Troy

Average dress size probably ignores dress size inflation. A size 12 a generation ago is something like a size 6 today. I would not call eating what you like a "vice" -- unless what you like to eat is limited to just Twinkies and McNuggets and a red juice chaser. One of life's simplest pleasures is eating. Eating is one of the highlights of my day. However you don't want to eat to the point or in a fashion where you give yourself diabetes, or a stroke, or became fat, right? Perhaps your diet conscious friends would have checked out a lot sooner, assuming they passed of natural caused. Or if they lost their lives through unnatural means I suspect the quality of their lives was better. The trade-off between the pleasures of life vices and the consequences are individual and personal. But like the consequences of the life of a crack addict, the trade-off are not those one few would consider beneficial or even sane...

You are right Pioneer we don't have slow brains. As with obesity, behavior is the culprit not genetics. Anyone who questions the potential or the intelligence of Black people need only look to the African immigrants across the Diaspora. Africans are kicking butt in many quarters, corporate America, academia, athletics, entertainment, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Pioneer, perhaps we should look to the Africans in our midist for inspiration and role models for sucess in this system. Cynique apparently Slick Willy was instrumental in getting Obama reelected. I wonder what that support will cost him, us really, in the long run...

Nah'Sun, Side A - Thick is a subjective term. But I have an ideal of what your definition is. Do you think Buffy the Body is heathy (the clinical definition)? Side C - It is not uncommon for cultures to hold overweight people in high regard. It is a sign of having wealth -- not health. American Blacks get their obesity from their diets not their genetics. More accurately, they are not eating a diet best suited for their genetics. Unfortunately much of the food made available to us especially in poorer communities is much more likely to make us obese. Nah'Sun if you are anywhere near me age, I'm sure you've noticed that Black people, women in general, are simply fatter that they we when we were younger. Cynique what are your observation regarding the relative percentage of fat people over the years? Pioneer those articles were interesting and does support the point you made: It is interesting to note however that one article referenced a study which indicated that; The greater bone density among black persons may be caused by their higher obesity rate. At any rate, there is no scientific evidence Black people are better suited or genetical designed to be obese at least no more than anyone else. We are more obese because of reason we can control.

Yeah, when I was a kid people mostly just gossiped about each other to spreadh bad news -- and it was frowned upon if that was all you wanted to do. Today if you can't talk about the about House Wives or Jersey Shore -- whatever... you're left out of most conversations. I guess on some level it is better than spreading rumors about eahc other :-) On the other hand we spend more time fetting over the fake celebrities on the "reality" TV ratther than thinking about outselves or our own families. Maybe you are right Pioneer, it is more desireable to watch "...people whose lives are more despicable than thier own."

Very good article, Balogun -- you've posted like a pro!. You would certainly like Guy Johnson's work. If you are not already familiar with it try his Standng at the Scratch Line first

Sound very interesting! Here is a link to th4 ebook on Amazon: http://bit.ly/redeemerbook

Wow. This is deep. When did the term "fat" become so charged? Have we become so politically correct that we can even use the term in way that allows us to communicate effectively? Now in my book the woman pictured is fat -- any day of week. I'm not making a value judgment, I'm not describing her self-esteem, I'm not making any assessment of her health, I'm not even giving my opinion on how attractive she is. But if we can't agree that this woman is fat, we need a dictionary. Now I asked about the term thick, because like a lot of slang the term is an imprecise one, that does not communicate very much. It has more meaning when used in content and within a well-known group. Pioneer say's the woman is "thick" and Nah'Sun say she is not. As far as being obese, I can't say for certain, any more than I can say how tall she is or how much she weights. But I'd be willing to bet this woman is clinically obese (a body mass index of 30 or more). Pioneer, that last statement about African and middle eastern women's bone structures being suitable to handling more weight in a healthy way is interesting. Where did you learn this? I wonder if this "idea" is were "big boned" came from? In all seriousness, we need to be very careful about how we view excess weight, without boring you with stats. Diabetes, and heart disease, runs rampant in our community. While we embrace thinckness (whatever that means), we also embracing serious health issues...

Thanks Hickson -- it is the only way any of us can survive in the long term. Here are a few positive comments, so as not to give the haters any more due than necessary "I want AALBC.com to do well and $7.99 is not a lot to ask." "Congratulations Troy!!! An awesome feat and invaluable service." "...this is by far your best looking enewsletter" "He is the real deal and committed to literacy. Feel free to circulate to others." "They have a lot of good and insightful information and content within. Please feel free to share with your contacts." "Love your newsletter!!"

Mani I jut decided to google "thick girls"... whoa! At any rate, it is diffuclt to discuss thinkness, obesity, or just plain fat (as opposed to phat). without some concrete examples. Here is a page that had some clean, tasteful examples (alarmingly difficult to find on Google) http://pinterest.com.../body-positive/ Here is one such image: Obese, Thick, Fat all three?

Pioneer1 Welcome to the boards! I'm so disillusioned by the political process that I don't trust anyone who is successful enough to get elected. Obama was about as qualified as Paul Ryan to be president. And Paul Ryan was not qualified. We voted for Obama because we wanted a Black man in the office and he promised everyone else a desperately desired change. We got more of the same. If Hillary was not tied of with Bill Clinton she may have had a chance, but her opportunity was a direct result of being mixed up with Bill... Anyone who expects anything different out of Obama is woefully optimistic. Unfortunately the Republicans have MORE of an incentive to jam Barack up. The resolution of the "fiscal cliff" will be quite telling. So while team Obama skill at winning elections is prodigious, governing is a completely different skill set. To quote a keen observer of the passing seen, "The powers-that-be always prevail, and - "the revolution will not be televised.""

I equate "thick" with "obese" Am I wrong? I'm pretty certain most of the women y'all are calling "voluptuous" have BMI's over 30 -- along with all the associated health risks ESPECIALLY those in my age bracket. Often when I hear Brothers talking about a thick girl, the subject, is obese. Now if, as Pioneer1 suggested, using the term "Thick" to refer to the classic "brick house" 36-24-36 I'd agree. But that kind of Thinkness is so rarely found in women after 30. Generally big booties come with stomachs to match... More rotund than thick Now the ladies on this page http://the305.com/2012/07/24/photos-of-the-day-big-booty-edition-90-photos/ are THICK!, but if you account for photoshop and implants I'm not sure how many would still qualify. "Butt" even in the case we are still dealing with teenagers and 20 somethings... I think a healthy women with any type of physique can be attractive.

Xeon good to see you name.

There was speculation there was mental problems brought on my head trauma from football...

Nice article Nah'Sun. On a related note. If seems to me that most girls are actually "thick" as opposed to slim. It is possible Brothers who prefer thick girls are in the majority. What do you think?

Overall just ok. Biafra needed reminding, hard to believe such a tragedy took place in my life time. Hardly a word if it today. Archival footage very interesting too.

Here is one of the very 1st replies I received in response to my newsletter: "I would pay for it...ONLY if you have more books by authentic literary writers and not that urban fiction trash." Now if you read my current eNewsletter or any of them I take great care include a wide variety of good material. I tell you it is an uphill battle. Of course many people immediately subscribed (not as many as i hoped, so far). But the positive replies out weighed the negative -- fortunately :-)

The current enewsletter may be found by clicking here The eNewsletter includes the following appeal. Which I hope you will all consider: AALBC.com would like to thank all of you for being loyal readers of our eNewsletter. We are proud to have continuously published this eNewsletter for over 15 years — perhaps the longest running eNewsletter of its kind! Our eNewsletter is also available on your Kindle ebook reader and via RSS. However, we really need your support. We are asking every subscriber to seriously consider purchasing a subscription to the AALBC.com eNewsletter for only $7.99 per year. Your paid subscription will make it possible for us to improve our coverage of books, authors, film, events, and to continue celebrating our literary legacy. Sincerely, Troy Johnson Founder, AALBC.com

A large number of sales is a good thing. Critical acclaim, by a "respected" source is a good thing too. If you can get both at the same time that is great. However the two, though often confused, are not the same.

Cynique Warmth is actually my type of book. Lately I've been spending MUCH more time on the website. I actually have not had time to enjoy a book. The article I wrote about not having read a book in three months was really an recognition that I'm not alone with this "problem". Sometimes we look down on people you don't read often -- or at all. I would also argue that it is the publishers role to groom and nurture their writers -- this is really what the editing process is all about. I'd also argue why stop at editing their books? Why not prep them for media appearances? I sure authors with shitty personalities hurt their sales as much as authors with engaging personalities get a boosts in sales (all things being equal). Hickson does this with his writers If you are in the business of selling books, you really have not choice. Writegirl, I'd rather be appreciated when I'm alive. My descendants enjoying the spoils of my work is not necessarily "appreciation" :-)

Surely you jest Nah'Sun But if it helps K'wan's Animal has been #1 on Amazon's Top Rated Fiction: http://aalbc.it/animal-1st Also Bernice McFadden, out of Brooklyn, is cool people, a friend of the website. Besides it is not like the NY Times represents us anyway... Back in the heyday Black books it was not uncommon for AALBC.com to be mentioned in the New York Times. Man I don't think there had been a NY Times mention of AALBC.com in close to 10 years.

The New York Times - 100 Notable Books of 2012 (Click here to see the complete list) Published: November 27, 2012 "The year’s notable fiction, poetry and nonfiction, selected by the editors of The New York Times Book Review." Here are a handful of titles: GATHERING OF WATERS by Bernice L. McFadden (Akashic) Three generations of black women confront floods and murder in Mississippi. HOME by Toni Morrison (Knopf) A black Korean War veteran, discharged from an integrated Army into a segregated homeland, makes a reluctant journey back to Georgia in a novel engaged with themes that have long haunted Morrison. NW by Zadie Smith (Penguin Press) The lives of two friends who grew up in a northwest London housing project diverge, illuminating questions of race, class, sexual identity and personal choice, in Smith’s energetic modernist novel. SALVAGE THE BONES by Jesmyn Ward (Bloomsbury) A pregnant 15-year-old and her family await Hurricane Katrina in this lushly written novel. THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER by Junot Díaz (Riverhead) The stories in this collection are about love, but they’re also about the undertow of family history and cultural mores, presented in Díaz’s exciting, irresistible and entertaining prose. AMERICAN TAPESTRY: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama by Rachel L. Swarns (Amistad) A Times reporter’s deeply researched chronicle of several generations of Mrs. Obama’s family. THE GREY ALBUM: On the Blackness of Blackness by Kevin Young. (Graywolf) A poet’s lively account of the central place of the trickster figure in black American culture could have been called “How Blacks Invented America.” THE BLACK COUNT: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss. (Crown) The first Alexandre Dumas, a mixed-race general of the French Revolution, is the subject of this imaginative biography. THE ONE: The Life and Music of James Brown by RJ Smith (Gotham) Smith argues that Brown was the most significant modern American musician in terms of style, messaging, rhythm and originality. (Click here to see the complete list)

Cynique -- thanks for re-posting. I guess I'll reply there an repost on Facebook :-) Stephen Carter's book "Emperor" came out over 10 years ago. I was really talking about new authors introduced in 2012, over even the last few years. The point I was trying to make is that major houses are not introducing, or nurturing a lot of new talent -- mainly capitalizing off writers with demonstrated success ala the Urban fiction model. Nah'Sun, yep Jay essentially summed up the mentality that has been holding us (our culture) back for hundreds of years. Though his book Decoded was not exactly dumbed down. People used to give Bob Johnson summed it up in one line, The "E" stands for Entertainment. He made billions -- even after his ex-wife's cut. Until such a time comes where uplifting people is as profitable as feeding them garbage -- all we will get is garbage.

We are requesting submissions for the 2013 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award (see below for details). Submission deadline extended to December 10, 2012 The Hurston/Wright Legacy Award is the first national award presented to published writers of African descent by the national community of Black writers. This award, consists of prizes for the highest quality writing in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. If you have any questions please send an email to info@hurstonwright.org. Sincerely, Elizabeth Elizabeth Williams VP Programs & Communications Eligibility Writers must be of African descent; Black writers from any area of the diaspora. Full-length books of poetry, fiction and nonfiction, collections of short stories, and collections of essays by one author only are eligible. Paperback originals are eligible. Works must have been published in the United States or must be U.S. editions of foreign books published for the first time in the United States. Self-published authors are eligible. An English translation of a book originally written in another language is eligible. All books submitted for consideration must have a publication date between January and December of the calendar year in which the application is being submitted. Bound galleys may be submitted. Authors that have previously won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, or any other award are eligible. Anthologies containing works written by multiple authors are not eligible. Poetry books less than 50 pages are not eligible. A reprint of a book published in a previous year is not eligible. Board members and staff of the Hurston/Wright Foundation are not eligible for consideration of this award. Categories Fiction: Debut Novel, Novel, Novella, or Short Story Collection Nonfiction: Autobiography, Memoir, Biography, History, Social Issues, or Literary Criticism Poetry: Books in Verse, Pros Poetry, Formal Verse, or Experimental Verse Submission Requirements Include with each application a $25 nonrefundable application fee (in the form of a money order or check only). Books must be submitted by the publishing companies only with the exception of self-published authors. For full consideration however, permission of the author must be granted. The author of a Legacy nominated book or a representative is expected to attend the awards ceremony. Each publishing company will be required to designate one person to coordinate all Hurston/Wright Legacy Award related matters with the Foundation. The Hurston/Wright Foundation reserves the right to request that publishers submit specific titles to be considered for nomination. Submission deadline extended to December 10, 2012 How To Apply Download and complete an entry form Mail the entry form along with four copies of each title submitted and a $25 money order per title submitted to: The Hurston/Wright Legacy Award 12138 Central Avenue, Suite 953 Bowie, MD 20721 Books not accompanied by the proper documentation will not be considered. Additional Details

Here is some commentary from Facebook: Connie Bradley Troy Johnson Virginia DeBerry Donna Grant