I had the pleasure of reading this article that originated from Marilynn Byerly's Blog which dares to look publishing in the face and say "hey whatsup?" Marilynn was kind enough to allow me to repost. It's long but well-worth the read.
THE NEAR AND FAR FUTURE OF PUBLISHING
Here's my forecast on the future of publishing.
Essentially, most publishing professionals are worried about the wrong things and not paying attention to the real dangers as the publishing world changes.
It's not about too many titles, it's not about the change from paper to ebook, it's not about what bookstores are doing.
It's about the fight for the conduits of media, both paper and digital, to the consumer, and it's a fight that may already be lost to Amazon.
Amazon is doing everything right. They are bleeding publishing through used books and pricing control while doing almost everything better than brick and mortar stores, and now they are making a dramatic move to take over a major chunk of the digital arena with the Kindle.
Big publishing, meanwhile, is looking the other way as small publishers are fighting Amazon about POD and even greater price controls because the big guys don't think Amazon will go after them next.
Paper, ink, and bookstores are still here and will be here for some time, but they can't survive long term because digital books are simply too dang efficient in every sense.
The bookstores will go first because people are more stressed for time than for money, and online is easier. Before the bookstores go, they will effectively kill what is left of midlist fiction in their ongoing effort to stock bestsellers and list leaders to the exclusion of midlist.
Meanwhile, the used book industry will suck away even more of the profit from paper publishing until it collapses in a sea of red ink.
Books will move into digital format, but new books and new writers will continue to be buried under a sea of backlist moving into digital format.
Platforms will continue to be the means of success for most authors, and other authors will be relegated to niche markets and scrambling for readers.
A long story short. Sell all your stock in bookstores and publishers, and buy Amazon stock. It's probably the only way any of us will make much money in the coming climate of change.
THE FUTURE FOR WRITERS?
It's been many years since most authors have supported themselves through their words, and this will not improve.
Publishing in its usual heedless manner will use the authors' profits as a means to bolster its own bottom line as the distributors suck the publisher dry.
As history has proven, most readers will be more concerned with their own time and money than the future of writers and publishing so they will continue to frequent Amazon, one stop online digital providers, and the box stores for their reading.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Write if it's a joy, work hard toward whatever goal you have for success in your writing career, educate yourself on the business, and plan for your future as if you won't see much income coming from that writing.
Don't trade your life for writing dreams. It will be a bitter and uneven trade even if you succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
And do dream. It's what makes you the unique writer and person you are.
Posted by Marilynn Byerly at 2:45 PM 1 comments
Labels: Amazon, genre publishing, markets, publishing trends
Monday, June 16, 2008
___________________________________________________________________________________
Part Seven
The Current State of Publishing and Bookselling, Part 7
HOW DO THE READER AND THE WRITER FIGHT BACK?
The reader is the writer's best friend. If the writer educates her readers about the publishing business, the reader will help the writer fight back.
Here is the "Book Biz 101" fact sheet, I share with readers.
•Thank the bookstore manager for carrying the kinds of books you like.
•If you can't find a book, ask the bookstore to special order it for you. If enough people do this, they'll order the author's next book.
•Don't pass around new books to friends. A bookstore and the publisher can only tell how popular a book is by the number of copies sold. If you share your one book with six friends, the publisher and the bookstore won't know this. Get those six friends to buy the book themselves. And give good books good word of mouth so others will buy it!
•Buy the book new, not used. If you buy the book used, you won't be counted as a reader. It costs more money, but you will insure that more books like it will be printed.
In the days before the paranormal romance became popular, a used bookstore owner told me that the average paranormal romance was traded at least 10 times before it disintegrated. It rarely stayed in the store more than a few hours because readers were on waiting lists for these books. The readers said they couldn't find the books anywhere but at the used bookstore, and the regular bookstore said no one wanted to buy these books so fewer books were sold new, and fewer books were published. A very vicious cycle.
•Don't take a book to the used bookstore until it is no longer on the bookstore shelves. Two to three months from the time you buy it is a good rule of thumb.
•Paperback books without their covers are stolen books. Tell the person at the flea market or used bookstore that it's illegal to sell and show them the legal note to this effect at the front of the book. If you continue to see books like this sold, send a letter to the publisher and tell them.
•If you absolutely must choose two books, one new and one used, buy the "name" author used and the unknown author new. The name author can survive a few used books, the new author may never sell another story because her first book sold poorly.
•If you see an electronic version of a copyrighted novel available for free at some website or on a newsgroup, contact the publisher or author immediately and tell them. Not only is this illegal, but it is the financial murder of your favorite authors and the end of the kind of books you love.
•If you like a book or a publisher's line, write the publisher and tell them. (The publisher's address is in the front of the book.) The people who usually write are the ones who don't like that kind of book. In your letter, tell the publisher how many books a month you buy. If you are a younger reader, tell the publisher that you'll want to read these books for a long time, and you recommend them to your friends.
A fan letter to the author also works.
Authors remember to send copies of these letters to your editor and agent!
•If you hear a line is closing, write the publisher and complain. Don't let that vampire or sf romance go gently into the good night without a hardy complaint or indignant werewolf howl of unhappiness.
•Buy books from the small presses and e-publishers who are publishing the kinds of books you like. Continue to buy from these small publishers when the major publishers move into this market to keep the small publisher alive. Major publishers are notoriously fickle about remaining in certain markets.
•It may be simpler to buy all your books at Amazon or Fictionwise, but you can often save money by buying directly from the publisher's site. At most epublisher sites, the author makes a higher percentage of the sale.
Amazon is trashing the publishing industry and its authors because the buyers have given them that power. Take it away by spending your money elsewhere.
•Buy from local independent bookstores.
~*~
Tomorrow, I'll finish this series with some educated guesses about what the near and far future will bring to publishing and bookselling.
Posted by Marilynn Byerly at 1:53 PM 1 comments
Labels: Amazon, publishing trends, readers
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Part Six
The Current State of Publishing and Bookselling, Part 6
WHAT ABOUT EPUBLISHING?
Right now, few authors can make a living at epublishing. Even erotica, the growth industry of epublishing, no longer pays the bills as it once did.
The market has become glutted with books from other small publishers, and the major publishers have moved into the market in ebook and paper formats.
Venues for ebooks like Fictionwise are currently being glutted with backlist from major publishers so that unknown authors can sink in a sea of books quite fast. Romance is particularly prone to this.
The authors who are successful in epublishing are prolific, produce quality books of one kind so they build their sales through backlist and loyal readers, and they market constantly to sell that first book to new readers.
Of course, this is the primary survival means in paper book publishing for most authors right now.
~*~
Tomorrow, I'll suggest ways that readers and writers can fight to save the books they love.
Posted by Marilynn Byerly at 2:29 PM 0 comments
Labels: book trends, e-publishing, market trends, publishing
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Part Five
The Current State of Publishing and Bookselling, Part 5
WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?
For authors, in the short term, all the news is bad unless you are already a "name" author. Midlist paper books are disappearing in bookstores and box stores.
According to my writing friends, a novel at Walmart accounted for almost thirty percent of all their books sold. Now, their books aren't available there. Their publishers are also losing out on those extra sales.
With bookstores also taking fewer titles in a publisher's line each month, some titles are available nowhere but a few independent booksellers and online.
If already established bestselling authors are the only ones sold at the major venues, where and how can an author build an audience big enough to join this exclusive club?
With most of the time and expense of promotion falling on the author's shoulders, how will the author manage financially? How will the author be able to produce the number of books needed yearly to grow their audience?
For publishers, if they can't find many places to sell that month's entire line of books, what can they do?
Do they drop most of their authors and only print "names?"
Where do they grow their talent to add to that list of names?
Do they start a farm system similar to major league baseball where new authors rise up through the ranks via ebooks?
Do they only recruit authors already building a name with small publishers?
I imagine we'll see a number of different "solutions" to these questions as authors and publishers try to survive this new hostile environment to selling books.
WHITHER READERS?
Any solution to this problem depends on what the readers will do.
Will readers be willing to only buy the name authors they see at Walmart and other places where they usually shop, or will they start depending on physical bookstores?
Will they be willing to buy online?
If they can't get paper books, will they move to ebooks?
If history is any indication, a majority will stop buying paper books. When science fiction disappeared from those dimestore racks years ago, the market plummeted, and the market has been rebuilding ever since.
On the other hand, when readers discovered erotica which was almost exclusively available as ebooks, the market expanded to the point that publishers like Ellora's Cave became multimillion dollar companies, and authors made money envied by their paper-published contemporaries.
Readers of erotica and romance are voracious readers, though, and smaller markets like science fiction haven't had the same online success even proportional to the number of readers of paper books.
Those of us who love to read and write can hope others will follow us online and into digital format, and I imagine some will, but will the numbers be enough to support the publishers and the authors?
No one can guess.
~*~
Part Four
The Current State of Publishing and Bookselling, Part 4
AMAZON, THE 900 POUND GORILLA
Some writers see Amazon as the writer's and reader's friend, but, increasingly, Amazon is showing its ugly profit-is-everything nature.
The used book shown with the new book in search results is one example of this. Amazon makes more profit by acting as middleman for used booksellers than it does by selling new books.
Amazon's current attempt to force publishers to use their POD provider is an even more frightening example of its methods.
In recent years, as bookstores have carried fewer books from big publishers and almost none of the small publishers, Amazon has been seen as the even playing field by many writers and publishers. If you had a book to sell, Amazon was there to sell it.
A few years back, Amazon made it much harder for small press to sell on Amazon, and some publishers went out of business.
Now, Amazon is tightening their grip on the smaller publishers by telling them they have to use Amazon-owned Booksurge for POD.
Amazon's contract says that Amazon will control the price of the book sold, its price cannot be lowered at any other venue including the publisher's site, and it will control the look of the book and its quality.
For the right to have a "buy now" on their books, publishers will be at the whim of Amazon in most aspects of their product.
With Amazon moving aggressively into epublishing with the Kindle, publishers may lose all control of their product if they knuckle under to these tactics.
Amazon justifies all this as a means to make it simpler for them to ship books all at once, but they don't say that POD books printed through Ingram's Lightning Source and other POD providers are shipped the same day with the Amazon label attached so the buyer can't tell who has printed it or shipped it.
For complete details on this situation and the class action lawsuit by some small publishers against Amazon, go here http://antitrust.booklocker.com/
Only small press is the victim of this current Amazon contract stipulation right now, but, if the publishing industry doesn't stand firm against it, the Amazon gorilla will squash the rest of the publishing industry.
Part Three
The Current State of Publishing and Bookselling, Part 3
Continuing my overview of what has happened in recent months.
EBOOKS
Ebooks are as much a part of the publishing scene these days as paper books. Most genre publishers offer the ebook version at the same time as the paper book, and backlist is being converted to ebooks at an incredible rate.
Ebooks continue to be the primary route of distribution for smaller publishers.
Most of the major book distributors have their own ebook distribution system, and Amazon is using its ebook reader, the Kindle, to make it as much a leader in ebook distribution as paper book distribution.
Ebooks are the primary growth area right now for most publishers, but the so-called "tipping point" in their popularity hasn't been reached according to most pundits.
USED BOOKS
Used book sales are a profit hemorrhage in the publishing industry.
The publisher and the author make nothing on used books so the industry is being starved by used book sales. This is a particular hardship for authors who don't have as diversified a number of titles as the publisher does.
This means that the author makes little money, the publisher loses sales on that author, and the author is less likely to sell another book to that publisher.
In other words, the big publisher and name authors with lots of backlist like Nora Roberts are hurt by used book sales, but the smaller authors and small publishers can be killed because they lose more than they gain.
Publishing is like investing, the more diversified you are, the better the chance for survival and profit.
The Internet has made used books an even greater problem because so many books can be found used.
The old belief that a buyer will choose new after discovering a new author through a used book is less true because it is so easy to find a used book within hours or less of the book hitting the physical shelves. Some books, courtesy of book clubs and advanced review copies, can be found used weeks or months before they hit the shelves.
~*~
Vist Marilynn's Blog for the complete articles. And be sure to visit her website
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A Chilling Message from Deepak Chopra
OBAMA AND PALIN EFFECT
Deepak Chopra
Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.
She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin's message. In her acceptance speech
Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision.
Look at what she stands for:
--Small town values -- a denial of America's global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.
--Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need to repair America's image abroad.
--Family values -- a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don't need to be heeded.
--Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.
--Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war.
--"Reform" -- an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your ideology.
Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from "us" pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of "I'm all right, Jack," and "Why change? Everything's OK as it is." The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.
Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.
Deepak Chopra
Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.
She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin's message. In her acceptance speech
Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision.
Look at what she stands for:
--Small town values -- a denial of America's global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.
--Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need to repair America's image abroad.
--Family values -- a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don't need to be heeded.
--Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.
--Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war.
--"Reform" -- an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your ideology.
Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from "us" pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of "I'm all right, Jack," and "Why change? Everything's OK as it is." The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.
Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Join Me On Tour
Hello Folks!
As you're moving through your day, stop by and say hello while I'm touring with Sable Lit Reviews I'm the featured author for the week of 9/8-9/13.
So drop by, leave your comments and if you have questions, I pop in and out all day and will be happy to answer them for you!
As you're moving through your day, stop by and say hello while I'm touring with Sable Lit Reviews I'm the featured author for the week of 9/8-9/13.
So drop by, leave your comments and if you have questions, I pop in and out all day and will be happy to answer them for you!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Banned Books.... What Next
Greetings my fellow book lovers. As a writer I feel it is my duty to share any and all information regarding what we love .... books. Therefore, when I received the following, I knew that it was my responsibility to pass this along. Believe or disbelieve--just dont ignore this. It is too important.
The following is what I received.
___________________________________________________________
>
> Below is a paragraph from this week's Time magazine article on Sarah Palin:
>
> "[Former Wasilla mayor] Stein says that as mayor, Palin continued
to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. "She asked the library
how she could go about banning books," he says, because some voters thought they had
inappropriate language in them. "The librarian was aghast." The librarian, Mary
Ellen Baker, couldn't be reached for comment, but news reports from the time
show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving "full support" to the mayor."
Mary Ellen Baker resigned from her library director job in 1999.
>
>
> Here is the list of books Palin tried to have banned:
>
> A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
> A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
> Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
> As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
> Blubber by Judy Blume
> Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
> Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
> Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
> Carrie by Stephen King
> Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
> Christine by Stephen King
> Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
> Cujo by Stephen King
> Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
> Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
> Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
> Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
> Decameron by Boccaccio
> East of Eden by John Steinbeck
> Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
> Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland
> Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
> Forever by Judy Blume
> Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
> Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
> Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
> Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
> Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
> Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
> Have to Go by Robert Munsch
> Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
> How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
> Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
> I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
> Impressions edited by Jack Booth
> In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
> It's Okay if You Don't Love Me by Norma Klein
> James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
> Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
> Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
> Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
> Lord of the Flies by William Golding
> Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein
> Lysistrata by Aristophanes
> More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
> My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher
Collier
> My House by Nikki Giovanni
> My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara
> Night Chills by Dean Koontz
> Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
> On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
> One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
> One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
> One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
> Ordinary People by Judith Guest
> Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women's Health Collective
> Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
> Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
> Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
> Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
> Separate Peace by John Knowles
> Silas Marner by George Eliot
> Slaughterhouse- Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
> Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
> The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
> The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
> The Bastard by John Jakes
> The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
> The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
> The Color Purple by Alice Walker
> The Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth
> The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
> The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
> The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
> The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
> The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
> The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
> The Living Bible by William C. Bower
> The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
> The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
> The Pigman by Paul Zindel
> The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders
> The Shining by Stephen King
> The Witches by Roald Dahl
> The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
> Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume
> To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
> Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
> Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster
Editorial Staff
> Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween
Symbols by Edna Barth
The following is what I received.
___________________________________________________________
>
> Below is a paragraph from this week's Time magazine article on Sarah Palin:
>
> "[Former Wasilla mayor] Stein says that as mayor, Palin continued
to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. "She asked the library
how she could go about banning books," he says, because some voters thought they had
inappropriate language in them. "The librarian was aghast." The librarian, Mary
Ellen Baker, couldn't be reached for comment, but news reports from the time
show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving "full support" to the mayor."
Mary Ellen Baker resigned
>
>
> Here is the list of books Palin tried to have banned:
>
> A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
> A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
> Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
> As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
> Blubber by Judy Blume
> Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
> Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
> Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
> Carrie by Stephen King
> Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
> Christine by Stephen King
> Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
> Cujo by Stephen King
> Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
> Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
> Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
> Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
> Decameron by Boccaccio
> East of Eden by John Steinbeck
> Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
> Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland
> Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
> Forever by Judy Blume
> Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
> Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
> Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
> Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
> Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
> Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
> Have to Go by Robert Munsch
> Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
> How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
> Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
> I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
> Impressions edited by Jack Booth
> In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
> It's Okay if You Don't Love Me by Norma Klein
> James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
> Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
> Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
> Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
> Lord of the Flies by William Golding
> Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein
> Lysistrata by Aristophanes
> More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
> My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher
Collier
> My House by Nikki Giovanni
> My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara
> Night Chills by Dean Koontz
> Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
> On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
> One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
> One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
> One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
> Ordinary People by Judith Guest
> Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women's Health Collective
> Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
> Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
> Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
> Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
> Separate Peace by John Knowles
> Silas Marner by George Eliot
> Slaughterhouse- Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
> Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
> The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
> The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
> The Bastard by John Jakes
> The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
> The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
> The Color Purple by Alice Walker
> The Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth
> The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
> The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
> The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
> The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
> The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
> The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
> The Living Bible by William C. Bower
> The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
> The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
> The Pigman by Paul Zindel
> The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders
> The Shining by Stephen King
> The Witches by Roald Dahl
> The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
> Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume
> To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
> Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
> Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster
Editorial Staff
> Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween
Symbols by Edna Barth
Monday, September 08, 2008
BET Launches in Sitcom
I haven't always been a fan of BET, but I pray for them! LOL. So, for those who may be interested, they launch a new sitcom on Tues. Sept. 9. Follow the link or copy and paste into your browser.
BET LAUNCHES NEW SITCOM
http://email.bet.com/a/hBIxRUMA-01tPB7Sxx0Bwqdfist/somebodies
BET LAUNCHES NEW SITCOM
http://email.bet.com/a/hBIxRUMA-01tPB7Sxx0Bwqdfist/somebodies
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Alaskans Speak Out on Palin's Racist Comments
This is something that we ALL need to know about and share with others. This is who the republicans are trying to shove down our throats. Don't fall for the hype. Read this article and pass along.
Palin calls Obama "Sambo."
http://tinyurl.com/6zetn4
Palin calls Obama "Sambo."
http://tinyurl.com/6zetn4
Friday, September 05, 2008
Danger Ahead . . .
Below, my girl L.A. Banks aka Leslie Esdaile, gave me permission to share her letter that she fired off to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
This whole Palin nomination thing triggered a writing fit to the Op-ed pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The day after I listened to her speech in horror (and the pundits praise of this kook), I really had to take flaming pen in hand. The only thing that made me feel better was Gloria Steinem's rebuttal that Gwen sent today (Thank you Gwen)... see Steinem's letter below... but mine is attached. So, the attachment is something different--check it out, but I wanted to copy the text of what Gwen sent me, too. Write y'all... make your voices heard, this is sooo bogus I cannot even believe it's happening -- worse yet, it is DANGEROUS.
Much Love, Leslie
Last night I watched, appalled, as Governor Palin completely distorted the facts, used smokescreens to keep the media from legitimately inquiring about her checkered political past, and then launched into one of the most vicious and unnecessary attacks by a person at her “supposed level” as a Vice Presidential candidate that I've seen in a long time. I sat mouth agape in outrage wondering if anyone else was witnessing the RNC circus in the same way.
As a woman, I am offended... as someone who has worked in grassroots organizations I am offended, and as an American I am offended. How can John McCain and the Republican Party bring out a candidate who is so small-minded that she would use her power of office to make her ex-brother-in-law lose his job? Is that someone you want to take the 3AM call about a potential war, is that the person you really want to be a heartbeat away from leading the nation--a person so vindictive and pedestrian in thinking that she’d also call for the resignation of a librarian for not supporting her desire to ban books? John McCain picked Palin, does that seem like sound judgment to you? I have hard questions for the old guard of the Republican Party, but even harder questions for women voters. Do we really want to roll the clock back to rebuff science and start teaching kids one religion's concept of the origins of mankind while we trash the periodic table, as well as trash the evidence of evolution because it suits a select, hard core, right wing group?
Or maybe we'd be more comfortable just claiming that any war we've decided to engage in was "God's will and task," and then turn a blind eye to the fact that within that very same Bible Palin beats at the prime time podium it says to love one's neighbors. So now we’ve devolved into fundamentalist politics at the highest office, the very same echo of madness we so abhor in terrorists?
From ignoring global warming as a manmade reality that can be addressed, to trying to BAN BOOKS (people are you listening?), to supporting incredibly stupid and expensive legislation--like the now infamous "bridge to nowhere," this woman is a disaster. I have to go back to her attempt at banning books, though, in this rant. I'm an author and I am shaking my head. Do people really want to put someone in the White House, give her control over the education of the largest most formidable country in the free world, when this person wants to ban books, and was so vicious that she even tried to fire a poor librarian? That theme of Palin throwing her weight around is becoming a refrain. Things that make you go, hmmm... Given that we’re all under the Bush Administration’s Patriot Act, which has taken away too many civil liberties to count here, would you want a potential Commander In Chief who is given to “snits” when you disagree with her, and like an old Mafioso, would possibly take your job if you crossed her?
Then, when Palin was challenged by the legitimate media, right off the bat she played the "woman card?" If Obama had played the "race card," the country would have been all over him. Hilary didn’t go there—maybe that was because she had a platform, had some REAL experience, and had enough substance that she didn’t have to. Hmmm. So, I guess now, if during the debates, if Senator Biden goes after Palin, as is typical debate strategy, he'd then be labeled a chauvinist pig?
Ladies, as a fellow feminist and someone who highly respected Hilary Clinton's journey, DO NOT FALL FOR IT. We as a nation have been had. This woman, Palin, is out of step with reality, has a serious vindictive streak, and is being used as McCain's shield. Right now, the Republican platform is weak. It is as old, ailing, and doddering as its Presidential nominee. They don’t respect true women of power and authority. What tells me that is the number of excellent Republican female candidates they by-passed. This isn’t a historic moment; this is a media ploy, a game. Don’t be bamboozled. As a last minute desperation attempt, they pulled a right wing extremist, married to big oil, soccer mom out of the farthest hinterlands they could find and threw her to the public, knowing that there were disgruntled Clinton supporters. But Palin is no Hilary Clinton, and we voters with a little common sense know that. We also know that, if McCain is going to continue to support the Oil Industry lobby and drill in Alaska, it helps to have Alaskan politicos on your ticket waving the flag. You’d want those folks to get the benefits of your office while you destroy pristine natural resources, I suppose.
And, since the men opposing this atrocity can't go after Palin without some whining backlash about fairness coming from the GOP, let me chime in with millions of other women who were not fooled last night by saying, "Are you insane?" Or, how about this, "We ain't buying it, lady!" There, I’ve said it, you can count my voice in, because I will be loud and vocal, and since I’m a female I can’t be anti-feminist, can I?
What outrages me so about Governor Palin even being allowed to grace the podium has nothing to do with her chaotic personal life. On that I agree with Senator Obama, who elected, as always (and has throughout the campaign) to take the high road. What disturbs me to my core is that, in this twenty-first century, I want my daughter to have a choice, ESPECIALLY if she is God forbid raped or God forbid, ever fell victim to incest. I want my daughter to get a REAL education, which means reading opposing points of view, understanding diversity, and yes, being fully versed on the way her body works. I want that smug, self-proclaimed Washington outsider, Palin, to take note of the fact that, I'd rather, at this juncture, take my chances with some folks who know their way around the Capital than with someone who is plugged into BIG OIL -- literally married to it like a lobbyist. And, for the record, getting elected as a Senator of Illinois, a huge, densely populated state, is quite different than being Governor of a place that has more wildlife and Caribou than people, let’s be real. Wishing you were something doesn’t make you that, hon. Let’s give credit to the Obama/Biden ticket where it is due. Only a couple of months ago, you (Palin) were quoted in the media as saying you didn’t know much about Vice Presidential responsibilities and didn’t know what a VP did. The sound-bite was stunningly that of an airhead, but that’s just my opinion.
Bottom line is, I want my kid to be able to look up to the Oval office and see people there who have integrity, not a bunch of liars and scam artists who threw the Constitution under a bus for the sake of gaining political office.
Lastly, Governor Palin, I wouldn't tout your "executive decisions" too loudly as a campaign platform, given they were foolish and mean-spirited decisions. The record doesn't help you, sis.
Angrily submitted by
L.A. Banks, Philadelphia
This whole Palin nomination thing triggered a writing fit to the Op-ed pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The day after I listened to her speech in horror (and the pundits praise of this kook), I really had to take flaming pen in hand. The only thing that made me feel better was Gloria Steinem's rebuttal that Gwen sent today (Thank you Gwen)... see Steinem's letter below... but mine is attached. So, the attachment is something different--check it out, but I wanted to copy the text of what Gwen sent me, too. Write y'all... make your voices heard, this is sooo bogus I cannot even believe it's happening -- worse yet, it is DANGEROUS.
Much Love, Leslie
Last night I watched, appalled, as Governor Palin completely distorted the facts, used smokescreens to keep the media from legitimately inquiring about her checkered political past, and then launched into one of the most vicious and unnecessary attacks by a person at her “supposed level” as a Vice Presidential candidate that I've seen in a long time. I sat mouth agape in outrage wondering if anyone else was witnessing the RNC circus in the same way.
As a woman, I am offended... as someone who has worked in grassroots organizations I am offended, and as an American I am offended. How can John McCain and the Republican Party bring out a candidate who is so small-minded that she would use her power of office to make her ex-brother-in-law lose his job? Is that someone you want to take the 3AM call about a potential war, is that the person you really want to be a heartbeat away from leading the nation--a person so vindictive and pedestrian in thinking that she’d also call for the resignation of a librarian for not supporting her desire to ban books? John McCain picked Palin, does that seem like sound judgment to you? I have hard questions for the old guard of the Republican Party, but even harder questions for women voters. Do we really want to roll the clock back to rebuff science and start teaching kids one religion's concept of the origins of mankind while we trash the periodic table, as well as trash the evidence of evolution because it suits a select, hard core, right wing group?
Or maybe we'd be more comfortable just claiming that any war we've decided to engage in was "God's will and task," and then turn a blind eye to the fact that within that very same Bible Palin beats at the prime time podium it says to love one's neighbors. So now we’ve devolved into fundamentalist politics at the highest office, the very same echo of madness we so abhor in terrorists?
From ignoring global warming as a manmade reality that can be addressed, to trying to BAN BOOKS (people are you listening?), to supporting incredibly stupid and expensive legislation--like the now infamous "bridge to nowhere," this woman is a disaster. I have to go back to her attempt at banning books, though, in this rant. I'm an author and I am shaking my head. Do people really want to put someone in the White House, give her control over the education of the largest most formidable country in the free world, when this person wants to ban books, and was so vicious that she even tried to fire a poor librarian? That theme of Palin throwing her weight around is becoming a refrain. Things that make you go, hmmm... Given that we’re all under the Bush Administration’s Patriot Act, which has taken away too many civil liberties to count here, would you want a potential Commander In Chief who is given to “snits” when you disagree with her, and like an old Mafioso, would possibly take your job if you crossed her?
Then, when Palin was challenged by the legitimate media, right off the bat she played the "woman card?" If Obama had played the "race card," the country would have been all over him. Hilary didn’t go there—maybe that was because she had a platform, had some REAL experience, and had enough substance that she didn’t have to. Hmmm. So, I guess now, if during the debates, if Senator Biden goes after Palin, as is typical debate strategy, he'd then be labeled a chauvinist pig?
Ladies, as a fellow feminist and someone who highly respected Hilary Clinton's journey, DO NOT FALL FOR IT. We as a nation have been had. This woman, Palin, is out of step with reality, has a serious vindictive streak, and is being used as McCain's shield. Right now, the Republican platform is weak. It is as old, ailing, and doddering as its Presidential nominee. They don’t respect true women of power and authority. What tells me that is the number of excellent Republican female candidates they by-passed. This isn’t a historic moment; this is a media ploy, a game. Don’t be bamboozled. As a last minute desperation attempt, they pulled a right wing extremist, married to big oil, soccer mom out of the farthest hinterlands they could find and threw her to the public, knowing that there were disgruntled Clinton supporters. But Palin is no Hilary Clinton, and we voters with a little common sense know that. We also know that, if McCain is going to continue to support the Oil Industry lobby and drill in Alaska, it helps to have Alaskan politicos on your ticket waving the flag. You’d want those folks to get the benefits of your office while you destroy pristine natural resources, I suppose.
And, since the men opposing this atrocity can't go after Palin without some whining backlash about fairness coming from the GOP, let me chime in with millions of other women who were not fooled last night by saying, "Are you insane?" Or, how about this, "We ain't buying it, lady!" There, I’ve said it, you can count my voice in, because I will be loud and vocal, and since I’m a female I can’t be anti-feminist, can I?
What outrages me so about Governor Palin even being allowed to grace the podium has nothing to do with her chaotic personal life. On that I agree with Senator Obama, who elected, as always (and has throughout the campaign) to take the high road. What disturbs me to my core is that, in this twenty-first century, I want my daughter to have a choice, ESPECIALLY if she is God forbid raped or God forbid, ever fell victim to incest. I want my daughter to get a REAL education, which means reading opposing points of view, understanding diversity, and yes, being fully versed on the way her body works. I want that smug, self-proclaimed Washington outsider, Palin, to take note of the fact that, I'd rather, at this juncture, take my chances with some folks who know their way around the Capital than with someone who is plugged into BIG OIL -- literally married to it like a lobbyist. And, for the record, getting elected as a Senator of Illinois, a huge, densely populated state, is quite different than being Governor of a place that has more wildlife and Caribou than people, let’s be real. Wishing you were something doesn’t make you that, hon. Let’s give credit to the Obama/Biden ticket where it is due. Only a couple of months ago, you (Palin) were quoted in the media as saying you didn’t know much about Vice Presidential responsibilities and didn’t know what a VP did. The sound-bite was stunningly that of an airhead, but that’s just my opinion.
Bottom line is, I want my kid to be able to look up to the Oval office and see people there who have integrity, not a bunch of liars and scam artists who threw the Constitution under a bus for the sake of gaining political office.
Lastly, Governor Palin, I wouldn't tout your "executive decisions" too loudly as a campaign platform, given they were foolish and mean-spirited decisions. The record doesn't help you, sis.
Angrily submitted by
L.A. Banks, Philadelphia
Victor Said...
My dear friend and brother (in spirit) has a weekly column that either makes me smile or say hmmm. In any case they are always entertaining and I thought I'd share with you! Enjoy
September 5, 2008
Victor,
I have a serious issue. My friends think my soul mate is gay. I think they’re crazy and jealous because I got him and they don’t. He’s strong and fine and there’s nothing soft about him. What am I to believe? Just because he dances in a bi-strip club doesn’t mean he gets down like that. He makes damn good money and that’s why he does it. When I asked him who this guy was that called my cell talking about catching his ex-boyfriend with mine after work, my honey denied it. He said someone was trying to come between us. Sometimes I feel like I’m all by myself because my girls have turned on me. I don’t want to be stupid but I don’t want to give up on a good thing either.
I got troubles in my head… and maybe a stranger in my bed.
Signed,
In love with a stripper
Victor Said…
In love with a stripper,
The troubles in your head makes mine hurt and I can’t even lie about it. You got g-string blues and I’m sorry for you. Look here, and this is just me talking but I think your girls might be on to something. Whoever that dude was that called your cell, had to have gotten the number from your man’s phone or from his ex’s. Not that it means anything but it could mean everything. Any time a spurned lover contacts you to drop dime, it’s worth considering their two cents. Most people don’t go out of their way getting into your business unless it has a great deal to do with their own. Maybe he just wants his man back and can’t do it without bringing drama to your door. Maybe it’s a simple misunderstanding. Maybe the caller is wrong about catching your soul mate slobbing down his… or worse. Maybe you are stupid. After all, stupid is as stupid does. But I digress.
No man, no straight man, would be caught dead or damn near naked in a bi or gay strip club; neither as an entertainer nor an innocent bi-stander. Pun intended. I mean come on now, a dude who gets all oiled up to swing from a pole so that other dudes can howl, huff, and stuff money in his tiny thong. Dang it! I just got a mental picture and now I’m nauseas. (Note to self, never-ever-ever go there again)
Suggestion: If you still have the secret caller’s number in your phone (and I bet you do), set a meet and greet. I am certain you will get the dirty details in Technicolor. It might be more than you ever wanted to know about a certain soul mate on the down low.
Victorism: If there’s a fool in the room and you’re home alone… raise your hand.
Sistahs...
If you want to understand the complicated black man (like there is any other kind) or advice to help you get what you want from yours, ask Victor by sending an email message to Thewritebrother@hotmail.com. Submissions will be posted on the VictorMcGlothin.com web site.
Please note: Victor McGlothin is not a licensed psychologist, sex therapist, or marriage counselor and his responses are meant for entertainment purposes only.
All submissions should be limited to fifty words and have a short title i.e. "Confused in Chicago," "Freaky from Fountainhead," "Tired of the lies," "He might be crazy but I ain't," etc.
Responses to Victor said... may be edited and shortened for the sake of space. Don't forget to check in every Friday to see whatVictor said.. on www.VictorMcGlothin.com
September 5, 2008
Victor,
I have a serious issue. My friends think my soul mate is gay. I think they’re crazy and jealous because I got him and they don’t. He’s strong and fine and there’s nothing soft about him. What am I to believe? Just because he dances in a bi-strip club doesn’t mean he gets down like that. He makes damn good money and that’s why he does it. When I asked him who this guy was that called my cell talking about catching his ex-boyfriend with mine after work, my honey denied it. He said someone was trying to come between us. Sometimes I feel like I’m all by myself because my girls have turned on me. I don’t want to be stupid but I don’t want to give up on a good thing either.
I got troubles in my head… and maybe a stranger in my bed.
Signed,
In love with a stripper
Victor Said…
In love with a stripper,
The troubles in your head makes mine hurt and I can’t even lie about it. You got g-string blues and I’m sorry for you. Look here, and this is just me talking but I think your girls might be on to something. Whoever that dude was that called your cell, had to have gotten the number from your man’s phone or from his ex’s. Not that it means anything but it could mean everything. Any time a spurned lover contacts you to drop dime, it’s worth considering their two cents. Most people don’t go out of their way getting into your business unless it has a great deal to do with their own. Maybe he just wants his man back and can’t do it without bringing drama to your door. Maybe it’s a simple misunderstanding. Maybe the caller is wrong about catching your soul mate slobbing down his… or worse. Maybe you are stupid. After all, stupid is as stupid does. But I digress.
No man, no straight man, would be caught dead or damn near naked in a bi or gay strip club; neither as an entertainer nor an innocent bi-stander. Pun intended. I mean come on now, a dude who gets all oiled up to swing from a pole so that other dudes can howl, huff, and stuff money in his tiny thong. Dang it! I just got a mental picture and now I’m nauseas. (Note to self, never-ever-ever go there again)
Suggestion: If you still have the secret caller’s number in your phone (and I bet you do), set a meet and greet. I am certain you will get the dirty details in Technicolor. It might be more than you ever wanted to know about a certain soul mate on the down low.
Victorism: If there’s a fool in the room and you’re home alone… raise your hand.
Sistahs...
If you want to understand the complicated black man (like there is any other kind) or advice to help you get what you want from yours, ask Victor by sending an email message to Thewritebrother@hotmail.com. Submissions will be posted on the VictorMcGlothin.com web site.
Please note: Victor McGlothin is not a licensed psychologist, sex therapist, or marriage counselor and his responses are meant for entertainment purposes only.
All submissions should be limited to fifty words and have a short title i.e. "Confused in Chicago," "Freaky from Fountainhead," "Tired of the lies," "He might be crazy but I ain't," etc.
Responses to Victor said... may be edited and shortened for the sake of space. Don't forget to check in every Friday to see whatVictor said.. on www.VictorMcGlothin.com
Wrong Woman,Wrong Message
Happy Friday. The following article was sent to me and I feel duty bound to share it with you. I hope you will be so inclined to do the same with your friends and associates.
Thu Sep 4, 2008 10:45 am (PDT)
Palin: wrong woman, wrong message
Sarah Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Hillary Clinton. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
By Gloria Steinem
September 4, 2008
Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the "white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.
But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.
Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."
This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.
Palin has been honest about what she doesn't know. When asked last month about the vice presidency, she said, "I still can't answer that question until someone answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?" When asked about Iraq, she said, "I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."
She was elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular, and she's won over Alaskans mostly by using unprecedented oil wealth to give a $1,200 rebate to every resident. Now she is being praised by McCain's campaign as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax. Perhaps McCain has opposed affirmative action for so long that he doesn't know it's about inviting more people to meet standards, not lowering them. Or perhaps McCain is following the Bush administration habit, as in the Justice Department, of putting a job candidate's views on "God, guns and gays" ahead of competence. The difference is that McCain is filling a job one 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.
So let's be clear: The culprit is John McCain. He may have chosen Palin out of change-envy, or a belief that women can't tell the difference between form and content, but the main motive was to please right-wing ideologues; the same ones who nixed anyone who is now or ever has been a supporter of reproductive freedom. If that were not the case, McCain could have chosen a woman who knows what a vice president does and who has thought about Iraq; someone like Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine. McCain could have taken a baby step away from right-wing patriarchs who determine his actions, right down to opposing the Violence Against Women Act.
Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
I don't doubt her sincerity. As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Assn., she doesn't just support killing animals from helicopters, she does it herself. She doesn't just talk about increasing the use of fossil fuels but puts a coal-burning power plant in her own small town. She doesn't just echo McCain's pledge to criminalize abortion by overturning Roe vs. Wade, she says that if one of her daughters were impregnated by rape or incest, she should bear the child. She not only opposes reproductive freedom as a human right but implies that it dictates abortion, without saying that it also protects the right to have a child.
So far, the major new McCain supporter that Palin has attracted is James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Of course, for Dobson, "women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume leadership," so he may be voting for Palin's husband.
Being a hope-a-holic, however, I can see two long-term bipartisan gains from this contest.
Republicans may learn they can't appeal to right-wing patriarchs and most women at the same time. A loss in November could cause the centrist majority of Republicans to take back their party, which was the first to support the Equal Rights Amendment and should be the last to want to invite government into the wombs of women.
And American women, who suffer more because of having two full-time jobs than from any other single injustice, finally have support on a national stage from male leaders who know that women can't be equal outside the home until men are equal in it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are campaigning on their belief that men should be, can be and want to be at home for their children.
This could be huge.
Gloria Steinem is an author, feminist organizer and co-founder of the Women's Media Center. She supported Hillary Clinton and is now supporting Barack Obama.
Thu Sep 4, 2008 10:45 am (PDT)
Palin: wrong woman, wrong message
Sarah Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Hillary Clinton. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
By Gloria Steinem
September 4, 2008
Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the "white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.
But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.
Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."
This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.
Palin has been honest about what she doesn't know. When asked last month about the vice presidency, she said, "I still can't answer that question until someone answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?" When asked about Iraq, she said, "I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."
She was elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular, and she's won over Alaskans mostly by using unprecedented oil wealth to give a $1,200 rebate to every resident. Now she is being praised by McCain's campaign as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax. Perhaps McCain has opposed affirmative action for so long that he doesn't know it's about inviting more people to meet standards, not lowering them. Or perhaps McCain is following the Bush administration habit, as in the Justice Department, of putting a job candidate's views on "God, guns and gays" ahead of competence. The difference is that McCain is filling a job one 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.
So let's be clear: The culprit is John McCain. He may have chosen Palin out of change-envy, or a belief that women can't tell the difference between form and content, but the main motive was to please right-wing ideologues; the same ones who nixed anyone who is now or ever has been a supporter of reproductive freedom. If that were not the case, McCain could have chosen a woman who knows what a vice president does and who has thought about Iraq; someone like Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine. McCain could have taken a baby step away from right-wing patriarchs who determine his actions, right down to opposing the Violence Against Women Act.
Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
I don't doubt her sincerity. As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Assn., she doesn't just support killing animals from helicopters, she does it herself. She doesn't just talk about increasing the use of fossil fuels but puts a coal-burning power plant in her own small town. She doesn't just echo McCain's pledge to criminalize abortion by overturning Roe vs. Wade, she says that if one of her daughters were impregnated by rape or incest, she should bear the child. She not only opposes reproductive freedom as a human right but implies that it dictates abortion, without saying that it also protects the right to have a child.
So far, the major new McCain supporter that Palin has attracted is James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Of course, for Dobson, "women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume leadership," so he may be voting for Palin's husband.
Being a hope-a-holic, however, I can see two long-term bipartisan gains from this contest.
Republicans may learn they can't appeal to right-wing patriarchs and most women at the same time. A loss in November could cause the centrist majority of Republicans to take back their party, which was the first to support the Equal Rights Amendment and should be the last to want to invite government into the wombs of women.
And American women, who suffer more because of having two full-time jobs than from any other single injustice, finally have support on a national stage from male leaders who know that women can't be equal outside the home until men are equal in it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are campaigning on their belief that men should be, can be and want to be at home for their children.
This could be huge.
Gloria Steinem is an author, feminist organizer and co-founder of the Women's Media Center. She supported Hillary Clinton and is now supporting Barack Obama.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Busy, Busy...
Hey Family,
So many things are going on in the world, Gustav pummeling the Gulf Coast (but at least this time it appears that the Government is on their job). My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected. Then, this woman, Sarah Palin for V.P. announces that her 17 year old daughter is pregnant.(oh dayum) Of course McCain said he knew this.... bullsh&#@! He is lying through his old-ass teeth. He's as stunned as anyone. On a festive note, the biggest parade in New York City took place today...the annual West Indian Day Parade--my kinsmen/women were out there!!! Holla. On another festive note, on Saturday, August 30, the divine sisters of Sugar and Spice Book Club based in Queens New York, hosted me as their guest. There was a Hawaiian theme so the ladies had on grass skirts, did the limbo, doled out pina coladas and pineapple chicken. I had a ball. And me being inquisitive (another word for nosey)joined "Twitter" ask me why. Why Donna why? (she shrugs). Also, finally after weeks of being off the wagon I went back to the gym with my man. Got a good workout (not that kind haha). And I feel pretty good. I'm also supposed to be fasting this month. Today was the first day. Did good until about 5 when I petered out. And in between mother nature's wrath, an asshole running for the GOP nod and his unqualified sidekick, the West Indies coming to Brooklyn, and my return to the gym, I was able to do my edits for Temptation and Lies (Book 3 of the Ladies Cartel series) and begin a proposal for a reality television book (both of which are due tomorrow 9/2) wish me luck. LUCK!
Ooooh in other news... I will be doing my first virtual book tour. Ella has me just about everywhere in the cyber universe! I'm gonna get sick of seeing my ownself! LOL. But if I come your way, I do hope that you will leave me a comment. My tour begins Sept. 5 and will end Sept 30.
Hope to meet up with you all online!
Happy reading... and if you haven't joined my fanclub... stop on by. We'd love to have you.
So many things are going on in the world, Gustav pummeling the Gulf Coast (but at least this time it appears that the Government is on their job). My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected. Then, this woman, Sarah Palin for V.P. announces that her 17 year old daughter is pregnant.(oh dayum) Of course McCain said he knew this.... bullsh&#@! He is lying through his old-ass teeth. He's as stunned as anyone. On a festive note, the biggest parade in New York City took place today...the annual West Indian Day Parade--my kinsmen/women were out there!!! Holla. On another festive note, on Saturday, August 30, the divine sisters of Sugar and Spice Book Club based in Queens New York, hosted me as their guest. There was a Hawaiian theme so the ladies had on grass skirts, did the limbo, doled out pina coladas and pineapple chicken. I had a ball. And me being inquisitive (another word for nosey)joined "Twitter" ask me why. Why Donna why? (she shrugs). Also, finally after weeks of being off the wagon I went back to the gym with my man. Got a good workout (not that kind haha). And I feel pretty good. I'm also supposed to be fasting this month. Today was the first day. Did good until about 5 when I petered out. And in between mother nature's wrath, an asshole running for the GOP nod and his unqualified sidekick, the West Indies coming to Brooklyn, and my return to the gym, I was able to do my edits for Temptation and Lies (Book 3 of the Ladies Cartel series) and begin a proposal for a reality television book (both of which are due tomorrow 9/2) wish me luck. LUCK!
Ooooh in other news... I will be doing my first virtual book tour. Ella has me just about everywhere in the cyber universe! I'm gonna get sick of seeing my ownself! LOL. But if I come your way, I do hope that you will leave me a comment. My tour begins Sept. 5 and will end Sept 30.
Hope to meet up with you all online!
Happy reading... and if you haven't joined my fanclub... stop on by. We'd love to have you.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Quotes To Live BY
I found these amazing quotes on the Bed-Stuy For Obama myspace page and wanted to share. Unfortunately, I couldn't capture the images but the words are powerful nonethe less.
We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.
--Malcolm X
(El Hajj Malik El Shabazz)
Civil Rights Activist
American Muslim
Human Rights Advocate
"Great minds discuss ideas.
Average minds discuss events.
Small minds discuss people."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945
Human Rights and Civil Rights Spokesperson
"So long as you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you."
--B.R. Ambedkar
Leader of the Dalits (Untouchables)
Buddhist Revivalist
Architect of the Indian Constitution
Recipient of the Bharat Ratna (Highest Civilian Award for Highest Degree of national Service)
"I've said to educators that if many of us were running businesses the way we run schools, we'd be out of business. Would you send your kid to a place where every day he wasn't getting better? School leaders don't talk enough about why their work is important. Why are we doing this, and how do we know whether we're doing it well? We know by noticing what happens to kids. Service work is about noticing -- and a good leader notices all the time."
--Dr. Lorraine Monroe
Founder of the Frederick Douglass Academy
Featured Educator on 60 Minutes
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."
--Frederick Douglass
"The infernal laws of slavery have prevented them from acquiring an education, understanding the common laws of contract, or of managing the ordinary business of life. This Congress is bound to provide for them until they can take care of themselves. If we do not furnish them with homesteads, and hedge them around with protective laws; if we leave them to the legislation of their late masters, we had better have left them in bondage.
If we fail in this great duty now, when we have the power, we shall deserve and receive the execration of history and of all future ages."
--Thaddeus Stevens
U.S. House Representative
Leader of Radical Republicans
Anti-Slavery Advocate and Pro-Abolitionism
"When a dream takes hold of you...run with it, and to hell with the consequences!"
--Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams
Alternative Health Care Leader
Professional Clown
Social Diplomat
Founder of Gesundheit Institute
"I was born a slave, but nature gave me a soul of a free man."
--Toussaint Louverture
First Emperor of the First Independent Black nation of the West (Haiti)
Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.
--Madame Marie Curie
Twice Nobel Laureate in Physics and Chemistry
First Female Professor of the Sorbonne (Paris)
Radioactive Pioneer leading to the X-Ray
"He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave."
--Andrew Carnegie
Captain of American Industry
Founder of Carnegie Steel Company
Highly Respected Philanthropist
We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.
--Malcolm X
(El Hajj Malik El Shabazz)
Civil Rights Activist
American Muslim
Human Rights Advocate
"Great minds discuss ideas.
Average minds discuss events.
Small minds discuss people."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945
Human Rights and Civil Rights Spokesperson
"So long as you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you."
--B.R. Ambedkar
Leader of the Dalits (Untouchables)
Buddhist Revivalist
Architect of the Indian Constitution
Recipient of the Bharat Ratna (Highest Civilian Award for Highest Degree of national Service)
"I've said to educators that if many of us were running businesses the way we run schools, we'd be out of business. Would you send your kid to a place where every day he wasn't getting better? School leaders don't talk enough about why their work is important. Why are we doing this, and how do we know whether we're doing it well? We know by noticing what happens to kids. Service work is about noticing -- and a good leader notices all the time."
--Dr. Lorraine Monroe
Founder of the Frederick Douglass Academy
Featured Educator on 60 Minutes
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."
--Frederick Douglass
"The infernal laws of slavery have prevented them from acquiring an education, understanding the common laws of contract, or of managing the ordinary business of life. This Congress is bound to provide for them until they can take care of themselves. If we do not furnish them with homesteads, and hedge them around with protective laws; if we leave them to the legislation of their late masters, we had better have left them in bondage.
If we fail in this great duty now, when we have the power, we shall deserve and receive the execration of history and of all future ages."
--Thaddeus Stevens
U.S. House Representative
Leader of Radical Republicans
Anti-Slavery Advocate and Pro-Abolitionism
"When a dream takes hold of you...run with it, and to hell with the consequences!"
--Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams
Alternative Health Care Leader
Professional Clown
Social Diplomat
Founder of Gesundheit Institute
"I was born a slave, but nature gave me a soul of a free man."
--Toussaint Louverture
First Emperor of the First Independent Black nation of the West (Haiti)
Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.
--Madame Marie Curie
Twice Nobel Laureate in Physics and Chemistry
First Female Professor of the Sorbonne (Paris)
Radioactive Pioneer leading to the X-Ray
"He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave."
--Andrew Carnegie
Captain of American Industry
Founder of Carnegie Steel Company
Highly Respected Philanthropist
Friday, August 29, 2008
From My Brother Wil's Perspective
Again... I defer to the eloquence of my friend and author William F. Cooper. Enjoy and share.
BARACK OBAMA: AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT by William Fredrick Cooper
“With profound gratitude, and great humility, I accept your nomination for Presidency of the United States…”
Those words, spoken in a cutting, uncomplicated tone with power, precision, passion and promise, came from a man of my complexion with direction. Because so many dangled from nooses, endured hoses full-blast, were firebombed and horse whipped, or fell to sniper’s bullets, he stood at that podium last night, a mile higher than us all.
Conducting a symphony of hope, our next President spoke of individual and mutual responsibility, signing the words with conviction, sealing the envelope with hope for change, and delivering the fantastically flawless address to the doorstep of a Republican Candidate whose stale political tactics echo the sentiments of a President that has brought us to the brink of fiscal ruin; a man that agrees with a president who aligns himself with the financial contentment of Smith Barney over the struggles of Barney Smith. A Republican Candidate that agrees with a President loathed the world over for worn philosophies, questionable shot-calling and bullying tactics that may have fueled the loss of three thousand lives seven years ago on a Tuesday morning in September.
A Republican Candidate in accordance with a Commander-in-Chief growing more discredited by the day. McCain agrees with Bush 90% of the time. What does that say about judgment, wisdom and experience?
Surprisingly, there were no tears last night; in the alternative, only the slightest of smiles escaped me. While he was of my skin pigmentation, I was color blind for forty-plus minutes as our next President launched a renewal of American progression with the restoration of common purpose. Liberally emphasizing the need for compromise in gun laws, same sex relationships and the right of choice, I saw an objective balance between marching into the future with new ideas and a carefully structured maintenance of traditional values. Embodying the spirit of service of Ted Kennedy, the power of example spoken by William Jefferson Clinton, and the dogged determination of Hillary Rodham, the concrete agenda of aid to middle class America seemed reasonable.
But I ask one thing from the Nation in which he could not: Patience. Cleaning up a mess takes time and effort by all, not a savior with blueprint alone. He simply can’t do this by himself, and we can’t expect him to. Fundamentally speaking, we are our brothers’ keeper. So just as our next President will try to give tax breaks to companies creating jobs in Americas that won’t be outsourced, better healthcare, cut taxes for 95% of all working families, invest in education, and setting a clear goal on eliminating oil dependency from abroad, we must help him by becoming better people to our families and communities. Teamwork, people. Teamwork.
Periodicals call him a talented orator with vaporous credentials, inexperienced in the ways of the home of the brave. He must strengthen the U.S. Dollar, some say; be more specific in problematic areas, others argue. But my gut tells me on that morning, he’ll find a way to get it done. Innately level-headed, our next President is willing to fight, but only in a way that uplifts, not breaks down.
In my humble opinion, the only question standing in the way of change is fundamental one, but one that’s embedded deep within the fabric of which this country broke ground:
“Is America ready to bid adieu to its subconsciously bias yesterday and entrust the power of the highest office in the world to a person of color?”
Last night, our next President looked more like an American to me than ever.
Something new is stirring, and its next destination is the Oval Office.
BIO
William Fredrick Cooper is the active secretary of Brother 2 Brother Symposium, Inc., a literary initiative that encourages black men to read fiction. An ordinary guy trying to make a difference, Mr. Cooper is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Six Days In January as well as the African-American Literary Award-Nominated, Essence Bestselling novel There’s Always A Reason. Described by writing peers as a message-delivering, emotional masterpiece within the African-American Community, There’s Always A Reason was a Master’s List Finalist for a 2008 NAACP Image Award Nomination in the Outstanding Literary Work Fiction Category as well as the recipient of four Infini Literary Awards. Touching minds when giving thought-provoking radio interviews or when moderating or facilitating panel discussions throughout North America, he has contributed articles to national periodicals such as EBONY MAGAZINE and many bestselling anthologies. He can reached at his MySpace page (www.myspace.com/wfcooper )or his e-mail address: areason006@yahoo.com.
BARACK OBAMA: AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT by William Fredrick Cooper
“With profound gratitude, and great humility, I accept your nomination for Presidency of the United States…”
Those words, spoken in a cutting, uncomplicated tone with power, precision, passion and promise, came from a man of my complexion with direction. Because so many dangled from nooses, endured hoses full-blast, were firebombed and horse whipped, or fell to sniper’s bullets, he stood at that podium last night, a mile higher than us all.
Conducting a symphony of hope, our next President spoke of individual and mutual responsibility, signing the words with conviction, sealing the envelope with hope for change, and delivering the fantastically flawless address to the doorstep of a Republican Candidate whose stale political tactics echo the sentiments of a President that has brought us to the brink of fiscal ruin; a man that agrees with a president who aligns himself with the financial contentment of Smith Barney over the struggles of Barney Smith. A Republican Candidate that agrees with a President loathed the world over for worn philosophies, questionable shot-calling and bullying tactics that may have fueled the loss of three thousand lives seven years ago on a Tuesday morning in September.
A Republican Candidate in accordance with a Commander-in-Chief growing more discredited by the day. McCain agrees with Bush 90% of the time. What does that say about judgment, wisdom and experience?
Surprisingly, there were no tears last night; in the alternative, only the slightest of smiles escaped me. While he was of my skin pigmentation, I was color blind for forty-plus minutes as our next President launched a renewal of American progression with the restoration of common purpose. Liberally emphasizing the need for compromise in gun laws, same sex relationships and the right of choice, I saw an objective balance between marching into the future with new ideas and a carefully structured maintenance of traditional values. Embodying the spirit of service of Ted Kennedy, the power of example spoken by William Jefferson Clinton, and the dogged determination of Hillary Rodham, the concrete agenda of aid to middle class America seemed reasonable.
But I ask one thing from the Nation in which he could not: Patience. Cleaning up a mess takes time and effort by all, not a savior with blueprint alone. He simply can’t do this by himself, and we can’t expect him to. Fundamentally speaking, we are our brothers’ keeper. So just as our next President will try to give tax breaks to companies creating jobs in Americas that won’t be outsourced, better healthcare, cut taxes for 95% of all working families, invest in education, and setting a clear goal on eliminating oil dependency from abroad, we must help him by becoming better people to our families and communities. Teamwork, people. Teamwork.
Periodicals call him a talented orator with vaporous credentials, inexperienced in the ways of the home of the brave. He must strengthen the U.S. Dollar, some say; be more specific in problematic areas, others argue. But my gut tells me on that morning, he’ll find a way to get it done. Innately level-headed, our next President is willing to fight, but only in a way that uplifts, not breaks down.
In my humble opinion, the only question standing in the way of change is fundamental one, but one that’s embedded deep within the fabric of which this country broke ground:
“Is America ready to bid adieu to its subconsciously bias yesterday and entrust the power of the highest office in the world to a person of color?”
Last night, our next President looked more like an American to me than ever.
Something new is stirring, and its next destination is the Oval Office.
BIO
William Fredrick Cooper is the active secretary of Brother 2 Brother Symposium, Inc., a literary initiative that encourages black men to read fiction. An ordinary guy trying to make a difference, Mr. Cooper is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Six Days In January as well as the African-American Literary Award-Nominated, Essence Bestselling novel There’s Always A Reason. Described by writing peers as a message-delivering, emotional masterpiece within the African-American Community, There’s Always A Reason was a Master’s List Finalist for a 2008 NAACP Image Award Nomination in the Outstanding Literary Work Fiction Category as well as the recipient of four Infini Literary Awards. Touching minds when giving thought-provoking radio interviews or when moderating or facilitating panel discussions throughout North America, he has contributed articles to national periodicals such as EBONY MAGAZINE and many bestselling anthologies. He can reached at his MySpace page (www.myspace.com/wfcooper )or his e-mail address: areason006@yahoo.com.
He Has A Dream Fulfilled
Last night in a football field in Denver, Colorado, the first African American man accepted the nomination from the democratic party for president of the United States. Ten years from now, fifty years from now what happened last night would be no big deal. It would be business as usual.
But yesterday was not business as usual. It was history unfolding right before our eyes. It will be written in newspapers, blogs, magazines and textbooks. It will be discussed over family dinners, at watercoolers and in classrooms. It will become part of the annuals of American history. A history where less than 200 years ago, this county enslaved black folk, treated us with less dignity than property. They striped us of our names, our families, our language, our heritage. But still we rise.
We endured, survived and surmounted every obstacle that has been put in our path. And yesterday, on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I HAVE A DREAM," speech, Barack Obama became the embodiment of that dream.
It was his image, his conviction, his oratory, his essence that made us all believe, black, white, red and brown that there is a better tomorrow and we ALL are going to the mountaintop, together.
Our parents and grandparents never thought they'd live to see this day. The sense of pride filled us all.
There are no more excuses ya'll. It can no longer be the "white man's" fault. We are our responsibility and Barack Obama has proven without a doubt that YOU can be whatever you want. But you cannot wait for what you want to be handed to you. Go out and get it!
Be responsible in your home, for your children and your community. Take care of yourself and each other. We can do it.
YES WE CAN!!
Part Two
Part Three
But yesterday was not business as usual. It was history unfolding right before our eyes. It will be written in newspapers, blogs, magazines and textbooks. It will be discussed over family dinners, at watercoolers and in classrooms. It will become part of the annuals of American history. A history where less than 200 years ago, this county enslaved black folk, treated us with less dignity than property. They striped us of our names, our families, our language, our heritage. But still we rise.
We endured, survived and surmounted every obstacle that has been put in our path. And yesterday, on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I HAVE A DREAM," speech, Barack Obama became the embodiment of that dream.
It was his image, his conviction, his oratory, his essence that made us all believe, black, white, red and brown that there is a better tomorrow and we ALL are going to the mountaintop, together.
Our parents and grandparents never thought they'd live to see this day. The sense of pride filled us all.
There are no more excuses ya'll. It can no longer be the "white man's" fault. We are our responsibility and Barack Obama has proven without a doubt that YOU can be whatever you want. But you cannot wait for what you want to be handed to you. Go out and get it!
Be responsible in your home, for your children and your community. Take care of yourself and each other. We can do it.
YES WE CAN!!
Part Two
Part Three
My Tour Begins
Greetings Family,
Well, I'm getting ready to hit the road again.... virtually that is! Yep, in these days of technology you don't even have to leave your house to visit with folks around the world. I'm psyched. This is my first virtual book tour so I am anxious to see how it turns out.
My tour begins the first week of September and I hope to be coming to a virtual home near you!.
Here are some of the locations:
Sable Lit Reviews
Worth More Than Rubies
Tamara Grant
So please visit the sites now, bookmark them or set up an RSS feed so that you don't miss the tour. Some very interesting questions have been posed by the blog hosts and I think you will be surprised by some of my responses.
This is a partial list, so do check back for updates. Also, there will be other authors touring with me. Some you know and some you will get to know. And many of the tour stops will be giving away prizes. But of course you gotta be in it to win it!
I'm looking forward to this "virtual thing" LOL, so I do hope you will join me on my cyber journey.
Well, I'm getting ready to hit the road again.... virtually that is! Yep, in these days of technology you don't even have to leave your house to visit with folks around the world. I'm psyched. This is my first virtual book tour so I am anxious to see how it turns out.
My tour begins the first week of September and I hope to be coming to a virtual home near you!.
Here are some of the locations:
Sable Lit Reviews
Worth More Than Rubies
Tamara Grant
So please visit the sites now, bookmark them or set up an RSS feed so that you don't miss the tour. Some very interesting questions have been posed by the blog hosts and I think you will be surprised by some of my responses.
This is a partial list, so do check back for updates. Also, there will be other authors touring with me. Some you know and some you will get to know. And many of the tour stops will be giving away prizes. But of course you gotta be in it to win it!
I'm looking forward to this "virtual thing" LOL, so I do hope you will join me on my cyber journey.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Here We Stand!
Every now and then, my friend and colleague William Cooper, composes a piece that I am compelled to share. This is one of them:
ONE MORE STEP by William Fredrick Cooper
I will weep at ten o’clock tonight. The tears will mix with the earth, causing flowers to grow. Gratefulness flowing my heart, to say that I give thanks to our forefathers is an understatement, for their labor was not in vain.
Imagine This: There’s a party going on in Heaven tonight. My brothers and sisters arriving Before The Mayflower are no longer in chains and shackles. Elegantly attired in tuxedos and evening gowns, with humility from yore they offer assistance, but are told by Our Heavenly Father to take a chill pill. They’re free, He reminds them. Those who were raped, whipped and tortured by slave masters throughout America’s Bad Time In History will be served by others as well, for they too, earned a lifetime of peace.
Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. Dubois and Paul Robeson a re exchanging hugs and hand pounds, and Malcolm X and Huey Newton are arguing over a game of chess. Though their anger has been tempered, their wars against injustice are now reserved for pawns, rooks, bishops and knights. Old habits dying hard, both want to win this match by any means necessary. Harriet Tubman, Shirley Chisolm and Rosa Parks are in their Sunday’s best. Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis and Jesse Owens are well-wishers at the gates to many late arrivals.
Ray Charles and Eubie Blake begin the evening’s entertainment by tickling the ivory in a way where Bojangles Robinson and Gregory Hines can get down. After the hoofers complete their scintillating duet that is sure to bring the house down, Lady Day, Dinah Washington and Phyllis Hyman will sing a version of “God Bless The Child” that will run over the dam of tear-ducts from all in attendance.
After Marvin Gaye made the congregation think with a spirited version of “What’s Going On” and we received ten minute apiece of comedy from Robin Harris, Red Foxx and Moms Mabley, many in the audience are in anticipation of Bernie Mac. The reason why is apparent to all that have convened for this very special pay-per-view telecast.
“You’ve heard him speak?” they all ask.
Bernie Mac, shaking his head in amazement, grins.
“He’s personable, friendly and funny, but he takes the business of changing things in America very seriously. Y’all just don’t understand. He ain’t scared of them mutha…
“Shut Yo Mouth,” Isaac Hayes interrupts.
“But I was talking about…”
“We Know,” The millions voices of African-American History shouted in unison.
Gerald Levert and Luther Vandross would lead a version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” after the main event, but Mahalia Jackson would elicit emotions with a jaw-dropping rendition of “Amazing Grace”. Again moved by the magical melody of song, the crowd above roared for the keynote speaker to approach the podium.
He did, to a five minute standing ovation. Picture millions standing and applauding the reverend. Truly A sight to behold. Our Heavenly Father gave Martin Luther King specific instructions in four words: I HAVE A DREAM.
In the same impassionate voice, the heavens vibrated as he began by giving Abraham Lincoln, John and Robert Kennedy praise. Then, in a measured mixture of force and grace, from start to finish, the minister address the crowd with love. Speaking the same words of hope and unity that he uttered forty-five years ago in the shadows of Lincoln on that Washington lawn, he spoke of children of all races and colors holding hands as a current of history created by all on those in heaven will meet with a new tide of creation on earth, “In America” he emphasized.
“At Ten P.M. Eastern Standard time, we will be one more step away from being free at last,” Martin Luther King announced. “A Black Man will go toe-to-toe with a Republican Candidate for the right to become the 44th President of the United States of America.”
“One More Step! One more Step!” Millions chanted with all the emotion in their hearts, all the power in their voices, all the love in their souls. Then, they all tuned into the speech about to be delivered on earth.
William’s Thoughts: The Dream now one step away, the down payment of the White House will be made tonight in the most important speech given by a person of color in this country to date. The road to victory will not be easy, as Barack Obama will be subjected to a scrutiny unlike no other before him. Many have died for this dream deeply rooted in many fabrics, and we can’t forget that. Conducting creative movements with discipline and determination, we wear the scars of our forefathers as we are nine weeks away from the Promised Land.
Nine Weeks from freedom ringing for four years.
Nine Weeks from singing, if but for a moment, FREE AT LAST!
Nine Weeks. One More Step.
William Fredrick Cooper
www.myspace.com/wfcooper
ONE MORE STEP by William Fredrick Cooper
I will weep at ten o’clock tonight. The tears will mix with the earth, causing flowers to grow. Gratefulness flowing my heart, to say that I give thanks to our forefathers is an understatement, for their labor was not in vain.
Imagine This: There’s a party going on in Heaven tonight. My brothers and sisters arriving Before The Mayflower are no longer in chains and shackles. Elegantly attired in tuxedos and evening gowns, with humility from yore they offer assistance, but are told by Our Heavenly Father to take a chill pill. They’re free, He reminds them. Those who were raped, whipped and tortured by slave masters throughout America’s Bad Time In History will be served by others as well, for they too, earned a lifetime of peace.
Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. Dubois and Paul Robeson a re exchanging hugs and hand pounds, and Malcolm X and Huey Newton are arguing over a game of chess. Though their anger has been tempered, their wars against injustice are now reserved for pawns, rooks, bishops and knights. Old habits dying hard, both want to win this match by any means necessary. Harriet Tubman, Shirley Chisolm and Rosa Parks are in their Sunday’s best. Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis and Jesse Owens are well-wishers at the gates to many late arrivals.
Ray Charles and Eubie Blake begin the evening’s entertainment by tickling the ivory in a way where Bojangles Robinson and Gregory Hines can get down. After the hoofers complete their scintillating duet that is sure to bring the house down, Lady Day, Dinah Washington and Phyllis Hyman will sing a version of “God Bless The Child” that will run over the dam of tear-ducts from all in attendance.
After Marvin Gaye made the congregation think with a spirited version of “What’s Going On” and we received ten minute apiece of comedy from Robin Harris, Red Foxx and Moms Mabley, many in the audience are in anticipation of Bernie Mac. The reason why is apparent to all that have convened for this very special pay-per-view telecast.
“You’ve heard him speak?” they all ask.
Bernie Mac, shaking his head in amazement, grins.
“He’s personable, friendly and funny, but he takes the business of changing things in America very seriously. Y’all just don’t understand. He ain’t scared of them mutha…
“Shut Yo Mouth,” Isaac Hayes interrupts.
“But I was talking about…”
“We Know,” The millions voices of African-American History shouted in unison.
Gerald Levert and Luther Vandross would lead a version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” after the main event, but Mahalia Jackson would elicit emotions with a jaw-dropping rendition of “Amazing Grace”. Again moved by the magical melody of song, the crowd above roared for the keynote speaker to approach the podium.
He did, to a five minute standing ovation. Picture millions standing and applauding the reverend. Truly A sight to behold. Our Heavenly Father gave Martin Luther King specific instructions in four words: I HAVE A DREAM.
In the same impassionate voice, the heavens vibrated as he began by giving Abraham Lincoln, John and Robert Kennedy praise. Then, in a measured mixture of force and grace, from start to finish, the minister address the crowd with love. Speaking the same words of hope and unity that he uttered forty-five years ago in the shadows of Lincoln on that Washington lawn, he spoke of children of all races and colors holding hands as a current of history created by all on those in heaven will meet with a new tide of creation on earth, “In America” he emphasized.
“At Ten P.M. Eastern Standard time, we will be one more step away from being free at last,” Martin Luther King announced. “A Black Man will go toe-to-toe with a Republican Candidate for the right to become the 44th President of the United States of America.”
“One More Step! One more Step!” Millions chanted with all the emotion in their hearts, all the power in their voices, all the love in their souls. Then, they all tuned into the speech about to be delivered on earth.
William’s Thoughts: The Dream now one step away, the down payment of the White House will be made tonight in the most important speech given by a person of color in this country to date. The road to victory will not be easy, as Barack Obama will be subjected to a scrutiny unlike no other before him. Many have died for this dream deeply rooted in many fabrics, and we can’t forget that. Conducting creative movements with discipline and determination, we wear the scars of our forefathers as we are nine weeks away from the Promised Land.
Nine Weeks from freedom ringing for four years.
Nine Weeks from singing, if but for a moment, FREE AT LAST!
Nine Weeks. One More Step.
William Fredrick Cooper
www.myspace.com/wfcooper
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
You Betta Tell Somebody
Hey Folks,
November will be here before you know it. And the direction of this country will change hands for better or for worst. However, unless we are part of the solution, we are part of the problem. No matter your political affiliations, make sure that you register and make sure that you vote. Next week at the Democratic National Convention history will be made. Don't stand on the sidelines.
This is our time. So seize the moment! Below is a message from Democratic Nominee for V.P. Joe Biden.
November will be here before you know it. And the direction of this country will change hands for better or for worst. However, unless we are part of the solution, we are part of the problem. No matter your political affiliations, make sure that you register and make sure that you vote. Next week at the Democratic National Convention history will be made. Don't stand on the sidelines.
This is our time. So seize the moment! Below is a message from Democratic Nominee for V.P. Joe Biden.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
If Only!!!
If only Marvin were around to sing this when Barak talks to the nation for the DNC next week! Lawd! I'm fanning....
Running On Fumes
Well folks it's been an action-packed week. As many of you know I had my very first virtual party which was a blast. We had a full house, some great conversation, and I think a good time was had by all. So if you missed it, the link to blogtalk radio is in the newsletter. So check it out.
In other news, I am currently working on my long-overdue sequel to my novel RHYTHMS. It is both challenging and exciting to revisit Rudell, Mississippi once again. Of course in the follow up there will be other issues pressing against my lead character Parris McKay and you will be introduce to two other complex and dynamic women whom I hope you will take into your hearts. It will be a while before "What Mother Never Told Me," hits the shelves but I promise to keep everyone updated and of course those in my fanclub will get first looks at the opening chapters.
I just turned in my third installment of The Ladies Cartel series, "Temptation and Lies," which will be out in February. Book 2 Seduction & Lies is scheduled for release in November of this year. So be on the look out.
For those of you who missed some of my novels, please visit my website Donna Hill and click on the Book Gallery Link. The selected books can be sent to you autographed and shipping is free. So take a look and see what may be missing from your collection.
Be sure to tune in on Sundays at 6 pm EST to Donna Hill Radio Show where you can listen to reading from some of my work, chat with my guests, ask questions, debate the issues and mingle with other readers on the phone on in the chat room.
Well that's it for now. Hope you all had a great week and a better one coming.
Happy reading!
Donna
In other news, I am currently working on my long-overdue sequel to my novel RHYTHMS. It is both challenging and exciting to revisit Rudell, Mississippi once again. Of course in the follow up there will be other issues pressing against my lead character Parris McKay and you will be introduce to two other complex and dynamic women whom I hope you will take into your hearts. It will be a while before "What Mother Never Told Me," hits the shelves but I promise to keep everyone updated and of course those in my fanclub will get first looks at the opening chapters.
I just turned in my third installment of The Ladies Cartel series, "Temptation and Lies," which will be out in February. Book 2 Seduction & Lies is scheduled for release in November of this year. So be on the look out.
For those of you who missed some of my novels, please visit my website Donna Hill and click on the Book Gallery Link. The selected books can be sent to you autographed and shipping is free. So take a look and see what may be missing from your collection.
Be sure to tune in on Sundays at 6 pm EST to Donna Hill Radio Show where you can listen to reading from some of my work, chat with my guests, ask questions, debate the issues and mingle with other readers on the phone on in the chat room.
Well that's it for now. Hope you all had a great week and a better one coming.
Happy reading!
Donna
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
You're Invited!!!
Tonight on Black Author Network, I will be having my very first virtual party. I will be celebrating my birthday, and the official launch of my new website and bookclub. There will be music,food, (whatever you have in your fridge), prizes, great conversations and just a good time. I love talking with my readers, bookclubs and authors and there is not telling who may drop by.
So set your alert for tonight and stop on by. Donna's Virtual Party
Tonight August 21 from 8-10 pm EST. on Blogtalk Radio. Once you log in, if you want to call in the call in number is available. Or you can hang out in the chat room. Come as you are and have a good time!
See you later.
Donna
So set your alert for tonight and stop on by. Donna's Virtual Party
Tonight August 21 from 8-10 pm EST. on Blogtalk Radio. Once you log in, if you want to call in the call in number is available. Or you can hang out in the chat room. Come as you are and have a good time!
See you later.
Donna
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
News From EDC Creations--Baltimore Book Festival
EDC Creations
Join us for The Baltimore Book Festival! EDC Creations and The Sankofa Literary Society invite you to meet and greet with today's most stimulating authors.
We will host live author interviews, excerpt readings and booksignings for the readers. EDC Creations will be giving away special gifts to bookclubs! Come out and spend the day with us and the staff of A Good Book bookstore.
(Visit A Good Book's website: http://www.agoodbook.biz)
The roster of 150+ author appearances includes Dr. Cornel West, Naomi Wolf, Walter Mosley, Martin Yan, Iyanla Vanzant, Daniel Mark Epstein, Omar Tyree, Congresswomen Loretta and Linda Sanchez, Dr. Randal Pinkett, Farnoosh Torabi, Laura Schlitz, Ron Suskind, Hudson Talbott, Adam Roberts, Donna Hill and many more!
bbf
Dynamic, personal interaction between readers and authors is the hallmark of Baltimore Book Festival - please explore the stage schedules to learn about all the authors attending this year's event. We look forward to seeing you at the Baltimore Book Festival! More Details Here.
Friday, September 26 | Saturday, September 27 | Sunday, September 28
Authors if you would like to introduce your books to the readers at the Baltimore Book Festival, please email me at: elladcurry@edc-creations.com
Join us for The Baltimore Book Festival! EDC Creations and The Sankofa Literary Society invite you to meet and greet with today's most stimulating authors.
We will host live author interviews, excerpt readings and booksignings for the readers. EDC Creations will be giving away special gifts to bookclubs! Come out and spend the day with us and the staff of A Good Book bookstore.
(Visit A Good Book's website: http://www.agoodbook.biz)
The roster of 150+ author appearances includes Dr. Cornel West, Naomi Wolf, Walter Mosley, Martin Yan, Iyanla Vanzant, Daniel Mark Epstein, Omar Tyree, Congresswomen Loretta and Linda Sanchez, Dr. Randal Pinkett, Farnoosh Torabi, Laura Schlitz, Ron Suskind, Hudson Talbott, Adam Roberts, Donna Hill and many more!
bbf
Dynamic, personal interaction between readers and authors is the hallmark of Baltimore Book Festival - please explore the stage schedules to learn about all the authors attending this year's event. We look forward to seeing you at the Baltimore Book Festival! More Details Here.
Friday, September 26 | Saturday, September 27 | Sunday, September 28
Authors if you would like to introduce your books to the readers at the Baltimore Book Festival, please email me at: elladcurry@edc-creations.com
Soul Expression Tour Update
Greetings Family!!
I'm finally back in my own house! I feel as if I've been on the road forever. But it's all good. My latest jaunt was the Soul Expressions Bus Tour sponsored by Levy Home Entertainment. This was my second year attending and I must say a good time was had by all. Some of the authors from last year were in attendance and we had some new faces too. I got to meet L. Devine, Wahida Clarke, Vickie Stringer and Marilynn Griffith (who is the funniest woman I have ever met). She kept us in stitches the whole weekend. Angela Benson joined us this year as well as my good friend Bernice McFadden aka Geneva Holliday. The old favorites returned as well: Rochelle Alers, Brenda Jackson and Beverly Jenkins.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Brenda, Beverly, Marilynn and Bernice for my blogtalk show (which airs on Sundays at 6 EST) but for some reason the recording did not upload last week! To say I am distraught is an understatement. I hope to be able to recover the interview soon.
The fans on the tour were great!
I'm looking forward to my next trip which will be the Baltimore Book Festival and then the Capital Book Fest. I hope to see your friendly faces out there!
Monday, August 04, 2008
HOTLanta--National Book Club Conference
Hey Fam!
Just landed on solid ground after my return flight from Atlanta for the Sixth Annual National Book Club Conference at the fabulous Marriott Marquis Hotel. I had a fabulous time and got to see sooooo many folks from all over the place! Want to give a shout out to Judi and Alicia and the sisters from Sugar and Spice Book Club and Pamela and Angela from Imani Book Club that hung out with me and Debra Owsley(Simply Said Reading Accessories).Hey Anya! Some of everybody was up in the place. Curtis Bunn did a fabulous job. We have pictures posted on my fanclub site. Take a look when you have a minute.
My girl Debra put together a Slideshow of the event.
I got to sit next to Terri McMillian all night during the banquet. And of course all of the author's shining moment was the walk down the red carpet. Yes, we felt like stars!! LOL.
Well, that's it from the road. I'll be heading out on Wednesday (my birthday) for the Soul Expressions Bus Tour which kicks off in Indianapolis and concludes in Chicago on Sunday. I do hope to see many of you out there as we hit the Wal-Mart stores.
Here are the dates and locations
Thursday, August 7th
10:00am--Lawrence, IN 10735 Pendleton Pike/ Lawrence, IN 46236
2:00 pm-- Fishers, IN 8300 E. 96th Street/ Fishers, IN 46038
4:45pm-- Indianapolis, IN 3221 West 86th Street/ Indianapolis,IN 46268
# Soul Expressions Author Tour in Fort Wayne >
Soul Expressions Author Tour
August 8, 2008
7502 Southtown Crossing Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN 46816
# Soul Expressions Author Tour in South Bend >
Soul Expressions Author Tour
August 8, 2008
3701 Portage Road
South Bend, IN 46628
# Soul Expressions Author Tour in Hammond >
Soul Expressions Author Tour
August 8, 2008
1828 165th Street
Hammond, IN 46320
# Soul Expressions Author Tour in Chicago >
Soul Expressions Author Tour
August 9, 2008
Saturday, August 9th
10:00am -- Country Club Hills, IL 4005 West 167th Street/ Country Club Hills, IL 60478
2:30pm-- Evergreen Park, IL 2500 W. 95th Street/ Evergreen Park, IL 60805
Sunday, August 10th
11:00am-- Crestwood, IL 4700 W. 135th Street/ Crestwood, IL 60445
3:00pm-- Lansing, IL 16771 Torrence Avenue/ Lansing, IL 60438
Hope to see you on the road and be sure to tell your friends!!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sistahs On the Reading Edge
Hey All,
Just had to bring everyone up to date on my recent visit to the left coast to visit my Sistahs On the Reading Edge in Anticoh, California for their annual Summer Sizzle. The event was fantastic and the hospitality even better.
I got to meet one of my own writing idols JD Mason! Who is simply wonderful. The actual event was a blast and the turnout was fantastic. I got to see so many folks that I know from flying back and forth out there as well as from conferences and booksigning events.
Dera Williams was there. She always comes out and supports. And I gotta give a shout out to my girl Deborah Burton from Turning Pages Bookclub for coming out. And to all the readers and bookclub members that came out to support me and JD, we love and thank you!!!
And big hugs to Lisa and Jackie co-founders of Sistahs on the Reading Edge for doing such a phenomenal job. I know I'll be seeing ya'll soon!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Chances Are--Revisited
On Friday August 1, 2008 CHANCES ARE will be "officially" available in bookstores.
This book is being re-issued by Harlequin from its original publication in 1998. However,this story will always remain dear to my heart as it sprung from my own personal experiences of running a housing facility for homeless teen mothers. As it was in 1998, a story of hope, of love and forgivness--and a sexy hero of course--those themes still resonant today.
If you don't have a copy I urge you to purchase one during the first week of release. If you already have one.... please get a new one anyway with a great new cover or get it for a friend. You won't be disappointed. I've included below a short blurb. Enjoy!
A test of passion…
Dione Williams knew what it was like to be young and pregnant with nowhere to go. Years later, through hard work and sheer force of will, she had provided a good life for her daughter and started a successful home for teenage mothers and their babies. But from the moment television producer Garrett Lawrence began a story on the teen center, Dione's hard-won confidence was shaken. How could a man she found so attractive and intelligent be so cynical about unwed mothers? Battling her conflicted emotions, Dione would have to defend the work she believed in—even if it cost her a love that promised a lifetime of happiness.
A test of love…
Garrett didn't think much of "irresponsible" teen mothers. He knew firsthand the misery of being given away and searching for the acceptance he never could seem to find. Although he found himself drawn closer and closer to Dione because of her independence and passionate determination, his painful past kept getting in the way. Now Garrett and Dione must find their way to each other through a search only the heart can undertake—and only love can bring.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
National Black Book Festival
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Roland S. Martin, Mary B. Morrison and Donna Hill Headline 2009 National Black Book Festival
Roland S. Martin
Mary B. Morrison
Donna Hill
Houston, TX (BlackNews.com) - Authors Roland S. Martin, Mary B. Morrison and Donna Hill will be among the featured authors at the 2009 National Black Book Festival, May 16-17, 2009 in Houston, Texas.
This annual event, held in conjunction with the Houston Black Expo, is co-sponsored by Cushcity.com, one of the leading African-American literary sites online, and the Houston Black Expo. More than 125 authors participated in the 2008 event and organizers indicate that the 2009 Festival will showcase a similar number of authors as well as several thousand African-American readers, including book clubs.
Roland S. Martin is a frequent political commentator on CNN and author of two books: Listening to the Spirit Within and Speak Brother! A Black Man's View of America. Mary B. Morrison is a New York Times bestselling author of nine novels and specializes in erotica. Donna Hill began her writing career in 1987 and has more than 50 published titles to her credit. Three of Hill's novels have been adapted for television.
Other featured authors for the 2009 Festival include:
* R. M. Johnson, author of seven novels, including The Harris Men and The Million Dollar Divorce and the upcoming The Million Dollar Deception
* Mary Monroe, author of ten novels, including God Don't Like Ugly, God Don't Play and the upcoming She Had It Coming
* Tracy Brown, author of five urban fiction novels, including Twisted and White Lines
* Brandon Massey, author of several works of the supernatural/thriller genre, including Dark Corner, Vicious and Don't Ever Tell
* Jacquelin Thomas, Christian fiction author, with more than 18 novels to her credit, including Soul Journey, Singsation, Redemption and Jezebel
Information regarding author and publisher exhibits, advertising and sponsorship for the Festival is available for download at the Festival web site: www.nationalblackbookfestival.com. For more information regarding the Festival, which will be held at Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center, contact the Festival office at (281) 444-4265.
CONTACT:
Gwen Richardson
281-444-4265
Roland S. Martin, Mary B. Morrison and Donna Hill Headline 2009 National Black Book Festival
Roland S. Martin
Mary B. Morrison
Donna Hill
Houston, TX (BlackNews.com) - Authors Roland S. Martin, Mary B. Morrison and Donna Hill will be among the featured authors at the 2009 National Black Book Festival, May 16-17, 2009 in Houston, Texas.
This annual event, held in conjunction with the Houston Black Expo, is co-sponsored by Cushcity.com, one of the leading African-American literary sites online, and the Houston Black Expo. More than 125 authors participated in the 2008 event and organizers indicate that the 2009 Festival will showcase a similar number of authors as well as several thousand African-American readers, including book clubs.
Roland S. Martin is a frequent political commentator on CNN and author of two books: Listening to the Spirit Within and Speak Brother! A Black Man's View of America. Mary B. Morrison is a New York Times bestselling author of nine novels and specializes in erotica. Donna Hill began her writing career in 1987 and has more than 50 published titles to her credit. Three of Hill's novels have been adapted for television.
Other featured authors for the 2009 Festival include:
* R. M. Johnson, author of seven novels, including The Harris Men and The Million Dollar Divorce and the upcoming The Million Dollar Deception
* Mary Monroe, author of ten novels, including God Don't Like Ugly, God Don't Play and the upcoming She Had It Coming
* Tracy Brown, author of five urban fiction novels, including Twisted and White Lines
* Brandon Massey, author of several works of the supernatural/thriller genre, including Dark Corner, Vicious and Don't Ever Tell
* Jacquelin Thomas, Christian fiction author, with more than 18 novels to her credit, including Soul Journey, Singsation, Redemption and Jezebel
Information regarding author and publisher exhibits, advertising and sponsorship for the Festival is available for download at the Festival web site: www.nationalblackbookfestival.com. For more information regarding the Festival, which will be held at Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center, contact the Festival office at (281) 444-4265.
CONTACT:
Gwen Richardson
281-444-4265
Monday, July 21, 2008
Mow your Lawn or Go to Jail
While surfing the net for weird news, I stumbled across this one from weirdnews.com Enjoy.
In Ohio they take grass-cutting very seriously. So seriously infact that homeowners who don’t mow their lawns face a stiff fine, even jail time in some cases.
The city council has decided to get tougher by increasing the maximum fine for failing to cut the grass from $150 to $250. And they’ve also added up to 30 days behind bars if a violator is particularly bad. Mayor William Healy says it’s the type of action needed “in order to clean up our neighbourhoods and our city.”
In the US it seems you don’t even get enough jail time for serious offences like assualt and robbery so this was a bit suprising.
In Ohio they take grass-cutting very seriously. So seriously infact that homeowners who don’t mow their lawns face a stiff fine, even jail time in some cases.
The city council has decided to get tougher by increasing the maximum fine for failing to cut the grass from $150 to $250. And they’ve also added up to 30 days behind bars if a violator is particularly bad. Mayor William Healy says it’s the type of action needed “in order to clean up our neighbourhoods and our city.”
In the US it seems you don’t even get enough jail time for serious offences like assualt and robbery so this was a bit suprising.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Ahhh.... Sweet Justice
Cop Fired for Demanding Free Coffee
AP
posted: 2 HOURS 35 MINUTES AGO
comments: 194
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filed under: National News, Weird News
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 18) - An internal affairs report says a Daytona Beach police officer demanded free coffee and tea from a Starbucks and threatened employees with slower emergency response times if they refused.
Lt. Major Garvin, a 15-year veteran, was fired July 8. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Chief Mike Chitwood says Garvin recently failed a polygraph test that he insisted on taking.
The coffeehouse's employees claim that since June 2007, Garvin had visited the store as many as six times a night while on duty. Besides demanding free drinks, workers complained that Garvin also cut in front of paying customers.
A telephone listing for Garvin could not be found.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
AP
posted: 2 HOURS 35 MINUTES AGO
comments: 194
PrintShare
filed under: National News, Weird News
Text SizeAAA
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 18) - An internal affairs report says a Daytona Beach police officer demanded free coffee and tea from a Starbucks and threatened employees with slower emergency response times if they refused.
Lt. Major Garvin, a 15-year veteran, was fired July 8. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Chief Mike Chitwood says Garvin recently failed a polygraph test that he insisted on taking.
The coffeehouse's employees claim that since June 2007, Garvin had visited the store as many as six times a night while on duty. Besides demanding free drinks, workers complained that Garvin also cut in front of paying customers.
A telephone listing for Garvin could not be found.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
In Other Weird News
Jun 23rd 2008
By Tom Radler
* Weird
* News
We're not sure what was on TV in 1966 in the former Yugoslavia, but it was the last thing seen by a woman whose remains have only recently been found.
Hedviga Golik, who was born in 1924, was discovered by police in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, long-dead and sitting in her armchair in front of her black-and-white television.
The deceased had been reported missing 42 years ago, and neighbors say they thought she had moved away to live with relatives. Oddly though, the police only recently broke in to try to determine who owned the apartment and they still have not figured out how the woman could have been reported missing so long ago without anyone checking the residence.
"When officers went there, they said it was like stepping into a place frozen in time," a police spokesman said. "The cup she had been drinking tea from was still on a table next to the chair she had been sitting in ... Nothing had been disturbed for decades, even though there were more than a few cobwebs in there."
A neighbor, fittingly, remembered Golik as "a quiet woman who kept herself to herself."
By Tom Radler
* Weird
* News
We're not sure what was on TV in 1966 in the former Yugoslavia, but it was the last thing seen by a woman whose remains have only recently been found.
Hedviga Golik, who was born in 1924, was discovered by police in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, long-dead and sitting in her armchair in front of her black-and-white television.
The deceased had been reported missing 42 years ago, and neighbors say they thought she had moved away to live with relatives. Oddly though, the police only recently broke in to try to determine who owned the apartment and they still have not figured out how the woman could have been reported missing so long ago without anyone checking the residence.
"When officers went there, they said it was like stepping into a place frozen in time," a police spokesman said. "The cup she had been drinking tea from was still on a table next to the chair she had been sitting in ... Nothing had been disturbed for decades, even though there were more than a few cobwebs in there."
A neighbor, fittingly, remembered Golik as "a quiet woman who kept herself to herself."
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
How Far Will They Go
Greetings Family,
My colleague William Cooper posted the following on one of the lists that we are on and I felt it important to share with you. If you have not made your voice heard on the blatant slap in the face not only to Senator Obama and his wife but to Muslims, and black folk in general, then you should.
ON THAT MORNING, WE'LL BE ALRIGHT...
(Inspired by Mary Mary's IN THE MORNING) by William Fredrick Cooper
On That Morning in November, we'll be alright. On That Morning, the skies will bleed a victorious blue. On That Morning, they'll be no clouds blocking what's rightfully ours. The sun will illuminate a heritage with warmth like no other time in history. Tears of joy will be shed from graves of slaves who died for our freedom, activists who endured hoses full blast, lynchings and assassinations, and every single discrimination because of skin pigmentation. Heck, even Clarance Thomas will be forgiven for his subjectivity, and Jesse Jackson will be pardoned for his momentary lapse, and realize that he too played a significant part in laying the foundation for a bridge once thought of as inconceivable. (It's all linked, Reverand. Don't fall for the Wright Gag.)
Years ago, a drop of water had more of a chance in hell than the tantalizing change before us. However On That Morning in November, Barack Obama will complete the ambition of every person of color in terms of human endeavor. The marathon race for mankind will see him enter the stadium, run that victory lap with his queen Michelle, and finally complete the race that began in chains before the Mayflower.
On That Morning, We'll be alright.
But Until Then...Buckle all seatbelts and fortify yourselves with armor for the Obamas. As the picture above indicates, we're in for a dogfight for those remaining acres. We're about to see the whole ball of wax in all its fury. Some of the nonsense will be blatant (Again, See Above), some of it forged from tech saavy, others testing our intelligence and common sense. See it for what it is, and pray that a country wanting change in all its sincerity will follow suit.
Check it.. This one's not about the interests of a twisted logic called white supremacy, which, by the way, is dressed in many disguises (CNN pundits, Political games, and periodical covers). This one's about change, one craved for and spoken in many ways throughout time. Singers came in song, poets and writers in their dreams, scuplters, painters and designers in their interpretation of beauty and awe, and scholars with blistering truths.
All were met with doors slammed in their faces.
On That Morning, it'll be no more. No more outcries of agonizing despairs over what can't be done, no more empty dreams for children of color hoping they can be. They will be, because our Prince and his voters sang in unison YES WE CAN. On That Morning, we'll be alright, because the race will have been completed with a village standing tall like the Kings, Queens and Priests of a land far away in place and time, people of strength that built pyraminds of clay with their bare hands.
But unil then, we must remember that strength as much for the Obamas as ourselves. We must remember that our village has forgotten about more unfair hardships than many races ever knew. With no signs of hesitance, timidity or intimidation, our strength must remain as cool as the other side of a pillow, yet blazing like a summer temperment. It will carry us through this journey of grinding times, for on that November morning when we awaken to no clouds of cynicism in our sky, we'll know that everything's Kool and The Gang.
Everything will be alright, actually- wink.
William Fredrick Cooper
www.myspace.com/wfcooper
AWARD-WINNING, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR of THERE'S ALWAYS A REASON
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR of SIX DAYS IN JANUARY
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR TO EROTIC ANTHOLOGIES
COMING IN 2010: THE INCONCEIVABLE SERIES
www.blackplanet.com/wfcooper
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My colleague William Cooper posted the following on one of the lists that we are on and I felt it important to share with you. If you have not made your voice heard on the blatant slap in the face not only to Senator Obama and his wife but to Muslims, and black folk in general, then you should.
ON THAT MORNING, WE'LL BE ALRIGHT...
(Inspired by Mary Mary's IN THE MORNING) by William Fredrick Cooper
On That Morning in November, we'll be alright. On That Morning, the skies will bleed a victorious blue. On That Morning, they'll be no clouds blocking what's rightfully ours. The sun will illuminate a heritage with warmth like no other time in history. Tears of joy will be shed from graves of slaves who died for our freedom, activists who endured hoses full blast, lynchings and assassinations, and every single discrimination because of skin pigmentation. Heck, even Clarance Thomas will be forgiven for his subjectivity, and Jesse Jackson will be pardoned for his momentary lapse, and realize that he too played a significant part in laying the foundation for a bridge once thought of as inconceivable. (It's all linked, Reverand. Don't fall for the Wright Gag.)
Years ago, a drop of water had more of a chance in hell than the tantalizing change before us. However On That Morning in November, Barack Obama will complete the ambition of every person of color in terms of human endeavor. The marathon race for mankind will see him enter the stadium, run that victory lap with his queen Michelle, and finally complete the race that began in chains before the Mayflower.
On That Morning, We'll be alright.
But Until Then...Buckle all seatbelts and fortify yourselves with armor for the Obamas. As the picture above indicates, we're in for a dogfight for those remaining acres. We're about to see the whole ball of wax in all its fury. Some of the nonsense will be blatant (Again, See Above), some of it forged from tech saavy, others testing our intelligence and common sense. See it for what it is, and pray that a country wanting change in all its sincerity will follow suit.
Check it.. This one's not about the interests of a twisted logic called white supremacy, which, by the way, is dressed in many disguises (CNN pundits, Political games, and periodical covers). This one's about change, one craved for and spoken in many ways throughout time. Singers came in song, poets and writers in their dreams, scuplters, painters and designers in their interpretation of beauty and awe, and scholars with blistering truths.
All were met with doors slammed in their faces.
On That Morning, it'll be no more. No more outcries of agonizing despairs over what can't be done, no more empty dreams for children of color hoping they can be. They will be, because our Prince and his voters sang in unison YES WE CAN. On That Morning, we'll be alright, because the race will have been completed with a village standing tall like the Kings, Queens and Priests of a land far away in place and time, people of strength that built pyraminds of clay with their bare hands.
But unil then, we must remember that strength as much for the Obamas as ourselves. We must remember that our village has forgotten about more unfair hardships than many races ever knew. With no signs of hesitance, timidity or intimidation, our strength must remain as cool as the other side of a pillow, yet blazing like a summer temperment. It will carry us through this journey of grinding times, for on that November morning when we awaken to no clouds of cynicism in our sky, we'll know that everything's Kool and The Gang.
Everything will be alright, actually- wink.
William Fredrick Cooper
www.myspace.com/wfcooper
AWARD-WINNING, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR of THERE'S ALWAYS A REASON
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR of SIX DAYS IN JANUARY
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR TO EROTIC ANTHOLOGIES
COMING IN 2010: THE INCONCEIVABLE SERIES
www.blackplanet.com/wfcooper
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Saturday, July 12, 2008
Harlem Book Fair --updated information
On Saturday, July 20 at 1:15 p.m. at the Thurgood Marshall Academy on 135th in Harlem, I will be facilitating a panel discuss titled: Heroes and Heroines: The Impact of the Romance Genre on Commercial Black Fiction.
Panelists include: Gwynne Forster, Sandra Kitt, Leslie Esdaile (L.A. Banks) & Nathasha Brooks Harris.
Sandra Kitt a long-time veteran of the genre will give the audience a perspective of the history of the genre and the reasons for its longevity.
Gwynne Forster trained in sociology and demography will discuss the human condition and how even book characters are products of their environment.
Nathasha Brooks-Harris a romance author and editor will discuss the mechanics of a romance, what makes it successful and the difference between a romance and a relationship novel
Leslie Esdaile who has garnered enormous success in several genres began in romance and will discuss how that foundation and the depiction of hero and heroine translates into all of the genres in which she writes.
This discussion will provide insight into the genre's longevity and popularity and how its basic structure has provided an "acceptable" medium to mass produce stories about African Americans, build an audience and a marketplace thus providing the platform for the current surge in black fiction. Find out why the genre has remained unshakable, how it has retained and developed its fan base and how black romances, street fiction and commercial black fiction all tell of the black experience by reflecting the environment from which their heroes and protagonists emerge.
We do hope that you will join us for what is sure to be an engaging, challenging and insightful discussion.
Please forward to your reading friends.
Panelists include: Gwynne Forster, Sandra Kitt, Leslie Esdaile (L.A. Banks) & Nathasha Brooks Harris.
Sandra Kitt a long-time veteran of the genre will give the audience a perspective of the history of the genre and the reasons for its longevity.
Gwynne Forster trained in sociology and demography will discuss the human condition and how even book characters are products of their environment.
Nathasha Brooks-Harris a romance author and editor will discuss the mechanics of a romance, what makes it successful and the difference between a romance and a relationship novel
Leslie Esdaile who has garnered enormous success in several genres began in romance and will discuss how that foundation and the depiction of hero and heroine translates into all of the genres in which she writes.
This discussion will provide insight into the genre's longevity and popularity and how its basic structure has provided an "acceptable" medium to mass produce stories about African Americans, build an audience and a marketplace thus providing the platform for the current surge in black fiction. Find out why the genre has remained unshakable, how it has retained and developed its fan base and how black romances, street fiction and commercial black fiction all tell of the black experience by reflecting the environment from which their heroes and protagonists emerge.
We do hope that you will join us for what is sure to be an engaging, challenging and insightful discussion.
Please forward to your reading friends.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Thanks to My Fans
Sunday was our first book club meeting on BlogTalk. Thanks so much for the folks who came out both on line live and in the chat room.
Joy was the lucky winner of our first fanclub T-shirt. Joy your shirt is in route.
Since Monday, I've been busy writing and trying to keep up with all the new members who are joining the club.
I want to wish each and every one of you a wonderful week and a very safe 4th of July.
Until next time happy reading
Donna
Joy was the lucky winner of our first fanclub T-shirt. Joy your shirt is in route.
Since Monday, I've been busy writing and trying to keep up with all the new members who are joining the club.
I want to wish each and every one of you a wonderful week and a very safe 4th of July.
Until next time happy reading
Donna
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