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AALBC.com eNewsletter - March 24th, 2003 |
Celebrating
Our Literary Legacy! |
AALBC.com RECOMMENDS
Leaving
by Richard Dry
http://writers.aalbc.com/stmartinspress.htm#Leaving
Selected as a "Best Book for Book Club Discussions" by
Black Issues Book Review,
Leaving is one of the most powerful and assured debut novels of the year: an
epic story of three generations of an African-American family, whose members
struggle to find a home in the embattled streets of urban America. In the words
of National Book Award finalist Madison Smartt Bell, Richard Dry "has captured
the African-American story from slavery time to the present, both in its
panoramic scope and in its immediate and human detail."
The Pulitzer Prize�winning author of The Color Purple gives us her first new
collection of poetry in more than a decade, poems that reaffirm her as �one of
the best American writers of today�. 
Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth: New Poems
by Alice Walker
http://aalbc.com/authors/alice.htm
―The Washington Post
Jubilee:
The Emergence of African-American Culture
by Howard Dodson
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0792269829/aalbccom-20
Slaves came to the Americas from many different parts of the African
continent, bringing with them distinct languages, religions, and expressive
arts. Jubilee shows the many ways that these diverse peoples united, forged
their own identity, and laid the foundations for truly unique African-American
social, cultural, political, and economic expressions throughout the Western
Hemisphere.
Why
I Love Black Women
by Michael Eric Dyson
http://authors.aalbc.com/michaelericdyson.htm
Dyson warns, "African American women are the victims of negative
stereotypes that dominate the larger culture and even many quarters of black
America. It's time to stop viewing black women as scolding sapphires, welfare
queens, professional prima donnas-and carping competitors with white women -and
to start giving them the respect and the love they deserve". Why I Love
Black Women is an act of cultural restoration that rescues black women from
vicious rhetoric and irresponsible generalizations. It is a catalogue of
virtues, an unapologetically cheerful view of black women that rescues their
strengths and beauties from callous denial or cruel indifference.
CHECK OUT THESE AUTHORS
Dr.
Joye M. Carter
http://authors.aalbc.com/joyemcarter.htm
Dr. Joye Carter was the first female and African American to be selected as a Chief Medical Examiner in the United States. Dr. Carter holds the distinction of having served as Chief Medical Examiner for Washington, DC and Houston (Harris County), Texas, as well as the first black medical examiner in the entire state of Texas.
Tony
Medina
http://aalbc.com/authors/tony.htm
Medina is one of
the more prolific writers of color effectively shaping the new literary
renaissance. He has published four volumes of poetry, including Emerge & See,
which Amiri
Baraka included in his 1992 "Summer Reading List" in American Visions
magazine. Medina has also edited two published anthologies. One of them, In
Defense of Mumia, co-edited in 1996 with S.E. Anderson, won The American
Bookseller Association's Firecracker Alternative Book Award.
Tony's work is featured in the anthologies: In The Tradition, Aloud, Soulfires,
Tough Love, Spirit & Flame, and Identity Lessons, as well as many literary and
popular-culture publications. Tony was also a
literary consultant for Catch the Fire:
A Cross Generational Anthology of African American Poetry, edited by
Derrick I. M. Gilbert.
Gibran
Tariq & Gregory S. Jones
http://aalbc.com/authors/tariqandjones.htm
Gibran Tariq & Gregory S. Jones are coauthors of the new novel; "The Root Of
All Evil". "The Root of All Evil" is the story of Jamal
Morris had been born into the richest black family in the country, but little
did he know that damning evidence would ultimately link his family�s wealth to
the Illuminati, a secret organization of European bankers out to control the
world. Suddenly Jamal�s world is turned upside down as the myth surrounding his
family wealth is finally exposed. All his life, he had been told that a
mysterious, white man had left his wealth to them, but what he wasn�t told was
that the man was Paul �Mad-dog� Madsen, the devious English banker who had
brilliantly master-minded the collapse of the American government in 1933
forcing it to declare bankruptcy, allowing him to make off with all the
country�s gold. Visit the above link to learn more about Tariq & Jones.
RECENT AALBC.COM BOOK REVIEWS & ARTICLES
AALBC.com publishes scores of articles, books reviews and author profiles
each month. Below is sample of the most recently added content.
Baby
Momma Drama by
Carl Weber -
Reviewed by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/baby_momma_drama.htm
"Carl Weber's new book is loaded with the type of drama I love, -- unfiltered, full strength, wig snatching, "yo-momma's-a-ho!" drama. Weber's novel features two sides of the Baby Momma/Daddy coin, but with both sides coming from a woman's point of view. The novel travels with quicksilver speed, jammed with as much commotion as can possibly fit between two cardboard covers. Baby Mama Drama is an infectious, hard to resist, harder to get off carnival ride that I wouldn't mind riding again."
The
Ecstatic by Victor LaValle - Reviewed by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/theecstatic.htm
The Ecstatic has just been selected as a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner fiction award!
"The Ecstatic is grand literature, a human comedy that
mixes the tragic with the absurd, the ironic with the profound, heartbreak with
belly-slapping laughter. The Ecstatic is the heart-wrenching, intellectually
stimulating journey of a character proudly walking into the dark corners of his
mind and accepting what he may find there." Check out the
some discussion on the Ecstatic at Thumper's Corner
http://www.thumperscorner.com/discus/messages/1/192.html
A
Man Most Worthy by
Marcus Major - Reviewed
by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/amanmostworthy.htm
"I loved A Man Most Worthy! Major has already
established himself as an incredible writer from his previous two novels, Good
People and 4 Guys and Trouble, and short stories . A Man Most Worthy further
validates his talent, and proves to be a "book most worthy" of my time."
Everything
but the Burden: What White People Are Taking from Black Culture
by Greg Tate (Editor) - Reviewed by Rondall Brasher
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/everything_but_the_burden.htm
"Everything but the Burden will set a new
standard for intellectual discussion about Black culture. Everything but the
Burden is a masterful collection of thoughts by Black 'culturalists'. The
catechization works throughout the book, but offers no solutions to the
continued co-opting of black American culture. Everything but the Burden
does an excellent job of bringing us closer to self-examination. The book is a
must have for those who 'continue to carry the burden'."
Baring
My Soul by Stacey Renee Tolbert - Reviewed by Rondall Brasher
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/bare_my_soul.htm
It is refreshing how Tolbert relishes her womanhood. She
touches upon the sensitivity and strength of being a woman. She ties all of this
together with her self-evaluation of what it means to be vulnerable as a human
being. This vulnerability seemed to leave her open to both the joy and the pain
of life. Ms. Tolbert's revelations resulted in poetry that stands strong line by
line. Each line is the bar of melodic word play that promises to take you
somewhere
Chocolate
Sangria by Tracy Price-Thompson - Reviewed by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/chocolate_sangria.htm
"Chocolate Sangria is a gem of a book. Thompson's voice is
strong and sure. Her narrative and layout of the novel are sharp. She makes no
missteps in style or construction. The story unfolded as an enticing tale of
human frailty and strength, with enough meat and reality to make it compelling."
A
Prayer for Deliverance: An Angela Bivens Thriller by Christopher Chambers -
Reviewed by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/a_prayer_for_deliverance.htm
"Christopher Chambers has returned FBI agent Angela
Bivens, to the frontline in his marvelous sophomore thriller, A Prayer For
Deliverance, an intense, gripping adventure. While enjoying the flow and mood
the novel evoked, I was a little disturbed that certain characteristics of the
novel had a d�j� vu factor that threatened the overall effectiveness of this
excellent serial. "
Living
Water by Obery Hendricks - Reviewed by Paige Turner
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/livingwater.htm
"The Woman at the Well is a well-known bible story that almost begs for deeper examination. Her conversation with Jesus, and His promise of "living water" is a staple of church sermons, and has provided hope and comfort to many. But does the faith community truly understand all of the ramifications of this story? Obery Hendricks in his debut novel, Living Water, unfolds this tale like the petals of a rose, and provides a thoughtfully crafted back story on the woman at the well (TWATW), one which is almost as enlightening as her encounter with Jesus."
Elizabeth's
Song Written by Michael Wenberg, Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright (Age Range:
9 to 12) - Reviewed by Linda Watkins
http://reviews.aalbc.com/elizabethssong.htm
At first glance -- judging the book by its cover, which
featured a cute little girl with a guitar-- I assumed it was targeted primarily
for children. Well, I soon discovered I was mistaken. Elizabeth's Song, is
historical-fiction and will also be intriguing to adult readers. It is the story
of Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten, a, left-handed, guitar-playing, African-American
folk singer, born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1893.
AALBC.com BEST SELLING BOOKS JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2003
http://books.aalbc.com/bestsellers.htm
#1 - What Next: A Memoir Toward World Peace by Walter Mosley
In What Next, Walter Mosley -- New York Times bestselling author -- has crafted a deeply personal and political proposal, offering a commonsense approach to the challenge of finding world peace in a post-9/11 world. Mosley recalls his father�s story about not feeling like an American until German soldiers shot at him during World War II. Now the younger Mosley explores what the terrorist attacks meant to him, and challenges African Americans to use their unique position to help create a new kind of peace between the U.S. and the rest of the world. What Next examines this and other questions in a powerful polemic and call to action for African Americans and freedom-loving people everywhere.
#2 - A Call To Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Edited by Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard
In his introduction, the one-time ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young refers to MLK as "the voice of the century," and this collection deftly pays homage to that powerful voice. Carson (a Stanford University historian) and Shepard have compiled 12 of King's greatest speeches and prefaced them with touching and inspiring introductions written and read by prominent activists, leaders and theologians, including the Dalai Lama, Sen. Edward Kennedy and others. There's a lot more here than the "I Have a Dream" masterpiece (which is beautifully introduced by Dr. Dorothy I. Height, longtime president of the National Council of Negro Women). The material ranges from King's early talks in Alabama churches to the magnificent "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, which he gave the night before his assassination.
#3 - She'll Learn by Sybil Barkley-Staples
She�ll Learn untangles the web of life�s trials and tribulations. Its lesson is being taught each day you live it. Maxine, Sydney, and Indira learn that nothing else matters, but true friendship. They figure that although they all lead separate lives their lives all effect each other. Together they always make it through.
Check out the rest of the best sellers at: http://books.aalbc.com/bestsellers.htm
THE COFFEE WILL MAKE YOU BLACK ON-LINE READING
GROUP
http://thumperscorner.com/Reading_List.htm
April
2003 Selection
The Coffee Will Make You Black reading group is currently reading Douglass' Women by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Douglass' Women reimagines the lives of an American hero, Frederick Douglass, and two women - his wife and his mistress - who loved him and lived in his shadow. Anna Douglass, a free woman of color, was Douglass' wife of forty-four years, who bore him five children. Ottilie Assing, a German-Jewish intellectual, provided him the companionship of the mind that he needed. Hurt by Douglass' infidelity, Anna rejected his notion that only literacy freed the mind. For her, familial love rivaled intellectual pursuits. Ottilie was raised by parents who embraced the ideal of free love, but found herself entrapped in an unfulfilling love triangle with America's most famous self-taught slave for nearly three decades.
Our chat session is scheduled for Sunday, April 13th, 2003 at 6:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time. If you have already read Douglass' Women, and would like to participate in our on-line chat session; please join us in our chat room http://www.thumperscorner.com/chat/
Visit http://thumperscorner.com/Reading_List.htm to view the rest of The Coffee Will Make You Black on-line reading group's reading list for 2003
LITERARY EVENTS CALENDAR
http://www.aalbc.com/events/
Our events calendar allows visitors to learn about up coming African American literary 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; simply fill out the form on our web site at http://www.aalbc.com/events/
Here are just a few of some of the events planned around the country in the next few weeks:
National Black Writers Conference - Brooklyn, NY - April 2-5, 2003
National Black Writers Conference Literature as Access: Connecting to Ourselves,
Our Communities, Our Histories presented by the Center for Black Literature
Medgar Evers College For more information:
http://www.nbwc.org Brenda M. Greene, Executive Director April Silver,
Events Director Honorary Chairpersons: Elizabeth Nunez, Walter Mosley, Arnold
Rampersad
Black Writers on Tour - Los Angeles, CA - April 05, 2003
Black Writers on Tour Black Writers on Tour conference will be held Saturday,
April 05, 2003, Crowne Plaza Hotel, 5985 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
90045. We expect over 300 authors, and over 100 authors exhibiting their books.
We will have top literary agents to make presentations and many seminars.
Projected attendance is 5000 - 6000 (authors, writers, aspiring writers,
readers, book clubs, Librarians, major publishers, and others). We will have 10
powerful workshops for writers and aspiring writers. There will be a Poetry
Jam/Competition, and children's writing contest. Go to
www.milliganbooks.com for more
information
http://www.maxinethompson.com.
FYOS Seminar: Literary Law for Authors - Philadelphia PA - April 5, 2003
A half-day seminar on copyright, trademark, and contracts used in the publishing
industry, as well as the inside scoop from prominent authors, agents and
attorneys. Registration includes an advanced excerpt booklet of the Literary Law
Guide for Authors: Copyright, Trademark, and Contracts in Plain Language, by
Tonya Evans, Esq. and Susan Evans, Esq (with foreword by Dan Poynter).
Philadelphia Airport Hilton For more information:
http://www.fyos.com
RELATED WEB SITES WORTH CHECKING OUT
African
American Genealogy Society of Sacramento, CA (AAGSSC)
http://www.aagssc.org/
To unite both spirit and purpose through genealogy research
We do this by helping others like ourselves discover our collective past, gain knowledge of our rich heritage, and to inspire the confidence that comes from knowing who you are as an individual and within your family.
The
African American Art On-Line Store
http://www.brownhorizonsart.com/onlinestore.html
The African American Art On-Line Store sells quality African American art at
great prices. They are currently having a sale. All items in our store are
marked 10% - 35% less than the suggested retail price for the items.
You'll find framed and unframed African American Prints, African American
Figurines, Wonders In Wood, Decorative Mirrors, Candle Holders, African American
Dolls and much more.
Peace,
Troy Johnson,
Founder AALBC.com
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