Troy

"IF THEY COME FROM GREAT LENGTHS ON BUS TOURS JUST TO EAT SOUL FOOD AT SYLVIA'S RESTAURANT (GOD REST HER SOUL), WHY WOULDN'T THEY READ BOOKS BY BLACK AUTHORS, ALSO?" Hickson, while fatty foods and literature are two different things, I believe the analogy is sound. I came across an African American book club whose members are all white. They even had a video explaining how to appreciate the African American literature. White owned publishers like Kensington Books, Akashic Press and others publish a ton of book written by Black (non-celebrity) authors and they are not just targeting Black readers -- why should they -- and why should the bookstores? In fact, one would think a Black publisher like Ghettoheat or a bookstore like Hue-man would find it easier to purvey Black authors and books to a white audience in much that way Sylvia Woods (R.I.P.) had an advantage over white soul food restaurants.

Hickson I believe most of the changes technology enhancements have all been positive -- it is how the technology has been used, lately, where my problems come in. People used to talk about a "digital divide" however the chasm is even wider today but there is less conversation about the discrepancy. Having a cell phone and a twitter account or being on facebook does nothing to narrow the gap -- in fact it creates the illusion that is isn't one. I'm not nearly as optimistic as I was 10 years ago when AALBC.com was a mere shell of what it is today. HIckson, would you post a direct link to the magazine? Better yet start a new conversation with the magazine cover and a link to where it can be obtained.

"I think it's time for some meaningful discussion between entities that would support such efforts". Absolutely, I think these entities need to feel/understand why it is necessary. See in the pure capitalist model, for example, I would find fewer book websites and physical stores and more authors who find it difficult to get coverage advantageous. But when you look further down the road and see how grim everyone's (book sellers, authors, readers) prospects a competitive advantage does not look so good. The real challenge is convincing people, especially those with a short term advantage, that there is even a problem and helping them to understand why it is in their interest to do something about it.

Cynique over the centuries is a long time. But in recent memory, at least over the last few decades, I'd be willing to bet that gun violence would rank at the top of preventable causes of death -- certainly for Black men under 40. . Here in NY City a 4 year old child was shot and killed at an event to commemorate someone else who was killed through gun violence. This got a lot of media attention because of the ironic nature of the circumstances of the murder and the age of the victim. Of course the outcry from the community is relatively mute. Outrage is only expressed on a large scale if the murderer is suspected to be non-Black. We get riled up over bad mouthing the president, the Housewives of Atlanta, LeBron willing a ring... I know people personally who have been shot and killed through gun violence. I have had a gun pulled on me during a robbery. I am not unique in these experiences. Indeed my experience my be rather mild in comparison with many others -- and that is the sick part. So while a gun in the hands of most people is fairly innocuous, there are too many people where the opposite is true. Until that changes I'd be willing to ban guns -- or at least putting so many restrictions on their use and one's ability to acquire one and many violations a serious felony. This would likely bring down murders and people would be happy until we discover that, in practice, the law would only be enforced against Black folks -- landing even more of us in jail. We have to figure out a way to stop black folks from killing Black folks. Since taking guns away is not likely in the near future we need to get down to the root cause of the problem -- a better solution anyway.

Waterstar, thanks for taking the time to read and comment. The problem with Huria is that the underlying technology is Google's. I'm hoping someone will come along and improve on it -- making it truly self-sufficient. The problem with coalition building is that the handful of remaining large Black sites have no interest in the effort and are largely indistinguishable from the large white owned Black sites. The other sites, representing the vast majority, wield too little influence to matter. I think however if all these tiny, conscious sites, were unified we could indeed have an impact. Again that is hard to accomplish, but I see no other way to ensure we have a voice, and remain become relevant. The problems are indeed reflective of a people.

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I hope not. I just stuck it in my watch later on TV queue

Hey Milton, it was mentioned in a related in the Times article that Jimmy Baldwin, for example, never received any of these awards and today he is recognized as one of America's most important writers. Obviously his importance to the Black community is even more significant. Do you think Baldwin's prose would have been more on target if he'd won a Pulitzer? Do you think winning a National Book Award would have validated his work or given it more credibility? Given Baldwin's life long commitment and output we can assume with a great deal of certainty that he did not write for the purpose of being given a trophy or a medal. I doubt most serious writers write for this reason. You raise a great point: "Awards have a commercial benefit". The financial benefit accrues not just to the recipient. Jesmyn Ward's National Book Award for Salvage the Bones, for example, even benefited AALBC.com -- advertising from the publisher, commissions on increased book sales, traffic, conversation, etc. This is all great. Awards with financial prizes also help writers continue to write. The only problem I have is our reliance on these awards for validation -- further our inability to bestow an award of equal prestige. The NAACP, for example, bestows Image Awards for literature every year The ALA Give out the Coretta Scott King Award for children's books Essence used to give out Literary Awards: The African American Literary Awards Show has been doing it for years -- but had to cancel their ceremony last year: I could go on and on pointing out awards that have relatively little consequence within our community. ReShonda Tate Billingsley winning an NAACP image award had zero impact here. Kadir Nelson winning a boat load of Correct Scott King Award means nothing as far as I can tell. No advertising from the publisher, not increased traffic, sales, nothing... What this means however is that I have all the incentive in the world to cover Black National Book Award Winners than I do to cover Hurston/Wright winners. It is a good thing I'm not just here for the money... and certainly not for awards

Are these award important? Can you imagine 48 prominent authors today getting behind an author today? Is it that all of our important authors are getting the recognition they deserve?

Well Morrison my never have won a National Book Award but she did win a Presidential Medal of Freedom

[beloved's] failure to win the National Book Award sparked a protest by 48 black writers and critics, who signed a statement published in The New York Times Book Review lamenting the fact that Ms. Morrison had been overlooked for the award and had not yet received a Pulitzer Prize. Shortly afterward, Ms. Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for "Beloved." In a 2006 New York Times survey of prominent writers, "Beloved" was chosen the best work of American fiction of the previous 25 years. Read full article from the NY Times June Jordan Houston A. Baker Jr. STATEMENT Despite the international stature of Toni Morrison, she has yet to receive the national recognition that her five major works of fiction entirely deserve: she has yet to receive the keystone honors of the National Book Award or the Pulitzer Prize. We, the undersigned black critics and black writers, here assert ourselves against such oversight and harmful whimsy. The legitimate need for our own critical voice in relation to our own literature can no longer be denied. We, therefore, urgently affirm our rightful and positive authority in the realm of American letters and, in this prideful context, we do raise this tribute to the author of ''The Bluest Eye,'' ''Sula,'' ''Song of Solomon,'' ''Tar Baby'' and ''Beloved'': Alive, we write this testament of thanks to you, dear Toni: alive, beloved and persevering, magical. Among the fecund intimacies of our hidden past, and among the coming days of dream or nightmares that will follow from the bidden knowledge of our conscious heart, we find your life work ever building to a monument of vision and discovery and trust. You have never turned away the searching eye, the listening ear attuned to horror or to histories providing for our faith. And freely you have given to us every word that you have found important to the forward movement of our literature, our life. For all of America, for all of American letters, you have advanced the moral and artistic standards by which we must measure the daring and the love of our national imagination and our collective intelligence as a people. Your gifts to us have changed and made more gentle our real time together. And so we write, here, hoping not to delay, not to arrive, in any way, late with this, our simple tribute to the seismic character and beauty of your writing. And, furthermore, in grateful wonder at the advent of ''Beloved,'' your most recent gift to our community, our country, our conscience, our courage flourishing as it grows, we here record our pride, our respect and our appreciation for the treasury of your findings and invention. Robert Allen, Maya Angelou, Houston A. Baker Jr., Toni Cade Bambara, Amina Baraka, Amiri Baraka, Jerome Brooks, Wesley Brown, Robert Chrisman, Barbara Christian, Lucille Clifton, J. California Cooper, Jayne Cortez, Angela Davis, Thulani Davis, Alexis De Veaux. Mari Evans, Nikky Finney, Ernest J. Gaines, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Paula Giddings, Vertamae Grosvenor, Cheryll Y. Greene, Rosa Guy, Calvin Hernton, Nathan Irvin Huggins, Gloria T. Hull, Gale Jackson, June Jordan, Paule Marshall, Nellie McKay, Louise Meriwether. Louise Patterson, Richard Perry, Arnold Rampersad, Eugene Redmond, Sonia Sanchez, Hortense Spillers, Luisah Teish, Joyce Carol Thomas, Eleanor Traylor, Quincy Troupe, Alice Walker, Mary Helen Washington, John Wideman, Margaret Wilkerson, John A. Williams, Sherley Anne Williams.-

Despite my critic's 3 star rating, I found The Dark Knight to be only mildly interesting -- a disappointment. It really paled in comparison to The Dark Knight.

No waterstar the gun did not walk in there by itself, a psychopath walked in there with it. All I'm saying is that without all those guns the crowd could have easily subdued that nut before he killed and maimed so many others. Sure he could have gone in there with a slingshot, knife or baseball bat -- all of which can be deadly, in the hands of a mad-man. My argument is that if guns were taken out the hands of the general public -- these tragedies would be much less likely to occur. We are too primitive to handle such dangerous weapons and too dumb to recognize it.

Waterstar sure many people who believe Yacub created the white race will also quote Malcolm on other issues. People pick and chose what supports their world view. In much the same way people abuse Christianity - using it to justify slavery and all manner of evil. We can learn from Malcolm's growth and exceed it, but that has not happened. We have regressed. A leader like a Malcolm or a King would be impossible to emerge now. Those with the potential seem far too interested in accumulating wealth.

"I want to be a solder" looks interesting. That 144,000 number always concerned me when I first heard the Jehovah Witnesses talk about it. Given the number of people that ever lived, the 144K figure is so small you may as well say that no one will be saved. Then again, considering humanity's behavior this number may be about right

Milton -- of course! Even on this site I feature writers like Howard Zinn, Paulo Coelho, Ezra Jack Keats and other non-Black writers. It is no secret that Black folks read books written by writers that are non Black. Other news flash - white readers read books written by Black writers You are excluding potential customers if you only target Black readers.

...and more guns won't stop them. ...but less guns will make them less dangerous than Charley Manson

Cynique, your observations are most relevant as reader you are the ultimate consumer of what we all do as authors and booksellers. My observation over the years selling books is that people want the "cheapest one". Lately that has been the online option, shop from your home, speedy delivery and low prices. Now if you are very price sensitive you will borrow the book from the library, or a friend or simply skip reading that particular book. The bookstore, is not where you go to get the cheapest book or transact in the more convenient fashion. An independent bookstore can not possibility compete on these on these characteristics -- not in 2012. Further and Black owned independent that thinks they can survive on the largesse of Black folks simply because they are Black owned is in for a sobering awakening and will not last very long. Sure there are folks like me and Water who will buy a book to support and author or a store -- but again this is rare and certainly not the foundation for a profitable business (this is known as a charity). Bookstores must (and can) provide an experience that can not be replicated online -- or even in a B&N superstore. Sure some independents have opened cafes, and provide free wifi, but this is not the bookstore's core value proposition -- 'cause you can just open a starbucks if you wanna do that. Stores sell other things including completely unrelated things like clothing and jewelry -- again this takes away from he real value of the store. Part of the bookstore's job in 2012 is to: Be passionate about books -- even titles you may not care about Your value proposition is selling books to customers -- convincing them why they NEED to read a particular book and being correct about your recommendation. You can only do this if you know people and books Discover and share hidden gems -- anyone can pick a book off the NY Times bestsellers list -- show me something good -- something I would not have found on my own Be discoverable on-line make sure your information and events are up to date Don't bother trying to sell a books on-line that an Amazon can sell -- you can't compete with them. If you have an exclusive item great -- otherwise don't bother Don't alienate authors, they can be your biggest ambassadors - if you can't place their books on your shelves make sure they understand why and have a path for inclusion in the future Don't have signings that you can't promote -- authors hate this and word travels fast Engage natural supporters; avid readers, book clubs, community groups, schools, publishing professionals Some of this stuff is obvious and I've ignored business aspects like managing expenses and paying bills on time but these too are obvious. The best experience I've had in a Black (any) independently owned bookstore was one in which I was greeted warmly upon entering and was given good recommendations. You'd be surprised how many bookstores can't accomplish this simple feat.

Cynique I essentially agreed with your assessment. I agree with you position on guns 100% I saw a documentary once that suggested that our predisposition to believing in God was natural. I certainly believe there is a natural tendency for mankind to understand his origins and purpose. Short of having the answers we come up with "stories" to fill in the gaps. Religion has played a major role in filling in those gaps. Now when those gaps are proven wrong with scientific discovery and religion fails to adapt then it become problematic, dangerous even. Galileo was labeled and heretic for proving the earth revolved around the sun?! So while competition between religions has been bloody enough. The Galileo situation is an example of religion, in isolation from any other religion is battling reality. Of course one can come up with many contemporary examples of different religions battling reality, with consequence just as damaging.

Waterstar conservative talk radio is arguing that if other movie goers were armed less people would have died. I think that is one of the most asinine arguments I've ever heard. Can imagine the increased carnage if folks were just blasting away? This young man should never have been able to acquire a single hand gun let alone the arsenal he amassed. Liberals are blaming the film itself for create an environment which we've become numb to gratuitous violence. I rather there be movies like Batman than feeding Christians to the lions for entertainment.

I think Malcolm evolved a great deal over his life from criminal, to Black Muslim to becoming a Sunni Muslim. He continued to evolve throughout his short life Who knows where he would be today had he lived. I think Waterstar first shared this video: If you listen to it Malcolm sounds like a brainwashed member of a cult. Malcolm's position changed dramatically and that change cost him his life. Even James Farmer's and Walker's stance changed, in hindsight. Our failure to understand, learn and capitalize on these changes is our biggest problem, if you go around quoting Malcolm when he was still in the Nation we miss the whole point...

Waterstar I think the burglar argument quickly falls apart when one considers that a burglar without a gun would pose less of a threat to the home owner -- indeed the burglar would be less likely to try to rob a home, without a gun, if they knew the occupants were present. Many users of guns have done so in the name of religion. If this is true, what is more dangerous the religion or the gun? I think it is obvious when one considers the number of people killed in the name of religion before the gun was even invented. So while I was busting balls over the analogy I agree with it in theory, but no in practice: I submit that the gun "by itself" (without people) is indeed harmless. I also propose that religion has the same characteristic Since guns can't exist without people they can't be harmless, and the world would be better off without them. Does this analogy hold true for religion? Someone on twitter told me, "You need comprehension,analyzation and critical thinking." in response to a tweet on this conversation. I invited them to join the discussion and help me out.

"It used to be commonplace for Grandma to walk to the library and reach home safely. Now it is commonplace that if Grandma walks to the library, she just might get robbed or even raped. " When I read statements like the one above it weakens the whole article. Sometime please tell me where a it is likely for an old lady to get robbed or raped going to for from the library. Plus the final question "How do you think that we improve the ways in which we of the younger/older generations relate to one another?" Is impossible to answer as so much has to be assumed. How is the relations between older in younger people measured? What standard or baseline are we comparing it to? Was relations between the generations better in the 1950's 1850's when? At any rate, I think the relationships between older folks and younger ones declined when, culturally, we were no longer expected to respect older people -- simply because they were older. The "yes sir", "yes ma'am" disappeared in my neck of the woods generations ago, along with a respect of older people. It still irks me a little when I hear a child refer to a grown person by only their first name. Simultaneously older people stopped respecting themselves, often emulating the behavior and dress of teenagers as if it was superior. The culture perpetuates this thinking.

Souraya, be sure to send me information about your bookstore and I'll add it to my database: http://aalbc.com/writers/bookstores.html Hen81, the potential customers for many Black for a bookstores, like Hueman, is larger than many white owned stores I've observed that are doing quite well. Plus Black bookstores have less competition today than 5 years ago and are still closing. It is not the relative number of potential clients causing these stores to close. Unless you buy into the idea that readership is down (which I'm not really prepared to dispute). Hickson, yep I went to the fair. I too got the email on Thursday?! I walked the entire street. It was a picture perfect day, but there were less attendees. There were also less vendors. I can't speak about the panels as I could not get into the Schomburg. Considering that I've been actively involved with the fair since the 2nd one and have coordinated all the volunteers, gave seminars, moderated panels, created street maps, shot video, interviewed authors, provided online promotion, and served on the advisory board, for free -- I'm don't expect any special treatment Waterstar trust me you are unique, most people don't think the way you do when they conduct their personal business. I agree we have to "get down and grassroots with it" -- for real. Even on the web, it honestly feels like I'm starting out again. The rules have changed, and barriers to entry are back up, But that just means there are more voids to fill and more opportunities. My concern is that there are fewer people up for the challenge. There is a level of conscienceless, skill, energy and time required that is increasingly rare.

This makes headlines news in the most recent NY Amsterdam News. The writer, Herb Boyd, asked the same question you do waterstar concerning a similar threat being leveled against Laura Bush.