Dr. Maya Angelou Honored For Lifetime Achievement by Glamour Magazine
November 18, 2009
Glamour magazine announces its annual Women of the Year tribute with 11 extraordinary and inspirational winners and one special-recognition honoree. Glamour’s honorees have made unprecedented contributions to the worlds of entertainment, business, sports, fashion, science and politics. L’Oreal Paris is the title sponsor of the celebration at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Obama’s brother emerges in China with novel
November 18, 2009
President Barack Obama’s half brother has broken his media silence to discuss his new novel — the semi-autobiographical story of an abusive parent patterned on their late father, the mostly absent figure Obama wrote about in his own memoir.
In his first interview, Mark Ndesandjo told The Associated Press that he wrote “Nairobi to Shenzhen” in part to raise awareness of domestic violence.
“My father beat my mother and my father beat me, and you don’t do that,” said Ndesandjo, whose mother, Ruth Nidesand, was Barack Obama Sr.’s third wife. “It’s something which I think affected me for a long time, and it’s something that I’ve just recently come to terms with.”
Being Black or Brown in America is Still Tough for Kids Despite Obama Era
November 15, 2009
The media is touting new films about image and the African American experience — Chris Rock’s “Good Hair,” Oprah’s “Precious,” CNN’s Black in America, Disney’s Princess and the Frog and Tyler Perry’s films — but talking about self-image is a mission for Sandy Holman, director of The Culture CO-OP, Davis, California. Holman has dedicated the last twenty years of her career to boosting the body-image and self-esteem of the nation’s youth. Her focus is on diversity and children who are disproportionately affected by negative messages such as African Americans and Latinos.
Author Naija Launches Her New Book Release SPANISH FLYY
November 4, 2009
Prepare to be sprung in a seductive new novel by Naija. In, SPANISH FLYY, Naija thrills again in a dangerously entertaining and scandalous storyline. Pulsating with flavor, suspense and crazy sex appeal, SPANISH FLYY is a roller coaster ride waiting for readers to jump on and buckle up.
In SPANISH FLYY, Dr. Raquel Howard is back again and living the glamorous life, spending money she coldly inherited after the demise of her fiance who wouldn’t abide by her love. Kismet has landed her in the arms of a new love – Montez Santana and this time she is certain it’s the real deal as every inch of her unquenchable thirst is pacified. With secrets, wealth, and a hidden identity to kill for, Raquel prepares to do whatever it takes to maintain her status, never knowing from which source the betrayal will emerge. No longer haunted by her shadowy past – but she should be.
Her boyfriend, Santana – who has an undeniable history of family drama – is once again struggling to conceal his own dysfunction. With family secrets that would surely keep him single, he has to choose between protecting them or his girl. Raquel begins to learn all isn’t perfect in paradise when a simple reunion sparks a catastrophic chain of events, her drug-addicted twin sister comes to town, and the bonds which once held it all together, break. One can only imagine what incidents inspired this enchanting tale.
SPANISH FLYY is now available where books are sold.
Pictured: Author Naija Launches Another Addictive, Hot, and Sexy Spin Through Scandal and Mischievous Love in Her New Book Release SPANISH FLYY. (PRNewsFoto/Brown Erotic Publishing)
Isiah Thomas blasts Magic Johnson over criticisms in forthcoming book
October 27, 2009
When he heard the criticisms from his former friend Magic Johnson in a soon-to-be-released book, Isiah Thomas said he’d had enough. And so he began to fight back.
“I’m really hurt, and I really feel taken advantage of for all these years,” said Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard and former NBA coach and executive, most recently with the Knicks. “I’m totally blindsided by this. Every time that I’ve seen Magic, he has been friendly with me. Whenever he came to a Knick game, he was standing in the tunnel [to the locker room] with me. He and [Knicks assistant coach] Herb [Williams] and I, we would go out to dinner in New York. I didn’t know he felt this way.”
Pictured: Former NBA players and good friends, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas attend ‘A Tribute to Magic Johnson – The official tip-off to NBA All-Star 2004 Entertainment’ on February 12, 2004 at the Shrine Auditorium, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
D.C. Sniper’s Ex-Wife Releases ‘Tell-All’ Book
October 27, 2009
Mildred Muhammad is not scared silent any longer.
Her book titled ‘Scared Silent’ recounts her 12-year marriage to convicted D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad. She maintains her ex-husband’s plot to randomly kill people in 2002 was a smokescreen, and part of Muhammad’s plan to hunt her down so her murder could be blamed on the D.C. sniper.
Mildred Muhammad has dedicated her book to her three children from her marriage to John Muhammad and her dedication to domestic violence awareness.
Pictured: Mildred Muhammad, former wife of the convicted DC sniper John Allen Muhammad, signs autographs for readers during a book reading and discussion on her memoir ‘Scared Silent’ at a Barnes and Noble Bookstore October 19, 2009 in Washington, DC. Mildred Muhammad talked about the domestic violence she had suffered in her marriage with John Allen Muhammad, and the tragic events that happened after their divorce, which led up to the sniper killing in the DC area in October, 2002. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Surviving the Streets as a Black Puerto Rican-American Orphan
October 27, 2009
When Henry Morales was orphaned at six years of age, he left home carrying sneakers and a bag of toy guns. Little did he know this scene would foreshadow his troubled and violent youth — that he would be funneled through institutions and have to fight to make his way on the streets of Brooklyn. In his memoir, “Journey of a Man: Packing Sneakers and a Gun” (published by iUniverse), Morales narrates the horrors of his childhood and criminal past, and describes how he overcame them to find peace.
A true story of abandonment, abuse, robbery, and murder, “Journey of a Man” follows Morales as he loses his family, fights for survival, and evolves into manhood without love or conscience. Born a “New York Rican,” Morales is sent to a convent after his mother dies. Stripped of his identity, he begins a quest of self-discovery as a black-Latino. Read more
New book examines black women’s film stardom
October 21, 2009
Dorothy Dandridge was the first black woman nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Almost a half century passed before another black woman — Halle Berry — won the award.
They and three others — Pam Grier, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey — are subjects of the new book “Divas on Screen: Black Women in American Film.”
“These women have pushed the racial boundaries for audiences, setting new standards for beauty and body type,” said author Mia Mask.
She took on the book because, while black male stars are now enjoying huge success, little has been written about their female counterparts — as performers who can headline a film, said Mask, who teaches film and drama at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Pictured: Actress Halle Berry arrives at Spike TV’s 2009 ”Guys Choice Awards” held at the Sony Studios on May 30, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
In the ABC’s of Targeted Media, ESSENCE scores an ‘A’-List
October 21, 2009
Please note the below commentary is from ESSENCE President Michelle Ebanks on targeted media –pegged to ESSENCE’s inclusion on Advertising Age’s A-List:
In the world of publishing, targeted media serves specific segments of the population who share a similar passion and/or mindset. There are countless niche magazines that are popular and relevant — but are facing a myriad of challenges only exacerbated by the current advertising downtown. Read more
Wyclef Jean’s Memoir to be Published by It Books
October 20, 2009
It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, today announced plans to publish the memoir of Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum musician Wyclef Jean. Jean will be writing the memoir with bestselling author and Rolling Stone writer Anthony Bozza, who co-authored such books as Whatever You Say I Am with Eminem and Tommyland with Tommy Lee.
The book was acquired by Mauro DiPreta, Vice President and Associate Publisher for It Books, from Richard Abate at 3 Arts Entertainment.
