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AALBC.com eNewsletter - February 3, 2002

Celebrating Our Literary Legacy! 

Read our eNewsetter Archives

 

TWO NEW BOOKS FROM ONE WORLD/BALLANTINE

CLICK HERE TO READ an Excerpt from Satisfy My Soul by Colin ChannerSATISFY MY SOUL by by Colin Channer
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=0345437896&view=exce

About the Book:
In a stunning novel of extraordinary power that involves a mystical journey to Ghana, Colin Channer combines profound questions of faith, the aching search for home, the long reach of history, and the double-edged sword of passion to dazzling effect. Satisfy My Soul will linger in yours long after the final page is turned.

 

Bill Clinton and Black America by Dewayne Wickham
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=0345450329&view=excerpt

Excerpt:
It was a moment that has been replayed in Harlem many times. A favorite son of black America, an icon of the struggle for black empowerment in this country and elsewhere, a kindred soul of the descendants of the diaspora that slavery foisted upon Africa was center stage on 125th Street.

But this time it wasn't Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Julius Nyerere, or Adam Clayton Powell Jr. who spellbound a crowd on black America's most famous thoroughfare. The man thousands of people in Harlem turned out to see on the mild summer afternoon of July 30, 2001, was William Jefferson Clinton, the forty-second white man to serve as president of the United States and the only one to delight in being called the nation's first black president. 

 

For a list of other new releases for 2002, check out: http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/books.htm

 

TWO BY THOMAS SOWELL
http://aalbc.com/authors/thomas.htm

The Quest for Cosmic Justice 

This book is about the great moral issues underlying many of the headline-making political controversies of our times. It is not a comforting book but a book about disturbing and dangerous trends. The Quest for Cosmic Justice shows how confused conceptions of justice end up promoting injustice, how confused conceptions of equality end up promoting inequality, and how the tyranny of social visions prevents many people from confronting the actual consequences of their own beliefs and policies. Those consequences include the steady and dangerous erosion of fundamental principles of freedom - amounting to a quiet repeal of the American revolution.

 

A Personal Odyssey 

This is the gritty story of one man's lifelong education in the school of hard knocks, as his journey took him from Harlem to the Marines, the Ivy League, and a career as a controversial writer, teacher, and economist in government and private industry. It is also the story of the dramatically changing times in which this personal odyssey took place.

The vignettes of the people and places that made an impression on Thomas Sowell at various stages of his life range from the poor and the powerless to the mighty and the wealthy, from a home for homeless boys to the White House, as well as ranging across the United States and around the world. It also includes Sowell's startling discovery of his own origins during his teenage years.

If the child is father to the man, this memoir shows the characteristics that have become familiar in the public figure known as Thomas Sowell already present in an obscure little boy born in poverty in the Jim Crow South during the Great Depression and growing up in Harlem. His marching to his own drummer, his disregard of what others say or think, even his battles with editors who attempt to change what he has written, are all there in childhood.

More than a story of the life of Sowell himself, this is also a story of the people who gave him their help, their support, and their loyalty, as well as those who demonized him and knifed him in the back. It is a story not just of one life, but of life in general, with all its exhilaration and pain.

 
 

NEW VOICES AND AND COMING AUTHORS

Kola Boof 
http://www.aalbc.com/authors/kola_boof.htm

Sudan's Kola Boof (born Naima Alu Kolbookek) is slowly but surely becoming the new black woman writer that "lots of people love to hate". Remember back in the 70's and 80's when authors like Alice Walker, Ntozake Shange, Gayl Jones and even Toni Morrison were widely cursed and demonized for the skeletons they exposed? Well now we have the strangely fabulous and daring Kola Boof! Why is her work so confrontational?  Visit her web page to learn why.

 

Gayle Tiller
http://aalbc.com/authors/gayletiller.htm

Gayle Tiller is the author of No One Is Innocent: A Jasmine Myers Mystery

Thirty-something Jasmine Myers is a divorced San Jose African American private investigator who is battling her addiction to alcohol. Her biological clock is ticking and her ex-husband who is newly married wants her back.  Community Leader Kristal Woods has hired Jasmine to investigate the death of her husband Ralph Woods, the President of the Black Firefighters. After two other firefighters die, Kristal is charged with all three murders. A twisted path leads to the dark side of San Jose politics and life. In the end, Jasmine learns that no one is innocent.

 

KIINI IBURA SALAAM
http://kiiniibura.com/

After graduating from Spelman College in 1994, Kiini published "Of Wings, Nectar, & Ancestors" in Fertile Ground literary journal. In 1997, her short story "MalKai�s Last Seduction" (which was included in Dark Eros, a collection of erotica) received mention in a Publishers Weekly review. Also in 1997, her essays "Brothers Are" and "A New Understanding" were included in Men We Cherish and Father Songs, respectively.

The March 2000 issue of Essence magazine featured her article "Navigating to No", causing a flurry of radio and television interviews. Most recently, her short story "At Life�s Limits" was included in Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora.

Visit http://kiiniibura.com. While you are there check out the very informative, motivating and compelling "KIS.list", a weekly report that examines the ins-and-outs of a developing writing career.

 

BCALA logoThe Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award Winners 2002
http://aalbc.com/books/bcala2002awards.htm

BCALA recently announced the 2002 award winning authors and books.  The annual awards recognize outstanding works of Fiction and Nonfiction by African American authors for adult audiences.  Looking for a good book to read?  Check out this impressive list of fiction and nonfiction works

 
 

BOOKTRACK - SOUND TRACKS FOR BOOKS 

Rhythms by Donna Hill
http://aalbc.com/authors/donna.htm

Music as always been at the cornerstone of African American life, from the days in the motherland, to slavery in America, blues, bebop, jazz, R&B and hip hop. It has been banned, copied, morphed and misunderstood--as our literature. But what if these two African American symbols of our unique role in American culture came together--Books and Music--revolutionizing, staying ahead of the curve yet again?

If so you would have "Booktracks," an innovative concept put together by the husband and wife team of Byron and Beatrice Hester, the owners of Southsummer Records http://www.southsummerrecords.com.

In August of last year, Southsummer Records produced it's first "Booktrack" a full, 6 track music CD to accompany the release of Donna Hill's novel Rhythms. 

Southsummer also produced the "Booktrack" to Brenda Jackson's novel, "Family Reunion" and will soon release Leslie Esdaile's CD to her novel, "Rivers of the Soul" which features EnVogue singer Tracy Ellis. They will follow that up with the release of Bernice McFadden's CD later this spring , to accompany her latest book. 

 

RECENT ARTICKES AND REVIEWS
AALBC.com publishes scores of articles, books reviews, chats and author profiles each month.  Below is sampling of the most recently added content.

Black Prisoner of War: A Conscientious Objector�s Vietnam Memoir by James A. Daly and Lee Bergman - Reviewe by Thumper
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/black_prisoner_of_war.htm

Jazz Country: Ralph Ellison in America by Horace Porter - Review by Walter Benefield
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/jazzcountry.htm

Emotions by Timmothy McCann - Review by Tiffany M. Davis
http://reviews.aalbc.com/emotions.htm

The Ditchdigger's Daughters by Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D. - Reviewed by Paige Turner
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/theditchdiggersdaughters.htm

The Crisis of African-American Architect by Melvin Mitchell
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/thecrisis.htm

 

LITERARY EVENTS CALENDAR
http://www.aalbc.com/events/

Our events calendar allows visitors to learn about up coming African American literary and cultural events. Visitors may even post their own events and include a link back to their web site. If you don't have a web site AALBC.com can build one for you, for a nominal fee (often for free depending on the timing of the event and our work load). 

Upcoming events include:

Martha South Gate Readings and Book Signing in New York City and Atlanta
Martha Southgate was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and attended Hawken School, a prep school there. She wrote about this experience in the essay �Between Two Worlds,� which was published in Essence magazine in 1987. Her novel The Fall of Rome grew in part out of her experience there. She is also the author of the novel Another Way to Dance, which won the Coretta Scott King Genesis Award for Best First Novel. She has written for many publications, among them, The New York Times Magazine, Premiere magazine and Essence magazine. 
Check out this very talented author http://www.marthasouthgate.com/

 

Reading Out Loud: An African-American Literary Retreat, February 15 - 17, 2002, Myrtle Beach, SC
Reading Out Loud is a three-day literary retreat for those who love books by, for and about African Americans.  Attendees will have a chance to meet their favorite authors (including Omar Tyree, Tajuana"TJ" Butler, Eleanora E. Tate and Travis Hunter) up close and personal during seminars led by experts who have written books on such issues as relationships, careers, health, money, family and social concerns as they relate to the African-American woman.
  

The highlight of the day will be a luncheon, featuring celebrity keynote speaker Daphne Maxwell Reid, actress and co-founder with actor-husband Tim Reid of New Millennium Studios.  Learn more about the events at http://www.rolliteraryretreat.com/index2.shtml

 


We gotten many requests, so save the date.  The Harlem Book Fair will take place on July 19th and 20th.  Hosted by QBR The Black Book Review, the national review periodical, TALA (The Aricana Literature Archives), and the Community Board 10 Arts and Culture Committee; The 2002 Harlem Book Fair promises to be the largest and best yet.  Stay tuned for more information.  Read about the 2000 Harlem Book Fair at http://www.aalbc.com/events/harlem5.htm

 

THE COFFEE WILL MAKE YOU BLACK ON-LINE READING GROUP 

Next Monthly Book Chat Session February 6th, 2002
http://cwmyb.com/Reading_List.htm

The Coffee Will Make You Black reading group is currently reading The Renegade Johnny Buffalo by Dan Smith.  

Johnny Buffalo is a fast moving, action novel of the Old West. It tells the story of a Black Buffalo soldier's fight for justice on the Texas frontier. It is also the story of the white Texans and Army officers who fight with him and against him. The novel is based upon careful research of actual events (not characters) from history books, newspaper accounts and army archives.

Our chat session is previously scheduled for Wednesday, February 6th, 2002, 9:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time HAS BEEN POSTPONED a new dates will be announced when scheduled.  

 

BUY AALBC.com STUFF
https://www.cafepress.com/cp/store/store.aspx?storeid=aalbc

Show your support for AALBC.com and African American Literature by purchasing AALBC.com branded merchandise.  Your purchases help further our goal of promoting African American literature and authors.  All of the merchandise offers a full money back guarantee and arrives in a few days.

 

 


A free issue of Mosaic magazine (http://www.mosaicbooks.com).  The first 25 people to send an email with the subject "Mosaic Prize" to books@aalbc.com will receive a free copy of the next issue of Mosaic Literary Magazine.  Don't forget to include your name and mailing address.  Your free issue will arrive in about 6 to 8 weeks.

 

Peace, 
Troy Johnson, 
Founder AALBC.com

 

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The African American Literature Book Club's goal is to increase everyone's knowledge of the richness of African American Literature, satisfy your on-line book buying needs and serve as a resource for aspiring authors and professional writers. There are NO membership fees -- just continue reading the work and sharing your ideas. To learn more about AALBC.com visit: http://www.aalbc.com/aboutus.htm