Troy

LIVE from the NYPL- Blacks in American Democracy: DARRYL PINCKNE The Robert B. Silvers Lecture Co-presented with The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars & Writers WHEN: Thursday, November 29 @ 7pm WHERE: The New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street), Celeste Bartos Forum TICKETS: $25 General Admission; $15 FRIENDS, Seniors and Students with valid ID Darryl Pinckney will discuss the history of betrayals and successes that culminated in the Obama presidency, the price of Obama's victory in terms of black politics, and the recent election. Pinckney is the author of the novel High Cotton, and, in the Alain Locke Lecture Series, Out There: Mavericks of Black Literature. He is also a former fellow of The Dorothy & Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars & Writers at The New York Public Library. For tickets and additional details, visit http://on.nypl.org/UVE6sv. The Robert B. Silvers Lecture is an annual series created by Max Palevsky in recognition of the work of Robert B. Silvers, editor of the New York Review of Books. LIVE from the NYPL is made possible with generous support from Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, and the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund. The Cullman Center is made possible by a generous endowment from Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman in honor of Brooke Russell Astor, with major support provided by Mrs. John L. Weinberg, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Estate of Charles J. Liebman, John and Constance Birkelund, The Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, and additional gifts from The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Helen and Roger Alcaly, Mel and Lois Tukman, The Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, William W. Karatz, Mary Ellen von der Heyden, Merilee and Roy Bostock, Lybess Sweezy and Ken Miller, and Cullman Center Fellows.

The Devil in Silver would be a great book to discuss. I have not read it. My recommendation was based upon the positives reviews made by sources I respect (lets see if my reliance on these types of reviews to identify a great read works in this case). The Gospel According to Acharya sounds interesting, how did you learn about the book? How are you liking it so far?

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 The 2012 National Book Award Winners Announced The winners of the National Book Awards were announced tonight, November 14, at the National Book Foundation’s 63nd National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. This year’s winners are: Fiction Louise Erdrich, The Round House (Harper/HarperCollins) Nonfiction Katherine Boo, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (Random House) Poetry David Ferry, Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations (University of Chicago Press) Young People's Literature William Alexander, Goblin Secrets (Margaret K. McElderry Books/S&S Children’s) Also at tonight’s ceremony, Elmore Leonard was honored with the National Book Foundation’s 2012 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in recognition of his outstanding achievement in fiction writing. This year’s Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community was presented to Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr., chairman and publisher of the New York Times, who was honored for his continuing efforts through the New York Times Book Review and online book coverage to ensure an ongoing conversation about books in American culture.

Cynique, please don't apologize for speaking your mind, that is why I post here. If I wanted people to tell say everything I posted was great and never express a dissenting voice I'd put it on Facebook. I believe critical book reviews are a crucial component of a healthy publishing industry. The current state of reviews for Black books has always been sad, but lately it is absolutely pathetic! I'll get into it in more detail later 'cause I have to run now, but I'll say this; I can't remember the last time I read a scathing but honestly written review of a book. The incentives are all wrong, as a result, most book reviews are favorable, short, shallow and not very useful to the industry or the reader. There is a lot wrong with publishing today, the lack of crucial reviews is one of many problems.

You can read Jesse's full review here: http://aalbc.com/reviews/soulacoaster.html

MEET THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC “In the end, I am saved by the music. I have no idea what twist or turn the rollercoaster that is my life will take. I am saved by God’s gift of love. If through my words and music I can pass on that gift to the readers, I am the happiest man on earth.” — R. Kelly Beyond the chart-topping hits and the controversial headlines, in Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me, Robert Sylvester Kelly lays bare the true life story of a complex soul and a musical genius. With searing honesty, he delivers a fascinating portrait of a gifted soul trapped in the conflicting realities “Bump N' Grind” sexuality and soul-stirring “I Believe I Can Fly” spirit. Kelly’s spectacular rise from street performer to superstar who has sold more than 35 million records worldwide is chronicled in his most intimate and revealing project to date. This memoir written in three acts, employs the same dramatic plot twists and turns that mesmerized fans of Kelly’s hip-hopera Trapped in the Closet. The beautifully designed volume includes more than 130 color photographs that offer a truly dimensional portrait of Robert Kelly, the mama’s boy, the brother, the artist, the father, and most of all, Robert the man. “… a vivid and entertaining journey that reveals much about the musical engine of a true artist.” — Jesse Washington, Associated Press __________________________________ AVAILABLE NOW! Amazon.com Barnes & Noble To learn more about Shabazz Communications E•Blast visit: www.shabazzcommunications.com/e●blast and/or call 646.410.0246 Shabazz Communications, Inc. New York, NY 10037

I just re-read this conversation and forgot how much I enjoy talking about books. Cynique watchu reading now (novelwise) maybe I can pick it up and we can chat :-)

Mzuri, actually my point is the rich do own the government. You mentioned the Koch brothers not being able to buy the presidency, but president does not run the country. If the brought off Republicans can continue to stonewall Obama for another 4 years, folks like the Koch Bros may still ultimately get what they want. Besides Obama got a billion bucks to run his campaign. Where do you think he got that money? I pretty sure it wasn't us. Who is Obama beholden too, Wall Street bankers, the insurance lobby, the military industrial complex? I also don't think the ultra rich running our corporations and government are a unified force -- they are fighting amongst themselves probably more so than since the Civil War. You and I are merely confused pawns and collateral damage. If anything is to change there will need to be enough people, of all colors, willing to make the some real sacrifices. Obama can't do it; he simply does not have the power or the conviction from what I see. At this point, I'll be glad if Obama can help avoid the fiscal cliff and keep many of us working stiffs from realizing the nightmare of the Alternative Minimum Tax.

PW Select When you register, your book receives an announcement listing in PW Select--which is bound into issues of Publishers Weekly and appears online at publishersweekly.com. Every announcement listing includes bibliographic, marketing, and editorial information about your book--so you can promote it to booksellers, publishers, agents, and industry insiders. Additionally, every book listed in PW Select is automatically eligible for a review from Publishers Weekly. From the hundreds of books listed in each PW Select, approximately 25 percent are selected by our editors for a review. And, all authors registering with PW Select receive a six-month digital subscription to Publishers Weekly. Visit Publisher's Weekly Website to Learn More. Rawsistaz Literary Group Are you looking to have your book reviewed by one of the most-respected (and first established) team of reviewers specializing in reviewing African-American books? Well, look no further. Feel free to submit your book for review. You do NOT have to query us first. We have been reviewing books since 2001 and because of the size of the Rawsistaz website, it was necessary for us to give our book reviews a new home at www.BlackBookReviews.net. There you’ll find a repository of 7000+ book reviews for books of all genres, both mainstream & independently published. However, on Rawsistaz, we will feature some of our book club member reviews, our top rated reviews from TRR, as well as spotlight our wonderful reviewers. Learn more at Rawsistaz's website. The Kirkus Discoveries Program The Kirkus Discoveries program gives self-published authors a chance to obtain an unbiased, professional review of their work, written in the same format as a traditional Kirkus review. A book review can be an essential and powerful tool for promoting your book to literary agents, traditional publishing houses, booksellers and, most importantly, potential readers. Visit Kirkus Reviews for more information. AALBC.com Launched in 1998, AALBC.com is the most popular and frequently visited website dedicated to books by and about people of African descent. AALBC.com is also a premier source of reviews of these books. Reviews are; permanently published on the AALBC.com web site, linked on the AALBC.com homepage for at least a month, highlighted in our monthly newsletter (which reaches over 17,000 subscribers), and at AALBC.com's discretion, included on our social media platforms. Visit AALBC.com for more information.

Interestingly the recently announced merger of Random House and Penguin Publishers, forming the largest publishing company the world has ever seen fail to generate any conversation on my regular online haunts. I could be the presidential elections was more than Black folks could think about for the last few weeks. Or if could be, in my circles at least, the two companies are largely inconsequential beyond talk of how a mediocre book like Fifty Shades of Grey could sell so many copies. I guess the "Big 6" are now the "Big 5": HarperCollins - Rupert Murdoch's, News Corporation Macmillan, owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck of Germany Hachette - Lagardère of France; Simon & Schuster, a division of CBS. "Random Penguin" Penguin Random House (Bertelsmann AG 53% and 47% Pearson PLC.) All things considered this is another sign of how bad things are in the publishing world, particularly if these consolidations continue. Read a NY Time Article: Random House and Penguin Merger Creates Global Giant By ERIC PFANNER and AMY CHOZICK Published: October 29, 2012 The deal between the media companies Bertelsmann, which owns Random House, and Pearson, which owns Penguin, might draw antitrust scrutiny.

Mzuri, I think we should make a distinction between rich White men and your garden variety working or middle class white man. For you see the rich white man is still firmly in power and control. It is really the masses of white folks who have lost power. Indeed the power they had was largely an illusion, based upon the false impression they were superior to Black and other minorities by virtue of simply being white. These white are simply realizing it now because the latest election results make this plain. The problem we as Black people have is that we think an Obama presidency was giving us some measure of power. Unfortunately blind Obama worship make this hard to see. The issue is about power, class and wealth. Race is simply a convenient tool for keeping the masses detracted, fighting amongst ourselves.

Afaa, I consider your contribution here an honor. Your point that it would be "...a battle for sure but with some clarity and fortitude that would inspire folk." is so on point. At least it would inspire me. The generational back up is a very, very big deal. Consider the life stye of a family of 4 in NY City and AGI of $200K. This family could very well be living paycheck to paycheck. Housing in a decent place, in a decent neighborhood, is extremely expensive. Education for two kids outside the woefully inadequate public schools rivals the tuition at many colleges. Now take a vacation or enjoy some of the amenities the city has to offer you could very easily be living beyond your means. This same family is subject to the AMT (something I would not wish on my worse enemy). Basically the tax forms go out the window, many of your deductions vanish and you pay a MUCH higher rate. Now the average income for a family of 4 in NYC is something like $48K. Give that income to a family without inherited wealth and you can begin to appreciate that life is a daily struggle. Inadequate or often nonexistent health care, a couple of weeks off a year, locked into a poorly performing public school, substandard living conditions, no pension, higher levels of crime, poorer services, etc. Now this family may pay very little or nothing in taxes -- may even qualify for an Earned Income tax Credit (Actually a payment from the Feds over and above one's tax liability). But this family is getting reamed out by taxes everywhere; sales tax, tolls, city taxes, state taxes, government fees, etc, etc. When a Warren Buffet says he paid 17% in taxes or about $7MM, this is misleading because he also gives away several billion dollars a year. If we factor in these billions his tax rate is negligible. That would be like me making a donation of $30,000 to my favorite charity and giving the government $70 in taxes the same year. It sounds absurd, but the tax law is written in a way that this is legal. However if I tried that stunt I'd be in a cell next to Wesley Snipes. We tax income very harshly. We do not tax wealth or the income generated by wealth very much. Rich people's wealth is not generated by a weekly paycheck. Anyone who makes more than $110K in 2012 will notice that at some point in the year their check will increase by 6.2% because they have paid the max on social security. Most Americans will never this this bump in take home pay because they do not make more than $110K. The problem is that people who make millions of dollars a year, or as much a Warren Buffet, pay the exact same amount as someone making $110K. The family making $48K a year pays 6.2% of their income, while the family making $4M per year pays only 0.0017% for the same benefit -- a benefit not likely to be needed by a family with the wherewithal to generate that much income year. The tax rate on people like myself is oppressive, when you compare to people like Warren Buffet I consider it criminal. Will an Obama or anyone take up this fight?

Excepted from the article: Generational Shift in Black Christianity Comes to Harvard By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN Published: November 11, 2012 Ministers and theologians who came of age during the civil rights era are being replaced by those, like the Rev. Jonathan L. Walton, of elite universities, the diversity movement and hip-hop culture. ...... Black ministers and theologians of Mr. Walton’s generation have inherited an African-American church trying to serve both the entrenched poor and the upwardly mobile educated class. It is also pulled between the liberation theology most notably articulated by Dr. King and the so-called health-and-wealth gospel promoted by contemporary megachurch pastors like the Rev. T. D. Jakes. Mr. Walton criticized that approach in his book about black televangelists, “Watch This!” [Watch This!: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Black Televangelism, (NYU Press, Feb, 2009)] His Harvard pulpit, he said, will also afford him a forum for registering such concerns. “It’s important not just in black Christianity but in American Christianity to hold onto the progressive strand of evangelical Christianity — the social gospel,” he said. “To hold accountable this hypercapitalist and radically individualist strand of Christianity in American religion.”

...Dallas and Philly are tied. ...Al Sharpton is not for sale is a great leader of Black people Seriously Below is the actual interview which that site based it's "story". You know that website is one of the MOST frustrating example of what the Black internet has become. They call themselves a "news" site, However all they have done is copied content from a real content provider and used it to stimulate controversy -- pathetic! I'm not so concerned, and no one can know, Cornel West motivation for pushing the president. Speculation is less important that what he says or due. I agree with West assessment of Obama. So when West says, "I think that it’s morally obscene and spiritually profane to spend $6 billion on an election, $2 billion on a presidential election, and not have any serious discussion—poverty, trade unions being pushed against the wall dealing with stagnating and declining wages when profits are still up and the 1 percent are doing very well, no talk about drones dropping bombs on innocent people. So we end up with such a narrow, truncated political discourse, as the major problems—ecological catastrophe, climate change, global warming. So it’s very sad. I mean, I’m glad there was not a right-wing takeover, but we end up with a Republican, a Rockefeller Republican in blackface, with Barack Obama, so that our struggle with regard to poverty intensifies." I have zero problem with it it is not controversial is is largely true. That bullshit website stirs controversy instead of examining West positions and adding value to the argument. This is an interesting quote from the inteview: President Obama said to Harry Belafonte, according to Harry, "Why don’t you and Cornel West cut me some slack?" Harry Belafonte responded, "What makes you think we’re not?" Here is a transcript of the entire interview

Milton, why are you considering using the PDF format anyway? While PDF files can be read by almost anyone, it is the least flexible of all the available formats. Why not simply make your titles available via Nook and Kindle and call it a day? As far as pirating your work what do you mean exactly? Are you concerned about others taking your book and sharing it without your permission or someone taking the text and publishing your work under their name? In today's world both are relatively easy to do. I would not let that stop you from selling your work, just use the available tools to protect your work and hope for the best because you can't prevent piracy. I can, personally, grab a copy of your book, rip the binding off of it, run it through high speed scanner, pass it through OCR software and send it to a printer and sell it. Sounds far fetched? It is already happening. As I've written numerous times the publishing industry is in deep do-do; there are no viable, long term business models in a world of eBooks. The prices one can command for a eBook will continue to be driven way, way down. People will now expect eBooks to be sharable, as is possible on many Kindle an Nook titles today. You can even "borrow" ebooks online without stepping foot in the library. Do you think this will drive prices higher or lower? So if you sell PDF files you are competing against ALOT in two main areas; Technology (The limitations of buying a PDF file from you versus the benefits of the nook or kindle files), and Content (How do we know your books are any good. Is it worth the tradeoff simply going to Amazon or B&N to find a title?). I also encourage you all to go back and revisit the article Death of the Black Owned, Independent, Bookstore. the numerous comments are just if not more informative than my original article.

I'm glad I was not on Fox news mistaking Henson accomplishment I would have been portrayed as an uneducated Black ignoramus Regarding Patreaus' infidelity when you compare him to President Bill Clinton I don't understand the reaction. Is the thinking that Patreaus is the fall guy for the Libyian fiasco? Surely there were other causes besides who Patreaus was sleeping with.... If that is the case we are obviously being distracted from the real reason. Swallowing the Blue Pill... The NY Giants are getting their butts kicked in Cincy!

These pieces deserve large reach than my meager platform can provide. I honestly can not believe a sentient being could publicly utter the words you have ascribed to Pat Buchanan. Matt Henson (A Black man) was the first to reach the top of mt Everest. White people did not "discover" algebra or paper and more than they discovered America. Sure there have been great white people who accomplished a lot, but to take credit for everything and take credit away from everyone else is evil. Why evil people are given a platform is what makes TV worse that a boob tube but an instrument of evil. It sounds like you give Liddy to much credit. He should have cut his mike and booted off the show after conveying such stupidity. Let me see if I can find a video clip -- I just not believe someone would say those things without being called on it... As far as Petraeus - who gives a shit. If he sucked at his job that is one thing, but forcing him to resign because of an affair, really?! What am I missing here (I've ignored the coverage of this, so I may be ignorant of some important aspect).

I'll contact the publisher request a review copy and review it myself. I recently created a page for Eric Deggans.

Hey Cynique I was ranting more than trying to explain the poem -- sorry about that. Regarding who benefits from 911 it is just the companies that profit from selling the tools or war and of course there is controlling the resources of the region, etc. I watched the 2nd film Zeitgeist Addendum was much more instructional about the financial system describing our financial system based upon a de Instead of leaving you depressed by the hopelessness of the current situation it film actually gave a prescription on what we, as citizens, can do to change the situation, by reducing the power of the rich elites and improve the world for everyone. We can simply not participating, in much the same way we boycotted the bus system in Montgomery AL. Boycott Citibank, JP Morgan, and the Bank of America Boycott The News Networks Boycott the Military Boycott the energy companies Reject the political systems Join the Movement Sounds like a worthwhile prescription. The only other thing about the 2nd film is that is began to sound a little "culty" when they got into all of the metaphysical, "we are all one" stuff. That all fine with me, but we people start ascribing religious significance to the, apparent fact, the we all came from the same stuff going back to the big bang, then I start to get a little uneasy.... but that is just me

Victor D. LaValle's "The Devil in Silver" Selected by Publishers Weekly's as one of the of Best Books of 2012 All the feedback I've received from others I've shared this news with is that this is a good pick for the honor. I'll add it to my list of books to read between Christmas and New Years.

For most of the questions the answers are quite simple. Who knows if there are a formal cabal of evil white men pulling the strings globally. We do know that money controls everything. It controls who is sent to prison. It controls who gets the best educations. It controls who starts out with a leg up because of inherited wealth, it determines who gets the best medical treatment -- and this is at the level of the ordinary American. The captains of industry control entire economies across national borders. They determine who is employed and who is employable. If a Goldman Sachs has a policy of hiring people from a fixed set of schools, who is going to benefit from that. Does anyone believe that ONLY the smartest people get into Harvard. When a Goldman touts a diverse workforce do they mention how few local Black people have meaningful roles in there work force. Does anyone ask why. Does anyone care. Of course there is a financial incentive to have long drawn out wars -- that is the only reason we have them. It is obvious. There is no conspiracy -- just look at what we do. Look at what Obama actually does. Obviously we are too blind with Obama worship to see that it really does not matter who is sitting in the white house. The needs to the people take a second seat to people with the most money -- everything else is a smoke screen to confuse us, placate us and divert our attention. Real freedom fighters, those who actually change the status quo, do not have secure comfortable lives. Their lives are in danger. At the end of the day we are probably better off ignoring the man behind the curtain -- 'cause none of us are going to do anything about our collective situation. Hummm are the Brooklyn Net playing tonight?

Yep this is more my speed.

Yeah I could take or leave the Brubeck selection not so much because it is "straight ahead jazz", but because I don't particular care for it. I don't dislike it, but I would not purchase it. I don't like all Funk and Rap music either. Jazz is no different.

I think it was stupid to arrest the men for gambling on youth football. Perhaps the main reason football is so lucrative is the wagering that takes place. We don't draw the line on college games or high school what make peewee football any different. I'm sorry about Alicia Moore may she rest in peace. I can't speak to the actions or lack there of of the groups you mentioned.