Black Issues Book Review back issues from March 2002:
From the editor-in-chief.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
Mar 01, 2002; ... It's an honor for me to feature poet and publisher Haki Madhubuti on BIBR's cover for March-April. I count him as a dear personal friend. More significantly, he is a black cultural luminary and one of the brethren who are building African-American-owned institutions. Our ...
Executive editor's view.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Welcome to the dollhouse," is how literary agent Manie Barron greeted me when we first met in January. Indeed, that line aptly describes the world of black books--capricious and ever-changing, yet fiercely competitive. In this, my first issue as executive editor, I quickly ...
Black romance. (Letters to the editor).
Mar 01, 2002; ... Thank you for your article "How Black Romance--Novels, That Is--Came to Be" by Gwendolyn Osborne. Ms. Osborne is the author of countless articles on the black romance genre and has proven to be an authority on African-American romance, and a tireless advocate of it as a legitimate ...
Taking issue with Terry McMillan. (Letters to the editor).
Mar 01, 2002 ... Since I am listed in Black Issues Book Review as one of the two editorial advisers, I thought I would comment on the January-February 2002 issue. It was good to see a very attractive and happy Terry McMillan on the cover. However, I was upset to see her referred to as "the writer everybody ...
Upcoming special reports in BIBR. (Letters to the editor).
Mar 01, 2002 ... Over the next few issues, we will be adding coverage of special interest to our readers. In the May-June issue: Book Expo and Black Music. In July-August: Self-Publishing and ...
The Schomburg Center receives $1.16 million from New York Life--largest donation ever for young people's program. (between the lines: the inside scoop on what's happening in the publishing industry).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture received a $1.16 million, four-year grant from the New York Life Foundation. The grant established The New York Life/Schomburg Center Junior Scholars Program, an educational program for schoolchildren ages 11 through 17. Howard Dodson, ...
Best-selling author Pearl Cleage moves from William Morrow to One World/Ballantine. (Deals).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Anita Diggs, senior editor and director of One World/Ballantine, has acquired the next two novels from acclaimed playwright and novelist Pearl Cleage; the first is to be published in summer 2003. Cleage's previous works include Deals with the Devil and Other Reasons to Riot, which was ...
Langston Hughes stamp. (between the lines: the inside scoop on what's happening in the publishing industry).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... On Friday, February 1, 2002, the U.S. Postal Service commissioned a stamp in honor of Harlem Renaissance writer and poet Langston Hughes. The stamp commemorates the 100th birthday of Hughes, and the 25th anniversary of the Black Heritage stamp series that began in 1978. The First Day of ...
A Day in the Life of Africa.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... On Thursday, February 28, 2002, one hundred of the world's eminent photojournalists from 18 different countries spread out over 53 nations on the continent of Africa to capture the incredible images of African culture in one day. The best photos will be included in the book A Day ...
2001 BET Arabesque Man.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Paul Haney is the grand prize winner of the 2001 "Do You Know an Arabesque Man?" contest sponsored by BET Arabesque Books. Haney, 44, a firefighter based in Bethesda, Maryland, was among ...
Awards spotlight.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Taylor and Pinkney win 2002 Coretta Scott King Awards Congratulations to Mildred Taylor and Jerry Pinkney, winners of the 2002 Coretta Scott King Awards, presented by the American Library Association. Taylor won for The Land, the prequel to her 1977 Newberry Award-winning young ...
Events corner.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Date Change: The new date for Write Now 3! An African American Literary Experience is March 15-16, 2002. For more information contact 410-542-0193 or visit www.sibanye.com National Library Week National Library Week is April 14-20, 2002. Check your local ...
The Life of Langston Hughes Volume I: 1902-1941 I, Too, Sing America. (BIBR recommends).
Mar 01, 2002; ... The Life of Langston Hughes Volume I: 1902-1941 I, Too, Sing America ISBN 0-195-14642-5 by Arnold Rampersad Oxford Univ. Press, Feb. 2002, $21.50 each Stanford University Professor Arnold Rampersad's definitive two-volume biography of Langston Hughes is now available in ...
The Life of Langston Hughes Volume II: 1941-1967 I Dream a World. (BIBR recommends).
Mar 01, 2002; ... The Life of Langston Hughes I Dream a World ISBN 0-195-14643-3 by Arnold Rampersad Oxford Univ. Press, Feb. 2002, $21.50 each Stanford University Professor Arnold Rampersad's definitive two-volumebiography of Langston Hughes is now available in paperback. Rampersad ...
The Collected Works of Langston Hughes Volumes 1-17. (BIBR recommends).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... The Collected Works of Langston Hughes Volumes 1-17 Various editors Chronology by Arnold Rampersad University of Missouri Press, 2001-2002, $29.95 each www.system.missouri.edu/upress This compilation of Hughes' novels, poems, essays and other works provides readers ...
Remember Me to Harlem: the Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, 1925-1964. (BIBR recommends).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, 1925-1964 Edited by Emily Bernard Vintage, February 2002, $15.00 ISBN 0-375-72707-8 Now available in paperback, this collection of letters edited by ...
Mahalia: a Life in Gospel Music. (BIBR recommends).(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Mahalia: A Life in Gospel Music by Roxane Orgill Candlewick Press, January 2002, $19.99, ISBN 0-763-61011-9 Thirty years after her death, Mahalia Jackson's moving voice is still recognized by millions of music lovers around the world. Author Roxane Orgill offers a look into the ...
Freedom's Daughters: the Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement from 1830 to 1970. (BIBR recommends).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Freedom's Daughters: The Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement from 1830 to 1970 by Lynne Olson Touchstone Books, January 2002, $16.00, ISBN 0-684-85013-3 Freedom's Daughters fills a hole in history by informing readers about little-known but powerful African-American ...
Book dealers serve up used, rare and well-done books. (market buzz).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... In Walter Mosley's novel Fearless Jones, the protagonist Paris Minton is the owner of a small, used bookstore in South Central Los Angeles who stocks his shelves with castoffs from local libraries. When the store is destroyed, it serves as a catalyst for the story. "That bookstore was what ...
The art of moderation. (books N clubs).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Diane Brooks has attended all but one of the monthly meetings of the Sisters Reading Club of Dayton, Ohio, since joining in 1999. An enthusiastic participant in the group's book discussions, Brooks wanted to do more than simply talk about the group's selection, Pipe Dream, a debut novel by ...
Web wonders. (book bytes: SistaPower).
Mar 01, 2002; ... In 2000, Lorraine Phillips and Jacqueline Cornelius created an online inspirational magazine for black women. The Atlanta-based founders feature cultural and literary information on their website and are hoping to expand its content. BIBR talked to Phillips about what inspired her to ...
Sesame street online. (Just For Kids).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Welcome to the online world of Bert, Ernie and, yes, Elmo. There are lots of images here, so if your browser is slow, be patient. It's worth the few extra seconds of loading time. There are actually two worlds to explore on www.sesamestreet.com--for parents, and one for kids old enough to ...
Got permission? One seller comes under fire. (Online Bookselling).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002 ... It's not Amazon, Cushcity, or Borders.com, but one online bookseller is in hot water after being suspected of not only posting and selling excerpts from books without permission, but suggesting that using the excerpt is better than buying the book. The online seller, ...
Is the e-book craze over? (Tech Trend).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002 ... A few more websites bit the dust in publishing cyberspace. Mightywords.com, a spin-off of Fatbrain.com and owned by barnesandnoble.com, received loads of attention when it launched in December 2000, heralded as the site to target new authors who want to publish online. Unfortunately, in ...
Education: an attempt to bridge the digital divide? (Net News).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... In January, a federal education bill called the No Child Left Behind Act created by the Bush administration was passed by Congress. Also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Authorization Bill, a major component of the measure is to increase funds to schools for technology ....
Click on this: www.LiterateNubian.com.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002 ... Are you a poet or writer that needs inspiration or simply wants to share your work? Maybe you enjoy reading new, undiscovered literary talent? If so, this site might be of interest to you. LiterateNubian.com was created as a place for African-American and black Brit scribes to interact, ...
The Black Female Body: a Photographic History. (eye).
Mar 01, 2002; ... The Black Female Body: A Photographic History by Deborah Willis and Carla Williams Temple University Press, February 2002 $50.00 ISBN 1-566-39928-9 Shame has been the veil through which many of us have viewed our naked bodies at times. Early on, we learned that nudity was ...
Beautiful: Nudes. (eye).
Mar 01, 2002; ... Beautiful: Nudes by Marc Baptiste Photographs by Marc Baptiste Text by Bethann Hardison, Deborah Gregory and Pamela Chess Universe Publishing December 2001, $45.00 ISBN 0-789-30646-8 Shame has been the veil through which many of us have viewed our naked bodies at times. Early ...
Black Hair: Art, Style, and Culture. (eye).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Black Hair: Art, Style, and Culture by Ima Ebong Universe Publishing, October 2001, $25.00 ISBN 0-789-30624-7 "Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair ...," or so go the words to the title song from the Broadway musical Hair. We talk shop about it, exclaim it, even agonize ...
You Look Beautiful Like That: the Portrait Photographs of Seydou Keita and Malick Sidibe. (eye).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... You Look Beautiful Like That: The Portrait Photographs of Seydou Keita and Malick Sidibe by Michelle Lamuniere Yale University Press September 2001 $22.95 ISBN 0-300-09188-5 Whoever said, "A picture is worth a thousand words," understated the impact of a compelling image. The ...
I Am Iman. (eye).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... I Am Iman by Iman, foreword by David Bowie Universe Publishing, November 2001 $45.00, ISBN 0-789-30633-6 When Iman burst onto the fashion scene in 1975, she was not the first black model to set foot on the runway. There had already been a handful of stunning black women who had ...
A Camel for the Son. (eye).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... A Camel for the Son by Fazal Sheikh Netherlands Photo Institute and the Mondrian Foundation, February 2001 ISBN 0-970-76130-9 Breaking with tradition in merging book with reader, Fazal Sheikh (A Sense of Common Ground, The Victor Weeps: Afghanistan) does not require that you buy ...
Ramadan Moon. (eye).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Ramadan Moon by Fazal Sheikh Netherlands Photo Institute and the Mondrian Foundation, April 2001 ISBN 0-970-76131-7 Breaking with tradition in merging book with reader, Fazal Sheikh (A Sense of Common Ground, The Victor Weeps: Afghanistan) does not require that you buy his ...
The new literary blackface.
Mar 01, 2002; ... Satire has a long history in African-American culture. The very language that black people created once they arrived in America is filled with ironic rituals and stories, which like all satire point out failures and foibles using humor. Throughout African and African-American culture, ...
Miracle at St. Anna. (fiction reviews).
Mar 01, 2002; ... Miracle at St. Anna by James McBride Riverhead Books February 2002, $24.95 ISBN 1-573-22212-7 James McBride, the journalist and musician who authored the best-selling 1996 memoir The Color of Water, has written a compelling first novel about love, loyalty, betrayal and race in ...
The Fall of Rome. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... The Fall of Rome by Martha Southgate Scribner, February 2002, $23.00 ISBN 0-684-86500-9 Because uninspired, malicious teachers like the protagonist in Martha Southgate's The Fall of Rome really do exist, countless African-American children never realize their potential. Instead, ...
Discretion. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Discretion by Elizabeth Nunez One World/Ballantine, March 2002 $23.95, ISBN 0-345-44731-X In Discretion, Trinidad-born, award-winning author Elizabeth Nunez offers up a mystical tale about love, passion and the choices we make in life. The story centers around Oufoula Sindede, ...
The God Who Begat a Jackal. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... The God Who Begat a Jackal by Nega Mezlekia Picador, January 2002, $23.00 ISBN 0-312-28701-1 Nega Mezlekia's rich, fanciful world of feudal lords, vassal serfs, rebel slaves and damsels in distress puts a fictional spin on 18th-century Ethiopian history. Mezlekia made a splash ...
Love Don't Live Here Anymore. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Love Don't Live Here Anymore by Denene Millner and Nick Chiles Dutton, March 2002, $23.95 ISBN 0-525-94641-1 Most men--and women--would consider it a dream assignment to spend a few months working in Paris. But for Randy Murphy, his stay is more like a nightmare. ...
You Know Better. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... You Know Better by Tina McElroy Ansa William Morrow & Co., April 2002, $24.95 ISBN-0-060-19779-X Tina McElroy Ansa, author of The Hand I Fan With and Baby of the Family, once again plumbs the spirit world to solve the problems of a few earthly souls. You Know Better focuses on ...
This Bitter Earth. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... This Bitter Earth by Bernice L. McFadden Dutton, February 2002, $23.95 ISBN-0-525-94636-5 In this beautifully written follow-up to her debut novel, Sugar, Bernice L. McFadden continues to chronicle the hapless life of Sugar Lacey, who was born out of wedlock in rural Arkansas, ...
Meant to Be. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Meant to Be by Rita Coburn Whack Strivers Row, March 2002, $11.95 ISBN-0-375-75809-7 Patience is a virtue. That adage proves to be true in the life of Patience Jan Campbell, 13, who lives in suburban Illinois. Jan, as everyone calls her, is saddened by her parents' outward ...
Bombingham. (fiction reviews).
Mar 01, 2002; ... Bombingham by Anthony Grooms The Free Press, October 2001, $24.00 ISBN 0-743-20558-8 In the war-torn rice fields of Vietnam, GI Walter Lee Burke recalls the other battlefields where his mettle was tested--the streets of Birmingham and his childhood home. As Walter struggles to ...
Black Silk: a Collection of African American Erotica. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Black Silk: A Collection of African American Erotica edited by Retha Powers Warner, February 2002, $13.95 ISBN 0-446-67691-8 "There were lovers giggling in the A&P, nose to nose in the ATM line, holding on to each other in the Chinese laundry, slapping butts coming out of the ...
Granddaddy's Dirt. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Granddaddy's Dirt by Brian Egeston Carter-Krall Publishers, October 2001 $23.00, ISBN-0-967-55059-9 Writer Brian Egeston mixes a potent concoction of family scandal, long-buried secrets and humor to create an enthralling and modestly engaging new book. Granddaddy's ...
Sittin' in the Front Pew. (fiction reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Sittin' in the Front Pew by Parry "Ebony Satin" Brown Strivers Row, April 2002, $13.95 ISBN-0-375-75705-8 Edward Naylor was a solid brother. He worked hard, raised four daughters on his own, and touched everyone with his generous and kind spirit. When Edward suddenly dies, his ...
On Her Own Ground: the Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker by A'Lelia Bundles Washington Square Press January 2002 $15.00 ISBN 0-743-43172-3 Madame C.J. Walker, the first black female ...
Finding Fish: a Memoir. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... Finding Fish: A Memoir by Antwone Quentone Fisher Harper Perennial, December 2001, $13.95 ISBN 0-060-00778-8 Life wasn't always glamorous for ...
Breathing Room. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... Breathing Room by Patricia Elam Washington Square Press January 2002 $13.00, ISBN 0-671-02843-X Female relationships are complex ones. Holding friendships ...
Black, White and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... Black, White and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self by Rebecca Walker Riverhead Books, January 2002, $14.00 ISBN 1-573-22907-5 Identity is something every human ...
Soul Food: 52 Principles for Black Entrepreneurial Success. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... Soul Food: 52 Principles for Black Entrepreneurial Success by Robert L. Wallace Perseus Publishing, January 2002, $16.00 ISBN 0-738-20591-5 Fifty-two is the magic number ...
Fire in Beulah. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... Fire in Beulah by Rilla Askew Penguin, January 2002, $13.00 ISBN 0-142-00024-8 1920s Oklahoma is the backdrop for the story of two women from two completely different backgrounds whose paths ...
Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America by Ayana D. Byrd & Lori L. Tharps St. Martin's Press, January 2002, $12.95 ISBN 0-312-28322-9 Hair has always been ...
The Living Blood. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... The Living Blood by Tananarive Due Washington Square Press January 2002 $14.00 ISBN 0-671-04084-7 Jessica Jacobs-Wolde has lost her husband and first daughter. Left with only her second daughter ...
The Quest for Cosmic Justice. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell Touchstone, February 2002, $14.00 ISBN 0-684-86463-0 Thomas Sowell didn't write this book to appease anyone. In fact, he wrote ...
A Personal Odyssey. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... A Personal Odyssey by Thomas Sowell Touchstone, February 2002, $15,00 ISBN 0-684-86465-7 Sowell educates readers on his lessons in the school of ...
The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cornel West Touchstone, January 2002, $16.00 ISBN ...
Tenderheaded: a Comb-Bending Collection of Hair Stories. (new to paperback).(Brief Review)
Mar 01, 2002 ... Tenderheaded: A Comb-Bending Collection of Hair Stories edited by Juliette Harris and Pamela Johnson introduction by Ntozake Shange Washington Square Press, February 2002 $14.00 ISBN 0-671-04756-6 Pamela ...
Resurrecting Mingus. (new to paperback).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002 ... Resurrecting Mingus by Jenoyne Adams Washington Square Press, February 2002, $13.00 ISBN 0-671-78781-0 Adams scores big with her captivating debut novel. Mingus Browning's worm seems to come crashing down when she learns of her father's infidelity. Her father ...
The man and the plan: conspiracy theories and paranoia in our culture.
Mar 01, 2002; ... To promote his 1967 novel The Man Who Cried I Am, John A. Williams xeroxed portions of the book detailing the King Alfred Plan--an international conspiracy to exterminate all people of African descent--and left copies in subway car seats around Manhattan. The ploy worked so well that soon ...
Haki Madhubuti: the measure of a man. (Cover Story).
Mar 01, 2002; ... Haki Madhubuti is a serious man. Even before the first question is asked, he lets it be known that this is an important interview. Although he has been featured in local publications, and in Ebony and Essence, this is the first national publication to devote a cover to him, and Madhubuti's ...
Tested Faith: the Power of the Mind Over Cancer. (faith reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... Tested Faith: The Power of the Mind Over Cancer by Yvonne L. Williams, M. Ed. Robert D. Reed Publishers, February 2001, $17.95 ISBN 1-885-00367-6 Take your brick walls, lay them flat, and make them stepping stones" writes Yvonne L. Williams in this story of faith and recovery ....
You Are My Sister: an Inspirational Book That Promotes Sisterhood and Spiritual Growth. (faith reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... You Are My Sister: An Inspirational Book That Promotes Sisterhood and Spiritual Growth by Anfra R. Boyd F.I.G. Publishing, August 1999. $12.95 ISBN 0-967-34910-9 Books that are designed to inspire women to be better, stronger and smarter in their life's choices are nothing new ....
From My Window: Relevant Expressions of an Ordinary Woman. (faith reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... From My Window: Relevant Expressions of an Ordinary Woman by Felicia T. Scott Isaki Communications, September 2001 $14.95, ISBN 0-970-48980-3 Scott's collection of poems and personal essays is a testament to the therapeutic value of keeping a journal. For the author, writing ...
A Journey Back to Me: Rediscovering Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Wholeness. (faith reviews).(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2002; ... A Journey Back to Me: Rediscovering Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Wholeness by ConSandra Jones Koinonia Publishing, February 2000 $15.00, ISBN 0-967-64903-X "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering ...." These words of wisdom form ...