Anna Murray Douglass–A Twenty-First Century Sister? by Jewell Parker RhodesThere is no question that if I were married to a philandering Frederick Douglass in 2008, I would have my lawyer serve him with divorce papers, change the locks on the house, and if he dared to come near me, I would be tempted to hit [...]
In Quentin Carter’s novel, Amongst Thieves, we follow Ramon Delay after fifteen years of incarceration. Now 40 years-old, he reconnects with his crew and they plan to jump-start their success by doing what they do best; robbing. With a willing and wealthy partner, the crew is able to complete the heist successfully and rejuvenate a [...]
Donna Hill: My Friend, My Mentor, A Fine Author by Nathasha Brooks-Harris The year was 1988, but I remember it as if it happened yesterday. I was the editor of Jive, Black Confessions, Black Romance, and Bronze Thrills magazines. I had read every kind of story about sleazy, jheri curl-wearing pimps talking unwitting Midwestern runaways into [...]
Bari Jordan is the definition of the old adage Love is Blind. In Terri Denine’s debut novel, Whatever Gets You Through the Night, Bari Jordan turns a blind eye to all the problems existing in marriage and household. Bari met her husband Earl, while she was still in high school when they attended a “hooky [...]
Dedra Muhammad’s Making Mary takes place from 1920 through 1930. The story includes the migration of black people to the Northern states after slavery. The author also includes black people in the story that chose to stay and work for the slave masters as sharecroppers. Ms. Muhammad tells the story of Vivian Johnson and her [...]
What is Love? by Eric Pete No, I am not referring to the head-nodding song made famous in the Saturday Night Live skits and more recently in the Pepsi Max commercials. I am referring to what we as parents (or grandparents even), consider to be love for our children and how that love is expressed. Which brings [...]
Darkness and the Devil Behind Me by Persia Walker will capture your attention from the first page. Esther Todd, a talented and aspiring pianist, disappears into thin air on a cold December night. The investigation of her disappearance stalls after several dead ends. Her sister, Ruth, is determined to find out what happened to her [...]
Romance or Erotica– What’s the Difference? by Desiree Day In writing circles, reading groups and message boards, discussions invariably turn to romance and erotica and what is the difference between the two genres. I will attempt to explain the difference. According to Romance Writers of America, a romance novel has a central love story and [...]
Harnessing the Power of Hip-Hop to Promote Reading By Felicia Pride I learned the difference between a simile and a metaphor from a MC Lyte song. That was years ago, but now as an adult and a writer, I know wholeheartedly that hip-hop can be used to enhance literacy as well as promote a culture [...]
Like most kids, Keith was a happy child. He lived with his mother in a two bedroom apartment. He did not know that the world could be a cruel place. But he would soon find out at the tender age of seven, that life is not fair. One night his mother leaves him at home [...]
