AALBC.com eNewsletter - July 22nd 2011 -
Issue #186Celebrating Our Literary Legacy Since 1997
http://aalbc.com/books/bestsellers.htm
Fiction
#1 - Thug Lovin' by
Wahida Clark
#2 - Snitch by
Booker T. Mattison
#3 - Thugs And The Women Who Love Them by
Wahida Clark
#4 - Every Thug Needs A Lady by
Wahida Clark
#5 - Justify My Thug by
Wahida Clark
#6 - Caramel Flava: The Eroticanoir.com Anthology edited by
Zane
#7 - Dutch III: International Gangster by
Teri Woods
#8 - Farther Than I Meant To Go, Longer Than I Meant To Stay
by Tiffany L.
Warren
#9 - For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the
Rainbow is Enuf by
Ntozake Shange
Non-fiction
#1 - Confessions of a Video Vixen by
Karrine Steffans
#2 - Diary Of A Lost Girl by
Kola Boof
#3 - The Vixen Diaries by
Karrine
Steffans
#4 - Fail Up: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure
by Tavis Smiley
#5 - The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality by
Cheikh Anta Diop
#6 - The Souls of Black Folk by
W.E.B. Du Bois
#7 - Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny by
Hill Harper
#8 - All the Rage: The Boondocks Past and Present by
Aaron McGruder
#9 - 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro With Complete Proof
by J. A. Rogers
AALBC.com's 25 Bestselling Books for 2011
http://aalbc.com/books/2011_by_month.htm
Nikky Finney
http://aalbc.com/authors/nikky_finney.html
Finney and her work have been featured on Russell Simmons DEF Poetry
(HBO series), renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson's feature The Meaning of
Food (a PBS production) and National Public Radio. Her work has been
praised by Walter Mosley,
Nikki Giovanni,
Gloria Naylor and the late
CBS/60 Minutes news anchor Ed Bradley. Finney has held distinguished
posts at Berea College as the Goode Chair in the Humanities and Smith
College as the Grace Hazard Conklin Writer-in-Residence.
Finney is currently a Professor of English and Creative Writing at the
University Kentucky. She is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets.
Brian
W. Smithhttp://aalbc.com/authors/brian_w_smith.html
Brian is the winner of the 2011 AAMBC, Male Author of the Year award. Strebor/Simon Schuster purchased the rights to 2009 best seller, Nina's Got a Secret Smith's 2010 novel, Deadbeat, was nominated for a 2011 Creative Excellence Award in the category of "Most Memorable Character". Sankofa Literary Society ranked the Smith's novel, Beater as a Top Book of 2010 in the Mystery/Suspense category. His novels Beater and Nina's Got a Secret were two-time Dallas Morning News Best Sellers in 2010. Nina's Got a Secret was also listed on Oprah.com (What To Read List).
Curtis
Bunnhttp://aalbc.com/authors/curtis_bunn.html
Curtis Bunn, a Washington, D.C. native and graduate of Norfolk State University, is an Essence No. 1 best-selling author whose ability to expose the mind, thoughts, motivations and vulnerabilities of his characters has made him a reader’s favorite. In his latest offering, A Cold Piece of Work (July 2011, Strebor Books), Curtis again delivers an engaging work in an original story that takes the reader on a thought-provoking journey. Solomon Singletary is an ideal catch — except that he finds it more satisfying to leave women than to please them — and sometimes after pleasing them. Years later, he encounters one of his “victims,” and immediately realizes he made a serious mistake. His mission then is to recapture Michele Williams’ heart, thinking reuniting with her would turn his cold heart warm. The odyssey features surprising subplots and twists that keeps the pages turning.
Keli
Goffhttp://aalbc.com/authors/keli_goff.html
"A breath of fresh air” is how viewers describe blogger, author and political analyst Keli Goff. Since emerging as one of the most popular political commentators of the 2008 election, Keli has appeared on more than 100 national and international news programs including: “The CBS Early Show,” CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” “The Joy Behar Show,” FOX News Channel’s “Fox and Friends,” and BET’s “The Truth with Jeff Johnson” for which she was a contributor. She currently appears regularly on MSNBC’s “The Dylan Ratigan Show” and also serves as a source for news outlets such as the New York Times and USA Today. She is the author of the new novel The GQ Candidate (Atria, July 2011) which was recently designated a recommended summer selection by The Los Angeles Times.
Mary
"HoneyB" Morrisonhttp://aalbc.com/authors/marybmorrison.htm
The New York Times bestselling author Mary 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."
In 2010, Mary produced a play based on her novel, Single Husbands, which she wrote under her pseudonym, HoneyB. Morrison's latest novel is The Eternal Engagement (Dafina, July 26, 2011).
Wahida Clarkhttp://aalbc.com/authors/wahida_clark.htm
Wahida Clark was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey. She decided to start writing fiction while incarcerated at a women's federal camp in Lexington, KY. Her style is street, raw, and she has an imagination that's in overdrive. When you read her novels they are so real you are convinced of one of three things: that you are inside the book, you know the characters, or you just have to meet them. Four of Wahida's novels were in the top 5 of the books sold on AALBC.com for during the period May 1st to June 30th 2011; including her most recent novel Justify My Thug Cash Money, April 26, 2011).
Scratching for Daylight by Wilbert Gibson
- reviewed by Alvin Romer
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/scratching_for_daylight.html
I loved this book because of its parallels of the profiles of courage
that gave each story a day in the sun where darkness wouldn’t define
them as failures. This is a good book to give readers what sacrifice is
about and for the sake of struggle why some of the stories within reason
doesn’t flow smoothly...they meander with jumps and starts, through the
general messiness of human experience to which the author gives ample
responses for light. There is also underlying, if not an intermingling
of poetry and prose where Mr. Gibson uses both first and third person
voices. Nevertheless, the book outlines reflections, at least in a
general way, the reasons its main discourses. should be illustrated for
illumination. I have no problems rating this book five stars out of
five. Read it and be enlightened!
The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil by Victoria Christopher Murray
- reviewed by Idrissa Uqdah
http://aalbc.com/reviews/thedeal.html
I have long been a fan of this author's work. Her easy way of telling an
engrossing story has made her the author of ten best selling novels and
earned her numerous literary awards. But what I really liked about this
storyline is the realism. The timing of this novel in today's tight
economic times brings to light what many African American Christian
couples are struggling with in real time. This is no pretty fairy tale.
Murray has scripted a novel with characters that pop. I loved the man
that Adam had become. I admired the way that he loved his wife and
children, trying to appease his spoiled teen-aged twin daughters despite
the fact that he no longer could afford to provide the luxuries they
wanted. Adam and Evia's romance was so strong and so sweet. Evia's
issues started to get on my nerves midway through the story but she
still was a strong Christian woman who appreciated her husband and tried
to do the best for her family. Evia's "ghetto fabulous" relatives were
hilarious and they were the perfect supporting characters.
Seaside Stories by S.R. Martin Jr.
- reviewed by Robert Fleming
http://aalbc.com/reviews/seaside_stories.html
There should be more African-American fiction like this, recapturing a
time when our communities were more-or-less intact and families were
solid. S. R. Martin, Jr., a former teacher of African American Studies
at Evergreen State College and author of this marvelous work, puts the
readers in the way-back machine and sends us back to his childhood
neighborhood, Seaside, on California’s Monterrey Peninsula in the World
War II era.
The pleasure we share with the author in discovering the quirks and
follies of his characters in these vignettes is something that most
Black folks will know. We’ve all know some of these people from our
communities: Hucklebuck and Deke, Sista Sarah, Satch, Carter, Glorious,
Mattie Phelps, Rev. Booker and the Hankersons, and the boys at
Beckwith’s barber shop. These stories brought back such sweet memories.
The Olympian: An American Triumph -
reviewed by Emanuel Carpenter
http://aalbc.com/reviews/the_olympian.html
What must it have been like to be the first African-American Olympic
gold medalist? Would the feat have instilled pride in a nation whose
history had shown brutality and hate to his race? Could the
accomplishment make the whole world stand up and take notice to black
athletes in the United States and to their people as a whole? The
answers to these questions might be found in the debut novel, The
Olympian.
Craig T. Williams begins his debut novel with a cheating scandal.
Wharton student and runner John Baxter Taylor has been accused of
stealing the idea for his paper from a fellow classmate whose paper is
almost identical. Since the other student involved is white as well as
his accuser, it is no surprise that he is suspended without as much as a
hearing. Guilty before proven innocent was not uncommon for blacks in
the 1900s, and his plight was no exception. Taylor overcomes this
setback the only way he knows how, by running. He runs as often as
possible. And eventually, it pays off…all the way to the Olympics. But
this is not just a story about an Olympian and his adventures during the
Olympics. Instead it is a journey in the life of a man who must overcome
life’s obstacles and yet come out on top.
Ladder to the Moon by Maya Soetoro-Ng
(Reading level: Ages 4-8) - reviewed by Kam Williams
http://aalbc.com/reviews/ladder_to_the_moon.html
...why not dream big? This was the essence of the message Maya and her
big brother, Barack, were raised with by their mom over the course of
their childhood. Consequently, both of these trailblazers overcame the
odds en route to enjoying phenomenal success in their chosen fields of
endeavor.
Now, Maya has opted to pass along a measure of her late mother’s
inspiration via an enchanting children’s tale appropriately entitled
“Ladder to the Moon.” Illustrated by a delightful array of delicate,
airbrush drawings, the evocative narrative relates a mythical meeting
between the author’s daughter, Suhaila, and the grandmother she
unfortunately never actually had a chance to meet.
Sellout
by James Lewis
- reviewed by Robert Fleming
http://aalbc.com/reviews/sellout.html
This debut novel, written by
James Lewis, deals with the thorny issue of
interracial dating from every side, rendered with narrative precision
and emotional detail. Tammy McDonald, an attractive loan officer, is
tired of the current crop of ebony slackers and tired gangstas and
figures Dale Bristol could be just the right touch in her romantic life.
She feels that Dale, a white man, could fit seamlessly in her scheme of
things, but love rarely goes according to plan.
Statistics say that well-educated, highly achieving African- American
professionals have difficulty finding suitable mates, just like Terrell
Jackson, a successful optometrist, who has his pick of females in his
dreams. When he reveals to his girl, Tasha, about his infidelity in his
sleep, she flips out and accuses him of cheating and worse. Terrell
thinks he needs to find a white female, who is more understanding and
less likely of emotional outbursts.
A Reason to Believe: Lessons from an Improbable Life - by Governor Deval
Patrick
http://aalbc.com/reviews/a_reason_to_believe.html
Deval Patrick and his sister Rhonda were raised on the South Side of
Chicago by a mom who’d been abandoned by their deadbeat dad for the
proverbial “other woman” and a “love child.” Life is tough enough for a
young boy growing up in the ‘hood without a father, but it must been
even more challenging when he’s a famous jazz musician (saxophonist Pat
Patrick) always on tour who rarely visits or sends any child support.
This was precisely Deval’s plight during his formative years, a
predicament which undoubtedly lowered his odds of ever making it out of
the ‘hood. Nonetheless, thanks to his applying himself academically
combined with the support of a devoted mother, grandparents and
teachers, he managed to earn a scholarship to a prestigious boarding
school by the time he graduated from junior high.
Black Woman Redefined: Dispelling Myths and Discovering Fulfillment in
the Age of Michelle Obama by Sophia A. Nelson
http://aalbc.com/reviews/black_woman_redefined.html
Recently, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann lamented that the
African-American family had been more stable during slavery than it is
today. Although the Republican presidential candidate was soon pressured
by blowback to distance herself from that insensitive remark, one cannot
help but be alarmed by both the suggestion that blacks might have been
better off in chains and by the verbal slap in the face of the millions
of sisters doing their best to raise kids alone during this age of
single-parent households.
Despite the fact that she is also a Republican, and that she campaigned
for both Bush I in 1992 and for Bush II in 2000 and 2004, Sophia A.
Nelson, ironically, feels differently about herself ever since the
election of a Democrat Barack Obama. She gushes at length about how much
the President’s wife, Michelle, means to her in Black Woman Redefined.
Unburdened by Conscience: A Black People’s Collective Account of
America’s Antebellum South and the Aftermath by Anthony W. Neal
http://aalbc.com/reviews/unburdened_by_conscience.html
American history books typically suggest that most Africans were docile
and that slave revolts like the one led by Nat Turner were rare
occurrences on plantations. But truth be told, escapes, resistance and
insurrections were the rule rather than the exception, given the
whippings, rapes and other forms of torture routinely employed by owners
and overseers to keep their chattel in line.
Unburdened by Conscience sets the record straight by relying on
narratives and journals kept by ex-slaves rather than on academic texts
which never bothered to consider the African-American experience.
Compiled by Boston-based attorney Anthony W. Neal, the book represents a
refreshing alternative to the conventional wisdom in much the same way
that the late Howard Zinn painted an empathetic picture from the
point-of-view of blacks, women, Native-Americans and other oppressed
groups in A
People’s History of the United States.
The End of Anger: A New Generation’s Take on Race and Rage by Ellis Cose
http://aalbc.com/reviews/end_of_anger.html
What a difference a generation makes! When Ellis Cose first conducted a
study of black graduates of elite academic institutions back in 1994, he
encountered a set of relatively-prospering folks who were nonetheless
frustrated about the obstacles they encountered as they endeavored to
ascend the corporate ladder.
Cose, a contributing editor at Newsweek Magazine, published his
incendiary findings in
The Rage of
a Privileged Class. What made that groundbreaking best seller
so fascinating was how it revealed widespread discontent amidst members
of a black bourgeoisie who were undeniably better off moneywise, if not
emotionally, than their lesser-educated brethren they’d left behind in
the ghetto.
The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding by Sarah Burns
http://aalbc.com/reviews/central_park_five.html
On April 19, 1989, Patricia Ellen Meili entered Central Park around 9
PM, a regular running time for her due to the long hours she worked on
Wall Street. Unfortunately, on this occasion, she would be sadistically
beaten, brutally raped and left for dead, with 80% of the blood draining
from her body by the time she was rushed to the hospital by ambulance
after the police were alerted by a couple of passersby.
The Central Park Five revisits the controversial case to determine just
how a combination of a media circus, a flawed legal system and a racist
society inclined to see black adolescents as animals had enabled such a
gross miscarriage of justice to transpire. The author, who also disputes
the popular notion that this country is now post-racial because of the
election of President Barack Obama, is already collaborating with her
father, award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns, on a documentary based on
this eye-opening opus which belatedly sets the record straight.
An Uncaged Eagle – True Freedom by Colonel Richard Toliver
http://aalbc.com/reviews/an_uncaged_eagle.html
Richard Toliver was born in Bellevue, Louisiana in 1938, a perilous time
to be black in the Deep South. When he was just a toddler, his father
became embroiled in a boundary dispute with a racist white neighbor who
was brazenly stealing land and livestock that had been in the family for
generations. Although the social mores of the day dictated that
African-Americans were supposed to be deferential in the face of such
injustices, Dick’s dad decided to stand up for himself as the provider
for a wife and five young kids.
But when word reached the local Ku Klux Klan of the existence in town of
an uppity black man, a lynch mob was organized, and the Tolivers barely
escaped with the clothes on their backs. In the process, however, they
lost the farm and everything else they owned.
Eye of the Hurricane: My Path from Darkness to Freedom by Dr. Rubin
"Hurricane" Carter
http://aalbc.com/reviews/eye_of_the_hurricane.html
Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was rising up the ranks of the middleweight
division in 1966 when he was arrested for a triple murder he didn’t
commit. His once-promising boxing career ended abruptly upon his
conviction, and he proceeded to serve the next 19 years in prison, 10 in
solitary confinement.
He was finally able to clear his name after becoming the subject of hit
song by Bob Dylan which in turn helped turn his case into something of a
cause célèbre. Denzel Washington subsequently earned an Oscar nomination
for his dignified portrayal of Carter in “The Hurricane,” a bio-pic
chronicling Rubin’s legal ordeal from being framed through his ultimate
vindication.
Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics and Big Business Re-Create Race
in the 21st Century by Dorothy Roberts
http://aalbc.com/reviews/fatal_invention.html
The mapping of the human gene has established, scientifically, that
there is only one race, the human race. So, one might naturally expect
any arbitrary groupings by experts of individuals along color lines to
cease. Think again. Regrettably, this is not the case, according to
Professor Dorothy Roberts of Northwestern Law School.
She is the author of Fatal Invention, a cautionary examination of the
current state of affairs in terms of the intersection of ethnicity and
bioethics. In the book, she issues a dire warning that researchers are
repackaging outmoded notions of race by hiding behind benign-sounding
euphemisms like “geographic ancestry” when they should really be
disposing of such baseless categorizations entirely.
Incognito: An American Odyssey of Race and Self-Discovery
http://aalbc.com/reviews/incognito.html
Michael Sidney Fosberg was raised in a lily-white, Chicago suburb at the
height of the Civil Rights Movement by his Caucasian mother and stepdad.
Consequently, he grew up blissfully unaware of the fact that the real
father he’d been separated practically at birth from was black.
A Jew-fro and a slightly swarthy complexion were all that made Michael
stand out in family photos taken with his parents and two younger
siblings. His mom explained away the differences in their appearance by
saying that he was part Cherokee, an excuse which her
emotionally-conflicted son bought until he bottomed out in his Thirties
while trying to make it as an actor in L.A.
In The Words Of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Jennifer Crwys-Williams
http://aalbc.com/reviews/in_the_words_of_nelson_mandela.html
One of the greatest assignments of my career as a newspaper reporter was
covering South African leader, Nelson Mandela, who had just been
released in 1990 from that country’s maximum security prison, Robben
Island after 27 years in prison in his New York visit. So I’ve been
waiting patiently for the new collection of his quotes, In The Words Of
Nelson Mandela. He represented all of the greatest qualities of
leadership, a true sense of wisdom, strength, compassion, and a moral
vision. I read his autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom, published in
1995, and rejoiced when he worked to heal the country from the bitter
wounds of racial strife.
There have been many books published about Mr. Mandela and his
achievements, both political and personal. Now Jennifer Crwys-Williams,
a noted South African writer and media personality, has collected a
generous sampling of the retired leader’s opinions and observations. The
words have been gathered from many sources, articles, speeches,
writings, and interviews.
Sandy Daley author of
Whose Vagina is it Really? (1:37)
http://youtu.be/oayERBbBwDM
Sandy Daley is an author who has her own column in various magazines and
is also a radio and TV personality. Her in-depth look at relationships
from a single woman's point of view is often described as humorous,
creative and down-right truthful in her approach to dealing with men.
Here she talks about her book Whose
Vagina is it Really?: A Single Woman's guide to taking control of her
Sexuality. Recorded during Book Expo America May
2011
The
Making of the Black Pack Party 2011 Group Shot (0:56)
http://youtu.be/eg7VYVGly0U
AALBC.com, Linda A. Duggins,
MosaicBooks.com,
Written Magazine, Rolling Out,
Technicolor Radio Show & Urban Literary Review hosted the 5th annual Black Pack
party at the W XYZ bar in Aloft Hotel in Harlem NY on May 25, 2011. The party
celebrates book industry professionals and authors
Publisher Cheryl Willis Hudson
& Illustrator George Ford talk about Just Us Books (1:46)
http://youtu.be/pCnz-GGFWVA
Cheryl Willis Hudson Editorial Director/Publisher for Just Us Books &
illustrator George Ford talk about Just Us Books, the premier publisher of Black
interest book for children, and their ground breaking title Bright Eyes, Brown
Skin. Bright Eyes Brown Skin. Bright Eyes was ground breaking because the
award winning book was the first children's book published illustrated and
written by Black people
Bruce George, Managing Editor
The Bandana Republic (1:29)
http://youtu.be/OPhCw65eP_U
Bruce George, Co-founder Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam is the Managing Editor
of the poetry anthology The Bandana
Republic: A Literary Anthology by Gang Members and Their Affiliates.
The book is edited by Louis Reyes Rivera and contains a foreword by Jim Brown
Earl Douglas,
Jr. talks about the his book of photographs, Black Rock Volume 1 (5:45)
http://youtu.be/wjH5hm1MSgw
Earl Douglas, Jr. talks about his book of photography Black Rock Volume 1, which contains photos of great musicians like the band Living Colour , Bernie Worrell, Nona Hendryx and more. He also shares information about the organization The Black Rock Coalition.
Nizer Saunders, Program/Media Dir. HarlemTalkRadio.com (2:10)
http://youtu.be/gRKrGPnrYPM
Freedom Riders: Q&A with Director Stanley Nelson (14:28)
http://youtu.be/4BI1ZZQyxr8
Parents of C.A.F.E. of the Nightingale-Bamford School hosted a special screening
of American Experience: Freedom Riders, "A riveting new documentary" from
director Stanley Nelson which premiered on PBS in May 2011. This video is a
portion of the Q&A with Director Stanley Nelson and Associate Producer Stacey L.
Holman Recorded, by AALBC.com on April 5, 2011
Bright Eyes, Brown Skin - Why this children's book is important by
Cheryl Willis Hudson
http://aalbc.com/reviews/bright_eyes_brown_skin1.html
In Bright Eyes, Brown Skin facial features are presented naturally and
positively. A nose is "perfect" for a face (not broad or derisively
flat); hair is neither "good" or "bad" but simply a crown on a child's
head; skin is not dark—it's a range of browns; eyes are not rolling or
buck—they are bright and inquisitive. African American features that for
so long have been presented and associated in stereotypical ways in
children's literature (akin to minstrel show imagery) are now being
rendered directly and simply with no value judgment or racist baggage.
The simple, straightforward text invites children of all complexions and
ethnicities to take turns identifying their eyes, ears, noses, hair and
clothes and to talk about similarities and differences among their
friends.
Reflections on Black Book Reviews by Troy Johnson
http://aalbc.com/blog/?p=553
When I first started publishing reviews of Black books on AALBC.com
these books were largely ignored by the magazines and newspapers that
published book reviews. Similarly, websites that might publish reviews
of Black books focused primarily on celebrity and scandal driven titles.
It was much harder for an author to secure a critical book review,
written by a respected entity, with a large audience, than it was to be
published by one of the big six* publishers. This is even more true in
today’s environment.
.
Are Books An Endangered Species? by Michael Levin
http://aalbc.com/reviews/are_books_an_endangered_species.html
The traditional New York publishing business model—publish a ton of
books, fail to market most of them, and hope that somebody buys
something—worked well when publishers had a hammerlock on the
distribution and marketing of books. Publishers essentially faced no
competition and enjoyed complete control of what books people could
publish and sell.
In today’s world, however, anyone from John Grisham to John Doe can put
up a book online with Smashwords, Lulu, or Kindle Direct, and bypass
publishers—and bookstores—all together. Authors can use Google AdWords
or social networking strategies to market their books far more
effectively than publishers ever could. So who needs New York?
Article from the '70's but relevant today- New Hair-do is a "Natural" by
Connie Bradley
http://aalbc.com/authors/new_hairdo_is_a_natural.html
I finally succumbed. If someone had told me a couple of years ago that I
would appear in public with my crowing glory in its natural state, I
would have, you should excuse the expression, flipped my wig!
I had been very vociferous opponent of “colored women wearing their hair
in that ridiculous way,” and I had at my command a variety of arguments
against the au naturel coiffure.
Hey, Boo - Intriguing Documentary Revisits
To Kill a Mockingbird - Film
Review
http://aalbc.com/reviews/hey_boo.html
In 1961, Harper Lee, an unknown white woman from a small town in
Alabama, won a Pulitzer Prize for her groundbreaking novel,
To Kill a
Mockingbird. Released at the height of the African-American struggle
against Jim Crow segregation, the book played a pivotal role in raising
the country’s awareness of racism while simultaneously serving to shame
the South about its disgraceful legacy of lynching, oppression and
discrimination.
A couple of years later, the screen adaptation of the best seller earned
several Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best
Actor. Gregory Peck delivered his career performance as Atticus Finch,
an attorney defending a black man unfairly accused of rape.
Dear Daddy - Documentary about the life long effects of fatherlessness on women
- Film Promo
http://aalbc.com/authors/janks.html#deardaddy
Dear Daddy is a feature length documentary about the life long effects
of fatherlessness on women. The film follows the dramatic journeys of
eight young women from the tough city streets of Washington, DC as they
struggle to overcome poverty, poor educational systems, no healthcare,
and the most difficult life circumstance they have been dealt... the
absence of their fathers.
Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick - The "A Reason to Believe" Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/deval_patrick.html
Deval Laurdine Patrick was born on July 31, 1956 in Chicago where he and
his elder sister, Rhonda, were raised by their mother, Emily “Mae”
Wintersmith, in the home of their maternal grandparents after she was
abandoned by her husband. Their absentee father, the late Pat Patrick,
was a legendary jazz saxophonist who recorded and performed with
everybody from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis to Thelonious Monk to Sun
Ra.
He worked with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and then as an Assistant
Attorney General for Civil Rights under President Clinton. He also
enjoyed stints as general counsel at Texaco and Coca-Cola before
deciding to run for Governor of Massachusetts, a position he has held
since 2007. Last fall, he made history by becoming the first
African-American in the United States ever to be re-elected as a
governor. Here, he talks about his autobiography, A Reason to Believe.
Dr. Randal Pinkett - The “Black Faces in White Places” Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/dr_randal_pinkett.html
A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Pinkett holds five degrees including: a B.S. in
Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University, where he competed as a
high jumper, long jumper, and captain of the men’s track and field team;
a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Oxford in England; and
a M.S. in Electrical Engineering, MBA, and Ph.D. from MIT. Most notably,
he’s still the only African-American-winner of Donald Trump’s reality-TV
show, “The Apprentice.”
Born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Pinkett is a proud
member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and attends First
Baptist Church in Somerset, NJ, where he resides. He is happily married
to his wife, Zahara, and they are both proud parents of their daughter,
Amira. Randal firmly believes that “for those to whom much is given,
much is expected,” so throughout his endeavors, he places great emphasis
on his desire to give back to the community.
Michael Clarke Duncan - The "Green Lantern" Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/michael_clarke_duncan.html
The towering, 6’5” thespian has enjoyed a long list of credits, and is
set to star in his first full-time TV role in the new drama series “The
Finder,” on FOX. He also has several movies upcoming, including the
independent horror thriller “The Sibling,” with Mischa Barton, and the
sports drama “From the Rough,” starring Taraji P. Henson.
Duncan’s television credits include guest-starring roles on the hit
shows “Two and a Half Men,” “Chuck,” “Family Guy,“ “The Jaime Foxx
Show,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” “Weird Science,” “Married With
Children” and “The Wayans Bros.” Here, he talks about his latest outing
as the voice of Kilowog in the Green Lantern.
Jada Pinkett Smith on "Girls Hold Up This World" and "HawthoRNe"
http://aalbc.com/reviews/jada_pinkett_smith.html
The film captured hearts and went on to win two NAACP Image Awards along
with two People’s Choice Awards. More recently, Jada produced the global
blockbuster “Karate Kid” starring her son Jaden. Beyond the medium of
film and TV, Jada together with her husband Will Smith and record
industry mogul Jay-Z, produced the three-time Tony Award-winning musical
“Fela’” which went on to enjoy a run in London at the National Theatre.
Jada is an avid writer and her children’s book
Girls Hold Up This World became a New York Times bestseller
and continues to inspire girls all across the globe. A native of
Maryland, Jada studied dance and acting at the Baltimore School for the
Arts and at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Her big break came
when she landed a role on the long-running NBC series “A Different
World.”
Flavor
Flav - The Real Man Behind The Clock And Sunglasses
http://aalbc.com/reviews/flava_flav.html
"To all of my fams (I’ve taken the ‘n’ out of fans and replaced it with
an ‘m,’ because a fan doesn’t do anything for me but cool me off when
I’m hot and a ‘fam’ is one that supports me), I thank you all for making
me who I am today. Without y’all, I would just be an ordinary person in
the street, no different and no better than anyone else - the only thing
that makes me different is my job description.
My life has taught me that nothing is really easy. Everything in life
you want can come to you, but you really, really have to earn it and
deserve it. You only get to live physically once in this lifetime, so
while we are living this one time - we need to make the best of it. When
we die, we become nothing but memories to other people and we want to
leave them the best memories ever."
--Flavor Flav (William Jonathon Drayton, Jr.), Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tavis Smiley - The "Fail Up" Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/tavis_smiley_fail_up.html
From his celebrated conversations with world figures to his work to
inspire the next generation of leaders as a broadcaster, author,
publisher, advocate and philanthropist, Tavis Smiley continues to be a
leading voice for change. He is currently the host of his late-night
television talk show on PBS as well as the host of a couple of radio
programs syndicated by Public Radio International: “The Tavis Smiley
Show” and “Smiley and West” alongside Dr. Cornel West.
This year, Tavis is celebrating his 20th year in broadcasting, and in
conjunction with that anniversary he’s just published, Fail Up: 20
Lessons on Building Success from Failure. In this revealing memoir, he
recounts 20 instances of perceived “failures” which were, in fact,
valuable “lessons” that shaped the principles and practices he employs
every day.
Troy Johnson speaks on the creation of AALBC.com with Tamika
Newhouse of African Americans on the Move Book Club
http://aalbc.it/createaalbc
"The New York Times referred to AALBC.com as “the most successful online
service that specializes in books for African Americans.”, hearing this,
how did this make you feel?
Wow Tamika, I’d forgotten about that quote. So I “Googled” it to find
the original source article on the NY Times website. The full quote is;
“There are some online services that specialize in books for blacks, in
addition to the one operated by Black Expressions. The most successful
is the African American Literature Book Club (www.aalbc.com), which was
started in 1997 and now gets between 1 million and 1.3 million visits a
month, said its founder, Troy Johnson.”
The quote was from an article was published on January 11, 2001, in The
New York Times and was written by Martin Arnold
(http://aalbc.it/bookclubs2001).
I provided a link to encourage your readers to read the entire article.
I find it fascinating to read this article 10 years later. So much has
changed, on so many levels, in the last 10 years!"
Children of the Street: An Inspector Darko Dawson Mystery
By Kwei Quartey
http://aalbc.it/childrenofthestreet
Industry insiders are raving over Quartey's new novel Children of
the Street (Random House, July 12, 2011)
In the slums of Accra, Ghana’s fast-moving, cosmopolitan capital, teenagers are turning up dead. Inspector Darko Dawson has seen many crimes, but this latest string of murders—in which all the young victims bear a chilling signature—is the most unsettling of his career. Are these heinous acts a form of ritual killing or the work of a lone, cold-blooded monster? With time running out, Dawson embarks on a harrowing journey through the city’s underbelly and confronts the brutal world of the urban poor, where street children are forced to fight for their very survival—and a cunning killer seems just out of reach.
“The
Book Look” Program To Showcase Literature On NewsOne -
Hosted by Alexandra Morton, Miss Black America-Baltimore 2011
http://aalbc.it/thebooklook
Written by Charisse Carney-Nunes on July 21, 2011
Brace yourself Black America ‘cuz your books will never look the same
This week, I am very excited to tell you about an upcoming and unique
program that will take the written word to a whole new level. Within the
coming weeks, a new online, book review show will begin airing right
here at NewsOne.com, and if you think it’s going to be some boring,
traditional program where two old dudes with pipes sit by a fireside and
chat about War and Peace, then you are definitely in for a shock.
The Book Look is an engaging and fast-paced video segment that tackles
the latest in books and book news relevant to our community. The weekly
program is hosted by beautiful book-lover and 2011 Miss Black
America-Baltimore, Alexandra Morton. It also features original music by
talented and Atlanta-based artist/producer, Zion Birdsong.
With its music, humor and entertainment value, The Book Look is unlike
any other show on the Web and remember, episodes will be available
exclusively on NewsOne! So get ready to look at books in a whole
different light. As a teaser, I’ve
included the show’s 30-second opening here.
Welcome
to A Chapter A Month
http://www.achapteramonth.com
You asked for us, you got us! Authors...all...the...time. No more
waiting for a year to hear from your favorite author. Now you have us
inside this amazing new experience where reading meets the brave new
digital world. As a reader, you will enjoy fresh, exciting chapters
every month as we reveal our stories to you one chapter at a time. You
will travel with us on our writing journeys and watch our novels come to
life on paper...and beyond. Each month the authors will offer you
something behind the pages - whether it's a live interview with your
favorite character or an ask-the-author-anything session, on this
website it's more than just the story.
And there's even more if you're a preferred reader. Imagine having
access to the author - through live streams - while their novels are
unfolding. You will be able to let the author know what you're enjoying
about the story, what you'd like to see happen...and who knows...your
suggestion just may appear in the next chapter the next month. Whether
it's live videos, a scene that appears as a short movie, or just the
old-fashion written word, you'll relish your favorite authors and try a
few new ones as well. So welcome to our world - where readers and
writers are joined together in A Chapter a Month!
Harlem Book Fair -
Saturday, July 23rd from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Harlem, New York
http://aalbc.it/hbf2011
Join us in Harlem New York as we come together in the celebration of
literature & culture. The Book Fair will be held on Saturday, July 23rd
from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on West 135th Street between Malcolm X
Blvd. (Lenox Avenue) and Fredrick Douglas Blvd. (8th Avenue), rain or
shine.
Download complete Harlem Book Fair Program Guide.
AALBC.com's founder, Troy Johnson will be on a panel called;
Going Digital: The African American Reader in
an E-Book World at 11AM in the Countee Cullen Library on 136th
Street.
Also, AALBC.com,
HarlemTalkRadio.com
and African Voices Magazine
will interview the authors, guest speakers and bibliophiles
participating in this year's Harlem Book Fair for a live video
feed which will be broadcast live and archived on several
websites. The broadcast, in collaboration with the Harlem Book Fair,
will capture the tradition of Harlem as the capital of Black art and
literature.
Tour Chicago with the Hottest Authors during
The 7th Annual Cavalcade of Authors
http://aalbc.it/cavalcadeofauthors
The 7th Annual Cavalcade of Authors 2011, is a destination event for
book clubs and avid readers to tour Chicago with their favorite authors:
Brenda Jackson,
Donna Hill,
Beverly Jenkins,
Francis Ray,
ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Lorraine Elzia, Suzetta Perkins, Karen
Owens White, Lesley Hal, Gloria Franklin, Susan D. Peters, Natasha O.,
Sheila Peele-Miller, D. A. Rhodes and Shunice Hill-Sullivan.
Friday, October 14, we'll have dinner at the Grand Lux
Cafe; then Saturday, October 15 the tour leaves the
sponsoring venue: Chicago South Loop Hotel for DuSable Museum, Navy
Pier, and shopping on the Magnificent Mile. Later that evening a
wonderful time of dancing, spades, bid whist, games and more at the
Crimson Party & Steppers Set where everyone wears red. We end the
weekend on Sunday, October 16 with an inspirational
buffet brunch.
Contact 888.854.8823
lissawoodson@aol.com for more information
Grace
Edwards joins African Voices Summer Soirée at B. Smith's in Sag Harbor,
NY
http://aalbc.it/2011av
"We are honored to have the ever wonderful and talented
Grace Edwards
join our summer soirée at B. Smith's in Sag Harbor. She will read an
excerpt from her recently released novel The Blind Alley.
Please save the date for this fun and exciting event, which will take
place on Friday, August 12, 2011 from 6 pm to 8 pm.
Join us for a romantic evening of poetry and art along the restaurant's
scenic view in Sag Harbor's marina.
If you are unable to attend, please make a contribution and share the
information with your family and friends. Your support will help us
publish the second part of our special theater issue, which is
forthcoming.
Thanks for your support. If you have not become a member or subscribed,
please join our "You Can't Shut Us Down" membership drive at
www.africanvoices.com. Hit the donate link at the top of our homepage.
Please pass the e-mail forward to family, friends and colleagues!"
Editor's Note:
http://aalbc.it/BookEvents
AALBC.com's
events
calendar is an ideal resource for
authors who wish to post their entire tour schedules, or folks who only
want to promote a single event. Because of AALBC.com's popularity, all posted events
are quickly indexed by Google and other search engines; making your
event easy to find by web surfers and the 100's of thousands of
AALBC.com visitors. AALBC.com also selects
events from our calendar to include in this which goes
out to over 17 thousand subscribers about once a month.
The Rise of Kola Boof
http://aalbc.com/tc/index.php?/topic/899-the-rise-of-kola-boof/
For people who'd like to see me in person, my book tour has been
expanded (instead of 22 cities by December...I'm now doing 50 cities by
next June). Please check this Tour Schedule for updates on dates &
cities: http://aalbc.it/kolatour
.
Why must they chase the cat? nothin but the dog in them!
http://aalbc.com/tc/index.php?/topic/880-why-must-they-chase-the-cat
With the latest headline-making scandal involving men in high places who succumb to the primitive gratification of forbidden fruit, I can't help but to again ask myself what possesses men to risk everything, - their careers, their family, their marriages, their reputations, just to indulge their sexual urges and fantasies? And are these high-profile men the exceptions, not the rule? I wonder. Gettin caught doing wrong seems to be the chief deterrent, as opposed to doing the right thing.
Apparently, the penis is not satisfied with a good "hand". It prefers to trump the brain and gamble on winning. Women are still the big losers, whether they are the ones being betrayed or the the ones being used. No wonder marriage is in trouble.
Win
a Copy Vickie Stringer Novel Dirtier Than Ever (Atria, February 2010,
Hardcover)
http://aalbc.com/authors/vickie_stringer.htm
Following the phenomenal success of Essence bestsellers Dirty Red and
Still Dirty, Vickie M. Stringer takes readers on another bumpy ride in
Dirtier Than Ever with Red, Bacon, and Q -- the crazy love-hate triangle
who makes the series a favorite among urban fiction fans.
Gritty, steamy, and intense, Stringer delivers another page-turning
caper about a hustler in high heels who is Dirtier Than Ever.
Two win this novel simply be one of the first two people to answer the
following 3 questions correctly (clue all the answer are contained in
this enewsletter. Email the correct answers to
troy@aalbc.com before midnight, July
25th.
Two prizes will be awarded. Books can only be shipped to
winners with mailing addresses in continental US.
- Where will AALBC.com's founder Troy Johnson be appearing next?
- Name a way visitors can help support AALBC.com's efforts?
- Which author has the most top 5 selling books on AALBC.com for May and June of 2011?
Use
Social Media to Help Spread the Word about AALBC.com
Hello
everyone, if you find something of value on AALBC.com please share the
pages with others. It is
very easy to do. e to help you do this
quickly and easily via Facebook, Google, Twitter and almost all of the
popular social media platforms. See the arrows on the image of a
typical AALBC.com page on your left.
AsAs always we appreciate and need your continuous
your support. Thanks!
AALBC.com Advertising Rates - Completely Overhauled
- Greats Deals Available!
http://aalbc.com/advertise_on_aalbc.html
If you want over 250,000 books lovers to see your book or product each
month, then advertise with AALBC.com (the African American Literature
Book Club). AALBC.com is uniquely positioned to display your online
advertisement before a large and highly targeted audience of avid
readers and those interested books and film by or about people of
African descent.
The #1 site for African American Literature™ now offers most types of
advertising banners to promote your book, product or event. All ad types
flash, video, banners, book covers, text are supported and prices range
from as little as $49 per month.
If
You are Buying Your Books Online...
Then consider clicking through AALBC.com before making you purchases.
AALBC.com earns a commission on the products you buy via Amazon.com and
BarnesandNoble.com. The products will not cost you a penny
more, and you'll be helping us to continue to bring you the variety of
Black literature has to offer. Click this link
http://aalbc.it/buyanybook for Amazon.com purchases and click this
link http://aalbc.it/buyanybookbn
for BarnesandNoble purchases. You may also look for
Amazon/Banres&Noble logo on the AALBC.com homepage.
Subscribe
to the AALBC.com Supplemental eNewsletter
http://aalbc.com/enewsletter/
AALBC.com has created a new mailing list to allow subscribers to receive additional information not included in our regular eNewsletter. Our Supplemental eNewsletter will be used to share time sensitive news and information from authors, organizations and sponsors we believe in. AALBC.com’s Supplemental eNewsletter will be mailed no more than 3 times a month and will contain just one or two items. This, our first official Supplemental eNewsletter is being emailed to all AALBC.com subscribers. If you are interested in receiving future Supplemental eNewsletters please click here to subscribe. If you do not subscribe you will not receive additional Supplemental eNewsletters, but you will continue to receive the regular AALBC.com eNewsletter approximately every 5 weeks.
Free
Book Promotion Tip:
http://aalbc.com/advertise_on_aalbc.html#free
This ad (on the left) appears at the bottom of every AALBC.com page.
These ads get hundreds of thousands of impressions a month. Just order
an AALBC.com mug, email a photograph of you with the mug and send us a
short blurb with a link to your site. We will setup the rest. You can
also hold a copy of your book or anything else to promote your brand.
In this ad author
Monda Raquel
Webb sports a tee shirt promoting her book 7:33 am.
Also check out the film she is producing
7:33 am the Movie.
AALBC.com eNewsletter Managementby too, you are sure to discover a new author or good book.
AALBC.com eNewsletter Management
- Sign up for this eNewsletter: http://aalbc.com/enewsletter
- Received this from a friend? Subscribe.
- Unsubscribe instantly from these emails by clicking here.
- Forward this email to a friend.
- Email look weird? View it on the web here..
- Read old eNewsletters; click here to visit our archive
Where is AALBC.com's founder Troy Johnson speaking next? Visit: http://aalbc.it/troyspeaks
Peace,
Troy Johnson
President, AALBC.com, LLC
Toll Free: 866-603-8394
Email: troy@aalbc.com
