphopbookclub.com

Former Bad Boy recording artist Mark Curry relates; “Welcome to Bad Boy, where dreams come true,” Sean Combs said as we shook hands over lunch in March 1997. The record producer spent the next hour telling me how impressive my rapping skills were, how soon he planned to release my debut album, and that my personal wealth would soon be in the seven-figure range. Talk about smoke and mirrors.

Today, after years of writing hit records for Combs, I am no closer to having my first album released by Bad Boy Entertainment than I was when we signed the contract. Combs cajoled, hoodwinked and bamboozled me for nearly a decade. In the end, which for me came in 2005, I realized that I had to leave the label and its illusions of wealth in order to save my career, my marriage, my mind and my soul.

The Kindle 2 - Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00154JDAI/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

I recently purchased the Kindle 2 and was very impressed with the newest eBook reader from Amazon.  The first version was a decent product, but this version is much better.  Amazon, made the device slicker looking; not "Apple slick", but very respectable and a far cry from the cluckier first addition.

The second version boasts an ever longer battery life -- which is astonishing, because battery life in the first version allowed me to read mine during a week long vacation without recharging it.  There is also a new text to speech feature which actually reads books.  The reading, in either a male or female voice, sounds not quite natural, but better than you would expect and is quite listenable.

And as always the free wireless network lets you download books right to your Kindle 2, query Wikipedia or surf the net.  I highly recommend the Kindle 2 to anyone you enjoys reading -- in fact you may enjoy reading more after your Kindle 2 experience.

Marriage 101: Building a Life Together by Faith by Jewell R. Powell
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800733320/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

Marriage is no fairy tale. Author Jewell R. Powell knows from experience. But she also discovered that there is hope for getting through the hard times, and that, with God, a happy and fulfilling marriage is possible. Using the story of Sleeping Beauty as a parable of God's plan for marriage, this book/workbook combination offers an 8-week plan for individual or group study that encourages examining the areas in our lives that need to change. Using biblical examples, reflection questions, and Scripture meditation, Powell challenges those who want strong and healthy marital relationships to lay a spiritual foundation from which to grow. Marriage 101 is a valuable, insightful resource that couples can go to for help when dealing with the real issues they face.

The Self-Publishing Symposium 2009 - New York, NY - March 22, 2009
http://aspicomm.com/selfpublishingsymposium/

 Join us on March 22, 2009 at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture to take advantage of what this important business event can do for your publishing company. Whether you’re a self-published author, small/independent press or writer considering self publishing, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to; learn successful business strategies from industry experts, network with professionals and make powerful connections, and grow your business to new heights.

AALBC.com is a proud sponsor of this event.  Check out a video from last year's event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxS7xjOGUhs

The 2009 Best Southwest Bookfest - Lancaster, TX - March 27 & 28, 2009
http://www.bestsouthwestbookfest.org

BSW Bookfest is a joint effort of the Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Lancaster & UNT Dallas Campus libraries. This year's Bookfest will have something for both adults & children. Authors including Travis Hunter, Victor McGlothin, Michelle Stimpson, Evelyn Palfrey, Kathleen Kent, Carlton Stowers, Beverly Parkhurst Moss will be making presentations. Children's programs on Saturday with Uncle Chris Espinosa, David "Wonders" Gish, Lyndale the Literary Lion, Little Critter from the Mercer Mayer books & Wild Thing from Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. Most programs are FREE and open to the public. There is a charge for the Friday night "Dinner with the Authors" and the Saturday "Lunch with Travis & Victor". Full information about the Bookfest, price & reservations for dinner & lunch tickets, etc. can be found at the website.

18th Annual Etheridge Knight Festival of the Arts - Indianapolis, IN - April 23, 2009
http://www.ekfestival.org

Affrilachian Poets Frank X. Walker and Mitchell L.H. Douglas to be featured.

Frank X Walker is the author of four poetry collections including When Winter Come: the Ascension of York (University Press of Kentucky, 2008).  A 2005 recipient of the Lannan Literary Fellowship in Poetry, Walker serves as Writer in Residence and lecturer of English at Northern Kentucky University and is the proud editor and publisher of PLUCK!, the new Journal of Affrilachian Art & Culture.

Mitchell L. H. Douglas is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). A cofounder of the Affrilachian Poets and a Cave Canem Fellow, his poetry appears or is forthcoming in Callaloo, the Gival Press anthology Poetic Voices Without Borders, The Louisville Review, and the Cave Canem anthology The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South (University of Georgia Press ).

National Black Book Festival - Houston, TX - May 16-17, 2009
http://www.nationalblackbookfestival.com/

The National Black Book Festival (NBBF) is an annual event, sponsored jointly by Cushcity.com, the world's largest African-American retailer online, and the Houston Black Expo, the largest African-American tradeshow in the state of Texas. The event is held in conjunction with the Houston Black Expo and attracts a wide array of authors, publishers, book clubs, libraries and individual readers from the Southwest U.S. and nationwide. NBBF 2009 will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, Texas in Hall C.

The event features a pavilion of authors, including those who are notable and new. Book signing and discussion sessions with featured authors, workshops and seminars, a spoken word poetry slam and book club give-aways are just a few of the exciting featured activities at NBBF. Authors will be grouped according to genre and there are 16 genres that will be represented.

AALBC.com founder, Troy Johnson is a sponsor and participant in this year's festival.  Check out videos from last year's festival: http://events.aalbc.com/nbbf_2008.htm

National Book Club Conference - Atlanta, GA - July 31 - August 2, 2009
http://www.nationalbookclubconference.com/

In six years, the National Book Club Conference has developed into the premier annual literary event for books by and about African-Americans. The three-day weekend is a spiritual experience filled with laughter, learning, fun and fellowship.

The 2009 NBCC, will be held July 31-August 2 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, promises to again set a new standard on literary bliss. Walter Mosley, Terry McMillan, Dr. Cornel West, Terrie Williams, Connie Briscoe, Brenda Jackson, Kimberla Lawson Roby are just a some of the top-flight authors who will be a part of the seventh-annual occasion.

To maintain the intimacy that has made the NBCC special, we limit registrations. So, to experience what thousands of book lovers have over the years, please secure your position today by visiting our Registration page.

Troy Johnson, President of AALBC.com will be a participant in this year's event.

To better serve publishers AALBC.com (the most popular site dedicated to African-American literature), MosaicBooks.com (the first site created to showcase Black literature), and Cushcity.com (the largest African-American Internet retailer) have formed a "Power Network."

Your book-cover ad can be served in a premium position on three of the top sites for African-American literature. Substantially increase the reach and impact of your marketing campaign.

All About AALBC.com - Promotional Video
http://aalbc.com/aboutus.htm

See AALBC.com in action and learn more about our services and features.