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AALBC.com eNewsletter, May 14, 2001 |
African
American Literature Book Club eNewsletter - May 14, 2001
Celebrating Our Literary Legacy!
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THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT
http://www.aalbc.com/authors/blackartsmovement.htm
Kalamu
ya Salaam educates us about this important period in our history.
In a 1968 essay, "The Black Arts Movement," Larry Neal proclaimed Black Arts the "aesthetic and spiritual sister of the Black Power concept." As a political phrase, Black Power had earlier been used by Richard Wright to describe the mid-1950s emergence of independent African nations. The 1960s' use of the term originated in 1966 with Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee civil rights workers Stokely Carmichael and Willie Ricks. Quickly adopted in the North, Black Power was associated with a militant advocacy of armed self-defense, separation from "racist American domination," and pride in and assertion of the goodness and beauty of Blackness.
Read the read of this informative piece and learn more about some of the main figures of the Black Arts Movement
HAVE YOU HEARD OF PAUL ROBESON?
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During a recent book signing, Paul Robeson Jr. told AALBC that "maybe 2%" of African-Americans, under 40, know about Paul Robeson. If this is true, it is a crying shame.
Born the son of a runaway slave, in 1898, Paul Robeson accomplished more during his 77 years than one might expect in 10 life times. Here is a list of just a few of Robeson's prodigious accomplishments; he received a scholarship to Rutgers College (University) and was chosen valedictorian in his senior year; he was named Rutgers' first All-American in football; he obtained a J.D. degree from Columbia University, supporting himself, playing professional football on the weekends; he earned the NAACP Spingarn Medal in 1945; he earned honorary degrees from Morehouse College, Howard University, Moscow State Conservatory, and other institutions; his films appearances include Body and Soul, 1924, The Emperor Jones, 1933; he sang the immensely popular "Ol' Man River," In Show Boat; he spoke several different languages; and the list goes on.
To learn more about Paul Robeson, read the AALBC.com bestseller; The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: The Early Years, 1898-1939 (http://www.aalbc.com/books/the4.htm)
ASK THE EXPERT -- A NEW AALBC.com FEATURE
http://www.aalbc.com/writers/askthe.htm
Ask the Expert is a new feature of AALBC.com. Publishing industry experts answer your most commonly asked questions regarding the business of books. Anita Diggs Senior Editor and Director of One World Books describes the differences between a Editor and Copy Editor.
If you have a specific question please forward them to questions@aalbc.com. If you are knowledgeable about publishing, or another area in the business of books, and would like to share your knowledge please email troy@aalbc.com
IDEA MISAPPROPRIATION A VEHICLE OF RELIEF FOR AUTHORS
http://www.aalbc.com/writers/idea.htm
Attorney Keino D. Campbell, Esq. provides valuable legal information for writers on AALBC.com. Campbell's first article deals with Idea Misappropriation: "Almost every author at some point in time has been concerned with the concept of idea misappropriation. Most publishers or agents will require an Author either verbally or in writing to pitch their idea or concept for a book or script to determine its commercial viability and this is when idea misappropriation occurs. Unfortunately, idea misappropriation occurs on a regular basis in the publishing and film industries." Read the rest of this article on AALBC.com.
DEBUT NOVEL BY A TERRIFIC YOUNG WRITER -- ERIC
PAYNE
http://www.aalbc.com/authors/ericpayne.htm
Already
an AALBC.com best selling author (#3
- April 2001) 29-year old Eric Payne
began writing at the age of 7 when he wrote, produced and co-directed a play
based on Charlie Brown and the Peanuts comic strip for his 2nd grade class. His
work has appeared in several poetry anthologies and many print and online
publications.
Payne's first book of poetry, i see through eyes, is best described by author Bernice McFadden: �It's refreshing to read a black man's naked words. There is no hype here, just pure, raw emotion that captures your attention and rocks you like a...dare I say it�LOVER. Mr. Payne's work is an intimate one! Buy the book � read it over coffee, on the train to and from work or better yet � take it to bed with you...�
TALKING BOOKS WITH QBR
http://www.qbr.com/Talking_Books.htm
Linda Duggins with Max Rodriguez, publisher of QBR The Black Book Review, hosts a terrific new radio program called; Talking Books, the best in books and authors from QBR. On each program, Linda and Max interviews an author; introduces you to people in publishing who decide what books are published, and invite you to events that are entertaining for you, and your family.
Visit AALBC.com to listen to two Talking Books interviews; (1) with recent Robert Frost Medal recipient poet Sonia Sanchez (http://aalbc.com/authors/sonia.htm) and (2) with AALBC.com founder and webmaster, Troy Johnson (http://aalbc.com/aalbcin.htm#Linda)
You can listen to Talking Books live, every Thursday, from 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm on radio station WWRL, 1600AM in New York City.
THUMPER RAVES OVER - THE FUTURE HAS A PAST:
STORIES
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/the2.htm
J.
California Cooper is a maestro. In my opinion she does not get the respect,
publicity, and admiration that she deserves.
The Future Has A Past, by J. California Cooper, consists of four stories. The first story, A Shooting Star is narrated by a woman that through gossip relays the story of Lorene. Lorene is a very pretty young woman who loves sex and throw caution, reputation and good sense to the wind. The second story, A Filet of Soul is of Luella, a young woman who was told by her mother that she was ugly and that nobody would love her. Luella's mother dies and soon after Luella is betrayed by the man she loves. The third story, The Eagle Flies, is the story of Vinnie, a single mother that works three jobs in order to support her two grown children. Vinnie passes up her chance for love once because of her children. Will she let the opportunity slip away again before it's too late? The fourth and final story, The Lost and the Found, is the story of Irene, a young mother of two young boys that have waited for the love of her life, Cool, to finally settle down and marry her. Irene is faced with the question of letting go of a dream and reaching for the man that truly loves her. Four different scenarios of love, four stories that I loved and hated to see end.
Visit AALBC to read the rest of this review and purchase this wonderful book, by J. California Cooper.
AALBC'S APRIL 2001 BESTSELLERS
http://www.aalbc.com/books/bestsellers.htm
#1 - The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: The Early Years, 1898-1939 by Paul Robeson Jr.
#2 - Take a Lesson: Today's Black Achievers on How They Made It and What They Learned Along the Way by Caroline Clarke
#3 - i see through eyes by Eric Payne
#4 - A Day Late and a Dollar Short by Terry McMillan
#5 - No More Sheets: The Truth about Sex by Juanita Bynum
#6 - The African Origin of Civilization by Cheikh Anta Diop
#7 - She by Saul Stacey Williams
#8 - 4 Guys and Trouble by Marcus Major
#9 - A Red Death by Walter Mosley
#10 - Vivid by Beverly E. Jenkins
THE COFFEE WILL MAKE YOU BLACK ON-LINE READING GROUP
Next Monthly Book Chat Session June 6th
2001
http://aalbc.com/discussion/Reading_List.htm
The Coffee Will Make You Black reading group is currently reading Train Whistle Guitar by Albert Murray. The New York Times Book Review says; "The only way to appreciate the music of Murray's prose is to immerse yourself in long passages of dialogue, monologues, and lyric description of countryside and fireside, which are nothing so much as the rich end choruses of a blues artist translated into speech and action."
Our chat session is scheduled for Wednesday, June 6th, 2001, 9:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time. If you have already read Train Whistle Guitar, and would like to participate in our on-line chat session; please join us in our new chat room http://www.aalbc.com/vchat/.
EVELYN COLEMAN'S NEWEST BOOK - BORN IN SIN
http://www.aalbc.com/authors/evelyn.htm
Read
more about this author and her other novels including AALBC bestseller
What a Woman's Gotta Do
Grades 8 and Up - In gritty vernacular, Keisha Wright narrates a testimonial depicting the racial stereotypes and socioeconomic hardships that many urban African-American teens struggle to overcome. A good student with ambitions to become a doctor, she learns that she has been transferred out of the college-prep curriculum by a guidance counselor who considers her to be at-risk. -From School Library Journal
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 event and our schedule).
Upcoming events include:
The Calabash International
Literary Festival
http://www.calabashfestival.org/
The first annual Calabash International Literary Festival will take place in Jamaica, W.I. from May 25-27 at Jake's Village, a quirky, eco-friendly resort in the parish of St. Elizabeth on Jamaica's undiscovered south coast. All events will be free.
The three-day festival will bring together established and emerging writers from countries, including Ghana, Peru, the United States, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and host country Jamaica, for readings, discussions and music under canopies in the day time and beneath the stars at night.
Author Steve
Perry - Book Signings
http://www.renegadebook.com/
Steve Perry, Book Signing for The Window Pain at Basic Black Books (Philadelphia, PA), Friday, May 18th & at Power 99 FM Sistas event (Philadelphia, PA), Saturday, May 19th.
NEW AALBC.com CONTESTS POSTED
http://aalbc.com/fun/contest.htm
Here is your chance to win a free book visit the site to learn more.
Peace
Troy Johnson,
Founder AALBC.com
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