Loading

AALBC.com eNewsletter - October 24th 2005

Celebrating Our Literary Legacy! 

Read our eNewsletter Archives
Subscribe to This Newsletter

 

AALBC.com BESTSELLING BOOKS SEPTEMBER  / OCTOBER 2005
http://books.aalbc.com/bestsellers.htm

Fiction

#1 - The Interruption of Everything by Terry McMillan
#2 - The Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth by Zane
#3 - Devil In The Mist by Diane Dorce
#4 - The Sisters of APF: The Indoctrination of Soror Ride Dick by Zane
#5 - Vivid by Beverly E. Jenkins
 

 


Nonfiction

#1 - Confessions of a Video Vixen by Karrine Steffans
#2 - Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu
#3 - Race Matters by Dr. Cornel West
#4 - Satan, I'm Taking Back My Health! by Jawanza Kunjufu
#5 - Keeping Black Boys out of Special Education Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu


bullet


The Zane Effect
53% of all nonfiction titles sold (trending downward but still amazingly high)

bullet

Fiction to Non fiction ratio 51% to 49% (highest ever for non-fiction)

bullet

Top Selling Book (most number of copies sold): Confessions of a Video Vixen

bullet

Highest Conversion Ratio: Vivid - 71% of people who clicked link actually purchased book (Ratio for all books on AALBC.com = 6.28%)

bullet

Sleeper Title: Bourbon Street (look for this title to continue to slowly grow in popularity)

To view the entire of bestsellers list visit http://books.aalbc.com/bestsellers.htm

  back to the top

AUTHORS YOU SHOULD KNOW


Lerone Bennett, Jr.
http://authors.aalbc.com/lerone.htm

Writer and social historian Lerone Bennett, Jr. has served as the executive editor of Ebony for almost forty years. His written work deftly explores the history of race relations in the United States as well as the current environment in which African Americans strive for equality.  Bennett is the author of such seminal works as Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America and Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln and the White Dream.

Dr. Amos N. Wilson
http://authors.aalbc.com/amos.htm

Dr. Wilson is the author of numerous titles including Black-on-Black Violence: The Psychodynamics of Black Self-Annihilation in Service of White Domination, Developmental Psychology of the Black Child, and Afrikan Centered Consciousness Versus the New World Order: Garveyism in the Age of Globalism. 

Zadie Smith
http://authors.aalbc.com/zadie.htm

Smith is celebrated as one of Britain's most talented young authors and is the author of the critically acclaimed novels White Teeth, and the recently published, On Beauty.

  back to the top

AALBC.com RECOMMENDS

My Face Is Black Is True: Callie House and the Struggle for Ex-Slave Reparations
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400040035/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

"Mary Francis Berry resurrects the forgotten life of Callie House (1861-1928), ex-slave, widowed Nashville washer woman and mother of five who, seventy years before the civil rights movement, headed a demand for ex-slave reparations." "House was born into slavery in 1861 and sought African-American pensions based on those offered Union soldiers. In a brilliant and daring move, House targeted $68 million in taxes on seized rebel cotton (over $1.2 billion in 2005 dollars) and demanded it as repayment for centuries of unpaid labor."

Dr. Berry tells how the Justice Department, persuaded by the postmaster general, banned the activities of Callie Houses's town organizers, violated her constitutional rights to assemble and to petition Congress, and falsely accused her of mail fraud; the federal officials had the post office open the mail of almost all African-Americans, denying delivery on the smallest pretext. Berry shows how African-American newspapers, most of which preached meekness toward whites, systematically ignored or derided Mrs. House's movement, which was essentially a poor person's movement. Despite being denied mail service and support from the African-American establishment of the day, Mrs. House's Ex-Slave Association flourished until she was imprisoned by the Justice Department for violating the postal laws of the United States; suddenly deprived of her spirit, leadership, and ferocity, the first national grassroots African-American movement fell apart.

Lorraine and James
Global Urban Literature

http://www.lorraineandjames.com/

Lorraine and James is a triannual print journal whose missions is to till the urban landscape in search of new writers and give attention to the noncommercial work or established writers from the United States and around the globe.  It is our intent that through this process we will act as a conduit through which a writers from anywhere can connect with readers everywhere

Lorraine and James publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and interviews in  summer, fall and winter.

BackList
http://www.thebacklist.net

"Stacia Brown interviewed the ever-honest and wonderful warrior writer, asha bandele. Soul-brother-writer-number-one, Mark Anthony Neal, interviewed actress-turned-novelist, Denise Nicholas. I got a chance to probe Scott Poulson-Bryant, the author of the soon-to-be-released book that everyone will be talking about, Hung. There�s a feature where four fabulous writers discuss being first-time novelists and Danielle Jackson has contributed a piece about the sometimes understated importance of black publishing houses. Also check out my new feature, called Editor's BackList, where I pick the books I'm checking for."  �Felicia Pride, Founder/Editor/Publisher

click to buy in the darkIn the Dark
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BNBIP2/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

Phillip Thomas Duck Speaks About In the Dark:
Fiction is often grounded in reality. Many times some real life experience causes a fiction writer to play �What if�. For me, it was my daughter�s baby monitor intercepting a telephone call from someone in my condo complex. Marriage and its unique complexities is a theme that shows up in quite a bit of my fiction. The baby monitor experience and this reoccurring marriage theme gelled to create one of those �What if� moments. Namely, �What if a wife found out her husband was cheating on her by way of her daughter�s baby monitor?� The result of this query is �In the Dark�, a sexy story about marriage and infidelity with a twist.

AfricaSpeaks.com
http://www.africaspeaks.com

An aggregation of several websites including; http://www.AfricaSpeaks.com http://www.RastaSpeaks.com, http://www.rootswomen.com, http://www.RastafariSpeaks.com and numerous Blogs and discussion boards.  This web site contains interesting articles and discussions.


http://www.urban-reviews.com

Urban-Reviews.com is a new online resource for open and honest opinions on some of today's latest and greatest releases, whether it's AA Fiction, Hip-Hop or R&B Music. Our goal is to provide an insight for visitors to decide on whether or not they should consider getting any of the featured releases.

  back to the top

EVENTS
http://events.aalbc.com/

North Carolina Black Book Festival
http://www.ncbookfest.com

March 31, 2006 - Opening Night Literary Gala
Keynote Speaker: Byron Harmon
Description: The Writer's Achievement Award presented to author Jacquelin Thomas.  Authors, Readers and other Invited guests come together for a night of fine dining to celebrate great black literature. This is an exclusive black-tie affair. Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Saturday April 1, 2006 is the NCBBF Book Extravaganza. Readers and writers can enjoy Panel/Author Discussions, Hands-on Workshops, Meet the Authors Book Signings, Plus so much more!  Free to the General Public

Joseph C. Dixon, North Carolina Black Book Festival - Founder/Event Coordinator
336.986.3628 joseph@ncbookfest.com

14th Annual Etheridge Knight Festival of the Arts
http://ekfestival.org

November 4, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at the Indiana History Center in the Frank and Katrina Basile, Indianapolis, Indiana.  

 Presents: Poet, songwriter, author, workshop facilitator, and educator Regie Gibson will close out the 14th Annual Etheridge Knight Festival of the Arts on Friday, November 4, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at the Indiana History Center in the Frank and Katrina Basile Theatre, 450 West Ohio Street in Indianapolis, Indiana.  

Regie and his work appear in the New Line Cinema film love jones , based largely on events in his life. The poem entitled "Brother to the Night (A Blues for Nina)" appears on the movie soundtrack and is performed by the film's star, Larenz Tate. Regie performed "Hey Nappyhead" in the film with world-renowned percussionist and composer Kahil El Zabar, composer of the score for the musical The Lion King. 

Admission is $10.  Due to a small portion of the language and content, the show is suggested for 17 and older.  Email: rondall_b@yahoo.com for info

Sea Island Writers Retreats www.tinamcelroyansa.com/retreats2005.html

"In the last fifteen years or so, there has been such an explosion of African-American literature/fiction. The number of committed writers who feel they have a story to tell has grown exponentially. And as a writer myself who respects those stories and am eager to read them, I want to do my part to help get those stories out into the world.

That's why I've established the first ever Sea Island Writers Retreats, three separate workshops for emerging writers to help them improve and hone their work. The four-day autumn retreats will take place on beautiful pristine Sapelo Island off the coast of Georgia."  �Tina McElroy Ansa

Spaces for the November retreat are going quickly. If these are the sessions that you're interested in, we suggest that you register as soon as possible.

  back to the top
THE POWER OF BLOGS - A LIST OF INTERESTING BLOGS

Click to access the RSS Feed for AALBC.com; the web's most popular site dedicated to African American LiteratureIf you are an author, or know of an author, who has published a web log or Blog � let us know (email: troy@aalbc.com).  We will continue to provide a list of interesting Blogs on our newsletters.  Also visit AALBC.com's founder's Blog at http://aalbc.com/blog
 

The Original Literary Badass
http://www.backhousebooks.com/blog_index.php

Author P. Lewis uses his Blog to rebut Thumper's review of his novel Nate (Pub date: January 15, 2006) http://www.backhousebooks.com/2005/09/publishing-great-african-american.html


Baratunde

http://www.baratunde.com/blog/

goodCRIMETHINK is the blog of comedian, author and vigilante pundit Baratunde.  This Brother is truly unique.

  back to the top

NOVEMBER 2005 RELEASES
http://books.aalbc.com

Mirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374299447/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

"Mirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin is an astonishing beautiful, deeply intelligent record of an extraordinary life. Required reading lest we forget what is possible in a race-based society." �Toni Morrison, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature

John Hope Franklin lived through America's most defining twentieth-century transformation, the dismantling of legally-protected racial segregation. A renowned scholar, he has explored that transformation in its myriad aspects, notably in his 3.5 million-copy bestseller, From Slavery to Freedom. And he was, and remains, an active participant. Born in 1915, he, like every other African American, could not but participate: he was evicted from whites-only train cars, confined to segregated schools, threatened-once with lynching-and consistently met with racism's denigration of his humanity. And yet he managed to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard, become the first black historian to assume a full-professorship at a white institution, Brooklyn College, be appointed chair of the University of Chicago's history department and, later, John B. Duke Professor at Duke University. He has reshaped the way African American history is understood and taught and become one of the world's most celebrated historians, garnering over 130 honorary degrees.

More Body, More Soul: Beautiful Black Men by Duane Thomas
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/078931357X/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

As hip hop conquers the world and black actors sweep up awards, a new group of black men has risen to the forefront of popular culture. These are men who are not afraid to express themselves and who possess a unique sense of freedom when it comes to style and image. They are all here in this stunning visual tribute to black male beauty. From film and television, you'll find photographs that reveal the suave Jamie Foxx, the sleek Mekhi Phifer, the lovable Will Smith, and the edgy Vin Diesel. From the world of music, images convey the raw muscular power of such performers as 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Jay-Z, and Usher. And, sports figures like Lebron James, Allen Iverson, and Stephon Marbury display a comfortable elegance with their athletic prowess in awe-inspiring photographs. Whatever their mission, each of these men has made his own way in the world, forging his iconic status out of his individual personality and attitude. For black men, style is not just a matter of how they wear-or don't wear-clothes. It's an opportunity to create an image, to change people's minds, or to seduce. African-American men possess a fashion vocabulary all their own. From jazz zoot suits and African hairstyles to hip hop furs and gangsta rap gold chains, black men often pioneer trends that later become part of the mainstream. Featuring work by top photographers including Barron Claiborne, David LaChapelle, Roger Erickson, Guzman, and Dah Len, More Body, More Soul gives us a candid and provocative look at the sensuality and vitality of today's most talked-about black male stars.

The Artificial White Man: Essays on Authenticity by Stanley Crouch
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0465015158/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

In this penetrating collection of original essays, legendary gadfly and esteemed critic Stanley Crouch tackles the notion on authenticity-what it is, what it isn't, and what we make of it, for good or for bad. While the question of who's the real deal and who isn't has now seeped into nearly every corner of American culture, nowhere does the idea of authenticity hold greater sway than in the realm of ethnicity. In this bracing collection of original essays, Crouch brings all his rhetorical skills to bear on this animating-and polarizing-idea, and investigates the motives behind those who present themselves as authentic, those who claim to expose the inauthentic, and what this all tells us about the state of the arts-from the vaulted halls of literary fiction to the arena of soft drink-shilling pop stars-in America today.

For Crouch, this is not simply an academic exercise, but a summation of our peculiar historical moment. Living in a time in which much of the conventions that defined and limited people's futures-whether it be race, class, or sex-have been obliterated, we're both liberated from bigotries and yet-still-facing profound disillusionment. As influences come and go at breakneck speed, as traditions are remade and re-imagined, it has become hard to tell which metaphorical end is up. The result, Crouch argues, is not only a national paranoia that someone may have put something over on us-i.e. that we have too often been duped into believing that the counterfeit is authentic-but also a deep retrenchment of imagination and artistic expression, from white and black alike. As he promises in his introduction: "This book is an argument with all of that, however sympathetic it might be to the search for alternatives to our disappointments. It hopes to present, through affirmation, a new form of rebellion in our time of cosmetic dissent."

Visit http://books.aalbc.com to view a complete list of books coming out over the next 6 months.
  back to the top

30% off POPULAR URBAN TITLES DIRECT FROM AALBC.com

Buy Popular Titles - 30% off Directly from AALBC.com
http://books.aalbc.com/popular_urban.htm

Purchase these best selling titles directly from AALBC.com; including the AALBC.com best selling book for all of 2004; Let that Be the Reason by Vickie M. Stringer.  We also have our #5 best selling Non-fiction for 2004, the classic, The MIS-Education of the Negro by Carter Godwin Woodson for only $6.97 Plus shipping.

  back to the top
INTERESTING DISCUSSION BOARD POSTS
http://www.thumperscorner.com/cgi/discus/discus.cgi

Interesting Discussion Board Posts (we often discuss other things besides books):

Authors to introduce your book to thousands of AALBC.com visitors for free; I encourage you to mention your book on one of our discussion boards: http://www.thumperscorner.com/discus you can include a graphic and even link to your web site. 

What genre is next?
http://www.thumperscorner.com/discus/messages/1/7581.html?1130079182

"Hey folks, I'm a 1st time user. I think the next popular genre will be Church Drama (not Christian inspirational, but Christian church drama) and also what I think will be a popular movement is novels for the young AA audience." �777
 

November 22, 1963
http://www.thumperscorner.com/discus/messages/179/7658.html?1130106322

"My observations about John F. Kennedy are that his assassination turned him into a martyr whose "canonization" was undeserved. He was not the staunch compassionate Liberal that black folks like to believe he was and his voting record as a senator reflected this. He was first and foremost a politician, and a ruthless one at that, with his pit bull brother Bobby as his henchman. Everything Kennedy did was calculated and motivated by his pursuit of power. Of course, there's nothing unusual about this because that's true of all politicians. But the Camelot myth was just that, a figment of Jacqueline Kennedy's imagination, and the idea that Kennedy was some kind of a savior for black people is greatly exaggerated. Like George Bush, JFK was a white man from a privileged family who grew up ignorant to the struggle of black people until it was to his advantage to focus on this because it meant securing him votes. But Kennedy was against the 1963 March on Washington because he didn't want to offend white middle America, and Bobby kept Martin Luther King under constant surveillance because King was a thorn in the side of The Administration, who also needed to woo southern Democrats. I cried like everyone else when Kennedy was shot, but down through the years, the true picture of the man gradually began to emerge. He was not a bad guy, but certainly not someone to be idolized." �Cynique


Dancing in the Dark by Caryl Phillips

http://www.thumperscorner.com/discus/messages/1/7481.html?1129997752

Dancing in the Dark by Caryl Phillips' is book is discussed from all angles.


If you could, who would you kick out of the black race?
http://www.thumperscorner.com/discus/messages/179/7509.html?1129493871

"Armstrong Williams, LiL Kim, Terrence Howard, and my man Colin Powell gotsta go -- he made me believe that Iraq was gonna have us shittin nuclear waste and pissin anthrax..... I was supporting this stupid ass war for a minute -- I was like "Bush might be a lying bastard but the brotha ain't sending our boys to war over no goddamn lies"... so Powell must go! You can't f--k up like that and get away with it".  �Tonya

 

  back to the top

Contests
http://fun.aalbc.com/contest.htm

Look for our "You Win" logo on any of our AALBC.com pages (Not This Page) and you will win a free book!
  back to the top
ADVERTISE ON BOTH AALBC.com and Mosaicbooks.com
http://aalbc.com/adbanner.htm

Advertise on AALBC.comAdvertise your book or company on both the Mosaicbooks.com and AALBC.com web sites � one fantastic rate, two leading websites!  Our advertising campaigns provide you with real-time reports, a simple pricing structure, and the ability to reach a large, but targeted audience very quickly. Visit http://aalbc.com/adbanner.htm or call 866-603-8394 for more information. (the $99 setup fee waived for clients who purchase or already have an AALBC.com Author's Profile)

 

  back to the top
Get Your Free AALBC.com Tool Bar
http://download.alexa.com/?amzn_id=aalbccom-20


Free AALBC.com Tool Bar - Search Amazon & Google, access a dictionary & thesaurus, get web site information, learn about related web sites, forward web pages to friends, block pop-up ads, and go to AALBC.com in all with one click -- directly from your streamlined tool bar! Click to download now.

 

  back to the top

SUPPORT THE AALBC.com eNEWSLETTER

AALBC.com's eNewsletter can use your financial support.  AALBC.com eNewsletter has been published continuously for almost eight years.  In that time we've informed you about important events, turned you on to interesting web sites and introduced you to thousands of books and hundreds of authors.

If you believe there is value in this newsletter, and you want to see it improve, please support us by volunteering to pay a $12 annual subscription fee.  If you are unable to pay for a subscription; we understand and you'll continue to receive your eNewsletter uninterrupted.

However, if you are able to pay, your subscription dollars will go directly toward improving the quality of this newsletter.

Click the "Subscribe" icon above to pay for your subscription.  If you receive the text only version of our eNewsletter simply visit: http://aalbc.com/news_feb2005.htm#SUPPORT click the "Subscribe" button to purchase your subscription.
 

  back to the top

Peace, 
Troy Johnson, 

Founder AALBC.com

55 West 116th Street #195
Harlem, NY 10026

(866) 603-8394

 

How Are We Doing?
Fill out our simple feedback form http://aalbc.com/feedback_aalbc.htm and let us know what we are doing well or where we need to improve. 

AALBC.com mailing list is not made available to outside parties.  All recipients of this newsletter must subscribe to receive it directly from AALBC.com.  To learn more about AALBC.com visit: http://www.aalbc.com/aboutus.htm