The African American Literary Review & News

NEW RELEASE: BETRAYED By Suzetta Perkins

2011-10-29T00:31:00.000-07:00

Title: Betrayed

Author: Suzetta Perkins

Publisher: Strebor Books

Mimi Bailey, if she had it her way, would never ever step foot back into Durham, North Carolina. Of course, Durham is used to be Mimi's home and she has plenty of good memories of growing up with family and friends in this southern town.

But there is one memory that Mimi will never be able to erase. It is a nineteen year old secret that Mimi thought she would never have to revisit physically until her college bound daughter, Afrika, chose to attend Historically Black College, North Carolina Central.

Not willing to allow her daughter to go to school alone, especially in a city full of dangerous secrets that need to stay hidden, Mimi reluctantly returns home to the scene of a crime so horrific that years can not diminish the pain. She has tried her best to outrun the secret, but there is no use. Little by little, the truth is revealed: nineteen years ago, Mimi was brutally raped by her best friend's fiance, Victor Christianson, who years later appears to be a pillar of Durham society, a loving father, an administrator at North Carolina Central and the husband of her former best friend, Brenda. After the rape, a distraught Mimi subsequently flees Durham and tries to start a new life with the bitter memory of the assault never far from her mind.

But, that is only the beginning. Mimi's daughter, Afrika, is the product of that crime. Only Mimi knows this. She has kept this secret from her husband, Raphael, who believes that Afrika is his child. And in an even stranger twist of events, Afrika meets and befriends a young woman on campus named Asia, whom bares a striking resemblance to herself which raises more than a few eyebrows and suspicious glares. Questions are forming that begs answers to. The truth about what happened nineteen years ago bubbles to the surface despite Mimi's efforts and Victor's sinister plans. A campus shooting threatens to reveal everything and nothing will ever be the same for Mimi, Raphael, Afrika, Asia, Victor and Brenda.

BETRAYED is a novel about friendships and how the act of betrayal is played out in relationships and the destruction it can cause. BETRAYED is a pretty good and solid read. There are brief instances where there is a slight lull, but the story regains momentum at just the right points.

Doubleday Acquires Three Walter Mosley Titles! From Publishers Weekly

2011-10-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

Doubleday has brought Walter Mosley into the fold, acquiring two new books in the author's Easy Rawlins series, as well as a standalone novel.

Gerald Howard bought world rights in the deal from Gloria Loomis at Watkins/Loomis, and the first first Easy Rawlins book, which is currently untitled, is scheduled for 2013. The standalone novel, scheduled for 2014, will be, per the publisher, a "noirish account of a porn star’s determination to escape her dangerous milieu."

The second Rawlins book in the deal is set for 2014. Howard edited some Rawlins books, years ago, when he was at Norton.

Mosley's last Easy Rawlins book is 2007's Blonde Faith, which was published by Little, Brown. The author launched the Rawlins series in 1990 and now, according to Random House, over 3.5 million books in the series have been sold worldwide. Also, a television series based on the character is currently in the works.

Black Classic Press Cancels Acquisition of Howard University Press Titles - From Publishers Weekly

2011-10-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

In a perplexing development, African American independent publisher Black Classic Press is withdrawing from an agreement with Howard University to acquire 84 titles from the Howard University Press backlist, complaining that the university has inexplicably failed to communicate with BCP since announcing the deal back in May.

W. Paul Coates, publisher of Black Classic Press, a reprint house for classic works of African American literature as well as a print-on-demand digital vendor, told PW that he has had almost no communication with the university since the university announced the agreement. Indeed, the situation seems perplexing since Howard University not only issued a press release announcing the transfer of the titles but also held a reception for former HUP authors and Coates to mark the acquisition. Founded in 1972, Howard University Press has published a long list of distinguished academics, however the press has essentially been defunct for about the past five years. In the original press release Howard University provost James H. Wyche called the deal a “win-win proposition for Howard.”

A former HUP title acquired by BCP in a separate deal.

However, Coates, who is also a former board member of the National Book Foundation, told PW that after nearly six months of attempting to carry out the agreement, the university has left him no choice but to cancel and withdraw from the deal. In a release announcing BCP’s withdrawal from the agreement, Coates said BCP, “initially accepted the proposed transfer based on the belief that it would provide cost-saving benefits to the university and that BCP would benefit from its association with the distinguished legacy of Howard University Press.”

Coates said that since the announcement of the agreement, “the university’s representatives have not provided the assistance or communication necessary to complete the transfer. Further, they have not signed or returned the agreement formalizing the transfer that their attorneys negotiated with BCP. Despite their attempts to finalize the agreement, BCP’s representatives have been frustrated by the university’s silence.”

Attempts by PW to contact Howard University provost James H. Wyche have not been successful. Coates told PWthat, “All inquiries about Howard University Press and titles it previously published should be directed to Howard University.”

BCP was able to acquire the title How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney, Coates said, originally published by HUP in 1981. The title continues to be one of the press’ best known and best selling titles. It was part of the transfer deal but BCP was able to acquire the title from the Rodney estate, which had retrieved the rights before the closure of HUP. BCP’s new edition of the book will be published this month.

Coates said that the during negotiations for the HUP titles, he had emphasized to university officials, “that a successful integration of Howard University Press into Black Classic Press depended on responsive communication and cooperation. In absence of either, it is best to make known to all interested parties that Black Classic Press is not a partner with Howard University in any agreement to acquire Howard University Press.”

2011-10-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Mogul
Author: Terrance Dean
Publisher: Atria

Is he? Is she? Rumors and innuendos of a gay or lesbian lifestyle have plagued many Hollywood actors and actresses for decades. Underground acceptance of homosexuality helped form secret, exclusive gay communities in Hollywood in the 1930's and through to the 1950's. However, a few names would slip past the guard of secrecy. Rock Hudson. Tab Hunter. Talluelah Bankhead. Marlene Dietrich. Rudolph Valentino. Some famous actors and actresses, although privately living as gay or lesbian, slipped a little of their homosexuality into their work such as Marlene Dietrich who is famous for dressing in a tux and top hat or Valentino, whose on screen wardrobe was attacked in the media for appearing "pansy-like," or Katherine Hepburn whom wore tailored pants and a fitted shirt in most of her movies until the 1950's when her sexuality was put on front street and she found a 'beard' in Spencer Tracy, who was rumored to be bisexual.

Yet, there was a steep price to pay for being outed as gay/lesbian in Hollywood. More than likely it could mean the end of veteran career or a promising one. Or it could mean marriages of conveniences and the constant feeling of dread; waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop. Movie studios and executives could lose public interest, experience public outrage and revenues and profits would be affected. The bottom line, money, would be threatened.

Fast forward ninety plus years to the world of Hip Hop. A genre of music that is hyper-male, Hip Hop in this day and age share many similarities to Old Hollywood. Hip Hop is respected the world over with millions of fans crossing racial, cultural, and religious divides. Hip Hop generates billions upon billions of dollars for music industry distributors and executives. Hip Hop is driven by a male majority that write and rap lyrics that relegate women to 'females' and money hungry sex objects, flaunt and symbolize metaphorically male sexuality, and sensationalizes materialism and violence.

In the world of Hip Hop, there is no apparent place for homosexuals but on the receiving end of lyrics that are violent and hate-filled. There isn't a male Hip Hop artist on the top of charts today that will admit that he is gay. However, like Old Hollywood, we know they exist! Terrance Dean, author of HIDING IN HIP HOP, pulled the curtain from behind scenes to shed light on gays in the music industry. With his latest book, MOGUL-A NOVEL, Terrance introduces readers to Aaron Tremble, aka Big A.T., an aspiring Hip Hop artist and producer who wants to seek his fortune and place in the world of Hip Hop.

On his ride to the top, Big A.T. learns how to keep his sexual predilections to himself and a select few, while engaging in a very public relationship with his girlfriend, Jasmine. As Big A.T. ascends the ladder of fame and notoriety in the Hip Hop world, he also finds himself caught in a net that draws him deeper and deeper into the down-low world of Hip Hop and the music industry. Once reaching the top of the charts and Hip Hop, Big A.T. discovers the emotional turmoil that comes with being famous, powerful, and in the closet. So he tries to keep his double life a secret until a tragedy, a nosy blogger, and a scorned lover create the perfect storm of revelation.

MOGUL keeps readers guessing with each page. A few of the characters in MOGUL mirror real life Hip Hop stars and that is what makes reading it so much fun! Once the reader finishes MOGUL, an intensive scouring of All Hip Hop, Global Grind, and Mediatakeout.com is recommended! You'll be surprised at what you uncover.

2011-10-28T16:53:00.001-07:00

Title:
One Day It'll All Make Sense

Author:
Common w/ Adam Bradley

Many Americans who had never heard of Hip Hop artist and actor Common before this past spring, received a pretty unsettling portrait.

The perception painted for America of Common, courtesy of FOX News' Bill O'Reilly and Sarah Palin, was that of a violent militant radical rapper. Left wing pundits and ill-informed journalists paid to smear President Obama, found the perfect vehicle when the White House invited Common to participate in a poetry reading.

Deliberately misconstruing an entire line or two of one of Common's songs, turned a beloved "conscious" Hip Hop artist into cable news outlets villian of the year.

But those who know and love Common's music were not fooled. Outraged is more like it. How could a Hip Hop artist as positive and progressive as Common be slandered as a "cop killer lover," a "vile rapper that incites violence against women," and a potential threat to George W. Bush? While "Daily Show" host John Stewart boldly defended Common, Common himself remained silent. Why? Simple. If one listened to any of Common's eight albums, it would be fair to assume that what was publicized about him was totally out of character and not an accurate depiction of who the man is. And there is something else.

Unbeknown to most, Common was putting the finishing details on his autobiography, ONE DAY IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE. Called "a magnificent memoir" by Maya Angelou, ONE DAY IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE is an autobiography with a twist. Common's mother, Dr. Mahalia Ann Hines, chimes in with important facts and details about her life and that of her only child, Lonnie Rashid Lynn. She is very frank and does not hold back her personal feelings about different milestone periods of Common's professional, private and romantic life. As a single mother, Dr. Hines was very well aware of the dangers of the streets that could swallow her young son. Always being present in Rashid's daily life and providing much needed structure and guidance aided Dr. Hines in successfully raising her son on her own until her second marriage brought a step-father into Rashid's world during the pre-teen years.

ONE DAY IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE begins at the end of an unhappy marriage between Common's parents. Dr. Mahalia Hines becomes a single parent responsible for raising a young boy in the middle class neighborhoods of the South Side of Chicago. She does so through consistent discipline and love. It is through this educated, no nonsense African American mother and the foundation that she created that Rashid thrives and becomes the man she always hoped him to be.

From his very first days of discovering Hip Hop, the ups and downs of being an artist, the perils of falling completely and totally in love, fatherhood, and reconciliation with his own father, Common paints an emotionally charged portrait of a man who had a dream and didn't let anyone or anything get in his way of making that dream come true. Sometimes, the obstacles that were in front him were self-made, but determination and faith propelled Common beyond his dreams. Today, you can find Common on vinyl, cd, mp3, video and now the movie screen. The JUST WRIGHT star is enjoying a promising career as an actor having already shared the silver screen with Denzel Washington and Queen Latifah.

ONE DAY IT'LL ALL MAKE SENSE is a fascinating memoir into the life of Common and gives readers an insightful and profound blueprint of what exactly makes Common tick and builds an authentic appreciation of the complexities that make up Rashid, the man.

BOOK SALES UP IN THE MONTH OF APRIL

2011-06-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Bookstore sales rose 1.8% in April, to $887 million, according to preliminary estimates released Tuesday morning by the U.S. Census Bureau. Boosted by a major revision in March sales which changed a 5.8% decline to a 1.1% increase, bookstore sales for the first four months of 2011 were up 0.2%, to $4.98 billion. Sales include the going-out-of business sales conducted by Borders during the spring.

For the entire retail segment, April sales rose 7.4%, to $389 million, and sales in the first four months of the year were ahead 8.0%.

Black Classic Press Acquires Howard University Press

2011-06-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

After 39 years of distinguished scholarly publishing focused on African-American life and history around the world, the Howard University Press is closing its doors. The university has reached an agreement with Baltimore-based Black Classic Press, an African-American independent press and print-on-demand vendor, to acquire a selection of the press’s backlist of more than 175 scholarly titles with plans to reissue most of them in new editions under BCP’s new line of Howard University Classic Editions.

W. Paul Coates, president of Black Classic Press, is a former Howard University librarian and a former street book vendor who began his publishing career selling books on the streets in front of Cramton Auditorium on the Howard campus. “It’s humbling to have the opportunity to extend the awesome legacy of the books created by Howard University Press because, for decades, Howard was the ‘gold standard’ that advanced Black publishing beyond the realms of any other press,” Coates said.

Howard University provost and chief academic officer Dr. James H. Wyche, said the closing of the press is “related partly to the significant changes that have transformed the publishing business,” and said, “after nearly four decades of unparalleled service to the scholarly publishing field, we have made a difficult decision.” But he also said, “This is a win-win proposition for Howard, HUP, Black Classic, and the many scholars, faculty, and students around the world who have benefited from the insightful and much-needed scholarship published by Howard’s scholarly press over the years.”

In a phone interview with Coates he outlined big plans for Howard University Classic Editions and said he plans to “immediately incorporate the titles into Black Classic Press’s digital database.” BCP will acquire about 84 of HUP's 175 backlist titles. John Hopkins University Press will continue to distribute HUP Classic Editions and the press will begin rejacketing about 6 titles a month in preparation for uploading them into the Black Classic Press’s POD database for reprinting. BCP is short-run and print-on-demand publishing house that specializes in reprinting classic works of African-American literature and keeping them in print. Coates said he expected to upload “the best selling titles first. We’ll eliminate on-hand titles through sales and remaindering.”

Founded in 1972 under the director of Charles Harris, at the time a former editor at Random House, the Howard University Press published about 12 titles annually during its best years. Among the press’s best known and best selling titles are Walter Rodney’s 1981 How Europe Underdeveloped Africa; and Dr. Joseph Harris’s 1993 seminal work, Global Dimensions of the African Diaspora.

HUP Press also sponsored the HUP Book Publishing Institute, an annual summer workshop that specialized in training African Americans, other minorities and women for careers in magazine and book publishing. Coates plans to revive the work of the publishing institute through an intern program at Black Classic Press.

“There will be an opportunity for Howard University students to intern at BCP to provide experience in print and an increasingly digital world. Students can grow as we grow in this sector,” Coates said. Coates also intends to extend the HUP’s publishing legacy by continuing to publish scholarly works by Howard’s and other faculty, particularly in the field of black/African studies as well as works on Africa and on African diasporan life in Latin America, the Carribean and elsewhere. “The acquisition will strengthen the BCP list in those areas and make BCP visible to everyone as a place to submit manuscripts,” he said.

Noting a long association with Howard University that dates to the 1970s, Coates said his acquisition of the list is the culmination of a dream to become a publisher that began on the campus of Howard University when he used to go to Founder’s Library to warm up on cold days when he was a street book vendor. “My whole idea to be a publisher began at Founder’s Library,” he said, “that’s where the idea that I would develop a press and be a publisher began. This is a unique opportunity. HUP is the only black academic press to turn its titles over to an independent black publisher and we will work to maintain an important black legacy. “

***From Publishers Weekly***

Borders Granted Extension

2011-06-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

Over the objections of the Creditors Committee, the most contentious issue since the start of the Borders bankruptcy on February 16 was resolved in Borders favor Thursday, with the retailer being given an additional 120 days beyond its original June 16 deadline to file and solicit acceptances for a Chapter 11 plan. In ruling against the committee, Judge Martin Glenn noted that he will file a decision with the order later today or tomorrow.

The hearing was conducted against the backdrop that named the California-based Gores Group as the private equity firm that is interested in acquiring approximately 200 of Borders’s stores for a price the Wall Street Journal said was about $200 million. The Gores Group is described as specializing in investing in distressed properties. Borders attorney Andrew Glenn complained about the Gores offer becoming public. “We’re getting a lot of negative press when anything happens. One of the buyers met with the Creditors Committee and then we see there are news stories in the Wall Street Journal,” he said. Later he stated, “We’re getting slaughtered in the press.” In terms of the sale process, Glenn said that it has become “significantly more robust” and that Borders intends to pursue it vigorously in order to maximize the estate. At this point, he indicated, there are multiple buyers for the retailer, and Borders could file a plan for selling the company in the next two to four weeks, although he did not indicate if there were buyers for the entire company. He added that Borders is still working on drafting a standalone reorganization plan.

Committee attorney Bruce Buechler spoke out and said that the committee was not the source of the leak for this morning’s story about the Gores Group offer.

In making its case for the extension, Buechler said, “[the committee] is not looking to hijack the process. We want to see it come to fruition in the next couple weeks.” He also noted that any potential buyers who have directly approached the committee about Borders were directed to Borders’s financial advisors. To the judge’s question of whether the creditors want Borders to file a plan, Buechler responded, “There’s been a concern from before this case was filed about Mr. {Bennett] LeBow that a plan will be forced on the committee.”

In considering the other motions before the court, Judge Glenn compared the largely blacked out objection by Seattle’s Best Coffee to the rejection of its master lease for Borders’s cafes as going “beyond the pale. I’ve never seen anybody redact their argument about case law,” he said. “This is not Kafka’s The Trial.” Seattle’s Best agreed to making the majority of its motion public and will work with Borders’ attorneys on a revised order acceptable to both parties.

Not every docket item was resolved. An evidentiary hearing is set for June 13 to consider Borders’ motion to assign its lease at Camino Real to TJX subsidiary Homegoods. Among the points of contention are: the cure amounts (a $1,000 water bill and a $26,000 property tax bill) and use and tenant mix at the shopping center.

***From Publishers Weekly***

Legendary Poet, Musician, Activist Gil Scott-Heron Memorial Service Held In Harlem; Kanye West Among Those Who Paid Tribute

2011-06-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

Kanye West was among those who paid respect to spoken word artist and "bluesologist" Gil Scott-Heron, who passed away at age 62 last week, at a memorial service in Harlem's Riverside Church Thursday (June 2).

The service, which was open to the public, closed with West performing an Auto-Tuned yet emotional rendition of of "Lost In The World" -- the song from his latest album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," and one that samples Scott-Heron's well-known poem, "Who Will Survive in America?"

In addition to West, a trio of Scott-Heron's longtime backing musicians gave a spirited performance of the artist's songs "Better Days Ahead" and "The Bottle," while the audience clapped along.

Also in attendance at the service were Grammy-winning producer Malcolm Cecil, Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets, Scott-Heron's wife of 10 years Brenda Sykes, daughter Gia-Scott Heron and assorted family and friends. Scott-Heron's eulogy was read by Sykes, who shared her intimate story of meeting Scott-Heron: the couple was introduced by basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was apparently a friend and high school rival of Scott-Heron's.

Also a poet, Scott-Heron's daughter Gia read an inspired piece of prose she'd written for her father called "Time" and sang a stirring rendition of "The Rose" by Amanda McBroom, popularized by Bette Midler. Gia Scott-Heron described her father as "a man who kept it realer than life."

***From Billboard Magazine***

2011-05-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

Title: ALLURE OF THE GAME
Author: Danielle Santiago

Kisa "Kane" Montega and her cousin Kennedy Sanchez are back! ALLURE OF THE GAME is the third installment in a urban lit trilogy centered around a female drug cartel empire. Both Kisa and Kennedy have given up the treacherous world of the drug/crime game and are trying to live the life they have always dreamed of. Of course, other forces have a different plan for the women.

Kisa finds herself happily married with children to the love of her life, Sincere, when the streets of Harlem call her home. ALLURE OF THE GAME introduces readers to Arnessa, a young woman on the grind with fierce ambition to make the streets her own. But when an overly ambitious drug lord and his psychotic girlfriend set their sights on destroying Arnessa and threatens the life of her younger sister, Cenise, only one person has the fortitude of the criminal underworld to bring about street justice: Kisa.

ALLURE OF THE GAME gives fans of the series more of what they have come to expect from author Danielle Santiago. The novel is full of plot twists and turns and takes the characters on a suspense filled narrative of street violence, kidnapping, and retatilation all in the name of street supremacy and rep in the drug game. ALLURE OF THE GAME falls short in that with the introduction of Arnessa as an on the come-up drug queen pen in training, as the novel progresses, Arnessa's character loses her fire and steel. Love makes her soft. With the exception of several scenes involving her sister, Cenise, Arnessa becomes this helpless, damsel in distress. That was disconcerting because the character of Arnessa was highly likable and could have been a contender to take the game to the next level. By the end of the novel, Arnessa is just a sniveling after-thought. Another sore point about ALLURE OF THE GAME is that the conclusion of the story appears to be forced along rather quickly and the wrap up felt incomplete.

Danielle Santiago is the ESSENCE bestselling author of LITTLE GHETTO GIRL and GRINDIN'.

2011-05-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

Title: EGYPT: A SHORT HISTORY
Author: Robert L. Tignor

There are literally thousands of volumes of information about Egypt. A unique country that sits stoically within the continent where the cradle of human civilization began, Egypt has fascinated commoner and scholar alike for hundreds of years. The land of the Sphinx and Khufu's pyramids, Egypt is the quintessential testament to the will of man and the will of nature. Nestled in the desert right off the shores of the Nile River, Egypt has a rich ancient and present day history.

Respected Princeton University historian and professor Robert L. Tignor has crafted the entire history of Egypt into an informative and intellectual study. Dr. Tignor introduces novice historians, tourists and enthusiasts to the ever changing culture and religions that once florished, and exists in the 21st century. From the great age of the Pharoahs, to the Greek and Roman occupation of Egypt, the rise of Christianity and Islam, Napoleon's invasion and Egypt's absortion into the British Empire, EGYPT: A SHORT HISTORY makes history plain and concise.

Robert L. Tignor is the Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Princeton University. He is the author of several books on Egyptian history including CAPITALISM AND NATIONALISM AT THE END OF THE EMPIRE, THE COLONIAL TRANSFORMATION OF KENYA, and COLONIALISM: A THEORETICAL OVERVIEW.

2011-05-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

Title: MALCOLM X: A LIFE OF REINVENTION
Author: Manning Marable

When his would-be assassins plotted his murder, their intent was to permanently silence Malcolm X.These killers wanted to silence Malcolm from speaking his truth. And that truth, unfortunately made the followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammed and the entire Nation of Islam very uncomfortable. In order to prevent further public humiliation which would in turn disrupt the active recruitment of potential members, Malcolm had to be silenced. On February 21, 1965, the murder plot was carried out. Was it successful? Some would say, "Yes." Malcolm X died on that cold day in February. Malcolm X did die. But his voice lived on. From February, 1965 to the year 2011, Malcolm's voice still resonates. It resonates across the decades and across generations. Malcolm's thoughts and ideology has yet to be silenced.

There have been many biographies written about the life of Malcolm X. Some were written by scholars and historians Others were written by close friends and associates of Malcolm. The most definitive body of work about Malcolm X comes from THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X as told to Alex Haley. Anyone who claims to be an authority on Malcolm or want to know more about this African American icon recognizes that THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X is the best resource because it holds a wealth of information that exclusively comes from Malcolm himself.

However, Dr. Manning Marable, Columbia University African American Studies Professor and one of the most widely read and influential scholars in America on African American history, has created a comprehensive biography of Malcolm X that should be regarded as a must read for the Malcolm X student upon completion of THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X. A LIFE OF REINVENTION: MALCOLM X was twenty years in the making and is the result of Dr. Marables' painstaking research through hundreds of correspondence, government documents and private files from the Nation of Islam that were released by Minister Louis Farrakhan. Dr. Marable gives a thoroughly detailed sketch of Malcolm's childhood, the Little family's involvement with Marcus Garvey, the death of Malcolm's father at the hands of the KKK, and the subsequent mental breakdown of Malcolm's mother.

MALCOLM X: A LIFE OF REINVENTION dashes the perception that Malcolm created of being a seasoned criminal. Evidence proves the absolute opposite. For whatever reason, the Nation of Islam and Malcolm felt it necessary to embellish key events in his life. Probably to make Malcolm and the message he carried more appealing to the many potential jail house converts who would read the biography. Dr. Marable, at length, pulls the curtains back on Malcolm's life in the Nation of Islam after his conversion, Malcolm's marriage to Betty Shabazz, Malcolm's dissatisfaction with his 'silencing' after making a provocative statement regarding the assassination of President Kennedy, and the subsequent decision to leave the Nation of Islam.

Dr. Manning Marable created an extraordinary comprehensive biography of Malcolm X. A body of work that he was most certainly proud of. Dr. Marable wouldn't live to see the release of MALCOLM X: A LIFE OF REINVENTION. Dr. Manning died on April 1, 2011 at the age of 60, from the complications of lung disease. Dr. Marable is the founder of the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University. Dr. Marable is the author of LET NOBODY TURNS US AROUND, BEYOND BLACK AND WHITE, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MEDGAR EVERS, and RACE, REFORM AND REBELLION.

2011-05-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

Title: THE DEAL, THE DANCE, AND THE DEVIL

Author: Victoria Christopher Murray

Here's the scenario: Big time executive husband loses his job due to the downward spiral of the economy. Wife working tooth and nail to support a household on a salary that just doesn't cut it. An affluent lifestyle in jeopardy of some serious unwanted down-sizing. Utilities, car payments, mortgage, cable, private schools and the much needed cell phone, all the things that keep a suburban family running is about to crash like Wall Street, circa 2009.

Then enters a suspicious benefactor waving a check for five million dollars. That's five million dollars and a iron-clad proposition. What can five million dollars do? The question really is: What can't five million dollars do? Smelling like temptation of biblical proportions, Adam and Evia Langston are faced with the challenge of a lifetime. With the bottom of their lives threatening to fall completely out from underneath them, Adam and Evia must decide whether to take the five million and swim, or refuse it and sink into financial ruin. What would you do?

Victoria Christopher Murray is a powerful story-teller. Tapping into the pulse of what many Americans are experiencing, Murray breathes life into Adam and Evia, making them real and relevant. Knowing the human psyche and the ultimate spiritual struggle between the forces of good and evil, Victoria Christopher Murray weaves a compelling story that rips the facade from suburbia and reveals the true story of how many Americans are living beyond their means and forced to make decisions that offer only temporary solutions...but comes at a spiritual and moral cost. Murray, the author of ten plus novels, has excelled beyond anything else she has written and with THE DEAL, THE DANCE, AND THE DEVIL, has raised the bar for herself and others in the genre of Christian fiction and African American fiction.

THE DEAL, THE DANCE, AND THE DEVIL is the new release by Victoria Christopher Murray. Murray is an ESSENCE Bestselling author, a NAACP Image Award nominee and has won six African American Literary Awards for best novel. Murray is the author of TEMPTATION, JOY, GROWN FOLKS BUSINESS, THE EX FILES, THE JASMINE LAWSON SERIES, and THE DIVINE DIVAS SERIES, Christian fiction for teens.

2011-05-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Title: DANGEROUS PLEASURES

Author: Fiona Zedde

Can a book be any more deliciously sinful than DANGEROUS PLEASURES? The seventh release in a successful journey through the sometimes forbidden, always sexy erotic musings of author Fiona Zedde, DANGEROUS PLEASURES takes us into the world of best friends Renee Matthews and Mayson Ellis. On the heels of a painful divorce, Renee has decided that relationships are over-rated. So instead of forging ahead into another dead-end romance, Renee decides to have a little bit of care-free, guilt-free, fun. Sex with no strings attached. Renee's best friend, Mayson, a lesbian with her own relationship dilemmas and drama, is not so sure that Renee's new hobby is a good one. In fact, Mayson believes that it could be down right dangerous.

DANGEROUS PLEASURES is well-written and features an ensemble of characters that add a wealth of dimension to the plot and drives the story to a surprising climax and conclusion.

Fiona Zedde is also the author of BLISS, HUNGRY FOR IT, A TASTE OF HONEY, EVERY DARK DESIRE, and SATISFY ME.

Book Review: "The Supremes: A Saga of Motown Dreams, Success, and Betrayal" by Mark Ribowsky

2009-07-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

Book Title: "The Supremes: A Saga of Motown Dreams, Success, and Betrayal"

Author: Mark Ribowsky

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Immortalized on stage, screen, in songs and numerous books, reincarnated through every girl group since the 1960's, Florence Ballard, Diane Ross, and Mary Wilson are collectively known as the trailblazing, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Supremes. No other group before or after these women did more for popular music and R & B then The Supremes. The Supremes saved American popular music after the British invasion, aka, The Beatles, stomped the charts. "Where Did Our Love Go?" reached the number one spot the week of August 22, 1964, and from that point to late 1969, The Supremes ruled like the princesses they were. But as every fable would have it, dreams come at a hefty price. The Supremes would change members before success hit, and would change members again to further the career of one important group member. The Supremes began as a group of young teen-aged girls from Detroit's Brewster Projects, chasing a dream of fame, success, money. Eventually, the group would become the catalyst to propel Diana Ross into legendary superstardom, and the crushing mechanism that would ultimately destroy Florence Ballard. Author Mark Ribowsky does a remarkable job in researching the Motown story from all angles. Ribowsky took the time to interview Eddie Holland of the famed producer/writer/composers Holland-Dozier-Holland, Martha Reeves, Vandellas' Annette Beard, Miracles' Claudette Rogers, The Temptations' Otis Williams, and Motown talent manager Shelley Berger, which allows for a full-bodied expose' into the Motown machine. However, some of Mark Ribowsky's accounts are actually recycled from Mary Wilson's "DreamGirl," Diana Ross' "Secrets of a Sparrow," and Berry Gordy's "To Be Loved." If one is a Motown enthusiast, these books have already been thoroughly dissected and shelved; with Ribowsky's regurgitating of previously documented material a source of frustration, as if digging through a barren gold mine. But, "The Supremes" does offer some fascinating insider tidbits on the ousting of Florence Ballard, Berry Gordy's obsession with Diana Ross and Motown's secretive financial practices. As an overall collection, "The Supremes" offers those who are new to Motown musical history a well-crafted and informative volume of facts and critcism that is written with both clarity and care. For fans of the most popular, best-selling female group of all time, "The Supremes" is a definite must have to sit beside other Motown collectibles and literature.

Book Review: "No More Tomorrows" by Rodney Lofton

2009-07-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

Book Title: " No More Tomorrows"

Author: Rodney Lofton

Publisher: Strebor Books International

Here's a question: How deep is love? Can it be measured in weight or time? Would you enter a romantic relationship knowing that the other person was terminally ill? If the love you've been forever searching for is wrapped within an individual with a positive HIV status, would you walk away, or embark on a life-changing journey? These challenging queries are addressed in Rodney Lofton's "No More Tomorrows." Lofton creates two unforgettable characters, Mark and Kevin, who discover the power of unconditional love, and in the process, learn that love has no limits. Mark is HIV positive and carries a lifetime of heartbreak and disappointments on his fragile shoulders when he meets the man of his dreams, or "the King of my dreams" at a party. Kevin, not exactly looking for love, but yearning to settle down, falls for Kevin but is hesitant to embark on a relationship out of fear. "No More Tomorrows" takes the reader on a seductive rollercoaster ride of emotions and intense, realistic conversations that emphasize the importance of loving in the moment, regardless of what the future might bring. A love story that is rarely told on the printed page, immortalized Mark and Kevin are the true to life representation of thousands of Gay couples living with HIV/AIDS and the love and dedication that these share. In Mark, the richness and sensitivity that Rodney Lofton breathes into this character living life despite a HIV positive status, is superbly written with warmth, coupled with tremendous insight. "No More Tomorrows" gives the cliche, 'it is better to have loved and lost, then to never loved at all' a superlative meaning. Rodney Lofton has given a voice to not only couples living with HIV/AIDS, but to all couples who face the world together despite the odds that may be stacked against them.

Book Review: "Where Did You Sleep Last Night? A Personal History" by Danzy Senna

2009-07-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

Book Title: "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" A Personal History

Author: Danzy Senna

Publisher: Farrar, Straus And Giroux

When it comes to memoirs or biographical sketches of an author's life or family, sometimes a reader is able to empathize, sympathize, or more importantly, draw intelligent conclusions about the author. In "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" by Danzy Senna, the connection between reader and author is sometimes lost because the message is muddled at best. Senna, the product of an interracial marriage, takes the reader on an uncomfortable journey into the strained relationship of her parents, both artistic and socially conscious. Danzy Senna tries to analyze her parents' failed marriage as it relates to her which takes away from the overall read. What happens is that the author's analysis about her parent's relationship illicits questions that only those two can properly respond to. Not Senna. So there forms a tunnel-like chasm that makes the foundation of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" shaky.

However, where Danzy Senna excels is in the way that she expands on her dysfunctional relationship with her father, writer and activist, Carl Senna. The real heart of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" is the inner struggles of this fractured African American man trying to find his place in America. A deeply moving and intriguing portrait is painted that evokes a tremendous pain shared by quite a few of African American men of his generation. Danzy Senna digs into her father's past, hoping to find clues at to why her relationship with her father is virtually non-existent. Carl Senna's story in and of itself is definitely a bases for another book.

"Where Did You Sleep Last Night," however, did not give readers the insight that certain reviews claimed. The book barely touched the subject of biracial children and how they fare in a world in which the lines are race are clearly drawn. In that aspect, Danzy Senna attempted to dive into the subject matter, yet came up short.

Book Review: "Chaser" by Maisha

2009-07-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

Book Title: "Chaser"

Author: Miasha

Publisher: Touchstone

Release Date: July 7, 2009

Miasha's sixth release of realistic urban tales, "Chaser," is a definite pleaser. If you are familiar with Miasha and her five previous novels; "Never Enough," "Sistah For Sale," "Mommy's Angel," and "Secret Society," then you already know what's in store.

If this will be your first time entering the world of Miasha, be warned: it won't be your last! "Chaser" introduces us to Leah. Leah is young, beautiful, and in love with Mr. Wrong. Knowing that the relationship is toxic and dangerous hasn't stopped Leah from enjoying her Tudor mansion, designer clothes or expensive cars. She is oblivious to the double-dealings of her criminal boyfriend, Kenny, and discovers the hard way the price she'll have to pay for living with her eyes wide shut.

Along the way, Leah crosses paths with the positive energy of Kenny's friend, Nasir. Nasir has left the reckless streets behind to work for his father auto repair shop. Leah and Nasir confront their feelings for one another and the danger that they face for loving each other on the low. They both are well aware of what Kenny might do to...and does, when the truth is revealed.

"Chaser" flows effortlessly and easy a quick read because it is on fire! A real page turner! Miasha writes with energy and infuses her characters with a healthy touch of realism that draws the reader into a world that they may not have known anything about. Not written in the traditional street lit fashion, "Chaser" is urban with a touch of class.

Book Review: "Kiss The Sky" by Farai Chideya

2009-07-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

Book Title: Kiss The Sky

Author: Farai Chideya

Publisher: Atria / Simon & Schuster

Former NPR host and award-winning journalist Farai Chideya debuts her journey into the world of fiction with the newly released "Kiss The Sky." An interesting glance at the alternative rocker scene set right before the tragedy of 9/11 New York, Chideya introduces the talented, but conflicted heroine of her tale, Sophia Lee, an MTV-like veejay with aspirations of something larger than life for herself.

Upon being fired from her day job, Sophia dives full-force into restoring her music career. Putting the mildly popular underground alternative band back together presents problems mainly due to the strung out antics of guitarist and ex-husband, Ari. The music pulls these two former lovers into a tornado mix of overdoses, unfinished business, enabling and heartbreak.

To make things even more complicated for Sophia, wanna be music mogul, Leo, a Blair Underwood look alike with smooth, dazzling moves and questionable motives, worms himself into her life and then the story jumps off the page.

"Kiss The Sky" is a pretty good read. There are a few moments in the book where the secondary characters provide the flow and interest that drives the plot in places where Sophia is supposed to carry the story and fails to. The heroine at times tends to be shallow, lacking confidence, fraught with self-esteem issues and without common sense which does not mean that these attributes in a character is not a good thing.

What this means, though, is that the character of Sophia is a contradicting one which makes the ending of "Kiss The Sky" confusing. There is no obvious growth in the character and the resolution is not at all comparable to the climax.

Book Review: "HollyHood" by Valerie Joyner

2009-05-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

Title: Hollyhood

Author: Valerie Joyner

Publisher: Avon

Okay. Now here is a story that about Hollywood that simply reeks authentic! "Hollyhood" by Valerie Joyner, former writer and producer for such television hits as "In Living Color," "The Wayans Bros.," and "The Jamie Foxx Show," gives readers a tasty inside look at what it is like to be African American and ambitious enough to make it to the top of Hollywood.

"Hollyhood" is well-written and realistic. Tyrone Hart is the creator and executive producer of a hit television show centered around African Americans. Tyrone Hart has everything that he has ever dreamed of at his finger tips. But of course, in "Hollyhood" or Hollywood, dreams have a very short shelf life.

"Hollyhood" has terrific characters that are intelligently brought to life and are multi-layered so respectfully that the reader becomes invested. Valerie Joyner's debut should be applauded!

Book Review: "Ritz Harper Goes To Hollywood" by Wendy Williams

2009-05-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Title: Ritz Harper Goes To Hollywood

Author: Wendy Williams

Publisher: Karen Hunter Publishing

The Queen of Radio, super diva Wendy Williams is back with the third installment in the Ritz Harper series, "Ritz Harper Goes To Hollywood."

The heroine of this novel, Ritz Harper, continues her exploits as the alter-ego of Wendy Williams, and plans to expand her shock-jock radio kingdom onto the small screen. The mess that follows is in true Ritz Harper fashion. So much so that the novel becomes predictable and boring.

There is nothing new or titillating in "Ritz Harper Goes To Hollywood". The plot has been explored and exploited hundreds of times over and it shows a huge lack of imagination on Wendy Williams part. This book is lacking on so many levels. It has this thrown together haphazardly feel to it. There is nothing special or specific to enjoy about this latest Ritz Harper read and in fact it is quite disappointing and predictable.

Wendy Williams, what your readers want is what all readers want: a chance to escape inside a fictitious world where the unthinkable and imaginative collide. Perhaps in the future, Ms. Williams, time and some serious thought should go into the way you craft your heroine and your story. Take a class!

The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio

2009-02-24T16:18:00.000-08:00

Book Title: "Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line"

Author: Martha A. Sandweiss

Publisher: The Penguin Group

Clarence King had it all. Born into a privileged existence to a prominent Newport family, Clarence King moved through the Gilded Age and affluent society beloved and respected by all. King had an illustrious career envied by all who knew him. King was a brilliant scientist, bestselling author, and architect and geologist. Clarence King sat with U.S. presidents and other dignitaries of his time. But there was something that even those within King's most intimate circle didn't know until his death.

Clarence King was also James Todd, married to an African American woman named Ada Copeland. King lived that part of his life as a African American man. Together, they raised a family. Ada Copeland was also in the dark about her husband. She believed him to be African American. James Todd's long absences was attributed to his "job" as a Pullman porter when Clarence King's world called.

Living at a time when American society would not have accepted his romantic entanglement, Clarence King decided to dwell within two completely different worlds. How he was able to do so and keep his sanity is thoroughly researched and documented plainly in "Passing Strange." Martha A. Sandweiss' scholarship examines American racism and its' pervasive attitudes that forced Clarence King to keep his wife and five children a secret.

"Passing Strange" is a richly rewarding read that confronts a painful chapter in America's not so distant past.

Martha A Sandweiss will appear on The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio, Wednesday, February 25, 2009 @ 9pm.

www.blogtalkradio.com/Tracey-Ricks-Foster

Do You Know Your Black History?

2009-02-16T23:07:00.000-08:00

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955), an African American teacher, was one of the great educators of the United States. She was a leader of women, a distinguished adviser to several American presidents, and a powerful champion of racial equality.

Mary McLeod was born in Mayesville, S.C. Her parents, Samuel and Patsy McLeod, were former slaves; Mary was the fifteenth of 17 children. She helped her parents on the family farm and first entered a Presbyterian mission school when she was 11 years old. Later she attended Scotia Seminary, a school for African American girls in Concord, N.C., on a scholarship. She graduated in 1893; there she had met some of the people with whom she would work closely.

Though she had a serious turn of mind, it did not prevent her from being a lively dancer and developing a lasting fondness for music. Dynamic and alert, she was very popular and the acknowledged leader of her classmates. After graduating from Scotia Seminary, she attended the Moody Bible Institute.

After graduation from Moody Institute, she wished to become a missionary in Africa; however, she was unable to pursue this end. She was an instructor at the Presbyterian Mission School in Mayesville in 1896 and later an instructor at Haines Institute in Augusta, Ga., in 1896-1897. While she was an instructor at Kindell Institute in Sumpter, S.C., in 1897-1898, she met Albertus Bethune, whom she later married.

Bethune began her career as an educator in earnest when she rented a two-story frame building in Daytona Beach, Fla., and began the difficult task of establishing a school for African American girls. Her school opened in October 1904, with six pupils, five girls and her own son; there was no equipment; crates were used for desks and charcoal took the place of pencils; and ink came from crushed elderberries. Thus began the Daytona Literary and Industrial School for Training Negro Girls, in an era when most African American children received little or no education.

At first Bethune was teacher, administrator, comptroller, and custodian. Later she was able to secure a staff, many of whom worked loyally for many years. To finance and expand the school, Bethune and her pupils baked pies and made ice cream to sell to nearby construction gangs. In addition to her regular classes, Bethune organized classes for the children of turpentine workers. In these ways she satisfied her desire to serve as a missionary.

As the school at Daytona progressed, it became necessary to secure an adequate financial base. Bethune began to seek financial aid in earnest. In 1912 she interested James M. Gamble of the Proctor and Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, who contributed financially to the school and served as chairman of its board of trustees until his death.

In 1923 Bethune's school for girls merged with Cookman Institute of Jacksonville, Fla., a school for boys, and the new coeducational school became known as Bethune-Cookman Collegiate Institute, soon renamed Bethune-Cookman College. Bethune served as president of the college until her retirement as president emeritus in 1942. She remained a trustee of the college to the end of her life. By 1955 the college had a faculty of 100 and a student enrollment of over 1,000.

Bethune's business activities were confined to the Central Life Insurance Company of Tampa, Fla., of which she was president for several years; the Afro-American Life Insurance Company of Jacksonville, which she served as director; and the Bethune-Volusia Beach Corporation, a recreation area and housing development she founded in 1940. In addition, she wrote numerous magazine and newspaper articles and contributed chapters to several books. In 1932 she founded and organized the National Council of Negro Women and became its president; by 1955 this organization had a membership of 800,000.

Bethune gained national recognition in 1936, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed her director of African American affairs in the National Youth Administration and a special adviser on minority affairs. She served for 8 years and supervised the expansion of employment opportunities and recreational facilities for African American youth throughout the United States. She also served as special assistant to the secretary of war during World War II.

In the course of her government assignments she became a close friend of Eleanor Roosevelt. During her long career Bethune received many honorary degrees and awards, including the Haitian Medal of Honor and Merit (1949), the highest award of the Haitian government.

Bethune died in Daytona Beach on May 18, 1955, of a heart attack. She was buried on the campus of Bethune-Cookman College.

Do You Know Your Black History?

2009-02-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

IMHOTEP "FATHER OF MEDICINE" (2980 B.C.)Imhotep, called "God of Medicine," "Prince of Peace"

Imhotep was worshipped as a god and healer from approximately 2850 B.C. to 525 B.C., and as a full deity from 525 B.C. to 550 A.D. Even kings and queens bowed at his throne. Imhotep lived during the Third Dynasty at the court of King Zoser. Imhotep was a known scribe, chief lector, priest, architect, astronomer and magician (medicine and magic were used together.) For 3000 years he was worshipped as a god in Greece and Rome.

Imhotep was also a poet and philosopher. He urged contentment and preached cheerfulness. His proverbs contained a "philosophy of life." Imhotep coined the saying "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we shall die."

When the Egyptians crossed the Mediterranean, becoming the foundation of the Greek culture, Imhotep's teachings were absorbed there. Yet, as the Greeks were determined to assert that they were the originators of everything, Imhotep was forgotten for thousands of years and a legendary figure, Hippocrates, who came 2000 years after him became known as the Father of Medicine.

It is Imhotep says Sir William Osler, who was the real Father of Medicine. "The first figure of a physician to stand out clearly from the mists of antiquity." Imhotep diagnosed and treated over 200 diseases, 15 diseases of the abdomen, 11 of the bladder, 10 of the rectum, 29 of the eyes, and 18 of the skin, hair, nails and tongue. Imhotep treated tuberculosis, gallstones, appendicitis, gout and arthritis. He also performed surgery and practiced some denistry. Imhotep extracted medicine from plants. He also knew the position and function of the vital organs and circulation of the blood system. The Encyclopedia Britannica says, "The evidence afforded by Egyptian and Greek texts support the view that Imhotep's reputation was very respected in early times...His prestige increased with the lapse of centuries and his temples in Greek times were the centers of medical teachings."

Do You Know Your Black History?

2009-02-16T22:32:00.000-08:00

On September 9, 1972, Saturday morning cartoons received a jolt of Cosby magic. Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids premiered on this date and for twelve consecutive years, Fat Albert, Bill, Rudy, Russell, Mushmouth, Weird Harold Bucky, and Dumb Donald entertained African American children, but more importantly, taught them.

Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids was the genius of Bill Cosby. Main hero and conscious of the show, Fat Albert, was based on Cosby's best friend Albert Robertson. Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids was a hit because it catered to children who lived in urban areas and could relate to most of the topics that the show discussed. However, there is no doubt about the fact that Bill Cosby used the program as a broader vehicle to reach children of all races and social backgrounds.

Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids dealt with every day situations and conflicts that children faced. While entertaining and funny, Bill Cosby always made sure that there was a lesson to be learned by the end of the show. The Cosby Kids were also known as junkyard musicians who made great music thanks to Jazz Great Herbie Hancock.

Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids received an Emmy nomination in 1974 and holds the distinction of being one of the longest running Saturday morning cartoons in television history. By the end of its' twelve year run, Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids boasted 109 episodes and four specials.

Do You Know Your Black History?

2009-02-16T22:07:00.000-08:00

NEFERTARI
QUEEN OF KEMET (the land of the blacks) (1292-1225 B.C)

Her marriage to the great Rameses II of lower Ancient Egypt is known as one of the greatest royal love affair ever. This marriage also brought an end to the hundred year war between upper and lower ancient Kemet (Egypt), which in essence unified both sections into one great Kemet which was the world leading country. Monuments of this love affair still remains today in the temples that Rameses built for his wife at Abu Simbel.The immense structures known as the two temples of Abu Simbel are among the most magnificent monuments in the world. Built during the New Kingdom nearly 3,000 years ago, it was hewn from the mountain which contains it as an everlasting dedication to King Ramses and his wife Nefertari. Superb reliefs on the temple detail the Battle of Kadesh, and Ramses and Nefertari consorting with the deities and performing religous rituals. The rays of the sun still penetrate to the Holy of Holies in the rock of the main temple on the same two days of the year: the 20th of October and the 20th of Febuary. This timing is probably connected to the symbolic unification, via the rays of the sun, of the statue of Ra-Herakhty and the statue of Ramses II. Up to today these structures remains as the largest, most majestic structures ever built to honor a wife.

AALR Salutes Dr. John Henrik Clarke Pt.1

2009-02-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

Dr. John Henrik Clarke, in his own words. This is his autobigraphical obituary:

On January 1, 1915 when I was born in Union Springs, Alabama, little black Alabama boys were not fully licensed to imagine themselves as conduits of social and political change. I remember when I was about three years old, I fell off something. I do not know what it was but I remember Uncle Henry putting some water on my head and I really do think that instead of the "fall" knocking something out of me, it knocked something into me. In fact, they called me "bubba" and because I had the mind to do so, I decided to add the "e" to the family name "Clark" and change the spelling of "Henry" to "Henrik", after the Scandinavian rebel playwright, Henrik Ibsen. I liked his spunk and the social issues he addressed in "A Doll's House." I understood that my family was rich in love but would probably never own the land my father John dreamed of owning. My mother, Willie Ella Mays Clarke, was a washerwoman for poor white folks in the area of Columbus, Georgia where the writer Carson McCullers once lived. My mother would go to the houses of these "folks" and pick up her laundry bundles and pull them back home in a little red wagon, with me sitting on top. At the end of the week, she would collect her pay of about $3.00.

I am a Nationalist and a Pan-Africanist, first and foremost. I was well grounded in history before ever taking a history course. I did not spend much formal time in school - I had to work. I caddied for Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley long before they became Generals or President for that matter. Just between you and me, Bradley tipped better than Eisenhower did. When I was able to go to school in my early years, my third grade teacher, Ms. Harris, convinced me that one day I would be a writer. I heard her, but I knew that I had to leave Georgia, and unlike my friend Ray Charles, I did not go around with Georgia ON My Mind. Instead, my best friend Roscoe Chester use to sit with me spellbound, as I detailed the history of Timbuktu. I soon took a slow moving train out of Georgia because I did not want to end up like Richard (Dick) Wright's Black Boy. I came to New York, via Chicago and then I enlisted in the army and earned the rank of Master Sergeant.

Later, I selected Harlem as the laboratory where I would search for the true history of my people. I could not stomach the lies of world history, so I took some strategic steps in order to build a life of scholarship and activism in New York. I began to pave strong roads toward what I envisioned as a mighty walk where I would initiate, inspire and help found organizations to elevate my people. I am thinking specifically of The Harlem Writers Guild, Freedomways, Presence Africaine, African Heritage Studies Association, Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, National Council of Black Studies, Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations. I became an energetic participant in circles like Harlem Writer's Workshop, studied history and world literature at New York and Columbia Universities and at the League for Professional Writers. And, much like the Egyptians taught Plato and Socrates what they eventually knew, I was privileged to sit at the feet of great warriors like Arthur Schomburg, Willis Huggins, Charles Seiffert, William Leo Hansberry, John G. Jackson and Paul Robeson. Before I go any further, let me assure you that I always made attempts at structuring a holistic life. My three children are products of that reality. My oldest daughter who kind of grew up with me, became a warm and wonderful young woman. Unfortunately, she preceded me in her passage. Part of my life's mission has been to deliver a message of renewal, redemption and rededication for young people all over the world and I hope the walk has afforded me that claim.

When the European emerged in the world in the 15th and 16th centuries, for the second time, they not only colonized most of the world, they colonized information about the world, and they also colonized images, including the image of God, thereby putting us into a trap, for we are the only people who worship a God whose image we did not choose! I had to respond to this behavior. I could not live with this nonsense and contradictions and I challenged these insidious concepts and theories. While I have not finished my work and I remain worried about who will replace Dr. Ben and me, I am not displeased of my progress of 83 years. As we all would agree, the struggle is continuous. I have utilized several avenues: I wrote songs and while most of you are familiar with the Boy Who Painted Christ Black, I wrote some two hundred short stories. I question the political judgment of those who would have the nerve to paint Christ white with his obvious African nose, lips and woolly hair. My publications in the form of edited books, major essays and book introductions are indeed important documents and number more than thirty. Africa, Lost and Found with Richard Moore and Keith Baird, and African People at the Crossroads are among the major publications used in History and African American Studies disciplines on college and university campuses. I am also honored to have edited books on Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey.

Through the United Nations, I published monographs on Paul Robeson and W.E.B. DuBois; and, to clarify the historical record, I was compelled to publish a monograph on Christopher Columbus and the African Holocaust. One of my latest works, Who Betrayed the African Revolution?, was a very painful project indeed. And, when I think of William Styron's error with Nat Turner and our response to it, I feel convinced that Nat was able to return to his rest in peace. Among the paths of my journey, I have had a chance to engage in dialogue at the major centers of higher education throughout North and South America, Africa and Europe. I am humbled by these opportunities and, I have been blessed as the recipient of a number of honorary degrees. My professorships at the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University (where my portrait hangs at the artistic genius of Don Miller) was very important for the young men and women I taught there, and the worked that I did with African and Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College between 1965 and 1985 was highly significant. I have walked majestically with kings and queens and presidents and other heads of states. My special destiny with Africa, early on this walk, afforded me the opportunity to mentor Kwame Nkrumah when he arrived in the United States as a student. The reciprocity of our relationship was manifested in my sojourn to post independence Ghana as a young journalist. Without question, my walk has been sweeter because I have shared the path with Kwame Nkrumah, Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X, Zora Neale Hurston, Jimmy Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Wright, Julian Mayfield, John G. Jackson, Cheikh Anta Diop, John O. Killens, Hoyt Fuller, Chancellor Williams, Drusilla Dungee Houston.

Well, what do you know, I am transitioning with all of these giants now and the process is much easier because all of you are here with me. This walk has been anointed by God and the list of walkers is endless, and all of you have touched me deeply. I humbly acknowledge Dorothy Calder, Diane James, Doris Lee, Adalaide Sanford, Ruby Dee and Ozzie Davis, Barbara Adams, Judy Miller, Gil Noble, James Turner, Howard Dodson, Mari Evans, Haki Madhubuti, Selma White, William and Camille Cosby, Irving Burgess, Pat Williams and others too numerous to mention. As all of you must know, I made an early commitment to transfer my library to Black institutions in an effort to demonstrate my unlimited trust and respect to the black community. So it is to the Atlanta University Center and to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture where I have donated the majority of my books and documents. I entrusted this task to members of the Institute for African Research, the Foundation which will perpetuate those objectives for which I dedicated my life. This has really been a long marathon and there have been caregivers at my dehydration stations that kept vigil and in the spirit of love and devotion, I thank you for your deeds. Ann Swanson and Barbara True, your work with me has been unconditional and I ask you now to accept my gratitude and know that my spirit will always be your protective shield. Chiri Fitzpatrick and Derrick Grubb, you are very familiar with the parameters of this run and with me; you are of long-distance caliber. Jim Dyer, Andy Thompson, Les Edmond, and Debbie Swire, I thank you for walking in step with me and bracing me with your strength. In you I observed the ingredients of African kings and queens. Iva Elaine Carruthers and Bettye Parker Smith, I know that I have raised you the right way and you must now move with winds of my spirit wings. You know my literary agenda and you are obligated to manage that knowledge. The ancestors have stretched out their arms and I see them beckoning now at a distance. And, like Langston Hughes has known rivers, I have known love and bliss.

The Father of Black History Month

2009-02-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

Dr. Carter Goodwin Woodson, is "The Father of Black History Month" or more aptly "Negro History Week". But, outside of this notable distinction, little else is known about him. Lets take a look at the remarkable life and work of Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson was born on December 19, 1875 to former slaves, James and Eliza Woodson in New Canton, Virginia. Because African Americans were denied the right to obtain a public education in New Canton, Dr. Woodson did not receive a formal education until he and his family moved to Huntington, VA. He was twenty-years old. It took Dr. Woodson exactly two years to get his high school diploma!
After graduation, Dr. Woodson attended Berea College in Kentucky and earned his first degree in 1897.
In 1907, Dr. Woodson received his M.A. from the University of Chicago and then in 1908, studied at the prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris. After traveling and studying abroad for a few years, Dr. Woodson returned to the States and earned his Ph.d in History from Harvard in 1912. He became the second African American to earn such a degree. The first? W.E.B DuBoise!
Dr. Woodson noticed that most history books of his era contained little to practically nothing about African Americans and their experience in America. It was his expressed determination to right this wrong by correcting this obvious omission from history.
As a world-class educator, Dr. Carter G. Woodson established the Association For The Study Of Negro Life And History (now The Association For The Study of Afro-American Life and History) in 1915. Then in 1916, Dr. Woodson founded the Journal Of Negro History. In 1926, he launched 'Negro History Week' as an incentive to bring to the fore-front the amazing contributions of African Americans throughout American history.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson was the consumate author. He has authored some thirty books. One of his more notable and recognizable books is that of "The Mis-Education Of The Negro". Dr. Carter G. Woodson spent his life teaching, writing and supporting the people that he loved. He died suddenly in 1950.
Here is a partial list of some of Dr. Woodson's works:
"The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861: A History of the Education of the Colonial People of The United States From The Beginning of Slavery to the Civil War" (1915)
"A Century of Negro Migration" (1918)
"The History of the Negro Church" (1921)
"The Negro In Our History' (1922)
"Negro Makers Of History" (1928)

Books Of Note To Read During Black History Month

2009-02-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

Book Title: "Keeping Down The Black Vote: Race and the Demobilization of American Voters"

Author (s): Frances Fox Piven, Lorraine C. Minnite, Margaret Groarke

Publisher: New Press

Once the Civil War ended, it was thought by former African American slaves and abolitionists that equality and acceptance was not too far behind.

However, President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation would take another hundred years to see fruition. Reconstruction saw for the first time African Americans playing a significant political role in Washington and on a state level. But southern Democratic Caucasians put together a collegiate effort to squash not only the African American politician, but the African American vote as well.

Frances Fox Piven, Lorraine C. Minnite, and Margaret Groarke document and outline the progression of African American involvement in politics from Post Civil War era to present with the electing of the very first African American President, Barack Obama.

"Keeping Down The Black Vote" presents a logical argument against the political machine that systematically undermines African American and minority voters.

For a more in depth review, listen to The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio at the left of this page.

Book Review: "In Love With A Younger Man" by Cheryl Robinson

2009-01-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

Book Title: "In Love With A Younger Man"

Author: Cheryl Robinson

Publisher: New American Library

Can a forty-something year old woman find love with a twenty-something year old man? Cheryl Robinson, Essence Best Selling author of "Sweet Georgia Brown," seems to think that anything is definitely possible in her latest release on New American Library, "In Love With A Younger Man."

Successful career woman extraordinaire, Olena Day, is a force to be reckoned with. At forty-three, Olena is at the top of her game and ready to take a year long paid sabbatical. The purpose of this sabbatical is to relax and explore the areas of her life that up to this point, have yet to be fulfilled. But what Olena discovers in the process is that she is miserably lonely and long to be loved on her own terms.

Olena meets two men, successful in their right, who are wildly attracted to her and want to share their worlds with her. Both are younger men. But out of the two, the one man that curls her toes and twists her heart is Matthew. Matthew is twenty-five years old with a twenty-five year old's lifestyle. Can this relationship work on a permanent basis? Olena decides to explore all of her delicious options in "In Love With A Younger Man." Cheryl Robinson pens this novel with heart and realism. Having experienced this scenario first-hand in her own life, Cheryl Robinson is able to create a work of fiction that actually reads like a memoir.

"In Love With A Younger Man" is a novel that flips the stereotype of an older man and a younger woman situation. With more and more women getting married later in life, the pool of available men within the same age group narrows considerably. Cheryl Robinson puts a face on these women in the character of Olena and runs with it! This book is fresh and bold. Awesome Read!

For more information about Cheryl Robinson, see the AALR Author Links. For an in depth interview with Cheryl Robinson, click on available Blog Talk link to the left of this page.

Book Review: "Chosen" by Patricia Haley

2009-01-29T16:14:00.000-08:00

Book Title: "Chosen"

Author: Patricia Haley

Publisher: Pocket Book

What happens when you take a two thousand year old Biblical account and bring it into the twenty-first century? You get a powerful ancient lesson tailored to fit the modern world as we know it.

"Chosen" is the twenty-first century reworking of beloved Jewish kings David and Solomon. In "Chosen," Dave Mitchell, patriarch of a religious empire and divided family, is nearing the end of his life. Dave is well-aware of the disastrous consequences an extra-marital affair has cost him, his ex wife, Madeline, and their four children. Having repented and received God's forgiveness, Dave seeks to gain the forgiveness of the children that he has hurt. However, believing that he is doing God's will, Dave appoints the son of his second wife, Sherry, to the top position of his religious organization, to the chagrin and horror of groomed son, Don.

This decision leads to an even wider division in the Mitchell family. A rivalry between siblings Joel and Don deepens. The bitterness of ex and wronged wife Madeline produces seeds of self-doubt and guilt in Dave's second wife, Sherry. And a mysterious family shocker is slowly revealed that will thread the series of books that will be based on this ancient/modernized saga.

"Chosen" is well-written and each character possess a story that draws the reader into main plot. Based on the lives of Biblical King David and his son Solomon, the biblical suggestiveness of the plot is detailed and Patricia Haley smartly weaves historical biblical facts into "Chosen" so smoothly that it might take a Bible scholar off guard!

"Chosen" is a Christian fiction/inspirational book that is not too preachy or boldly laced with a loud message. In fact, the plot line and connection to the Bible is subtle, but very present. Watch for "Destined," the continuation of the Mitchell saga in 2010.

For more information on Patricia Haley, check the AALR Author Link. An in depth interview with Patricia Haley can be found to the left of this review.

The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio

2009-01-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio welcomes author Luke Bergmann, "Getting Ghost:Two Young Lives And The Struggle For The Soul Of An American City," released January 6, 2009.

TONIGHT @ 9pm on Blog Talk Radio, ENJOY a 90 minute discussion of the tragic effects generational poverty and urban decay has on young African American males, and the lengths these will go in order to survive in a city with no hope.

www.blogtalkradio.com/Tracey-Ricks-Foster

2009-01-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

REMARKS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
Inaugural Address
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Washington, D.C

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.

What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.

At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]." America.

In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Nikki Giovanni Wins 2008 American Book Award

2009-01-15T21:21:00.000-08:00

World renowned, award-winning poet of ten phenomenal books, author, editor and Virginia Tech professor, Nikki Giovanni is the 2008 recipient of the American Book Award.

"The Collective Poetry of Nikki Giovanni: 1968-1998" is a complete volume of the very best of American icon Nikki Giovanni's prolific works.

"Hip Hop Speaks To Children," a New York Times Best Seller, and "Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship," are two of Nikki Giovanni's latest releases.

CONGRATULATIONS NIKKI!

The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio

2009-01-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio welcomes author Jennifer Baszile, "The Black Girl Next Door," Wednesday, January 14, 2009 @ 9pm.

Jennifer Baszile's memoir, "The Black Girl Next Door," is an inspirational memoir about growing up in an exclusive Caucasian suburb integrated by the Baszile family.

A powerful and enlightening discussion will definitely ensue!

TONIGHT @ 9pm on The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio:

www.blogtalkradio.com/Tracey-Ricks-Foster

Book Review: "Classical Southern Cooking" by Damon Lee Fowler

2009-01-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Book Title: Classical Southern Cooking

Author: Damon Lee Fowler

Publisher: Gibbs Smith

Many of America's favorite foods comes courtesy of the South. Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, biscuits, gumbo, fried corn, barbecue, fruit cobblers, fried pies, collard greens and hush puppies, all have their distinct roots in the rich culture of the South. These fabulous eats now can be found on the shelves and in the freezer department of your nearest grocer.

But what commerical food manufacturing can not do is duplicate the intense flavors, the complex, yet simple layering of delicate seasonings, coupled with the warmth and love that goes into a home cooked Southern-style meal. Food historian and author of several books on the subject of Southern cooking, Damon Lee Fowler, has updated what has been called "the Bible of Southern Cooking" in the culinary world, "Classical Southern Cooking: A Celebration of the Cuisine of the Old South."

"Classical Southern Cooking," which was first released in 1995, is packed tight with historical anecdotes and a thorough scholarship of the roots of Southern cooking and cuisine. Noting the strong presence and influence of African American slaves in the development of the Southern cuisine, Fowler also implicates European cuisine as one of the building blocks of Southern food.

"Classical Southern Cooking" is full of classic Southern fare, some with roots stretching back to cookbooks such as "The Virginia Housewife" (1894) by Mary Randolph, Thomas Jefferson's cousin and a frequent visitor to Monticello where classically French trained African American slaves cooked exquisite meals.

Damon Lee Fowler's "Classical Southern Cooking" is bound in a way that is perfect for today's self-proclaimed "chef" to handle in a busy kitchen. Damon Lee Fowler is the also the author of: "The Savannah Cookbook," "Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches," "Dining at Monticello," and "Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Baking: Classic Flavors for Today's Cook."

Click on "The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio" to hear an in depth interview with Damon Lee Fowler.

Book Review: "Anatomy Of A Trial: Public Loss, Lessons Learned from The People vs. O.J. Simpson" by Jerrianne Hayslett

2009-01-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

Book Title: Anatomy of a Trial

Author: Jerrianne Hayslett

Publisher: University of Missouri

The summer of 1994 was a turning point in the way news gathering and reporting was once perceived. Journalism and celebrity paparazzi merged uneasily to cover what was the beginning of the "Trial of the Century."

All American hero fav, NFL great, car rental and orange juice commercial icon, B- list actor and celebrity, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged in June of 1994 for the brutal murders of former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. The murders committed in front of the doorstep at Nicole Brown Simpson condo in the late evening hours of summer, had all of the makings of a murder mystery with an astounding cast of characters and one prime suspect.

Simpson.

The ensuing trial was broadcast around the world and made household names out of the prosecuting and defense attorneys, L.A. Circuit County Judge Ito, rouge cop Mark Fuhrman, extended Simpson house guest Kato Kaelin; and catch phrases such as "if it doesn't fit, then you must acquit." The international viewing audience also gained extensive DNA knowledge thanks to tiny blood droplets on a pair of socks.

But the trial itself, groundbreaking in historical legal aspects and proportions, was the first trial of its kind that set media precedence incomparable to any before it. Jerrianne Hayslett, former L.A. Superior Court media liaison to Judge Ito, was right in the thick of a movement that changed the way the public and the media interacted with a full-blown celebrity murder trial. Hayslett helped mediate and decimate court information and documents to media outlets that dissected the Simpson trial day by day to the public.

Fraught oftentimes with a dissatisfied media and the hunger for news of anything Simpson, Jerrianne Hayslett details from an insiders vantage point, the Simpson trial's overwhelming coloration and revision of the traditional concept of journalism.

"Anatomy of a Trial" is a great read for those interested in a fresh perspective on the Trial of the Century."

Go to The African American Literary Review on Blog Talk Radio achieves for an in depth discussion of "Anatomy of a Trail" with Jerrianne Hayslett:

www.blogtalkradio.com/Tracey-Ricks-Foster

The African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio

2009-01-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

Book Title: "Beneath The Bruises"
Author: Dywane D. Birch
Publisher: Strebor Books

Domestic violence is the theme of Dywane D. Birch's latest release on Strebor Books, "Beneath The Bruises." A Lifetime channel candidate, "Beneath The Bruises" is an intimate look inside the life of wealthy houswife Syreeta Taylor.

Eleven years of marriage and five children with her college sweetheart, Randall, Syreeta appears to be living the American Dream. The not so shocking reality is that she is a sad statistic. Syreeta is one of thousands of women in this country who are being physically, emotionally and verbally abused by their spouse, partner, or significant other.Domestic violence crosses all social and economic lines. It crosses all ethnicities and sexual orientations. The face of domestic violence is ever changing. But the pain and scars are always evident.

"Beneath The Bruises" paints the picture of a woman on the verge of losing all hope until she finds a reason to believe in herself and the power to survive. Dywane D. Birch writes a revealing novel that, at times, sticks close to the formula of documented domestic violence in fiction. The conclusion of "Beneath The Bruises" disappoints and presents the fairy-tale scenario that news headlines dispute. However, "Beneath The Bruises" does an amazing job at addressing the issue of domestic violence.

TUNE IN to The African American Literary Review on Blog Talk Radio for an EXCLUSIVE interview with Dywane Birch, Wednesday, January 7, 2009 @ 9pm!!

www.blogtalkradio.com/Tracey-Ricks-Foster

Best Reads of 2008: African American Biography

2009-01-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

"IDA: A Sword Among Lions" is the African American Literary Review's selection for "Best Read of 2008!"A concise biography of the complex life of journalist and Civil Rights activist, Ida B. Wells, "IDA" is a comprehensive literary achievement that sheds light on a courageous African American woman whom deserves to be celebrated and recognized for her passionate efforts to make America a better and safer place for all.

About author Paula J. Giddings:Paula Giddings is the author of two books on the social and political history of African-American women: When and Where I Enter: The Impact on Black Women on Race and Sex in America: and In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement. She is also the editor of Burning All Illusions, an anthology of articles on race published by the Nation magazine from 1867 to 2000. Paula is a former book editor and journalist who has written extensively on international and national issues and has been published by the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Jeune Afrique (Paris), The Nation, and the journals Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism and Sage: A Scholarly Journal on Black Women among other publications.

Before attaining the position of Professor of African-American Studies at Smith College, Ms. Giddings had taught at Spelman College, where she was a United Negro Fund Distinguished Scholar; Douglass College/Rutgers University as the Laurie Chair in Women’s Studies; and Princeton and Duke Universities. Her forthcoming biography of the anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells will be published by Harper/Collins.Paula Giddings joined Smith College in 2001. She serves as the Senior Editor of Meridians, a new, peer-reviewed feminist, interdisciplinary journal whose goal is to provide a forum for the finest scholarship and creative work by and about women of color in U.S. and international contexts. The journal is a collaborative venture of Smith College and Wesleyan University.

Paula Giddings has served as the AAS Department Chair and Honor Thesis advisor.

Best Reads of 2008: Parenting / Family / Relationships

2009-01-05T15:48:00.000-08:00

"Take Back Your Family: A Challenge To America's Parents" has been selected by the African American Literary Review as one of the "Best Reads of 2008."

Raising a family is a loving and rewarding project, but can also be fraught with many daily issues that may seem insurmountable. However, Rev. Run and his wife Justine Simmons, believe that every family in America can be up to the task with their book, "Take Back Your Family," a worthwhile blueprint on to navigate the tough waters that are known as parenting.

Written with honesty, straight-forward language and love, "Take Back Your Family" is an extension of what MTV viewers of the popular "Run's House" series have come to enjoy and appreciate.

Best Reads of 2008: Street / Urban / Fiction

2009-01-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

Meesha Mink and De'nesha Diamond, dynamic authors of a series of urban novels entitled "Bentley Manor Tales," proved why they are far and above their fellow peers in this genre, and one of the "Best Reads of 2008." The first book in this series, "Desperate Hoodwives," introduced readers to a housing project that had seen better days, Bentley Manor.

Two of the oldest Bentley Manor residents, Miz Cleo and Miz Osceola, have a perfect vantage point to witness the goings-ons, good and bad. Mostly bad. Bentley Manor is over-run with dope dealers and dope fiends, ghetto fabulous sistas on the come-up, crime and violence, happenings that thrive readily in a slum environment.

However, as always, there can be found a beautiful flower, wilted and quite dry, that hangs on in hopes of being rescued. "Desperate Hoodwives" features the raw and hard luck lives of Aisha, Lexi, Devani, and Molly, four women with four different stories but stuck in the same reality.

"Desperate Hoodwives" is an urban/street book that has major twist. As does the entire series. The major twist or thread is the message. The message is that crime, violence, drug addiction and hood life in general, comes with the ultimate price tag. For those seeking a way out by any means necessary, the price can be death."Desperate Hoodwives" is one of the "Best Reads of 2008!" Watch for the exciting continuation of the tales of Bentley Manor in January 2009 with the release of "The Hood Life," January 6, 2009.

The Best Hip Hop Read of 2008: "Let's Talk About Pep" by Sandy "Pepa" Denton

2009-01-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

The ground-breaking Hip Hop group Salt-N-Pepa formed in 1986 and went on to become one of the most celebrated female rap groups in Hip Hop history. As a matter of fact, Salt-N-Pepa is regarded as one of the most significant groups around.

It is no wonder that Salt-N-Pepa, along with Spinderella, continue to command the adulation and respect from fans around the world twenty years later.

However, Sandy "Pepa" Denton decided that it was time to pull the curtains back on her life and her world by writing the sensational memoir, "Let's Talk About Pep: The Salt-N-Pepa Super Star Tells It Like It Is." Does she? You better believe she does!

"Let's Talk About Pep" is a raw, self-revealing memoir about Sandy Denton's personal triumphs and heartbreaking failures. Covering almost everything in vivid detail, Sandy candidly discusses her relationship with group member Cheryl "Salt" James and the end of "Salt-N-Pepa," disastrous love affairs, domestic violence, the success of the group, and a troubled childhood.
Every page of "Let's Talk About Pep" is gripping, hilarious, poignant and inspirational. That is why it happens to be one the "Best Hip Hop Reads of 2008!"

Annette Gordon-Reed, National Book Award Winner, 2008

2008-12-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

The African American Literary Review would like to congratulate author and historian Annette Gordon-Reed on being awarded the coveted 2008 National Book Award in Non-Fiction for her scholarship of the intricate relationship of the slave mistress Sally Hemings and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, along with the entire Hemingses family.

"The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family" is an important work of American History and for it to be recognized as a solidly researched literary effort by an African American scholar is astonishingly progressive!

Annette Gordon-Reed is the first African American woman to become a recipient of the National Book Award in the category of non-fiction.

"African American Literary Review On Blog Talk Radio!"

2008-12-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant, the bestselling authors of "Gotta Keep On Tryin," "Far From The Tree," "Better Than I Know Myself," and "Tryin' To Sleep in the Bed You Made," are set to release their sixth novel, "What Doesn't Kill You," on January 6, 2009.

But you can find the award-winning authors on "The African American Literary Review," Saturday, January 3, 2009 @ 9pm on Blog Talk Radio.

Don't Miss It!

www.blogtalkradio.com/Tracey-Ricks-Foster