AALBC.com eNewsletter - January 19th 2006 |
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AALBC.com's 500 BESTSELLING BOOKS for
2005 http://books.aalbc.com/bestsellers.htm
We sell books, from our own inventory, on-line, during book fairs, events and our own AALBC.com Literary Salons. We also sell books via the Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.com affiliate programs. We, undoubtedly, sell more books, indirectly. We've sold hundreds of memberships to Blackexpressions Book Club over the years, and refer visitors to literally hundreds of other authors web sites and on-line retailers like CushCity.com. Referrals from "Thumpers Picks", our book club reading list and our discussion boards has spurred many off-line purchases. One of our primary goals has always been to "satisfy readers� book buying needs". In December of 1997 we sold our first book online. Since 1997, the number of different titles we have sold has increased to over 1,800 in 2005 -- virtually all by Black authors. We thank all of our visitors who make their on-line book purchases via AALBC.com. Your support is sincerely appreciated. |
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AUTHORS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Glave has taught at the University of Virginia, Cleveland State, Brown, Indiana, and Naropa Universities, and is presently an assistant professor of English and Africana Studies at the State University of New York, Binghamton. The recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including an O. Henry Prize for fiction and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fine Arts Center in Provincetown. Glave was named a �Writer on the Verge� by The Village Voice in 2000. Glave's most recent book Words to Our Now: Imagination and Dissent was published in November 2005 by University of Minnesota Press.
Terrie is a social worker by training. She is a public relations professional by her own design. She is a published author, a sought-after lecturer, a dealmaker, a mentor, an executive coach, and a community activist. First and foremost Terrie Williams is a people person�one who cares about other folks and one who passionately believes that we are here on the planet to hold each other up.
Ron currently teaches in the Social Science Department at Greenville Technical College in South Carolina where his research interests are in the area of radical African-American social and political thought. While Social Crisis and Social Demoralization is his first book, he has previously been published in The Journal of Black Studies and The Western Journal of Black Studies.
Born Dana Elaine Owens, but better known as Queen Latifah, the First Lady of Hip-Hop was also the first rapper to land an Oscar nomination, for the film Chicago. She�s already made another ten movies since, including Bringing Down the House, Barbershop 2, Beauty Shop, Taxi, and The Cookout. Queen Latifah has had numerous biographies written about her life, However her own book; Ladies First : Revelations of a Strong Woman is the story of a kid from the 'hood, making tough decisions and terrible mistakes -- about sex and drugs. |
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RECENT AALBC.COM BOOK REVIEWS, ARTICLES & VIDEOS http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/book_reviews.htm
New York�Ever since its debut on Broadway, Alice Walker�s compelling narrative-turned-musical, �The Color Purple,� has brought out a host of well-wishers, supporters, critics, and fans.
Walker�s acclaimed, best-selling novel received the Pulitzer
Prize and an American Book Award for fiction in 1983. In 1985, Stephen
Spielberg (along with Warner Bros. Pictures) turned the book into �an
internationally popular film.� |
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![]() by Brenda M. Greene, Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Black Literature Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York http://reviews.aalbc.com/rspns_their_eyes_were_reading_smut.htm
As I
read Nick Chiles' article, "Their Eyes Were Reading Smut" (January 4, 2006)
I was overcome with feelings of d�j� vu. His words and experiences
echoed my own and those of others who have become frustrated by the
preponderance of "street lit" in the marketplace. Yes, this literature
has left the tables of urban street vendors, and it has been integrated into
African American literary sections in mainstream and independent bookstores.
It has taken over the publishing industry. The question is why? |
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AALBC.com RECOMMENDS
Directed by Desire: The Collected Poems of June Jordan gathers the finest work from each of Jordan's ten books of poetry and includes 70 never-before-published poems�a tender, fierce, and innovative series that she wrote during her final years. As Adrienne Rich writes in her "Foreword":
In short, Directed by Desire is a breathtaking overview and the definitive June Jordan volume.
"Today, the legacy of slavery remains etched in our souls. Understanding the role our past plays in our present attitudes, outlooks, mindsets and circumstances is important if we are to free ourselves from the spiritual, mental and emotional shackles that bind us today, shackles that limit what we believe we can be, do and have. Understanding the Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome plays in our evolution may be the key that helps to set us on the path to well-being.� �Read a Review by Kam Williams
"Faith is a legacy for many women in my
family, as are the legacies of teen pregnancy, being single mothers,
emotional and physical abuse, and poverty. I have been praising
God since I was five years old. I continue to thank and bless Him every day.
I could have given up long ago. God has a hand upon my life. God has put me
here for a reason. Maybe he has put me here to share what it means to
recognize the gifts that God has given you and hold on to them with
everything you have.
Launched in 1998, Mosaic is a nimble voice exploring the literary landscapes of Black and Latino writers. With a unique blend of contemporary aesthetics, informed essays and profiles, and candid reviews, Mosaic continues its progress towards editorial splendor. In their short history they have featured such notable writers as Staceyann Chin, Colson Whitehead, Major Jackson, Willie Perdomo, Colin Channer, Roger Bonair-Agard, Sonia Sanchez, bell hooks, and Haki Madhubuti, among others. Subscribe Today
Originally published in 1977, White Rat contains twelve provocative tales that explore the emotional and mental terrain of a diverse cast of characters, from the innocent to the insane. In each, Jones displays her unflinching ability to dive into the most treacherous of psyches and circumstances: the title story examines the identity and relationship conundrums of a black man who can pass for white, earning him the name �White Rat� as an infant; �The Women� follows a girl whose mother brings a line of female lovers to live in their home; �Jevata� details eighteen-year-old Freddy�s relationship with the fifty-year-old title character; �The Coke Factory� tracks the thoughts of a mentally handicapped adolescent abandoned by his mother; and �Asylum� focuses on a woman having a nervous breakdown, trying to protect her dignity and her private parts as she enters an institution. In uncompromising prose, and dialect that veers from northern, educated tongues to down-home southern colloquialisms, Jones illuminates lives that society ignores, moving them to center stage.
"Hello. My name is Patrick Gorham. Please visit my website, AfricaWrites: Heroes, Rituals & Legends. Each month we take viewers on a journey across the deepest interiors of the African continent to rediscover the mysteries, legends and wonder of the African world. It is my goal each month for this website to inspire, uplift, give people a sense of real heroes, fascination in those wonders those yet undiscovered, and to bring back those myths and legends thought forever lost to the pages of history." |
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New Ways to Advertise
on AALBC.com AALBC.com welcomes 350,000 to over half a million visitors each month. There are few, if any, other web sites with the ability to attract so many people who have a keen interest in books written by or about African-Americans.
Look for the "Advertise on this site" link found at the bottom of many AALBC.com advertisements. Click the link and you'll be able to purchase ad space on AALBC.com through Google's Adsense Program. Just another easy and cost effective way to advertise your business or book on AALBC.com. Click here to learn how: https://adwords.google.com/select/OnsiteSignupLandingPage?client=ca-pub-7755914545527196&referringUrl=http://aalbc.com/authors/&hl=en&gl=US |
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OPEN THE UNUSUAL DOOR ESSAY CONTEST http://www.opentheunusualdoor.com/contest.htm
A first, second and third prize of $500, $300, and $200, respectively, will be awarded to the most compelling and best written essays by young people from ages 13 to 18. For more information on how to enter, visit http://www.opentheunusualdoor.com/contest.htm. For any questions or comments, email contact_info@opentheunusualdoor.com. |
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EVENTS http://events.aalbc.com
Casa Frela Gallery celebrates the life of Amadou Diallo with an art exhibition of paintings and photography. The exhibition commemorates the sixth anniversary of the death of Diallo on February 4, 1999, as a result of police brutality stemming from racial profiling. Ten artists have created ten paintings about Diallo�s life, death, and contributions. Featured artists like Eric Alugas, Katrina Jeffers and many more.. Photographer Jim Carroll has contributed 20 poignant photographs of Amadou Diallo�s funeral procession. The exhibition runs at Casa Frela from Saturday, February 4th through Tuesday, February 28th. Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, February 4th from 3-8pm. (AALBC.com will be present for the opening reception on Saturday, February 4th from 3-8pm.) |
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INTERESTING DISCUSSION BOARD
POSTS http://www.thumperscorner.com/cgi/discus/discus.cgi
Authors introduce your book to thousands of AALBC.com visitors for free; I encourage you to mention your book on our discussion boards: http://www.thumperscorner.com/discus you can include a graphic and even link to your web site. |
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Thank You - Black Issues Book Review!
Troy Johnson
"Web master and founder of AALBC.com, African American Literature Book Club.
Even though he does it in his spare time, he has THE best black book web
site in he industry with the measured hits to prove it. One of the
earliest founded on the Internet, AALBC.com has maintained consistent
excellence and brought books and booklovers to the Web."
�Robinson, Carolyn Hardnett. "Large and in Charge: People who are making it
and making a difference in the book industry" Black Issues Book Review
Jan - Feb 2006. 21-26
Peace,
Troy Johnson,
Founder AALBC.com
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