Black Issues Book Review articles from January 2002

Black Issues Book Review archives from January 2002

From the editor-in-chief.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Anniversaries are times of appreciation and reflection, and I am happy to grace the cover of this third anniversary issue with Terry McMillan, a writer I consider a privilege to count as a friend. I am also pleased and honored to include in our...

Executive editor's view.(Editorial)
January 1, 2002... I count myself among the many African Americans who begin each new year with a period of personal reflection and meditation rooted in our heritage and culture. On New Year's Day, a pot of black-eyed peas is always on my stove to share with...

Letters to the editor.
January 1, 2002... DEAR EDITOR, Thank you so much for the wonderful article "The Balm of Reading" in the "Books-n-Clubs" section. I thoroughly enjoy the entire magazine, but this section is always so informative. I had the pleasure of hearing your...

Preliminary results from the BIBR reader survey.(Black Issues Book Review )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Here are a few interesting findings: According to the initial responses BIBR has received, almost half of our readers--48%, so far--purchased more than 20 books last year. Many of our readers subscribe to BIBR because they're...

Corrections: Nov/Dec 2001.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2002... Patti LaBelle's correct birthday is May 24, not October 24.

Romance writers take it to the next level. (Deals).(St. Martin's Press Inc. signs African American romance authors)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... With her novels If I Could and Rhythms, Donna Hill has proven that black romance writers can successfully crossover into the mainstream fiction market. Hill signed her first six-figure deal with editor Monique Patterson at St. Martin's Press,...

HarperCollins on a shopping spree. (Deals).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Five major publishers tossed in bids for the rights to We Wear the Mask: The Life and Times of Hattie McDaniel by Dr. Jill Watts. HarperCollins ultimately prevailed. We Wear the Mask will be released under the Amistad Press imprint. As the new...

Aaliyah: More Than a Woman. (between the lines).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Aaliyah Biography Available From MTV books Aaliyah: More Than a Woman, a biography of hip-hop soul singer and actress, Aaliyah Dana Haughton, killed in a plane crash on August 25, 2001, is available from MTV Books. Christopher John Farley...

Sibanye Inc. celebrates seven years serving Baltimore residents. (Celebrations).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Seven years ago Sibanye Inc. co-owners Robin Green-Cary and Mary Douthit wanted to bring African-American writers to the Baltimore area. Book tours usually passed through Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., but skipped Baltimore--much to the...

Patti LaBelle. (Celebrations).(book promoting)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Legendary singer and BIBR November-December 2001 cover diva Patti LaBelle launched a tour promoting her third book, Patti's Pearls: Lessons in Living Genuinely, Joyfully, Generously in New York City this past October. BIBR staff members were on...

Events corner. (between the lines).
January 1, 2002... Let America Be America Again An International Symposium on the Art, Life and Legacy of Langston Hughes February 7-10, 2002 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas www.kuce.org/hughes/symposium.html 877-404-5823 To commemorate...

Romance Slam Jam. (between the lines).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Growing from the need to recognize the achievements of black romance writers, Emma Rodgers and Ashira Tosihwe, co-owners of Black Images Book Bazaar in Dallas, Texas and best-selling, romance-turned-mainstream-fiction author Francis Ray,...

Richard Wright bench. (between the lines).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A commemorative bench created by artist Seitu Jones was installed in Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park in honor of Richard Wright. Author of the new Wright biography Richard Wright: The Life and Times (see page 69), Hazel Rowley says much of Wright's...

Dark Matter is first AOL Time Warner Trade Publishing title to win World Fantasy Award. (Awards Spotlight).(Dark Matter: A Century of Fiction from the African Diaspora)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Black speculative fiction is definitely on the rise. Dark Matter: A Century of Fiction from the African Diaspora, edited by Sheree Thomas, has won the 2001 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology. Along with the Nebula and Hugo Awards, the World...

Stephanie Mwandishi Gadlin wins Zora Neale Hurston-Bessie Head fiction prize. (Awards Spotlight).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Chicago writer and media activist Stephanie Mwandishi Gadlin received the Zora Neale Hurston-Bessie Head fiction prize for her short story "Weekend Satchmo" a story set in 1926 about a 13-year-old boy who longs to be a jazz musician like his...

Zora Neale Hurston: with a half dozen new books, the literary world reexamines this enigmatic writer's life's work. (tribute).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Every so often, literary scholars seem to want to dissect an author's body of work, hoping to gain some insight into their personal life. It's a kind of backend approach to biographical research that assumes literary figures are somehow...

Our Philadelphia story: today's active African American literary scene in the City of Brotherly Love has deep roots in a proud legacy.
January 1, 2002... Over the last decade, works by African American writers have been flying out of Philadelphia. The list of names reads like a who's who of novelists, biographers and nonfiction writers covering every discipline and genre. (See "A Sampler of...

Reverend Della's religion: how this TV angel and real life minister hopes to touch and inspire readers with her new series of devotional books. (faith).(two books on spirituality)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... What Is This Thing Called Love? (ISBN 1-571-74268-9) Strength Is the Energy of God! (ISBN 1-571-74269-7) by The Reverend Della Reese Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc., 2001, $16.75 each At the start of each New Year,...

John Chavis: African-American Patriot, Preacher, Teacher, and Mentor (1763-1838). (faith reviews).
January 1, 2002... John Chavis: African-American Patriot, Preacher, Teacher, and Mentor (1763-1838) by Helen Chavis-Othow McFarland & Company, Inc., May 2001 $32.00, ISBN 0-7864-0818-9 Although the average elementary school education covers the...

Why Me Lord? Why Is My Loved One Incarcerated? (faith reviews).(Shawna C. Bridgett)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Why Me Lord? Why Is My Loved One Incarcerated? by Shawna C. Bridgett Words of Wisdom Publication April 2001, $12.95, ISBN; 0-902426-0-3 A mother with an incarcerated son relates her life experience in 58 diverse entries that...

A New Dating Attitude: Getting Ready for the Mate God Has for You. (faith reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A New Dating Attitude: Getting Ready for the Mate God Has for You by Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook Zondervan Publishing House, 2001, $12.99 ISBN 0-310-23532-4 Having read nearly every book ever written on singleness, black singleness...

Down By the Riverside: Readings in African American Religion. (faith reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Down By the Riverside: Readings in African American Religion edited by Larry G. Murphy NYU Press, January 2001, $24.95 ISBN 0-814-75581-X "A good way to understand a people is to study their religion, for religion is addressed to...

Devotionals round-up. (faith round-up).(Bibliography)
January 1, 2002... Every Day I Pray--Prayers for Awakening to the Grace of Inner Communion by Iyanla Vanzant Simon & Schuster, September 2001, $20.00 ISBN: 0-684-86000-7 Vanzant's collection begins with a morning prayer and ends with an evening...

Talk radio: pushing black books on the air.
January 1, 2002... Tavis Smiley is being pushed out of his office. A papery gang, peopled by Bebe Moore Campbell, Omar Tyree, E. Lynn Harris, Yolanda Joe and black writers from around the world, is already claiming office space in The Smiley Building, his...

Black writers bring a different perspective to sci-fi.
January 1, 2002... The history of slavery rewritten with Africans as masters and Europeans as slaves, African warlocks, and other fantastic themes have I become the stuff of new science fiction, often referred to as "speculative fiction." For decades, science...

A long time coming: Harry Belafonte's glorious music history lesson.(history of African American music)
January 1, 2002... Why didn't The Long Road to Freedom release as planned? Harry Belafonte: The piece was made possible because of an alliance that RCA had with Reader's Digest magazine. Reader's Digest, back then, had a special relationship with the Record...

The First Annual Legacy Awards for black writers: borders books and music and the Hurston/Wright Foundation are pleased to announce the First Annual 2002 Legacy Awards for published writers of African descent. The awards will honor innovative black writers in three categories: literary fiction, nonfiction, and debut/first fiction. (Borders).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Novelist Marita Golden founded the Hurston/Wright Foundation in 1990 to preserve and nurture black writing and culture. Since its inception, the Foundation has developed an annual awards program for emerging black college writers, provided...

Oral history, autobiographies and spoken word make literary listening easy. (audio).(Brief Article)(Bibliography)
January 1, 2002... Audio books are an excellent way to introduce African American children to their history and literature, or simply learn more about our culture. Here are a few picks to start the ball rolling: A Call to Conscience; The Landmark Speeches of...

Everybody wants to be Terry McMillan. (Cover Story).
January 1, 2002... Terry McMillan. For readers and writers alike, her name alone conjures up images of multimillion dollar deals, best-selling novels and Hollywood movies. For the woman who many believe single-handedly brought cultural diversity to best-selling...

Laroye. (eye).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Laroye by Mario Cravo Neto Aries Editora, January 2001, $55.00 ISBN 8-585-09803-2 Along the coastline and interior borders of Brazil, there are as many different faces, languages and religions as there are rhythms that vibrate...

Souls Grown Deep: Volume Two. (eye).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Souls Grown Deep: Volume Two by William and Paul Arnett Tinwood Books, October 2001 $100.00 ISBN 0-965-37663-X Exploring the importance of folklore, religion, perseverance and persistence within African-American vernacular art, Souls...

In the Spirit of Martin: The Living Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (eye).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... In the Spirit of Martin: The Living Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Gary Chassman, Gretchen Sullivan Sorin, Dr. Helen M. Shannon Publishers' Group West, January 2002, $39.95 ISBN 0-965-37665-6 In the Spirit of Martin...

Geoffrey Holder: A Life in Theater, Dance, and Art. (eye).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Geoffrey Holder: A Life in Theater, Dance, and Art by Jennifer Dunning Harry N. Abrams, Inc., November 2001 $60.00, ISBN 0-810-91392-5 To dream in color. To live in those dreams. Such is the life of Geoffrey Holder--a consummate...

Different. (eye).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Different edited by Stuart Hall and Mark Sealy text by Stuart Hall Phaidon Publications, October 2001 $45.00, ISBN 0-714-84014-9 Black photography began as far back as 1839--shortly after the invention of the camera. Since then,...

African American Writers: Portraits and Visions. (eye).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... African American Writers: Portraits and Visions by Lynda Koolish University Press of Mississippi, November 2001, $40.00, ISBN 1-578-06258-6 Imagine having a photo album that's not only filled with beautiful pictures of family...

Ellen Gallagher. (eye).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Ellen Gallagher by Jessica Morgan, Robert Storr, Greg Tate Distributed Art Publishers, October 2001 $39.95, ISBN: 1-891-02431-0 The catalog accompanying Ellen Gallagher's first major survey at the Institute of Contemporary Art,...

Bad Boy: The Influence of Sean "Puffy" Combs on the Music Industry. (Rhythm and books: hip hop with an R and B twist).(Brief Review)
January 1, 2002... Bad Boy: The Influence of Sean "Puffy" Combs on the Music Industry by Ronin Ro Pocket Books, November 2001, $24.95 ISBN 0-743-42823-4 A conglomerate all his own, Sean "Puffy" Combs has made his presence known in just about every...

Destiny's Child: The Complete Story. (Rhythm and books: hip hop with an R and B twist).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Destiny's Child: The Complete Story by Kelly Kenyatta Amber Books, August 2001, $12.95 ISBN 0-970-22244-0 This new book, filled with wonderful photos, gives readers the lowdown on the multiplatinum-selling group Destiny's Child....

The Lil' Bow Wow Scrapbook. (Rhythm and books: hip hop with an R and B twist).(Brief Review)
January 1, 2002... The Lil' Bow Wow Scrapbook by Mary Anne Cassatta One World/Ballantine Books October 2001, $9.95, ISBN 0-345-45130-9 Pre-teen rap sensation Lil' Bow Wow is the center of attention in this unauthorized biography/scrapbook. Photos of...

Revelations: There's a Light After the Lime. (Rhythm and books: hip hop with an R and B twist).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Revelations: There's a Light After the Lime by Mason Betha with Karen Hunter Pocket Books, October 2001, $22.00 ISBN 0-743-43418-8 Ever wonder what happened to triple platinum-selling Bad Boy rapper Mase? Well, the answer lies in...

Vibe Hip Hop Divas. (Rhythm and books: hip hop with an R and B twist).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Vibe Hip Hop Divas Foreword by Mimi Valdes Three Rivers Press, September 2001, $17.95 ISBN 0-609-80836-2 Who says women can't rap? In this chronological/pictorial book, Vibe magazine gives props to the ladies of hip hop. Music fans...

Reading clubs don't always go by the book. (books N clubs).(Brief Article)(Directory)
January 1, 2002... With fierce competition from book retailers and the prospect of an economic slowdown at hand, many black bookstores are struggling just to survive. One way that black bookstores are marketing themselves is by working with local book clubs to...

How black romance--novels, that is--came to be. (romance).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Shortly after World War II--in 1949--Harlequin Romance was born; thus began the romance fiction genre. In the years that followed, the Harlequin line kept pace with the loves and lives of white America, but not African Americans. Instead, black...

Langston's lessons on how to be a bad writer. (poetic license).(Langston Hughes)(Brief Article)(Fiction)
January 1, 2002... I was reading The Langston Hughes Reader and found an interesting article that Hughes wrote in 1950. More than 50 years later, it still applies. Aside from being a literary genius, Langston Hughes was funny, too. If you ever find yourself...

Passion, Pride, and Politickin': Homegrown Poetry and Essays. (poetry reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Passion, Pride, and Politickin': Homegrown Poetry and Essays by Jamal Sharif Iuniverse, October 2000, $12.95 ISBN 0-595-13075-5 In this impressive debut, author Jamal Sharif provides a unique and compelling voice. She speaks as an...

Still Swingin: New and Selected Poems From These Hips. (poetry reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Still Swingin:New and Selected Poems From These Hips by Tonya Maria Matthews BlackWords Poetry Series, January 2002 $10.95, ISBN 1-888-01817-8 Tonya Matthews is indeed Still Swinging, as her title suggests in this collection of new...

Straight Wobblings of My Father. (poetry reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Straight Wobblings of My Father by Fred Lee Hord Third World Press, February 2001, $9.00 ISBN 0-883-78225-1 The most obvious influence in the Straight Wobblings of My Father is Africa and black nationalism, surprising indeed given...

BIBR recommends.(three books on African American culture in New York)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... African Americans have long contributed to the rich history and culture of New York. Here are helpful tools to make sure you don't miss any of these important contributions on your next outing in New York. Discovering Black New York--A...

Satisfy My Soul. (fiction reviews).
January 1, 2002... Satisfy My Soul by Colin Channer One World/Ballantine, February 2002 $19.95, ISBN 0-345-43789-6 In his sophomore novel and long-awaited follow-up to Waiting in Vain, writer Colin Channer tells the sizzling story of Carey McCullough,...

River Woman. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... River Woman by Donna Hemans Washington Square Press, January 2002 $23.00, ISBN 0-743-41039-4 Newcomer Donna Hemans captures the voices of the people of Standfast, Jamaica, and transports readers to another place and time. In her...

Skin Folk. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Skin Folk by Nalo Hopkinson Aspect, December 2001, $12.95 ISBN 0-446-67803-1 Following her pioneering anthology of Caribbean short stories about the supernatural, Whispers from the Cotton Tree Root, Nalo Hopkinson, who also wrote...

Colored Sugar Water. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Colored Sugar Water by Venise Berry Dutton Books, January 2002, $23.95 ISBN 0-525-94471-0 Venise Berry, author of So Good and All of Me, knows a lot about a lot of things. She knows about the stuff a woman of color has to contend...

Child of God. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Child of God by Lolita Files Simon & Schuster, September 2001 $23.00, ISBN 0-684-84143-6 Child of God is something of a departure for Lolita Files from her first three novels--Scenes From a Sistah, Getting to the Good Part and Blind...

Erasure. (fiction reviews).
January 1, 2002... Erasure by Percival Everett University Press of New England October 2001, $24.95 ISBN 1-584-65090-7 Is Everett's novel, Erasure, about a writer coming to grips with his "mid-list" best-seller status, or a book about a black man...

Black Coffee. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Black Coffee by Tracy Price-Thompson Villard, January 2002, $12.95 ISBN 0-375-75777-5 Price-Thompson invites readers into the virtually unexplored world of the U.S. Army with her originally self-published novel Black Coffee....

Riding Through Shadows. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Riding Through Shadows by Sharon Ewell Foster Multnomah Publishers, Inc. October 2001, $11.99, ISBN 1-576-73807-8 The campaign for human souls doesn't happen on large battlefields. In Sharon Ewell Foster's novel, the battles happen...

Free. (fiction reviews).
January 1, 2002... Free by Anika Nailah Doubleday, January 2002, $21.95 ISBN 0-385-50293-1 In Free, each of the short stories included in Anika Nailah's debut volume is a lyrical journey that draws the reader into the inner thoughts and lives of its...

Bittersweet. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Bittersweet by Freddie Lee Johnson III One World/Ballantine, January 2002 $23.95, ISBN 0-345-44596-1 Freddie Lee Johnson's sassy debut--a treatise on divorce, temptation and faith--takes an honest look at three brothers who are...

From health to wealth: when mainstream publishers turned away these non-fiction writers, they decided to do-it-themselves. (self publishing).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Self-published titles--from urban romance novels to science fiction--fill the shelves of independent African-American bookstores and major book retailers. And while fiction titles currently dominate, nonfiction works are making their way to the...

Ask the book doctor. (self publishing).(point of view in literature)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Dear Dr. Rosie: I've sent my book to several agents, but I keep getting rejections. They say that I have "point of view" problems. Could you please explain what point of view is? Dear Author: Point of view (POV) refers to whoever...

Underground reading: Michigan's oldest African American church is a national landmark, bookstore and home to abolition history that still serves its politically active congregation. (market buzz).
January 1, 2002... Detroit is one of the most significant locations for the telling of Underground Railroad history in this country--the last stop before reaching `Canaan Land' or freedom," says Rita C. Organ, director of exhibits and collections at the National...

London Crossings: A Biography of Black Britain. (nonfiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... London Crossings: A Biography of Black Britain by Mike Phillips Continuum, July 2001, $29.95 ISBN 0-826-45292-2 Mike Phillips is a Guyana-born, London-based writer who, together with his highly accomplished brother, Trevor,...

Richard Wright: The Life and Times. (nonfiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Richard Wright: The Life And Times by Hazel Rowley Henry Holt and Company, August 2001 $35.00, ISBN 0-805-04776-X When it was announced that there was yet another Richard Wright biography in the works, many critics wondered why the...

Not Guilty: Twelve Black Men Speak Out on Law, Justice and Life. (nonfiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Not Guilty: Twelve Black Men Speak Out on Law, Justice and Life edited by Jabari Asim HarperCollins, November 2001 $25.00, ISBN 0-060-18538-4 While September 11th seems to overshadow many of the problems confronting America today,...

The Reckoning: What Blacks Owe to Each Other. (nonfiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Reckoning: What Blacks Owe to Each Other by Randall Robinson Dutton, January 2002, $24.95 ISBN 0-525-94625-X Randall Robinson's The Reckoning: What Blacks Owe to Each Other is one of those books that reads like an urgent...

Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word. (nonfiction reviews).
January 1, 2002... Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word by Randall Kennedy Pantheon Books, February 2002 $22.00, ISBN 0-375-42172-6 Lenny Bruce, the bad boy of white comedians in the 1960s, once suggested in his routine that "if President...

Bill Clinton and Black America. (nonfiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Bill Clinton and Black America by Dewayne Wickham One World/Ballantine, February 2002 $24.00, ISBN 0-345-45032-9 It was only a matter of time before some capable pundit sought to explain black America's romance with former President...

Vernon Can Read! A Memoir. (nonfiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Vernon Can Read!: A Memoir by Vernon E. Jordan Jr. with Annette Gordon-Reed Public Affairs, October 2001 $26.00, ISBN 1-891-62069-X When Vernon Jordan suddenly became a household name--large and in-charge--as Bill Clinton's man out...

Bernie Mac on How Life Is: I Ain't Scared of You. (nonfiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Bernie Mac on How Life Is: I Ain't Scared of You Bernie Mac with Darrell Dawsey Pocket Books/MTV Network, October 2001, $23.00, ISBN 0-7434-2821-8 Following the success of last fall's The Original Kings of Comedy movie and...

Sepia Dreams. (nonfiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Sepia Dreams by Matthew Jordan Smith St. Martin's Press, November 2001, $29.95 ISBN 0-312-27817-9 Poet Langston Hughes posed an intriguing philosophical question that is still relevant today: "What happens to a dream deferred? Does...

Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare. (nonfiction reviews).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Shattered Bonds-The Color of Child Welfare by Dorothy Roberts Perseus Books, December 2001, $26.00 ISBN 0-465-07058-2 Using a somewhat clinical approach, Shattered Bonds documents why the child welfare system in America is in serious...

show me the money.(Pay Yourself First: The African-American Guide to Financial Success and Security)(Brief Review)
January 1, 2002... Pay Yourself First: The African-American Guide to Financial Success and Security by Jesse B. Brown John Wiley & Sons, August 2001, $14.95 ISBN 0-471-15897-6 We all could manage our money better and get out of debt, especially now...

Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social and Political Black Literature and Art. (anthologies).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social and Political Black Literature and Art edited by Samiya A. Bashir, Quaraysh Ali Lansana, Tony Medina Third World Press, October 2001 $24.95, ISBN 0-883-78239-1 Consider that anthos is...

Making Callaloo: 25 Years of Black Literature. (anthologies).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Making Callaloo: 25 Years of Black Literature edited by Charles Henry Rowell foreword by Pervical Everett and afterword by Carl Phillips St. Martins Press, January 2002 $17.95, ISBN 0-312-28898-0 "What makes for a lasting poem,"...

What does it means to be hi-tech anyway? A new anthology broadens the definition of technology by looking at how people of color have created their own innovations in other ways. (book bytes).
January 1, 2002... The Internet boom of the late 1990s produced a wave of E-business companies, Web sites and new-media moguls, practically overnight. But cyberspace offered little opportunity--financial or otherwise--for many people of color who did not own PCs,...

Online booksellers: on-line booksellers are becoming on-line communities.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... If there's one thing black online booksellers understand it's that their sites have to do more than just sell books. They also have to be online communities for book-lovers, offering (almost) everything that an avid reader would want, all on...

Should you click on this? The African American journey www.pbs.org/aajourney.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Michele: The information here is invaluable. Find out about the African American western migration, read an archived biography of Duke Ellington or watch an interview with Maya Angelou about her 1953-54 role as Ruby in Porgy and Bess. Catch up...

Tell All the Children Our Story: Memories and Mementoes of Being Young and Black in America. (children's reviews).(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Tell All the Children Our Story: Memories and Mementoes of Being Young and Black in America by Tonya Bolden Harry N. Abrams, February 2002, $24.95 ISBN 0-810-94496-0, Ages 9 to 12 My mother is right: Nothing in the universe is...

Voice of Freedom: A Story About Frederick Douglass. (children's reviews).(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Voice of Freedom: A Story About Frederick Douglass by Maryann N. Weidt Lerner Publishing Group, March 2001 $5.95, ISBN 1-575-05553-8, Ages 9 to 12 This account of the storied abolitionist, author and suffragist gives young readers...

Langston Hughes: American Poet. (children's reviews).(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Langston Hughes: American Poet by Alice Walker illustrated by Catherine Deeter HarperCollins (text 1974), January 2002 $16.95, ISBN 0-060-21518-6, Ages 9 to 12 In Langston Hughes: American Poet, author and poet Alice Walker paints...

Rock of Ages: A Tribute to the Black Church. (children's reviews).(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Rock of Ages: A Tribute to the Black Church by Tonya Bolden Knopf, January 2002, $16.95 ISBN 0-679-89485-3, Ages 5 to 9 In this book, author Tonya Bolden rediscovers the legacy of the black church, and illustrates its importance as...

Imani's Music. (children's reviews).(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Imani's Music by Sheron Williams with illustrations by Jude Daly Antheneum Books for Young Readers January 2002, $17.00 ISBN 0-689-82254-5, Ages 6-9 The lilting rhymes of Sheron Williams's Imani's Music are so lyrical--like a...

Home Life in Grandma's Day. (children's reviews).(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Home Life in Grandma's Day by Valerie Weber and Geneva Lewis Carolrhoda Books, Inc., November 1999 $9.00, ISBN 1-575-05329-2, Ages 4 to 8 Southern living, southern hospitality, soul food and segregation are just a few reminders of a...

A Bus of Our Own. (children's reviews).(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A Bus of Our Own by Freddi Williams Evans Illustrated by Shawn Costello Albert Whitman & Company, September 2001, $15.95, ISBN 0-807-50970-1 A strong work of historical fiction, this children's book is a sympathetically written...