Ngugi wa Thiong'o
http://authors.aalbc.com/ngugi_wa_thiongo.htm

Sharply critical of the inequalities and injustices of Kenyan society, publicly identified with unequivocally championing the cause of ordinary Kenyans, and committed to communicating with them in the languages of their daily lives, Ngugi was arrested and imprisoned without charge at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison at the end of the year, December 31, 1977. An account of those experiences is to be found in his memoir, Detained: A Writer's Prison Diary (1982). It was at Kamiti Maximum Prison that Ngugi made the decision to abandon English as his primary language of creative writing and committed himself to writing in Gikuyu, his mother tongue. In prison, and following that decision, he wrote, on toilet paper, the novel, Caitani Mutharabaini (1981) translated into English as Devil on the Cross, (1982).

Marissa Monteilh aka Pynk
http://authors.aalbc.com/marissa_monteilh.htm

In 1998, after being inspired by relationship-type novels by Terry McMillan, Marissa wrote her first book, May December Souls, which was semi-autobiographical. She shopped the manuscript to agents and editors for two years before self-publishing the title in 2000, and by the next year, she secured an agent and was involved in an auction with three major publishers. She signed with HarperCollins for three books and then later with Kensington for two titles, as well as an urban title with Life Changing Books. In 2006, Marissa decided to branch off into erotica and created the name Pynk as a way to identify the erotic side of her works.

Jeffery Renard Allen
http://authors.aalbc.com/jeffery_renard_allen.htm

Born in Chicago, he holds a Ph.D. in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an instructor in the graduate writing program at New School University. He has also taught for Cave Canem, the Summer Literary Seminars program in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Nairobi, Kenya, and in the writing program at Columbia University. And he is the founder and director of the Pan African Literary Forum, a non-profit organization which serves writers and which will hold an annual writers� conference, the first to open in Ghana in the summer of 2008.

Crystal Winslow
http://authors.aalbc.com/crystalwinslow.htm

Author Crystal Winslow was the recipient of Black Issues Book Review's 2004 Self-Publisher of the Year award.  She has rapidly grown Melodrama Publishing into a successful small publishing company. Melodrama currently carries more than 20 titles, including author, Kiki Swinson who penned the #1 Essence bestseller Wifey, which received a favorable mention in the New York Times as a �blockbuster� seller.

Vincent Alexandria
http://aalbc.com/authors/vincent.htm

Alexandria is a nationally published author, actor, producer, director, composer, lyricist, screenwriter, vocalist, and musician. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Rockhurst College and a Masters degree in literature from Baker University.  He is also the founder of the Brother 2 Brother Literary Symposium which will be held in Houston, Texas November 21st and 22nd, 2008 at Texas Southern University (TSU). Its mission is to enlighten men and women in reading and comprehension in order to enhance their quality of life. The website for the symposium is www.b2bls.com.

Going Down South by Bonnie J. Glover - Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/going_down_south.htm

When I started reading books many, many years ago, I came to the conclusion that there is no drama like family drama. A few years ago when African-American literature came into vogue once again, there were a good number of family dramas being published by African-American authors. Like the old adage say, you never miss the water till the well runs dry; well, in the middle of reading Going Down South, I did not realize how much I missed the family dramas. Going Down South, a novel by Bonnie J. Glover, is a family drama that focuses on three women and how their relationship with each other changes when the 15 year old daughter becomes pregnant in the early 1960s and long held secrets are revealed. Going Down South is a small, powerful, charming, yet graceful novel that shines like small bright rays of sunshine. The novel breaks your heart and heals it with wisdom and humor. I loved it.

21 Nights by Prince - CD/Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/21_nights_by_prince.htm

21 Nights is a big coffee table book with photographs, by Randee St. Nicholas, that are meant to show what it's like being Prince for 21 days during his European tour. The pictures are accompanied by poetry and song lyrics written by Prince. Inside the front cover of the book is a CD, Indigo Nights/Live Sessions; which is composed of live recordings of Prince and his band, the NPG. I read the book, played the CD, Indigo Nights/Live Sessions, and happily plunged into Prince's world.

W. - Film Review

This incendiary offering is apt to be appreciated or reviled along party lines for it paints a most unflattering picture of George W. Bush as a spoiled-rotten nincompoop who has been a miserable failure at his every endeavor. For, once it breezes past his early adult years frittered away as a boozing, womanizing embarrassment to his family, it settles down to focus on his copious shortcomings, first, as a businessman, and then as a politician.

Along the way, we�re treated mostly to W's familiar fiascos, such as his much-publicized, ill-fated forays into the oil and baseball businesses. So, the movie doesn�t really make any new revelations, unless you were unaware that he got a girl pregnant, was arrested for drunk driving and has been a bitter disappoint to his father (James Cromwell), former president George Herbert Walker Bush.

The Secret Life of Bees - Film Review

Heavily-laden with both symbolism and spiritualism, the picture relies on an array of evocative images such as queen bees and the Virgin Mary to deliver a series of subtle, yet very effective feminist messages. Particularly powerful is the silent scene where a piece of paper stuck in May's wall of woe is unfolded to reveal a prayer for the four little girls blown up in a Birmingham church by the Ku Klux Klan.

Smart and sentimental but not syrupy, with a well-executed script guaranteed to leave you in tears.

The Naked Truth: Young Beautiful and (HIV) Positive by Marvelyn Brown

After all, education is of prime importance in this day and age when African-Americans now account for the majority of the new AIDS infections in the United States. A bittersweet biography you might want to share with any impressionable youngster coming-of-age before they get involved in risky behavior with the potential to turn them into another statistic overwhelmed with regret.

Street Judge: A Novel by Judge Greg Mathis - Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/street_judge.htm

Street Judge is a wonderful debut. Mathis kept it real throughout the novel. He does not shy away from the violence or the gruesome details. After the slow start, I was easily hooked by the mystery and the suspense level of the story rose and remained high. I read the novel in a day. I hope that Street Judge will be the first of many more novels to come.

The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood by Ta-Nehisi Coates  - Book Review by Thumper
http://reviews.aalbc.com/the_beautiful_struggle.htm

Most importantly, what I can say about the book is that I was MOVED! I would have given anything to have had a book such as The Beautiful Struggle when I was a kid. The fact that I was not alone and maybe I was not the only oddball would have meant the world to me. I recommend The Beautiful Struggle. If you have a son or know of a young man that loves to read, I can think of no other book to give him.

Reverend Al Sharpton The Murder in Black and White Interview with Kam Williams
http://reviews.aalbc.com/reverend_al_sharpton.htm

Reverend Al's most recent cause, lobbying the Supreme Court on behalf of the Death Row inmate Troy Davis, resulted in an 11^th hour stay of execution. Here, he reflects not only on that triumph, but on everything from his voter registration drive to Barack Obama to the Amadou Diallo and Sean Bell cases. Plus, he talks about his new television show, Murder in Black and White, directed by documentary filmmaker Keith Beauchamp, which premiered the TV One Network

Spike Lee: The Miracle at St. Anna Interview with Kam Williams
http://reviews.aalbc.com/spike_lee.htm

Spike Lee is back with his first full-length feature since Inside Man (2006), the NYC crime caper which netted over $100 million at the box office alone. That picture's commercial success enabled the Oscar-nominated director to interest Disney in backing Miracle at St. Anna, a big budget WWII saga shot mostly in Europe.

The movie's script, adapted by James McBride from his own historical novel, is a fact-based adventure revolving around the heroic exploits of four black GIs (Derek Luke, Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy and Omar Benson Miller) who became separated from their unit while fighting behind enemy lines in Italy in 1944. Here, Spike talks not only about his new film, but about the prospect of his beloved Knicks during the upcoming NBA season, and about his feud with Clint Eastwood.

Tyler credits a simple piece of advice from Oprah Winfrey for setting his meteoric rise in motion. Encouraged to keep a diary of his daily thoughts and experiences, he began writing a series of soul-searching letters to himself -- reflections full of pain, forgiveness and, in time, a healing catharsis. Along the way, he spent a challenging period homeless, sleeping in seedy motels and in his car, but his faith in God and, in turn, in himself, only got stronger. Forging a powerful relationship with the church, he kept writing until his perseverance paid off, and the rest is history.

Here, the prolific and versatile Renaissance Man shares his thoughts about his latest production, The Family That Preys, a movie which he wrote, produced, directed and co-stars in.

Sam Langford: Boxing's Greatest Uncrowned Champion - Book Review
http://reviews.aalbc.com/sam_langford.htm

Though only 5� 7� tall, Langford proved to be an agile, clever and powerful puncher who pulverized his opponents, often taking on foes weighing more than his 170-180 pounds. He turned pro at 16, and soon found himself saddled with an array of colorful nicknames, including �The Boston Tar Baby,� �The Boston Bone Crusher,� �the Weymouth Wizard,� �Old Ho Ho� and �The Boston Terror�.

He went on to win 200 fights, 130 by knockout, over the course of an illustrious, 20 year career marred only by the fact that he was never able to land a title fight. This was due to a combination of racism and the reluctance of champions and top contenders to take him on.

Raising McCain: Republicans Rally the Base with Racist Appeal to Rednecks by Op-Ed Lloyd Williams
http://reviews.aalbc.com/raising_mccain.htm

Who would ever have guessed that the Republicans would resort to such despicable tactics in their quest to hold onto the White House? Aware of their plunging numbers in the polls, the McCain/Palin strategy has been to go negative by painting Obama as a pal to terrorists and as �not one of us.�

The approach has worked, at least in terms of exhorting the redneck base, with recent Republican rallies being marked by cries of �kill him� coming from the rabid lynch mobs. It's sad, if not surprising, that the GOP campaign has degenerated into a desperate appeal to the lowest common denominator, given McCain's pick of Palin as a running mate.

Success by Instinct: Use What Animals Already Know to Boost Your Career by William E. Boswell
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1933285427/ref=nosim/aalbccom-20

Gook: John McCain's Racism and Why It Matters - Book Review
http://reviews.aalbc.com/john_mccains_racism.htm

The eye-opening book's basic question is this: Have we as a country really become so desensitized to hate speech that we�re willing to elect someone President who so openly stereotypes and acknowledges his dislike of a large segment of the society he is supposed to govern? After reading this heartfelt memoir/impassioned polemic, I say Irwin Tang, not John McCain, is the true American patriot. For, at considerable risk to his own personal safety, the author of this shocking expose� has revealed the Republican presidential nominee as little more than an incendiary race-baiter more reminiscent of a Jim Crow-era segregationist than a straight-talking maverick.  A moving must-read for any voters still undecided about who they�re going to support in November.

Incognegro: A Memoir of Exile and Apartheid by Frank B. Wilderson, III
http://writers.aalbc.com/south_end_press.htm

In 1995, a South African journalist informed Frank Wilderson, one of only two American members of the African National Congress (ANC), that President Nelson Mandela considered him a "threat to national security." Wilderson was asked to comment. Incognegro: A Memoir of Exile and Apartheid is that "comment." It is also his response to a question posed five years later by a student in a California university classroom: "How come you came back?"

Although Wilderson recollects his turbulent life in South Africa during the furious last gasps of apartheid, Incognegro is a quintessentially American story. Wilderson taught at Johannesburg and Soweto universities by day. By night, he helped the underground wing of the ANC coordinate clandestine propaganda, launch psychological warfare, and more. In this mesmerizing political memoir, Wilderson's lyrical prose flows from childhood episodes in the white Minneapolis enclave "integrated" by his family to a rebellious adolescence at the student barricades in Berkeley and under tutelage of the Black Panther Party; from unspeakable dilemmas in the red dust and ruin of South Africa to political battles raging quietly today on US campuses and in his intimate life.

Ernie Davis was an All-American on the gridiron, and a man of integrity off the field. A multi-sport high school star in Elmira, New York, Davis went on to Syracuse University, where as a sophomore he led his team to an undefeated season and a national championship in 1959, and earned his nickname, the Elmira Express. Two seasons later, Davis had broken the legendary Jim Brown's rushing records, and became the first black athlete to be awarded the Heisman Trophy.

The number one pick in the 1962 NFL draft, Davis signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns and appeared to be headed for professional stardom. But Davis never ended up playing in the NFL: He was diagnosed with leukemia during the summer before his rookie season and succumbed to the disease less than a year later. In battling his illness, Davis showed great dignity and courage, inspired the nation, and moved President John F. Kennedy to eulogize him as � an outstanding man of great character.�

The Re:Verse Literary Conference 2008
http://www.reversefestival.com/08.htm

Saturday, October 25, 2008, 11-5pm
Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th St., Bronx, NY

The Re:Verse Literary Conference presents creative ways for keeping literature and books valuable sources of knowledge and creativity. This series of professional-development workshops will help educators incorporate literature into existing curricula to further explore course work that focuses on cultures, history, and social studies.  The mission is to bring a love of literature back into the classroom in new, unique, and exciting ways.

All conference attendees will receive a complimentary one-year subscription to Mosaic Literary Magazine ($24 value) and lunch.

Self-Publishing Workshop - Saturday, December 6th 2008 - Harlem, New York
http://writers.aalbc.com/aalbc_com_worhshops_for_writers.htm

It's getting tougher and tougher to land a publishing contract these days, and so many writers are exploring the possibility of self-publishing. In self-publishing, the author maintains full control of his or her book.

This four-hour workshop, which is led by Essence bestselling author Karen E. Quinones Miller -- self-published her first book, Satin Doll, and sold 3,000 copies in only eight months � and nationally known book guru, Troy Johnson -- founder of AALBC.com, the best known African-American literary site on the Internet � covers a variety of topics including: setting up your own publishing company, obtaining ISBNs, copyrighting your book, getting distribution and marketing your book.

The Fifth Annual Brother 2 Brother Literary Symposium, November 21 - 22, 2008 - Houston, Texas
http://www.b2bls.com

For the fifth year, the Brother 2 Brother Literary Symposium (B2BLS) is bringing together a collection of nationally published African-American male and female fiction writers who have gathered to identify ways at which they can advance literacy in their communities.

Come out and join us for a spectacular event that combines literacy awareness, special guest author's presentations, an educational component, book signings, anthology of short stories, and extensive discussions on why �African American youth and adults have struggles reading and completing their educational goals?�

All About AALBC.com - Promotional Video
http://aalbc.com/aboutus.htm

See AALBC.com in action and learn more about our services and features.