Black Issues Book Review articles from July 2006

Black Issues Book Review archives from July 2006

Beloved beloved.(Toni Morrison )(Editorial)
July 1, 2006... Toni Morrison will not slip quietly into retirement, though she is leaving her teaching post at Princeton University after 17 years there. Just as the university was announcing a tribute to her, came new accolades for the 75-year-old writer....

More on "large and in charge".(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... I have been able, over this holiday weekend, to catch up on some back issues of your magazine, specifically the January/February 2006 issue. I would like to make specific reference to your article "The Powers Behind Black Books" and ask a...

The mainstreaming of street lit.(between the lines: the inside scoop on what's happening in the publishing industry)
July 1, 2006... NIKKI TURNER (top) now has her own imprint at One World/Ballantine. Turner, a favorite among fans of urban literature, is the author of A Hustler's Wife and A Project Chick (both Triple Crown), Tales From Da Hood (One World/Ballantine, January...

Hands on the prize.(between the lines: the inside scoop on what's happening in the publishing industry)(Orange Prize for Fiction)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... On her third nomination and in the face of stiff competition, Zadie Smith won Britain s coveted Orange Prize for Fiction, awarded in London, June 6, for her novel, On Beauty (Penguin, September 2005). The prize of 30,000 [pounds sterling]...

Winning stories.(between the lines: the inside scoop on what's happening in the publishing industry)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... This year, the Shrine of the Black Madonna Cultural Center and Bookstore held its first Write Is Might short story contest for unpublished African American writers. The winner of the grand prize, the Barbara Nandi Martin Award, is The Haunting...

Zane.(DEALS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... ZANE sold film rights to her novel Addicted to Wayne Levin at Uonsgate. She and Suzanne de Passe will produce it under the name de Passe/Zane Entertainment. The deal was made by attorney Darrell Miller of Miller & Pliakas, according to...

Oprah Winfrey and her fitness trainer Bob Greene have sold a book, to Simon & Schuster, for publication in January 2007.(DEALS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... OPRAH WINFREY and her fitness trainer BOB GREENE have sold a book, to Simon & Schuster, for publication in January 2007. The New York Post speculated that it was the biggest nonfiction deal ever. Earlier in her weight battles, they did Make the...

Don Cheadle and fellow activist John Prendergast have sold a book, Never Again.(DEALS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... DON CHEADLE and fellow activist JOHN PRENDERGAST have sold a book, Never Again, on their work against genocide in Darfur to Gretchen Young at Hyperion for Spring 2007, The deal was made by Joe Veltre at Artists Literary Group.

Relentless Aaron, the nom de plume of the entrepreneur Dewitt Gilmore, signed a four-book deal with St. Martin's for a sum in "the low six figures.(DEALS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... RELENTLESS AARON, the nom de plume of the entrepreneur Dewitt Gilmore, signed a four-book deal with St. Martin's for a sum in "the low six figures," said MONIQUE PATTERSON, a senior editor there. His next book, Extra MaritalAffairs, is due out...

Salome Thomas-El, whose book Immortality of Influence, with coauthor Cecil Murphey, was just published by Dafina Books in May.(DEALS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... SALOME THOMAS-EL, whose book Immortality of Influence, with coauthor CECIL MURPHEY, was just published by Dafina Books in May, says a screenplay of his first book, I Choose to Stay." A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City (Dafina...

Ken Smikle, president and founder of Target Market News, the new owner of Black Issues Book Review, presented William E. Cox, the magazine's founder and president of Cox, Matthews & Associates, with a mock-up of a cover bearing his likeness in appreciation for his legacy.
July 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Ken Smikle (left), president and founder of Target Market News, the new owner of Black Issues Book Review, presented William E. Cox, the magazine's founder and president of Cox, Matthews & Associates, with a...

Just 500 or so of our "best friends": National Book Club Conference will limit size to keep the literary ambience.
July 1, 2006... WHEN CURTIS BUNN STEPPED out on faith and founded the National Book Club Conference (NBCC) three years ago, he honestly did not know what to expect. What he hoped for was that other authors would experience the feeling he had every time he...

Warning: black men thinking: Pittsburgh group uses books to foster discussion on crucial issues.(book clubs)
July 1, 2006... AT SPIRITS EMBODIED GALLERY AND Literary Cafe, a black-owned business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, members of the Pittsburgh Cadre collectively believe the new week begins on Wednesday night at 6 P.M. because that's the start of the Cadres...

Sizzling.(BEST OF SUMMER 2006)
July 1, 2006... BIBITS Picks, by Genre At the 2006 BookExpo America, in Washington, D.C., in May, close to 1,000 authors and approximately 1,300 publishers showcased recent releases and upcoming titles--most just in time for a book lover's summer reading...

The new bestsellers: titles with ready-made audiences and mega-media support are delivering new challenges and rewards to publishers.(Cover story)
July 1, 2006... Sunday, April 23, 2006, was not just an unusual day. It was a historic one. What occurred didn't make the front page of newspapers, but more than seven million readers of the New York Times were witnesses to the event. They were, that is, if...

Well, it can't hurt ... does the New York Times best-seller list matter for black books?
July 1, 2006... Does placement on the New York Times best-seller list promise more sales and fans for black authors? Responses from industry experts range from an emphatic "yes" to "not really, but the exposure doesn't hurt." "It matters," says Dawn...

Beyond funny: black voices in the world of comics and graphic novels.
July 1, 2006... Welcome to the new world of the funnies. Comics, anime/manga and graphic novels--the last cultural frontier. Yes, when it comes to comics, everything old is new again. Graphic novels and comics in general are on the upswing in terms of...

Summer crop: the ALA's best of the best to feed youthful imaginations throughout the season.(Children's bookshelf)
July 1, 2006... The Coretta Scott King Book Award Committee of The American Library Association (ALA) each summer prepares a list of recommendations for BIBR's young readers that is chosen from recently published books. Here are the selections, by age group,...

A season of adventure: stories of challenge, love and friendship to engage young readers.(Children's review)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... There Is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me by Alice Walker Illustrations by Stefano Vitale HarperCollins Children's Books May 2006 $16.99, ISBN 0-060-57080-6 All ages The prize-winning author's first picture book in 15 years...

Live Like You're Blessed: Simple Steps for Making Balance, Love, Energy, Spirit, Success, Encouragement, and Devotion Part of Your Life.(Book review)
July 1, 2006... Live Like You're Blessed: Simple Steps for Making Balance, Love, Energy, Spirit, Success, Encouragement, and Devotion Part of Your Life by Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook Doubleday, May 2006 $17.95, ISBN 0-385-51719-X If you watched Coretta Scott...

The Hip-Hop Church: Connecting with the Movement Shaping Our Culture.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... The Hip-Hop Church: Connecting With the Movement Shaping Our Culture by Efrem Smith and Phil Jackson InterVarsity Press, December 2005 $14, ISBN 0-830-83329-3 These authors analyze the power of hip-hop and encourage churches not to...

Sanctuary: Creating a Blessed Place to Live and Love.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... Sanctuary: Creating a Blessed Place to Live and Love by Pamela J. Bailey Walk Worthy Press/Warner Books, May 2006 $12.95, ISBN 0-446-69516-5 In an era where the purchase of a house is more often an investment deal than just the acquisition...

Other noteworthy faith titles.
July 1, 2006... Augustine: A New Biography by James J. O'Donnell HarperCollins, April 2005 $26.95, ISBN 0-060-53537-7 Black Churches and Local Politics: Clergy Influence Organizational Partnerships, and Civic Empowerment Edited by R. Drew Smith and...

After.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... * After by Marita Golden Doubleday, May 2006 $23.95, ISBN 0-385-51222-8 What happens behind the scenes after a black policeman mistakenly shoots a young black man? What happens with his private life, with his family and his friends? What...

I Say a Little Prayer.(Book review)
July 1, 2006... I Say a Little Prayer by E. Lynn Harris Doubleday, May 2006 $21.95, ISBN 0-385-51272-4 This author's typical layering of romance, taboo sexuality and (relatively) conservative Christian beliefs has been a financially successful formula for...

Fortunate Son.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... * Fortunate Son by Walter Mosley Little, Brown and Company, April 2006 $23.95, ISBN 0-316-11471-5 Walter Mosley may be considered one of the greatest prose writers of all time. Most people in the literary world and readers in general fell...

Becoming Abigail.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... Becoming Abigail by Chris Abani Akashic Books, April 2006 $11.95, ISBN 1-888-45194-7 Chris Abani follows up his 2004 award-winning novel GraceLand with this novella about a flustered teenage girl, Abigail, whose mother died giving birth to...

Jump at the Sun.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... * Jump at the Sun by Kim McLarin William Morrow, July 2006 $24.95, ISBN 0-060-52849-4 Freedom is at the heart of the latest novel by McLarin, author of Meeting of the Waters (William Morrow, 2001) and Taming It Down (William Morrow, 1998)....

Chosen People: An Alex Powell Novel.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... Chosen People: An Alex Powell Novel by Karen Grigsby Bates Avon Trade, April 2006 $12.95, ISBN 0-060-55972-1 We all have secrets, but for some of people, secrets have the potential not just to embarrass them but also to destroy them, as...

Wizard of the Crow.(Book review)
July 1, 2006... * Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o Pantheon Books, August 2006 $30, ISBN 0-375-42248-X It's dangerous to mix politics and sorcery. The combination is always sure to produce a most heady brew. Murogi wa Kagogo (Wizard of the Crow),...

Frank Yerby: A Victim's Guilt, a Transformative Novel.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... Frank Yerby: A Victim's Guilt, A Transformative Novel by Eugene A. Stovall Regent Press, February 2006 $25.95, ISBN 1-587-90124-2 Imagine an author captured and hauled into his own narrative entanglements by his characters who are not...

Sweet Magnolia.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... Sweet Magnolia by Norma L. Jarrett Harlem Moon/Broadway Books, June 2006 $12.95, ISBN 0-767-92142-9 Set on Magnolia Lane in New Orleans, this novel weaves together present and past experiences of sisters Summer and Misa Ledoux. As...

The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner by Andrea Smith The Dial Press, May 2006 $24, ISBN 0-385-33623-3 Forget your preconceived notions about novels that focus on the past or characters who speak Southern dialect. In The Sisterhood of...

First-person Africa: gazing into the future of the homeland with fresh eyes and informed vision.(New News Out of Africa: Uncovering Africa's Renaissance)(An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... * New News Out of Africa: Uncovering Africa's Renaissance by Charlayne Hunter-Gault Oxford University Press June 2006 $23, ISBN 0-195-17747-9 * An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography by Paul Rusesabagina with Tom Zoellner Viking, April 2006...

Black Gold of the Sun: Searching for Home in Africa and Beyond.(Book review)
July 1, 2006... Black Gold of the Sun: Searching for Home in Africa and Beyond by Ekow Eshun, illustrations by Chris Ofili Pantheon Books, June 2006 $23, ISBN 0-375-42418-0 The search for one's roots can be both frustrating and rewarding. However, for...

A Black Way of Seeing: From "Liberty" to Freedom.(Book review)
July 1, 2006... * A Black Way of Seeing: From "Liberty" to Freedom by Paul Robeson Jr. Seven Stories Press, May 2006 $23.95, ISBN 1-583-22725-3 Among the several things to commend in A Black Way of Seeing is the singular voice and perspective of Paul...

White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... * White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era by Shelby Steele HarperCollins, May 2006 $24.95, ISBN 0-060-57862-9 The long subtitle of White Guilt lays bare Shelby Steele's intentions, though...

Never Drank the Kool-Aid: Essays.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... * Never Drank the Kool-Aid: Essays by Toure Picador, March 2006 $15, ISBN 0-312-42578-3 Whether anybody likes it or not, hip-hop is as American as apple pie. Whether the focus is Lil' Kim's implants or 50 Cent's thuggish newfound wealth or...

The Pursuit of Happyness.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner with Quincy Troupe Amistad/HarperCollins, June 2006 $25.95, ISBN 0-060-74486-3 This memoir chronicles the life of a self-made millionaire who worked as a stockbroker before becoming CEO of his own...

Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest Your Destiny.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest Your Destiny by Hill Harper Gotham Books, May 2006 $20, ISBN 1-592-40200-3 Harper is on the Hollywood fast track, starring in the hit CBS series CSI: NY and was recently named one of People magazine's...

Tomorrow Begins Today: African American Women As We Age.(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... * Tomorrow Begins Today: African American Women As We Age Edited by Cheryl Woodruff The National Council of Negro Women March 2006, $24.95, ISBN 0-976-54000-2 The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) is celebrating its 70th anniversary...

Selected titles: here are brief takes on some recent novels and nonfiction books by independent authors.
July 1, 2006... FICTION Family, Friends, Husbands and Lovers... The Best of Enemies by Gigi Budget Book Design/Books Just Book February 2006, $19.95, ISBN 0-977-76690-X Between these covers, you'll find sassy remarks, typical marital problems and...

That tornado from the west: Gordon Parks was the embodiment of elegance, culture and a zest for life.(tribute)(Obituary)
July 1, 2006... RIDING THE WIND FROM THE Midwest to the East Coast, a young Gordon already knew how hopeless life could be: orphaned, homeless in the middle of the Depression. Like the trains on which he worked as a waiter, he was driven, focused and fearless....

Hardcover.(flying off the shelves)
July 1, 2006... Fiction 1. I Say a Little Prayer/E. Lynn Harris (New) ($21.95, Doubleday, ISBN 0-385-51272-4) E. Lynn is back with a novel that puts gay/bi love, heartbreak and sin in the setting of a megachurch in Atlanta. 2. Chasing Destiny/Eric...

Paperback.(flying off the shelves)
July 1, 2006... Fiction 1. Candy Licker/Noire (2) ($13.95, One World/Ballantine, ISBN 0-345-48647-1) Urban erotic fable about an aspiring singer whose life is ruled by a megaproducer. 2. Payback Is a Mutha/Wahida Clark (New) ($15, Dafina...