Black Issues Book Review back issues from November 2005:
signings & sightings
Nov 01, 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 313-289-8614 or go to ...
A feast of photographers.(from the editor-in-chief)
Nov 01, 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 Learning Tree. It was an honor for BIBR when he ...
What we can do.(Hurricane Katrina victims)(Editorial)
Nov 01, 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 happened. A catastrophic hurricane virtually wiped ...
Honoring a dad.(letter to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
Nov 01, 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 dedications in my father's name--each evoking ...
Mixed media.(between the lines: the inside scoop on what's happening in the publishing industry)
Nov 01, 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 representative for West told Black Issues ...
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)
Nov 01, 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 focal point of a scandal in January 2005; ...
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)
Nov 01, 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 publish magazines and books for African Americans ....
Signings & sightings.(Calendar)
Nov 01, 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 313-289-8614 or go to ...
E-clubs: an update on online book clubs that unite eager readers and authors.(book bytes)
Nov 01, 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 (www.rawsistaz.com), a robust, lively, ...
From stage to page: love of theater and books draws club members.(Second Street Theatre Subscriber Book Club, Manhattan )
Nov 01, 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 Leaving Cecil Street by Diane ...
'The Color Purple' in restrospect: twenty years after the debut, the film's beauty never fades.
Nov 01, 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 adventure and science fiction films, this one ...
Sunshine Has Rain.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 paralyzed from a spinal cord injury that ...
The Joshua Tree.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 Edwards, both 16. Rencher writes ...
It's a Shame to Be a Negro.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 offers how he feels about race in America ....
Brotherwood.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 have his life in order, a closer ...
Other noteworthy titles.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 ...
Gordon Parks: a lion in winter: on living life as one "superb feast".(Interview)(Cover Story)
Nov 01, 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 career and to discuss the upcoming publication of ...
Best photography books.(Bibliography)
Nov 01, 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 arm," and James Jefferies, "the Great ...
Fine art, fine books: a well-thought-out library for the serious collector.(essentials: Selections for the well-stocked personal library)
Nov 01, 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 he heard earlier in his illustrious ...
Cherishing African heritage: preservers and scholars discuss the historic cultural values and contemporary significance.(eye: A showcase for the visual arts)
Nov 01, 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 meaning, one might ask, "Who's keeping the ...
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.
Nov 01, 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 retrospective of the works by the ...
At their level: seasoned children's author is at it again.(Walter Dean Myers)(Interview)
Nov 01, 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 population of Harlem as a backdrop. ...
Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 joined a group of boys who were fleeing ...
It Is the Wind.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 ...
Little Stevie Wonder.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 reading this book and listening to the CD, ...
My Best Friend.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 she's a baby. Lily keeps trying to get ...
Ring in the holidays.(children's bookshelf)(Bibliography)
Nov 01, 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 illustrations accompany the ...
Extending a heart.(children's bookshelf)(Bibliography)
Nov 01, 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 child, adoptive parents demonstrate great ...
The best of the best--for kids only.(children's bookshelf)(Bibliography)
Nov 01, 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 2003 $16, ISBN 0-152-16472-3 ...
Best books of 2005.(children's bookshelf)(Bibliography)
Nov 01, 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 was murdered by lynching in Mississippi ...
The Blueprint for My Girls in Love: 99 Rules for Dating, Relationships, and Intimacy.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 (girls in between being a kid and a teenager) ...
Teen Spirit: One World, Many Paths.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 particular religion, Raushenbush exposes readers ...
Grounded in the Word: A Guide to Mastering Standardized Test Vocabulary and Biblical Comprehension.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 get your teenager to study the Bible or ...
Bang!(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 crime-ridden streets of the city. In hopes ...
Me and my shadow: a remarkable first novel from a young Brit haunts the mind and soul.(Helen Oyeyemi)(Critical Essay)
Nov 01, 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 myth and this strong, brave, whimsical, ...
Feast of love: a Kwanzaa celebration to remember.(Excerpt)
Nov 01, 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 district's Christmas vacation was to ...
Thoughts that count: some of our favorite authors choose the one book they would give as a gift this holiday.
Nov 01, 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 would they give it? We told them the ...
The city that reads together ... as "One Book" programs mushroom, so do sales for a select few African American authors.
Nov 01, 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. Walter Mosley's Little Scarlet (Little, ...
Retail report--2005: Florida bookseller comes full circle, as others take off in new directions.(market buzz)
Nov 01, 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 from reading, she resolved to share that ...
Getting to Amen: 8 Strategies for Managing Conflict in the African American Church.(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 American community for years. Our churches ...
Where the Edge Gathers: Building a Community of Radical Inclusion.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 lesbians, cannot be ignored and ...
Lift Up Your Hands: Raise Your Praise and Get Lost in God.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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. Pruett helps her readers to navigate this ...
My Proposal: Nothing But a Gracechild.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 debut self-publication. Through an ...
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)
Nov 01, 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" and his political ...
Sam Cooke: legend: biography documents the roots of soul through a star's life.(Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke )(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 about him--and then some. Peter ...
The Prodigal: A Poem.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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, Derek Walcott's epic The Prodigal: A Poem ...
Somewhere Else.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 poems like these--each stanza is a set of ...
Wise Fish: Tales in 6/8 Time.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 while there is a glossary that is fairly ...
Mercy.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 poetry. In this volume, she consistently ...
The Language of Saxophones: Selected Poems of Kamau Daaood.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 have-not. The poems in ...
Fledgling.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 Master, Wild Seed and Parable of the ...
26A by Diana Evans.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 exception. (She is the winner of the ...
The Vow.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 guessed it--make a vow that they will all be ...
The Hot Spot.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 sistah"--president, CEO and sole employee of ...
Brickhouse.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 technique brought more clientele to her gym ...
Resurrecting Langston Blue.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 bondsman in Denver, Colorado, chasing ...
Haarlem: A Novel.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 City streets, to lay cable. The son of ...
Dissolve.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 varied portions of erotica, mystery and ...
Easy Rawlins is back!(Noteworthy Title)(Cinnamon Kiss )(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 Cinnamon. Without missing a ...
What might have been: where research ends and imagination takes over in fiction.(the writing life)
Nov 01, 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 she has a small part. A few words are ...
Righteous recipes: from Harlem to the Deep South, new cookbooks invite a fresh look at ethnic and regional cuisines.(the welcome table)(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 Church. (One World/Ballantine Books, October 2005, ...
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)
Nov 01, 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 actor and comedian. In this excellent ...
Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood.(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 Jill Watts, a film studies coordinator ...
Rise and Fly: Tall Tales and Mostly True Rules of Bid Whist.(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 and Fly? Because authors Greg Morrison and ...
My Face Is Black Is True: Callie House and the Struggle for Ex-Slave Reparations.(Book Review)
Nov 01, 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 when scholars like Mary Frances Berry, ...