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Interviews with 2014 National Book Award Finalists
Interviews with 2014 National Book Award Finalists Author Interviews
My Favorite Readings from the 2013 National Book Award Finalists
My Favorite Readings from the 2013 National Book Award Finalists Troy Johnson Article I covered this year's National Book Foundation's National Book Awards Finalists Reading for AALBC.com. The readin...
Vote for the Best Book Trailer of 2010!
Vote for the Best Book Trailer of 2010! Troy Johnson Article There are only 2 days left to cast your vote for the finalists of the Best Book trailer of 2010. Cast you vote now: https://bit.ly/best...
Adrian Matejka
Adrian Matejka 0000000037525872 Adrian Matejka is a Germany-born, Indiana-based author and educator. A graduate of Indiana University and Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he has penned award-...
Bedrock Faith
Bedrock Faith Eric Charles May 9781617751967 Fiction Akashic Books Akashic Books One of Roxane Gay’s Top 10 Books of 2014One of Booklist’s Top 10 First Novels of 2014One of the Chicago Reader’s Favori...
National Book Award Finalists Oppose the Ongoing Bombardment of Gaza
National Book Award Finalists Oppose the Ongoing Bombardment of Gaza Book Spotlights
Joe Parkinson & Drew Hinshaw
Joe Parkinson & Drew Hinshaw MULTIPLE Joe Parkinson and Drew Hinshaw, Pulitzer Prize finalists and experienced Wall Street Journal correspondents, have covered Nigeria extensively. Parkinson, the Afr...
Migrated Interviews
Migrated Interviews Kam Williams Interview Migrated Interviews Aisha Tyler - The "Balls of Fury and Death Sentence" Interview Alisa Hyman - Book Reviewer, Educator Alrick Brown - The "Kinyarwand...
Brandy Colbert
Brandy Colbert 0000000409932699 Brandy Colbert is an award-winning author hailing from Missouri. Her work primarily focuses on young adult and children's literature, with titles such as “Little & Lio...
Steven Todd Fisher
Steven Todd Fisher NONE Ayna Rayne is an award-nominated, genre-defying author who captivates readers with her experimental storytelling. She blends elements of romance, drama, mystery, philosophy, a...
Power List of Best-Selling African-American Books - Fall 2014
Power List of Best-Selling African-American Books - Fall 2014 Troy Johnson Article Strong Sales Shown Among Hardcover Non-Fiction Titles in Fall Edition of the Power List of Best-Selling African-...
Deborah Wiles
Deborah Wiles 0000000058444035 Deborah Wiles is an award-winning author known for acclaimed books like 'Each Little Bird that Sings' & 'Revolution'. Her accolades include National Book Award nominati...
Mercy (American Poets Continuum)
Mercy (American Poets Continuum) Lucille Clifton 9781929918553 Poetry BOA Editions BOA Editions Lucille Clifton’s poetry carries her deep concerns for the world’s children, the stratification of Ameri...
IDOLeyes
IDOLeyes Idrissa Uqdah Book Review A Singer’s Life Changing American Idol Experience Mandisa Hundley may well go down in history as the most talked about American Idol participant who di...
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin NONE Nancy Churnin is a celebrated children's book author, known for inspiring kids to be heroes through her stories. She's a Eureka Silver Award winner and has been recognized with the...
Michelle Lindo-Rice
Michelle Lindo-Rice NONE Michelle Lindo-Rice, bestselling author of the 'Able to Love' and 'On the Right Path' series, focuses on themes of faith, friendship, family, and forgiveness. She was nominat...
Exercise Your Mind With a Good Book – July 29, 2014 eNewsletter
Exercise Your Mind With a Good Book – July 29, 2014 eNewsletter Troy Johnson Article You may receive this eNewsletter directly in your email-box by subscribing. It may also be read on your Kindle eb...
36 African-American Nominees for National Book Awards
36 African-American Nominees for National Book Awards Troy Johnson Article November 11, 2015 Update: A complete list of National Book Award Honorees, of African descent, is now available. The mi...
Patricia Smith
Patricia Smith 0000000110775334 Patricia Smith, celebrated poet and professor, is known for her direct and adventuresome style. She’s authored six books, including award finalists 'Blood Dazzler' and...
Jean Alicia Elster
Jean Alicia Elster NONE Jean Alicia Elster, a 2017 Kresge Artist Fellow and former attorney, is an acclaimed author of children's novels. Her book, The Colored Car, was a 2014 Michigan Notable Book a...
Edwidge Danticat
Edwidge Danticat 000000011051509X Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian-born author, is renowned for her books like “Breath, Eyes, Memory”, an Oprah Book Club pick, and “The Farming of Bones”, an American Book...
Meagan Good (2014) - Interview
Meagan Good (2014) - Interview Kam Williams Interview Meagan Good has developed into one of Hollywood's most sought-after actresses for both film and television. Most recently, she starred in...
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates 0000000036544350 “I’ve been wondering who might fill the intellectual void that plagued me after James Baldwin died…clearly it is Ta-Nehisi Coates.” —To...
Sofia Samatar
Sofia Samatar 0000000370667268 Sofia Samatar’s first novel, A Stranger in Olondria, won the 2014 William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the World Fantasy Award for Best Nov...
Anna Carries Water
Anna Carries Water Olive Senior 9781896580609 Fiction Tradewind Books Tradewind Books Anna fetches water from the spring every day, but she can’t carry it on her head like her older brothers and siste...
Lucille Clifton
Lucille Clifton 0000000117802788 Lucille Clifton (1936-2010) was a distinguished poet and professor, notable as the first African American woman to win the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. She also won the N...
Terrance Hayes
Terrance Hayes 0000000052553847 Terrance Hayes is a renowned poet, author of four collections and winner of the 2010 National Book Award for Poetry. A MacArthur fellow, Hayes has received numerous ac...
Danez Smith
Danez Smith 0000000529080232 Danez Smith is an award-winning poet from St. Paul, Minnesota. Known for his works such as [insert] boy, his poetry explores themes of race, class, sexuality, faith, and ...
Gina Prince-Bythewood The “Beyond the Lights” Interview (October 2014)
Gina Prince-Bythewood The “Beyond the Lights” Interview (October 2014) Kam Williams Interview Gina Prince-Bythewood The “Beyond the Lights” Interview (October 2014) Born on June 10, 1969, Gina M...
Marlon Wayans “A Haunted House 2” Interview (2014)
Marlon Wayans “A Haunted House 2” Interview (2014) Kam Williams Interview Marlon Wayans “A Haunted House 2” Interview (2014) Born in New York City on July 23, 1972, Marlon Wayans graduated f...
Major Jackson
Major Jackson 000000011499709X Major Jackson, an award-winning American poet and professor, is known for his poetry collections and contributions to the Harvard Review. He's a recipient of the Whitin...
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah 0000000430715306 Trevor Noah, a successful African comedian and host of the award-winning 'The Daily Show', joined the show in 2014. He has multiple comedy specials, including his 9th, 'A...
Enrich Your Life; Read a Good Book – August 2014 eNewsletter
Enrich Your Life; Read a Good Book – August 2014 eNewsletter Troy Johnson Article You may receive this eNewsletter directly in your email-box by subscribing. It may also be read on your Kindle ebook ...
Shelly Ellis
Shelly Ellis NONE Shelly Ellis is an award-winning journalist and author known for her novel, Another Woman’s Man, a 2014 NAACP Image Award nominee. Besides writing, she enjoys painting and cinema. S...
Marlon McCaulsky
Marlon McCaulsky NONE Award-winning American author and screenplay writer, Marlon McCaulsky, is celebrated for his Fiction, Romance, and Science Fiction works that often highlight contemporary Africa...
Killens Review of Arts & Letters (Fall& /& Winter 2014):Bringing it Forward Literary Activism
Killens Review of Arts & Letters (Fall& /& Winter 2014):Bringing it Forward Literary Activism Clarence V. Reynolds 21551758v5 Fiction Center for Black Literature Medgar Evers College Fall& /& Winter 2...
Good Books, Films, Events & Articles – June 23, 2014 eNewsletter
Good Books, Films, Events & Articles – June 23, 2014 eNewsletter Troy Johnson Article You may receive this eNewsletter directly in your email-box by subscribing. It may also be read on your Kindle e...
Get On Up - A New James Brown Movie Coming!
Get On Up - A New James Brown Movie Coming! Troy Johnson Article I just learned about this up coming film from my online buddy, CD Burns, an hour ago. After watching the trailer, I figured I’d shar...
Selma
Selma Kam Williams selma-movie-poster.jpg Film Review Selma In Theaters: Dec 25, 2014 Limited, Jan 9, 2014 Wide PG-13 (for disturbing thematic material including violence, a suggestive moment, and...
Idris Elba (Sept 2014) - No Good Deed
Idris Elba (Sept 2014) - No Good Deed Kam Williams Interview The New York Times Magazine Q&A with Idris Elba No Good Deed PG-13, Mystery & Suspense Directed By: Sam Miller...
Wayne Pharr - Obituary - September 6, 2014
Wayne Pharr - Obituary - September 6, 2014 Kam Williams Interview Wayne Pharr, former Black Panther who fought the Los Angeles Police in a historic gun battle in 1969, passed away on September 6, 2...
Kekla Magoon
Kekla Magoon 0000000040185776 Kekla Magoon, an award-winning author of eight YA novels, including The Rock and the River and X: A Novel, also pens non-fiction on historical topics. She's won an NAACP...
How is African American Literature Really Doing?
How is African American Literature Really Doing? Troy Johnson Article For those in the business of Black books in America, this is a common question; “How is African American Literature Doing?” Some...
Eugene Williams, Sr.
Eugene Williams, Sr. MULTIPLE Dr. Eugene Williams, Sr. is a renowned educator, researcher, author, and administrator, known for his impactful test improvement program in Washington, D.C. Public Schoo...
2016 National Black Writers Conference
2016 National Black Writers Conference Troy Johnson Article Update: March 25, 2016 The Conference's Complete and final Schedule of Events is Now Available. Greetings Colleagues, We are excited a...
Barbara Smith
Barbara Smith 0000000040375377 Barbara Smith, born 1946, is a renowned author, activist, and scholar. Known for her work on race, class, sexuality, and gender, she has co-authored key texts on Black ...
Angela Flournoy
Angela Flournoy 0000000436914613 Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner House, a National Book Award finalist, has been recognized with numerous awards including the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize. A Nat...
Mazaradi Fox
Mazaradi Fox NONE Mazaradi Fox, born Jamal Green, was a childhood friend of 50 Cent and a prominent figure in Queens, New York. Known for his love of cars and “dum out” lifestyle, which he often refl...
Rochelle Carter
Rochelle Carter NONE Rochelle Carter, an award-winning publisher at Ellechor Media & Associated, LLC, offers publishing consulting services. She's authored three books to aid authors in publishing an...
Power And Possibility: Essays, Reviews, And Interviews (Poets On Poetry)
Power And Possibility: Essays, Reviews, And Interviews (Poets On Poetry) Elizabeth Alexander 9780472069378 Poetry University of Michigan Press University of Michigan Press A volume in the Poets on Poe...
Mervyn Morris
Mervyn Morris 0000000122796976 Born in 1937, Mervyn E. Morris is a renowned Jamaican poet and scholar. A Rhodes Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing & West Indian Literature, he was the...
Jon B. Eckels
Jon B. Eckels NONE Jon B. Eckels (1929-2014) was an acclaimed poet, essayist, activist, and teacher. Renowned for his 14 volumes of poetry, he won an American Book Award and made significant contribu...
The Loss of All Lost Things
The Loss of All Lost Things Amina Gautier 9781932418569 Fiction Elixir Press Elixir Press Winner of the Chicago Public Library’s 21st Century Award.Winner of a Royal Palm Literary AwardWinner of the F...
John Keene
John Keene 0000000032165978 Winner 2022 National Book Award for Poetry John Keene, acclaimed author known for Annotations, has been published in various anthologies and journals, earning several award...
Karen Eubanks Jackson
Karen Eubanks Jackson NONE Karen Eubanks Jackson, a 27-year, four-time breast cancer survivor, is the founder and CEO of Sisters Network Inc., the only nationwide African American breast cancer survi...
Culture Worrier: Selected Columns 1984-2014: Reflections On Race, Politics And Social Change
Culture Worrier: Selected Columns 1984-2014: Reflections On Race, Politics And Social Change Clarence Page 9781932841923 Nonfiction Agate Bolden Agate Publishing, Inc Pulitzer Prize winner Clarence Pa...
Forest Whitaker The “Repentance” Interview (2014)
Forest Whitaker The “Repentance” Interview (2014) Kam Williams Interview Forest Whitaker The “Repentance” Interview Forest Whitaker is a distinguished artist and humanist. He is the founder of ...
Cornel West & Darryl Pinckney on Ferguson, MO (Oct. 22, 2014)
Cornel West & Darryl Pinckney on Ferguson, MO (Oct. 22, 2014) Author Interviews
Voices (American Poets Continuum)
Voices (American Poets Continuum) Lucille Clifton 9781934414118 Poetry BOA Editions BOA Editions In 2007, Lucille Clifton became the first African American woman to win the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, on...
Jacqueline Woodson 2014 National Book Award Winner
Jacqueline Woodson 2014 National Book Award Winner Book Spotlights
Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi
Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi NONE "Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi, born in Ibadan, Nigeria, is an accomplished author and professor. A PEN/Studzinski Award finalist, her work has been published in Ploughshares a...
J. A. Faulkerson
J. A. Faulkerson NONE J.A. Faulkerson is a Northern Virginia-based writer known for classics like Adinkrahene and Real Men Raise CHAMPIONS. He's a Phillis Wheatley Book Award finalist and has recentl...
Terry Crews - The “Blended” Interview (2014)
Terry Crews - The “Blended” Interview (2014) Kam Williams Interview Terry Crews - The “Blended” Interview Since retiring from the NFL, Terry Crews has traded in his helmet and cleats to purs...
Jaron Lanier
Jaron Lanier 0000000118753199 Lanier is a globally renowned technology writer known for his humanistic approach. Awarded the 2014 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, his internationally bestselling...
Nia Long “The Single Moms Club” Interview - 2014
Nia Long “The Single Moms Club” Interview - 2014 Kam Williams Interview Nia Long “The Single Moms Club” Interview Stunningly-attractive leading lady Nia Long returned to the big screen last ...
Teju Cole
Teju Cole 0000000077460567 Teju Cole, an acclaimed writer, art historian, and photographer, serves as the Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College and is a photography critic for the New Yor...
On Top Of The World: Until The Bell Chimes
On Top Of The World: Until The Bell Chimes David Lamb 9780986445309 Fiction Woolly Mammoth Books Woolly Mammoth Books Read more about this wonderful new novel. 2016 Best Fiction—Pacific Book Awards. ...
Kei Miller
Kei Miller 000000037003708X Jamaican author, Kei Miller, born in 1978, writes across various genres including novels, essays, and poetry. His works have been shortlisted for several awards and he has...
Henrietta Mays Smith
Henrietta Mays Smith 0000000066593663 Dr. Henrietta M. Smith, Ph.D, is a distinguished scholar and editor with a background in English, History, and Library Science. She's known for her editorial wor...
Dashawn Taylor
Dashawn Taylor NONE Dashawn Taylor is a contemporary novelist and Rutgers graduate known for his urban edgy style. A former finalist on BET's Ultimate Hustler Show, he's also the author of 'From Pove...
The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003-2014, Second Edition (Revised)
The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003-2014, Second Edition (Revised) Malcolm Nance 9781498706896 Nonfiction CRC Press Routledge The Terrorists of Iraq: In...
Akosua and Osman
Akosua and Osman Manu Herbstein 9789988243142 Fiction Manu Herbstein Manu Herbstein “Karatu, farkonka madaci, karshenka zuma.” (Study is difficult but the rewards are great.) Akosua Annan is a confid...
Douglas A. Blackmon
Douglas A. Blackmon 0000000040628274 Doug Blackmon, a Mississippi native, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and chair of the Miller Center Forum at the University of Virginia. He's a correspondent f...
Shelby Steele
Shelby Steele 0000000117385953 Shelby Steele is an award-winning author, columnist, and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow. Renowned for his study on race relations and cultural issues, Steele's work h...
Neil Baldwin
Neil Baldwin 0000000108910963 Dr. Neil Baldwin, born in New York City, is a renowned author and scholar with a Ph.D. in Modern American Poetry. He has authored various poetry, textbooks, and biograph...
National Geographic Books
National Geographic Books National Geographic Society National Geographic National Geographic Children’s Books National Geographic Kids National Geographic Society Under the Stars
David Covin
David Covin 0000000084071877 David Covin was a Professor Emeritus of Government and Ethnic Studies at CSU Sacramento and Past President of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. He wa...
National Book Awards
National Book Awards Cipriani Wall Street New York New York Attendance by invitation only. All of the authors of African descent who have won a National Book Award. Watch vidoes the 67th annual Nati...
AALBC.com’s eNewsletter – October 28, 2014
AALBC.com’s eNewsletter – October 28, 2014 Troy Johnson Article You may receive this eNewsletter directly in your email-box by subscribing. It may also be read on your Kindle ebook reader, or any dev...
Annie
Annie Kam Williams annie-movie-poster.jpg Film Review Annie (2014) In Theaters: Dec 19, 2014 Wide Rated PG for mild epithets and rude humor Running time: 118 minutes Distributor: Columbia Pictu...
Black Coffee
Black Coffee Kam Williams black-coffee-2014-movie-poster.jpg Film Review Fired and Dumped Dude Finds Soul Mate on Rebound in Faith-Based Romantic Romp Black Coffee In Theaters: Jan 10, 2014 Limited...
Take Me to the River
Take Me to the River Kam Williams take-me-to-the-river-300.jpg Film Review Take Me to the River (2014) In Theaters: Sep 12, 2014 Limited Rated: PG Running Time: 95 Minutes Musical & Performi...
Altina (2014) - Film Review
Altina (2014) - Film Review Kam Williams Interview Altina In Theaters: Sep 12, 2014 Limited Unrated Running time: 80 minutes Documentary Directed By: Peter Sanders Victoria Sanders Produc...
David Oyelowo The “Selma” Interview (2014)
David Oyelowo The “Selma” Interview (2014) Kam Williams Interview David Oyelowo The “Selma” Interview David Oyelowo (pronounced – “oh-yellow-oh”) was born April 1, 1976 and is a classically-...
Denzel Washington (2014) Interview - The Equalizer
Denzel Washington (2014) Interview - The Equalizer Kam Williams Interview Denzel Washington - The Equalizer Interview Coming Soon The Equalizer In Theaters: Sep 26, 2014 Wide Rated R, Myste...
Ice Cube The “22 Jump Street” Interview (June 2014)
Ice Cube The “22 Jump Street” Interview (June 2014) Kam Williams Interview Ice Cube The “22 Jump Street” Interview As much as technology, business and society have changed since the Eighties, ...
Keith Robinson The “Get on Up” Interview (July 2014)
Keith Robinson The “Get on Up” Interview (July 2014) Kam Williams Interview Keith Robinson The “Get on Up” Interview (July 2014) In a world where talent takes you far, Keith Robinson is ahe...
Tanzania: A Journey Within (2014) - Film Review
Tanzania: A Journey Within (2014) - Film Review Kam Williams Interview Tanzania: A Journey Within In Theaters: Apr 25, 2014 Limited Unrated Running time: 103 minutes Distributor: Heretic F...
James Ransome
James Ransome 0000000030399412 James E. Ransome is an award-winning illustrator known for his children's books. His accolades include the Coretta Scott King Award, IBBY Honor Award, and NAACP Image A...
Amina Gautier
Amina Gautier 0000000118109950 Dr. Amina Gautier, an award-winning author of three short story collections, is a scholar and professor specializing in African American literature. She teaches in the ...
Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah
Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah Patricia Smith 9781566892995 Poetry Coffee House Press Coffee House Press Winner of 2013 Wheatley Book Award in PoetryFinalist for 2013 William Carlos Williams AwardWinner o...
Happy New Year From AALBC.com’s Troy Johnson
Happy New Year From AALBC.com’s Troy Johnson Troy Johnson Article 2013, what a year! With so many great new books and films last year, there was a lot to celebrate. We also extended our reach through...
Catalyst Press
Catalyst Press Catalyst Press Catalyst Press Catalyst Press, a woman-owned, women-run North American indie publisher of African authors, including 2022 Windham Campbell Prize winner Siphiwe Gloria Nd...
Catalyst Press
Catalyst Press Catalyst Press Catalyst Press Catalyst Press, a woman-owned, women-run North American indie publisher of African authors, including 2022 Windham Campbell Prize winner Siphiwe Gloria Nd...
Emily Raboteau
Emily Raboteau 0000000036573661 Emily Raboteau, author of 'The Professor’s Daughter' and 'Searching for Zion,' is an award-winning writer renowned for her fiction and essays. She has received numerou...
Brit Bennett
Brit Bennett 0000000463582175 Brit Bennett, a celebrated author from Southern California, is a Stanford graduate with an MFA from University of Michigan. She's a recipient of the Hopwood Award and th...
Alverne Ball and Stacey Robinson
Alverne Ball and Stacey Robinson MULTIPLE Alverne Ball, a renowned author from Joliet, Illinois, holds an MFA in fiction writing from Columbia College Chicago. He received the Glyph Rising Star Award...
Winner's Announced! The Best Book Trailer of 2010
Winner's Announced! The Best Book Trailer of 2010 Troy Johnson Article Here are the winners of the Best Book Trailer's of 2010. Please join me in congratulation off of the winners. 1st Prize ...
Diana Veiga
Diana Veiga NONE Go On Girl! Book Club, Unpublished Writer Award 2013 Winner Diana Veiga, winner of the 2013 Go On Girl! Book Club's Unpublished Writer award, is a dedicated writer and social justice ...
Alex Haley: The Playboy Interviews
Alex Haley: The Playboy Interviews Alex Haley 9780345383006 Nonfiction Ballantine Books Penguin Random House Everyone knows Alex Haley as the world-renowned author of the international bestseller ROOT...