Black Issues Book Review articles from November 2005

Black Issues Book Review archives from November 2005

A feast of photographers.(from the editor-in-chief)
November 1, 2005... Gordon Parks is a man of many gifts--the consummate Renaissance man, who has excelled in a wide range of arts ("A Lion in Winter," page 22). But he is best known for his work behind the camera--his photographs and his groundbreaking film The...

What we can do.(Hurricane Katrina victims)(Editorial)
November 1, 2005... This issue of Black Issues Book Review invites us all to look back over the year in book publishing and to look forward to the holidays. We had just about finished editing this package of lively, mostly upbeat stories, when the unthinkable...

Honoring a dad.(letter to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... My name is Hasna Muhammad, and I am the daughter of Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. My father was my writing buddy, and one of the many things that he shared with me was Black Issues Book Review. Since his passing, there have been numerous honors and...

Mixed media.(between the lines: the inside scoop on what's happening in the publishing industry)
November 1, 2005... Kanye West, the Grammy-winning music producer and performer, recently bought the film rights to Lolita Files's Child of God, Publishers Marketplace reported. The deal was made by Steve Fisher at APA, on behalf of Elaine Koster Agency, an agency...

The "talking head": with the "paid-mouthpiece" episode behind him, Armstrong Williams plans a book.(between the lines: the inside scoop on what's happening in the publishing industry)
November 1, 2005... Armstrong Williams told Black Issues Book Review recently that he had been set this year to publish "a critique of the liberal, elite civil-rights leadership that is black, white and Jewish." That was put on hold when Williams became the...

Transition noted: John H. Johnson, 1918-2005: a book publisher reflects on Ebony founder's legacy.(between the lines: the inside scoop on what's happening in the publishing industry)(Obituary)
November 1, 2005... When John H. Johnson, founder of Ebony and Jet magazines and the chairman of Johnson Publishing Company and Fashion Fair Cosmetics died at age 87 in August, the black publishing community mourned him as a hero who fit the way for others to...

Signings & sightings.(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... DETROIT, MI End the year on a literary note with the Essence of Motown Writers Alliance Meet & Greet in Detroit. Authors, writers and readers gather to talk literature, promote literacy; and check out the book fair. For more details, call...

E-clubs: an update on online book clubs that unite eager readers and authors.(book bytes)
November 1, 2005... Online book clubs are thriving as African Americans find places to chat about their favorite books and authors discover them as a link to readers who will buy their books. Authors are thrilled to receive a review on Rawsistaz.com...

From stage to page: love of theater and books draws club members.(Second Street Theatre Subscriber Book Club, Manhattan )
November 1, 2005... For most book clubs, the big challenge is getting everyone to read the chosen book. At the Second Street Theatre Subscriber Book Club in Manhattan that does not appear to be a problem. As the group assembled on a recent Sunday to discuss...

'The Color Purple' in restrospect: twenty years after the debut, the film's beauty never fades.
November 1, 2005... TWENTY YEARS AGO, ON DECEMBER 18, 1985, WARNER BROS. released a movie directed by Steven Spielberg based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Alice Walker novel The Color Purple (Harvest Books [reprint], May 2003). Unlike the director's blockbuster...

Sunshine Has Rain.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Sunshine Has Rain by Sherrance Henderson Imperious Publishing, September 2004 $14.90, ISBN 0-975-86241-3 Henderson describes her journey in painstaking and personal detail, through fictional character Channa Renee Jones. Jones becomes...

The Joshua Tree.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The Joshua Tree by L. Steven Rencher Frayer & Williams Publishing, May 2005 $18.95, ISBN 1-413-74183-5 The Joshua Tree reads like an epic. Set ha the Bronx, New York, in 1972, it's the story of two teenagers, Joshua Peeler and Sarah...

It's a Shame to Be a Negro.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... It's a Shame to Be a Negro by Hans Lindor PublishAmerica LLC, February 2005 $19.95, ISBN 1-413-74183-5 The author begins his book with the words "It's a shame to be a Negro because society has a grudge against me"; and in 17 chapters he...

Brotherwood.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Brotherwood by Gregory B. Williams All Things All People Publishing October 2004, $15, ISBN 0-970-23771-5 Solomon Woods is a single parent living in the suburbs of Detroit. He's handsome, intelligent and charming, and though he appears to...

Other noteworthy titles.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... I Am the Darker Brother by Eugene Williams PublishAmerica LLC, January 2005 $14.95, ISBN 1-4137-3412-X A novella based on the author's time at Emory University and as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Lazarus by Rashid Darden Old...

Gordon Parks: a lion in winter: on living life as one "superb feast".(Interview)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2005... I have always considered myself a spiritual daughter of Gordon Parks; and I have viewed him as a mentor all of my professional life. So I was delighted and thrilled to have the opportunity to sit with him and reminisce about his illustrious...

Best photography books.(Bibliography)
November 1, 2005... America on the Ropes: A Pictorial History of the Johnson-Jeffries Fight by Wayne A. Rozen Casey Press, LLC, 2004 $70, ISBN 0-976-29640-3 Here, the story of the famous fight between two prizefighters: lack Johnson, "the man with the golden...

Fine art, fine books: a well-thought-out library for the serious collector.(essentials: Selections for the well-stocked personal library)
November 1, 2005... "By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established, and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."--Proverbs 24:-3-4 AN ARTIST FRIEND AND SCHOLAR, MICHAEL HARRIS TELLS A wonderful story that...

Cherishing African heritage: preservers and scholars discuss the historic cultural values and contemporary significance.(eye: A showcase for the visual arts)
November 1, 2005... For decades, many people have visited museums and galleries the world over and have been enthralled by the African art collections. It may seem like an undemanding question, but admiring such exquisite works, reading the tags for insight and...

BIBR's best of 2005: a roundup of the year's best books from a bumper crop of new novels by seasoned African American talents, as well as noteworthy debuts.
November 1, 2005... Eye-Catchers The Best Fine Art and Coffee-table Books Basquiat Edited by Marc Mayer With essays by Fred Hoffman, Kellie Jones Marc Mayer and Franklin Sirmans Merrell Publishers/Brooklyn Museum, March 2005 $45, ISBN 1-858-94287-X A...

At their level: seasoned children's author is at it again.(Walter Dean Myers)(Interview)
November 1, 2005... WALTER DEAN MYERS is no stranger to writing good tales. For more than four decades, he has informed, dazzled and created wonderful real-life stories for readers of all ages, aiming the stories mostly at young adults and using the multicolored...

Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie Lee & Low Books, May 2005 $17.95, ISBN 1-584-30232-1 Ages 7 and up "The story is about a boy whose city gets attacked by a war. He...

It Is the Wind.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... It Is the Wind by Ferida Wolff Illustrated by James Ransome HarperCollins Publishers, April 2005 $14.99, ISBN 0-060-28191-X Ages 2 to 6 "This book is about a little boy, the wind and animals making the noises in the night-time. The...

Little Stevie Wonder.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Little Stevie Wonder by Quincy Troupe Illustrated by Lisa Cohen Houghton Mifflin Company (book & CD edition), April 2005 $18, ISBN 0-618-34060-2 Ages 9 to 12 "This was about the discovery of Little Stevie Wonder's musical talent. Before...

My Best Friend.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... My Best Friend by Mary Ann Rodman Illustrated by E.B. Lewis Viking Children's Books, May 2005 $15.99, ISBN 0-670-05989-7 Ages 4 and up "Lily likes an older girl named Tamika, Tamika doesn't like her because she's mean and treats Lily like...

Ring in the holidays.(children's bookshelf)(Bibliography)
November 1, 2005... Three Kings and a Star Retold end illustrated by Fred Cramp Jr. Urban Ministries, Inc., October 2005 $12.95, ISBN 1-932-71552-5 An Afrocentric retelling of The Three Wise King's journey to Bethlehem to find the baby Jesus. Vivid, fun-page...

Extending a heart.(children's bookshelf)(Bibliography)
November 1, 2005... November is National Adoption Awareness Month, celebrated by presidential proclamation and activities throughout the country. In his proclamation last year, President George W. Bush said, "By deciding to share their hearts and homes with a...

The best of the best--for kids only.(children's bookshelf)(Bibliography)
November 1, 2005... Sandra L. Jamison, a writer for BIBR, surveyed several bookstores to find out what are the top-selling books for children and young adults. These are the results: Picture Books Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen Silver Whistle, November...

Best books of 2005.(children's bookshelf)(Bibliography)
November 1, 2005... A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson, illustrated by Philippe Lardy Houghton Mifflin Company, April 2005 $17, ISBN 0-618-39752-3 Ages 13-17 Published in observance of the 50th anniversary of the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, who...

The Blueprint for My Girls in Love: 99 Rules for Dating, Relationships, and Intimacy.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The Blueprint for My Girls in Love: 99 Rules for Dating, Relationships and Intimacy by Yasmin Shiraz Simon & Schuster, May 2005 $13, ISBN 0-743-27095-7 Every parent of an African American girl should give this book to their 'tweenage...

Teen Spirit: One World, Many Paths.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Teen Spirit: One World, Many Paths by Paul B. Raushenbush HCI Teens, October 2004 $11.95, ISBN 0-757-30119-3 Rauschenbush, or "Pastor Paul," takes a very different approach to bringing religion to youth. Rather than advocating one...

Grounded in the Word: A Guide to Mastering Standardized Test Vocabulary and Biblical Comprehension.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Grounded in the Word: A Guide to Mastering Standardized Test Vocabulary and Biblical Comprehension by Dr. Eugene Williams St. and Eugene Williams Jr. Comptex Associates Inc. (revised edition) April 2003, $15.95, ISBN 0-911-84906-8 Can't...

Bang!(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Bang! by Sharon G. Flake Hyperion Books for Children September 2005 $16.99, ISBN 0-786-81844-1 When his family is emotionally torn apart by the murder of his younger brother, Jason, Mann begins to lose all aspirations of surviving the...

Me and my shadow: a remarkable first novel from a young Brit haunts the mind and soul.(Helen Oyeyemi)(Critical Essay)
November 1, 2005... Can a writer step out of herself and write a novel? Helen Oyeyemi, author of the novel The Icarus Girl, says she did just that. "The best part of The Icarus Girl was leaving myself behind and imagining, taking a diasporic look at Nigerian...

Feast of love: a Kwanzaa celebration to remember.(Excerpt)
November 1, 2005... Excerpted from Between Father and Son: An African-American Fable by Eric V. Copage, Amistad/HarperCollins, October 2005 $14.95, ISBN 0-060-82861-7 (for ages 9 to 12) By permission of the publisher It was the week before the Oakwood school...

Thoughts that count: some of our favorite authors choose the one book they would give as a gift this holiday.
November 1, 2005... "If You Could Give One Book this Christmas or Kwanzaa what would it be?" Black Issues Book Review asked contemporary writers this simple question, and we also asked them to explain why they would choose that book, and if they wished, to whom...

The city that reads together ... as "One Book" programs mushroom, so do sales for a select few African American authors.
November 1, 2005... ONE BOOK, ONE CITY PROGRAMS IN HUNDREDS OF CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY DON'T QUITE EQUAL THE EFFECT of Oprah Winfrey's book club on the publishing world, but they bring a welcome sales boost for the lucky authors whose works are recognized. ...

Retail report--2005: Florida bookseller comes full circle, as others take off in new directions.(market buzz)
November 1, 2005... Once a teacher, always a teacher. Jackie Perkins entered segregated Florida classrooms in Broward and Orange counties determined to make a difference. Armed with a degree from Florida A&M University and a passion for knowledge that comes...

Getting to Amen: 8 Strategies for Managing Conflict in the African American Church.(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Getting to Amen: 8 Strategies for Managing Conflict in the African American Church by Lora-Ellen McKinney Judson Press, July 2005 $14, ISBN 0-817-01477-2 The church has been a source of inspiration, comfort and status for the African...

Where the Edge Gathers: Building a Community of Radical Inclusion.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Where the Edge Gathers: Building a Community of Radical Inclusion by Yvette A. Flunder Pilgrim Press, May 2005 $23, ISBN 0-829-81638-0 The Reverend Yvette A. Flunder's book drives home the point that marginalized people, including gays and...

Lift Up Your Hands: Raise Your Praise and Get Lost in God.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Lift Up Your Hands: Raise Your Praise and Get Lost in God by Gloria P. Pruett Walk Worthy Press/Warner Books November 2005 $21.95, ISBN 0-446-57823-1 To allow oneself to experience praise represents more than an act--it's a lifestyle....

My Proposal: Nothing But a Gracechild.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... My Proposal: Nothing But a Gracechild by Moses T. Alexander Greene Gracechild Publishing April 2005, $19.95 ISBN 0-972-30810-5 Unusual, eccentric, creative and insightful would all be appropriate descriptors for Moses T. Alexander Greene's...

A man of many gifts: for Oscar Brown Jr., music and words were a driving force: his art remains an enduring reminder of just how much he enriched American culture with his performances, wit, songs, plays, essays and activism.(tribute)(Biography)
November 1, 2005... Shades of delight; Cocoa hue, Rich as a night Afro Blue. This stanza of lyric from "Afro Blue" typifies Oscar Brown Jr.'s poetic mastery, and it is also an intimation of his artistic versatility with its "shades of delight"...

Sam Cooke: legend: biography documents the roots of soul through a star's life.(Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke )(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke by Peter Guralnick Little, Brown and Company, October 2005 $27.95, ISBN 0-316-37794-5 Sam Cooke is an important figure in American music, and Dream Boogie is everything you could possibly want to know...

The Prodigal: A Poem.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The Prodigal: A Poem by Derek Walcott Farrar, Straus and Giroux, October 2004 $20, ISBN 0-374-23743-3 Written with the ambitiousness of Homer and reminiscent of the way Gwendolyn Brooks juxtaposes contextual realities to societal norms,...

Somewhere Else.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Somewhere Else by Matthew Shenoda Coffee House Press, April 2005 $14, ISBN 1-566-89173-6 Matthew Shenoda is a community poet. His poems are addressed to all of us, regardless of ethnicity or creed. It feels shamefully rare now to find...

Wise Fish: Tales in 6/8 Time.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Wise Fish: Tales in 6/8 Time by Adrian Castro Coffee House Press, April 2005 $14, ISBN 1-566-89172-8 This is a particularly challenging read. Several of the poems are multilingual (English, Spanish, Yoruba or other African languages); and...

Mercy.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Mercy by Lucille Clifton Boa Editions, Ltd., September 2004 $22, ISBN 1-929-91855-0 Lucille Clifton's prophetic Mercy reads like an oracle's diary. Clifton's precise diction, her simple yet sophisticated word choice, is a staple of her...

The Language of Saxophones: Selected Poems of Kamau Daaood.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The Language of Saxophones: Selected Poems of Kamau Daaood City Lights Publishers, April 2005 $10.95, ISBN 0-872-86441-3 This book, a 35-year sampling of the writer's work, sings the mournful, joyful songs of life sustained between have and...

Fledgling.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... * Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler Seven Stories Press, October 2005 $24.95, ISBN 1-583-22690-7 Octavia E. Buffer has always given readers science fiction stories that are beautifully written and inclusive. Her novels, which include Pattern...

26A by Diana Evans.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... * 26A by Diana Evans William Morrow, September 2005 $23.95, ISBN 0-060-82091-8 Identical twins have always made for some of humanity's most fascinating subjects, and Bessi and Georgia Hunter, the protagonists of Diana Evans's novel are no...

The Vow.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The Vow by Denene Millner, Angela Burt-Murray and Mitzi Miller Amistad/HarperCollins, November 2005 $23.95, ISBN 0-060-76227-6 The Vow kicks off at a wedding on New Year's Eve, where three thirty-something sistahs in Los Angeles--you...

The Hot Spot.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The Hot Spot by TaRessa BET Books-Sepia, August 2005 $20, ISBN 1-583-14615-6 TaRessa breaks onto the fiction scene with an entertaining and mildly erotic girlfriend novel that's full of twists and turns. Meghan Bennett is a "fierce...

Brickhouse.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Brickhouse by Rita Ewing Avon Trade/HarperCollins, June 2005 $12.95 ISBN 0-060-57055-5 True to her roots, fitness instructor Nona Simms has one of the hottest, most cutting-edge workout facilities in Harlem. Her patented Brickhouse...

Resurrecting Langston Blue.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Resurrecting Langston Blue by Robert Greer Frog, Ltd., October 2005 $23.95, ISBN 1-583-94136-3 C.J. Floyd is a familiar Western character--a cheroot-chewing, rough-and-tumble tough guy with a heart of gold. He's made his bones as a bail...

Haarlem: A Novel.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Haarlem: A Novel by Heather Neff Harlem Moon/Broadway Books, July 2005 $12.95, ISBN 0-767-91750-2 Abel Crofton rests during the daylight hours. At night, he's on his grind. Five days a week, Abel ventures underground, beneath the New York...

Dissolve.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Dissolve by Jonathan Luckett Strebor Books, July 2005 $13, ISBN 1-593-09041-2 For those individuals who prefer a buffet-style approach to novel writing, Jonathan Luckett's third novel, Dissolve, is sure to satisfy their palates with its...

Easy Rawlins is back!(Noteworthy Title)(Cinnamon Kiss )(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Cinnamon Kiss by Walter Mosley Little, Brown and Company September 2005 $24.95, ISBN 0-316-07302-4 In his latest book, Mosley is at his storyteller best, as he weaves mystery, suspense, murder and a new love interest, the captivating...

What might have been: where research ends and imagination takes over in fiction.(the writing life)
November 1, 2005... In my most recent novel, Third Girl From the Left (Houghton Mifflin Company, September 2005), one of the protagonists, a young actress named Angela Edwards, meets Black Panther leader Huey E Newton at a wrap party for the film Coffy, in which...

Righteous recipes: from Harlem to the Deep South, new cookbooks invite a fresh look at ethnic and regional cuisines.(the welcome table)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The good folks of one of America's premiere churches have at last consented to share their collective culinary wisdom and storied food history in Food for the Soul: Recipes and Stories From the Congregation of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist...

Black skins, silver screen: two early stars of Hollywood lived with stereotypes but held their own.(Stepin Fetchit: The Life and Times of Lincoln Perry)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Stepin Fetchit: The Life and Times of Lincoln Perry by Mel Watkins Pantheon Books, October 2005 $26.95, ISBN 0-375-42382-6 The Zeitgeist of many black Americans in 1927 was represented by Lincoln Perry a.k.a. Stepin Fetchit as a brilliant...

Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood.(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood by Jill Watts Amistad/HarperCollins, October 2005 $27.95, ISBN 0-060-51490-6 Much of what is widely known about Hattie McDaniel's early life was made up by white studio executives. Thanks to...

Rise and Fly: Tall Tales and Mostly True Rules of Bid Whist.(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Rise and Fly: Tall Tales and Mostly True Rules of Bid Whist by Greg Morrison and Yanick Rice Lamb Three Rivers Press, August 2005 $12, ISBN 1-400-05168-1 How can it be stressful to read such a readable and entertaining book such as Rise...

My Face Is Black Is True: Callie House and the Struggle for Ex-Slave Reparations.(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... My Face Is Black Is True: Callie House and the Struggle for the Ex-Slave Reparations by Mary Frances Berry Knopf, September 2005 $26.95, ISBN 1-400-04003-5 The idea of reparations has always been dismissed as an absurd impossibility. But...

Confessions of a Video Vixen.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Confessions of a Video Vixen by Karrine Steffans Amistad/HarperCollins, June 2005 $24.95, ISBN 0-060-84242-3 You've probably heard about Confessions of a Video Vixen, part memoir, part name dropping tell-all. Its author, Karrine Steffans,...

Flying off the shelves.(Bibliography)
November 1, 2005... Hardcover Fiction 1. The Interruption of Everything/ Terry McMillan (NEW) (Viking, $25.95, ISBN 0-670-03144-5) McMillan's sixth novel is a tale of midlife crisis told in the witty, honest and inspiring style we've come to expect...