When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Parts
Spike Lee Documentary Revisits New Orleans in the Wake of Katrina - Film Review by Kam Williams

Early on in part one of this incendiary, four-hour documentary, interviewees from the lower Ninth Ward repeatedly refer to hearing a loud explosion during the storm, the implication being that a levee was deliberately detonated. Unfortunately, the film fails to supplement this anecdotal evidence with any tangible proof of tampering, leaving the discerning viewer believing that the breach was likely caused by the category-five hurricane after all.
 

Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala

As John A. Williams, that black titan of letters, often says �there can never be enough political novels written by our community,� the number of fiction devoted to this topic has dwindled but other international communities have kept steps. One of the most accomplished, remarkable fictional works, Beasts of No Nation, comes from a first time author, Uzodinma Iweala, a 24-year-old Harvard graduate who lives on these shores and Lagos, Nigeria. While the writer notes that he was inspired by a Newsweek feature about child soldiers and their frequently violent warrior zeal, Iweala delves into the cultural and psychological complexities of the young boys and girls forced into battle and bloodshed.
 

Color Him Father: Stories of Love and Rediscovery of Black Men
Edited by Stephana I. Colbert and Valerie I. Harrison - Reviewed by Kam Williams

Rather than play favorites by picking which remembrance affected me most deeply, suffice to say that I found my eyes welling up on more than one occasion. For, again and again, I recognized some aspect of my own experience in these distinctly African-American tableaus, and couldn�t help but acknowledge my own debt of gratitude to my recently-departed father who had overcome considerable adversity to put all five of us kids through college on a blue-collar salary, while remaining married to my mother for over 50 years till the day he died.

In sum, without any pretense, Color Him Father serves up an encouraging diversity of authentic anecdotes about some humble souls men just being the nurturers and providers that they naturally are. A long overdue tribute to the fading memory of the men of the Best Black Generation.
 

Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America � and What We Can Do About It by Juan Williams - Reviewed by Kam Williams

So, it comes as no surprise, that the political pundit would now hijack Cosby's theme to use it as the cornerstone of a diatribe which basically blames African-Americans themselves and their Democratic leaders for the assortment of ills which still beset the community. Williams has rather harsh words for everyone from Reverend Jesse Jackson to Julian Bond to reparations advocate Randall Robinson to former mayors Sharpe James (Newark) and Marion Barry (Washington, DC). But he reserves perhaps his cruelest criticism for Reverend Al Sharpton whom Juan alleges to be an opportunist financed by Republicans, an FBI informant, a con artist with a cocaine problem, a self-serving charlatan, a front man for predatory lenders, and more.
 

The Icarus Girl By Helen Oyeyemi - Reviewed by Paige Turner

Jessamy Harrison is an eight year-old, Afro-British girl, who writes haiku, reads Shakespeare, and just skipped a grade in school. Jess' parents -- a Nigerian writer mother and a British accountant father -- willingly live in a comfortable, hazy world of their own creation. But can their two disparate worlds exist in serene unity? Somewhere in this raggedy mix there is a combustible element that ignites struggles between white and black, light and dark, ancient and modern, technology and primitivism. One partner in these dances must die.

The Icarus Girl is almost transcendent, seamlessly weaving the perspectives of Greek myth, Yoruba folklore and the cosmopolitan sensibility of modern day London, into a suave, satisfying, well-crafted psychological thriller. The Icarus Girl is an impressive debut novel for any writer, but especially for 18 year-old Afro-British author Helen Oyeyemi.
 

Black Like You by John Strausbaugh, Foreword by Darius James - Reviewed by Paige Turner

Blackface and minstrelsy have always been equal opportunity employers and offenders. Sammy Davis Jr. did the blackface thing along with Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, and most famously, Al Jolson.  The tradition is carried on today by entertainers like Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and the entire Wayans family.  Author John Strausbaugh explores why this fascinating and repulsive phenomenon continues to resonate in Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in American Popular Culture. He states, "Blackface is still alive. Its impact and derivations -- including Black performers in "whiteface" can be seen all around us". 
 

Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete by William C. Rhoden - Reviewed by Kam Williams

But judging by today�s socially-unenlightened crop of sports icons, one might suspect that rich history of activism and advocating for the underclass to be more fairy tale than fact. For the once-widespread dedication to hard-fought, collective advancement has been all but abandoned by the current generation of superstars, at least according to William C. Rhoden, author of Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete.
 

Snakes on the Plane (2006) Interview with Samuel L. Jackson
http://aalbc.com/reviews/snakes_on_a_plane_interview.htm

Born in Washington, DC on December 21, 1948, Samuel Leroy Jackson made his film debut in 1972 in �Together for Days� while still a student at Morehouse College.  Jackson went on to receive critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Jules, the philosophizing hitman in Quentin Tarantino�s Pulp Fiction.

Here, Jackson talks about his current release, Snakes on a Plane, where he�s an FBI Agent escorting an eyewitness to court when all hell breaks loose after a ruthless assassin releases hundreds of poisonous snakes at 30,000 feet over the Pacific. Even before the flick hit theaters, the Internet was abuzz over one of his character�s lines delivered with Sam�s trademark intensity, namely, "I�ve had it with these motherf*cking snakes on this motherf*cking plane!"
 

Snakes on the Plane (2006) - Film Review
http://aalbc.com/reviews/snakes_on_a_plane_review.htm

Tautly edited, these grisly killings are well-concealed and arrive accompanied by a well-synchronized, thunderous burst from the score designed to elicit screams as you jump out of your skin. Thus, although the film is filled with humorous asides and targeted at teenagers, be forewarned that it easily earns its well-deserved R rating, due to all the gratuitous gore, nudity, sex and eroticized-violence.

Best horror flick since Dawn of the Dead.
 

June Cross

I've been a documentary television producer for twenty years. Ten years ago, I did an Emmy-winning documentary called "Secret Daughter" which aired on PBS' FRONTLINE. It told the story of a little girl whose father was a black entertainer and whose white mother was an aspiring actress. The couple parted soon after the little girl was born, and when the child grew too dark for the mother to pass her off as "white", she left her to be raised by a black family in Atlantic City, New Jersey. For the rest of her life, the child was shuttled between her "Aunt Peggy and Uncle Paul" in Atlantic City; and to Los Angeles, where her mother lived with her new stepfather, an actor who starred in a comedy series. When the child visited her biological mother and stepfather, she was introduced as their adopted daughter. Most people found it an unbelievable story. I didn't, for the simple fact that the story is my own.
 

Juan Williams

In his latest novel, Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America � and What We Can Do About It, inspired by Bill Cosby's now famous speech at the NAACP gala celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Brown decision integrating schools; Williams makes the case that while there is still racism, it is way past time for black Americans to open their eyes to the "culture of failure" that exists within their community. He raises the banner of proud black traditional values-self-help, strong families, and belief in God-that sustained black people through generations of oppression and flowered in the exhilarating promise of the modern civil rights movement. Williams asks what happened to keeping our eyes on the prize by proving the case for equality with black excellence and achievement.
 

Elaine Meryl Brown

Elaine Meryl Brown, author of the critically acclaimed debut novel Lemon City and the recently published Playing by the Rules, is Vice President, Special Markets in Creative Services at HBO, where her many responsibilities include On-Air Promotion for HBO Family and HBO Latino, Off-Channel Subscriber Acquisitions Campaigns, Segment Marketing and Brand Promotion for Satellite Cable, and Content Creation for new media platforms. Prior to HBO, Elaine was a Creative Director in Creative Services at Showtime Networks. While at Showtime, Elaine also directed promotional campaigns with stars, including Sidney Poitier, Angelica Huston and Louis Gossett, Jr. She executive produced added value shows for Showtime Original Pictures as well.
 

Mary B. Morrison
http://aalbc.com/authors/marybmorrison.htm

Mary B. Morrison, in 1999, decided to step out on faith and quit her near six-figure government job with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to become a writer saying, "I'd rather die a failure, than to have lived and never known whether I would become a success."

Today, Mary has also written, a non-fiction self-help book entitled Who�s Making Love, a poetry book entitled Justice Just Us Just Me, and several fiction novels, Never Again Once More, He�s Just a Friend, Somebody�s Gotta Be on Top, When Somebody Loves you Back, Nothing Has Ever Felt like This (released August 1, 2006) and is co-authoring a novel with New York Times best-selling author, Carl Weber
 

Daniel Henderson

Daniel B. Henderson Sr., a.k.a. Smokey �D�, comes to you with his second book of poetry, Reflection of Love, Looking Deep Into the Soul of You, after releasing his first book, The Heart of Alkebulan (Africa), Sweet Drop of Honey in 1996. Daniel continues to reside in Ashdown, AR. As he releases his second book of poetical love expressions, he introduces poetic expressions and art illustrations by his son, Daniel B. Henderson Jr., art illustrations by his nephew Michael A. Starks Jr., Jimmie Hopkins and graphics work by his brother Alvin L. Henderson a.k.a. Stone.

Daniel has a Bachelor�s and an Associate degree in Business Administration, obtained from the East Texas State University and Texarkana Community College at Texarkana, Texas and an Associate degree in Health Care Management obtained from the Community College of the Air Force.
 

The Legend Of Quito Road by Dwight Fryer

"I just finished The Legend of Quito Road, the debut novel by Dwight Fryer. The book is off the chain!" �Thumper

Editor's Note: 'nuff said

They Tell Me of a Home by Daniel Black
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312341873/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

"During The National Book Club Confernece (a terrific event), I went to wonderful bookstore in Atlanta, GA called The Shrine of the Black Madonna Cultural Center and Bookstore http://www.shrinebookstore.com.  

I asked them to show me a really good book. I was told that Daniel Black's book was enjoyed by everyone who read it. In fact, one of the Brothers in the store said it was a really good book. I was also told that older customers, on fixed income, that read the galley -- still purchased the book to keep." �Troy, AALBC.com Founder
 

Nate by P. Lewis
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967195101/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

Nate was selected as a winner of the twenty-seventh annual American Book Awards for 2006.

The American Book Awards, established in 1978 by the Before Columbus Foundation, recognize outstanding literary achievement by contemporary American authors, without restriction to race, sex, ethnic background, or genre. The purpose of the awards is to acknowledge the excellence and multicultural diversity of American writing.
 

Jump at the Sun by Kim McLarin
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060528494/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

"...her daring novel has the fire-breathing sass of Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale and the soul-searching depth of Toni Morrison's Beloved...honest and surprising and provocative...refreshing on a hot summer day." �USA Today

The Other Brother by Brandon Massey
http://aalbc.com/authors/brandon_massey.htm

The award-winning author of Dark Corner, Thunderland, and Within the Shadows, Brandon Massey delivers a chilling supernatural thriller of the ties that bind�-and dark secrets written in the blood . . .

Good fortune has smiled upon Gabriel Reid since the day he was born. Blessed with a loving family, educated in the finest schools, he holds a senior position in his father�s successful construction business in Atlanta. Engaged to a smart, beautiful woman and standing to inherit the CEO mantle, Gabriel�s got it all. But he�s about to meet someone who could change everything...

Raised on the mean streets of Chicago, Isaiah Battle refused to succumb to the violence that claimed others in his neighborhood. He�s forged his own identity from various influences, relying on his strength of character in the face of adversity. He also relies on another kind of strength-�and few who have witnessed Isaiah wield his dark power have survived to tell the tale. . .

Now Isaiah has come to Atlanta to claim his birthright�-as Gabriel�s half-brother from their father�s extramarital affair. The news threatens to tear the Reid family apart as they struggle to accept the stranger among them. But Isaiah, talented in ways no one ever imagined, wants much more than acceptance. He wants what he believes is rightfully his: everything Gabriel has. And he�ll let nothing stand in his way. . .  

You can read a sample chapter at: www.brandonmassey.com/tob.htm

The first 10 people to email contest@aalbc.com, with their name and mailing address, will win an autographed copy of The Other Brother, courtesy of the author Brandon Massey.

2nd Annual Capital BookFest
Saturday, October 7, 2006 from 10 am to 7 pm at
BLVD at the Cap Centre in Largo, MD
http://capitalbookfest.com

After a stellar inaugural Capital BookFest, attended by over 1500 adults and children, The Washington Post presents the Second Annual Capital BookFest.

This one day multi-cultural book festival will feature author readings, panels, writing and publishing workshops, poetry performances, live music, children's storytelling, and exhibitors from the Washington Metropolitan area, celebrating the literary arts and promoting literacy in Prince Georges County, Maryland.

Authors to appear include Marie Arana, Immaculee Ilibagiza, Yaba Baker, Michelle Singletary, Juan Williams, Marita Golden, Jabari Asim, Victoria Christopher Murray, Omar Tyree, Jason Johnson, Deborah Owens, Victor McGlothin, Nina Foxx, Troy Johnson, Karyn Langhorne, Delilah Winder, elena Patrice, Reuben Jackson, Kevin Wayne Johnson, Pat Sluby, Dr. Charles Phillips, and many, many more.
 

The RAWSISTAZ Affair - Hanging With Our RAW Brothaz
http://www.rawsistaz-affair.com

RAWSISTAZ Literary Group was established in September 2000 and is committed to the support and promotion of books by, for and about African-Americans. We currently have an online book club, a literary hang-out for readers and writers with approximately 450 members across the country, a review team called The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers with a repository of over 3500 reviews, and local chapters in eight major cities. In addition are our various newsletters with several thousand subscribers and our free site services for authors. RAWSISTAZ is making an impact on the literary world and continues to promote literature in a positive, uplifting way.

The RAWSISTAZ Affair is our annual face-to-face reunion/gathering with our online and offline groups, authors, and literary friends. This year we will celebrate 6 years of literary excellence and will hold our event in Charlotte, NC., the "Queen City" of the South.

This year's theme is "Hanging With Our RAW Brothaz." We will be paying special tribute to our male authors. With so many negative depictions of black men in the media, we just want to show our Brothaz a little love, by letting them know that we are proud of them, support them and appreciate their contributions to the literary industry and in our communities.