The Sankofa Series is charged with raising awareness of Black history and culture, sparking thought-provoking conversations, and celebrating Black culture. There will be three (3) hour-long book conversations on Octavia Butler’s prophetic novel Parable of the Talents. The conversations will be held, in person, at the Langston Hughes branch of the Queens Library and virtually via WebEx. The conversation will be moderated by the African American Literature Book Club’s Troy Johnson. The Sankofa Series is free and open to the public. Parable of the Talents Conversation Schedule: ? Chapters 1 through 7: Tuesday, April 25 at 4 pm
? Chapters 8 through 14: Tuesday, May 9 at 4 pm
? Chapter 15 to Completion: Tuesday. May 30 at 4 pm
| ? | Chapters 1 through 7: Tuesday, April 25 at 4 pm | | ? | Chapters 8 through 14: Tuesday, May 9 at 4 pm | | ? | Chapter 15 to Completion: Tuesday. May 30 at 4 pm | You can check out Parable of the Talents at the Queens Library or your local library. Copies may be purchased from the African American Literature Book Club, or wherever books are sold. We will also discuss the book, Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America by Robinson on Tuesday, May 16 at 4 pm. | Despite the fact that most of jazz’s major innovators and performers have been African American, the overwhelming majority of jazz journalists, critics, and authors have been and continue to be white men. No major mainstream jazz publication has ever had a black editor or publisher. Ain’t But a Few of Us presents over two dozen candid dialogues with black jazz critics and journalists ranging from Greg Tate, Farah Jasmine Griffin, and Robin D. G. Kelley to Tammy Kernodle, Ron Welburn, and John Murph. They discuss the obstacles to access for black jazz journalists, outline how they contend with the world of jazz writing dominated by white men, and point out that these racial disparities are not confined to jazz but hamper their efforts at writing about other music genres as well. Read Our Review ? | This country rarely acknowledges the celebrated triple threats of the arts in our community. Consider Barbara Chase-Riboud, the noted African-American visual artist, sculptor, popular novelist, and award-winning poet. Her memoir, I Always Knew, is a fitting tribute to the talents and creativity of Riboud, a native of Philadelphia and the only child of a technician and a contractor. It features 600 letters written to her mother from 1957 to 1991, discovered in a small blue box discovered in her parent’s clothes closet. The author suggests the memoirs’ title was influenced by the acerbic American wit, Gore Vidal. Read the Full Review ? | Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis, won the 2023 Grammy for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording. Of course, Ms. Davis is the narrator! “As I wrote Finding Me, my eyes were open to the truth of how our stories are often not given close examination. We are forced to reinvent them to fit into a crazy, competitive, judgmental world. So I wrote this for anyone running through life untethered, desperate and clawing their way through murky memories, trying to get to some form of self-love. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be … you. ” Buy The Audiobook ? Also, check out 100 New Audio Books You’ll Love ? | On Saturday, May 6, at 9:10 am, Troy Johnson will have the honor of moderating the Legends of Black Independent Publishing: Learning from the Best panel discussion featuring; ? Dr. Haki Madhubuti, Third World Press Foundation (founded 1967);
? W. Paul Coates, Black Classic Press (1978);
? Kassahun Checole Africa World Press and The Red Sea Press (1983); and
? Wade and Cheryl Hudson, Just Us Books (1987).
| Anyone who knows me personally will probably find my participation on TikTok surprising, as I’m a strong advocate of engaging on our own platforms rather than freely contributing content to ultra-wealthy platforms. However, many business people familiar with the African American Literature Book Club and its mission say we “need” to be on TikTok. I’m open to experimentation and willing to try new things, so I’ll give it a shot. As an online bookseller for more than a quarter of a century, I hope you’ll find what I have to say interesting and informative. Check me out, share with others, and let’s celebrate our literary legacy and the black book ecosystem. Troy on TickTok ? | Dear Reader, This is my first regular newsletter since February 22, 2023. I can’t remember the last time I went so long without an update. To say that there is a lot going on in my life would be a colossal understatement. A lot has happened in the past 9 weeks. Sharing some of the good; I reached my 61st birthday; our African American Literature Book Club website crossed the quarter-century mark; I’m occupying a new office (the first outside my home); and I got a look at some prospective designs for our website (I have been our site’s only developer since 1998). I would like to thank the readers who completed our survey; your thoughts will help us build a better website. Your 15% off coupons and the $100 prize will be awarded this week. I’d also like to thank the authors who completed the Authors Guild’s author income survey. AALBC was the most significant factor in increasing Black author participation. The results will be shared later this year. As always, your support is crucial to helping us continue to improve the African American Literature Book Club. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books. Peace and Love (for real),
Troy Johnson
President, AALBC.com, LLC | Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
? AALBC.com eNewsletter — April 25, 2023 - Issue #386 | |
