Six Books Black Men Must Read, Nat'l Book Award Contenders, New Books, and More - 9/22/2020

[Daylian]

The musician and Hip Hop legend reimagines the writing handbook in this memoir and guide that incorporates the soulful genius, confidence, and creativity of a master artist (Amistad, September 15, 2020).

Longlist for the 2020 National Book Awards Announced

The mission of the National Book Foundation is to celebrate the best of American literature, to expand its audience, and to enhance the cultural value of great writing in America. National Book Awards are given five categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. Twelve books, written by Black writers, were Longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award. The first African-American writer to win a National Book Award was Ralph Ellison for Invisible Man in 1953

Book Reviews

Sincerely Speaking Spiritually by Joseph S. Spence Like many successful self-help books, Sincerely Speaking Spiritually, celebrates verses of faith and inspiration in the Holy Word. Its author, Joseph Spence Sr., takes his role seriously as one of the Faithful, praising all things Biblical, harking back to its glorious content including the Songs of Solomon and Psalms. Filled with poetic prayers, the book offers reflection and insight during troubled times. Spence writes in his dedication that he wishes for readers to embrace God’s blessing, and seek wholeness: “…those who are dedicated to uplifting heads held low to inspire them to see a new light and day.” “Poetic prayers, in reality, are God’s words spoken in a different form and style for great understanding and is a unique precious language of grace and reverence,” writes Spence. This collection of verse, spiritual observations, and praise songs stresses the joy of communicating with the Divine. If we examine the meaning and value of prayer in African-American literature, we will see its influence in the work of scribes such as Lucille Clifton, Alice Walker, Arna Bontemps, James Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou. More ▶

New Books

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson delivers another riveting, ripped-from-the-headlines mystery that exposes horrific secrets hiding behind the limelight and embraces the power of a young woman’s voice. When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields? Before there was a dead body, Enchanted’s dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey’s charm and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he’s dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted.

New-Generation African Poets: A Chapbook Box Set (Saba) Edited by Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani The limited-edition box set is a project started in 2014 to ensure the publication of up to a dozen chapbooks every year by African poets through Akashic Books. The series seeks to identify the best poetry written by African poets working today, and it is especially interested in featuring poets who have not yet published their first full-length book of poetry. The eleven poets included in this box set are: Michelle Angwenyi, Afua Ansong, Adedayo Agarau, Fatima Camara, Sadia Hassan, Safia Jama, Henneh Kyereh Kwaku, Nadra Mabrouk, Nkateko Masinga, Jamila Osman, and Tryphena Yeboah.

Call for Submissions for Black Sci-Fi Anthology

Flame Tree Press Announces a Call for Submissions. Deadline: September 30, 2020 Flame Tree Press is looking for short stories by black contemporary writers to complement a selection of classic tales by early black writers of speculative fiction, such as Martin Delany, Edward Johnson, Pauline Hopkins and W.E.B. Dubois, whose first-hand experience of slavery and denial created their living dystopia. With a foreword by Alex Award-winning novelist Temi Oh, an introduction by Sandra M. Grayson, author of Visions of the Third Millennium: Black Science Fiction Novelists Write the Future (2003), and invaluable support from Tia Ross and Black Writers Collective, this latest offering in the Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy series focuses on an area of science fiction which has not received the attention it deserves. Dystopia, apocalypse, gene-splicing, cloning, colonization and much more can be explored here – in fantastic stories, whether informed by the black experience or not. Read the details on how to submit here.

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