Tavis Smiley,
founder and publisher of SmileyBooks, hosted a reception October 2,
2007, in New York City to introduce his new company president, Cheryl
Woodruff, and to celebrate his company's newly acquired list of authors,
including
Iyanla Vanzant,
Dr. Cornel West, Tom
Burrell, and Eleanor Hinton Hoytt of the National Black Women's Health
Imperative.
In the past decade, Smiley's unique contributions have transformed
the American media landscape, placing his remarkable imprint on
television, radio, print, Internet, and digital media. This year, Smiley
moderated the historic All - American Presidential Forums broadcast live
on PBS. He has also been the driving force behind
The Covenant with Black America. President Bill Clinton, in his #1
New York Times bestseller Giving, waxes enthusiastically: "I can't begin
to do justice to The Covenant movement, to the power of its inspiration,
instruction, and examples ... I believe Smiley has given us a model for
how to organize other groups with common challenges for action in
America and across the world..." Smiley has also been a leader in
nationwide community outreach, sponsoring on-going community forums,
town hall meetings and symposiums, and a national college program called
the Talented Tenth HBCU Tour.
Smiley has written and edited a dozen books that reflect his life and
his vision for America. As Bob Herbert wrote in his New York Times
column, "[Tavis Smiley] is trying to do nothing less than generate a
movement among black Americans that will 'help make all of America
better.'"
|
Video Slide Show of Photographs taken
during reception hosted by Tavis Smiley in NYC.
Photos include authors Iyanla Vanzant, Cornel West, Charlie Rose actress Ruby
Dee; dancer Carmen de Lavallade; author Walter Mosley; author Terry McMillan;
dancer Judith Jameson; chairman and founder of Essence Communications Inc.,
Edward Lewis |
A foray into book publishing was a natural extension of the Tavis
Smiley brand. In early 2004, SmileyBooks was formed in a partnership
with Hay House. Like each of Smiley's endeavors, his book company came
with a mission: "to empower our readers to achieve personal fulfillment
and to become agents of change through the principles of love and
service." Initially, the expectation was for SmileyBooks to publish
titles written and inspired solely by Tavis Smiley, but the company has
since expanded its vision, anchored in part by its 2007 New York Times
bestseller, The Covenant in Action. This companion volume to the #1 New
York Times bestseller The Covenant with Black America serves as a
springboard for the company's ambitious plan to publish and support
books by major authors on topics that will appeal to a broad spectrum of
readers. Offerings on the upcoming list range from works by perennial
New York Times bestsellers to first-time authors.
Smiley's established media acumen as a broadcaster, philanthropist,
and intergenerational leader has helped to raise the bar for a national
dialogue in America. The company will be enriched by Smiley's love for
books, his passion for service, and his unique ability to inspire
audiences to take a stand and get to work. In partnership with Hay
House, SmileyBooks will be aggressively promoted and marketed on the
Internet, through the airwaves, to book clubs, in blogs, by word of
mouth, and through digital outlets.
SmileyBooks is a co-publishing venture with Hay House, an
international leader in self-help and motivational publishing, based in
Carlsbad, California. Hay House is the publisher of New York Times
bestselling authors Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Sylvia Browne, Suze Orman,
Tavis Smiley, and Immaculée Ilibagiza. SmileyBooks titles will be
published in hardcover, trade paperback, and digital media. SmileyBooks
is based in New York City.
Legends:
Rare Moments and Inspiring Words
Click to order via
Amazon
by the Editors at
Smiley Books, Foreword by
Tavis Smiley
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Smiley Books (February 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401924050
ISBN-13: 978-1401924058
Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches
Read an AALBC.com Review
“Would America have been America without her Negro people?” —
W. E. B. Du Bois
America I AM: The African American Imprint, a national
traveling museum exhibition, was conceived by award-winning
broadcaster and bestselling author Tavis Smiley as a
one-of-a-kind multi-media experience that chronicles the
distinct history of African Americans. This beautifully
conceived companion volume addresses the central theme of the
exhibition, posed by W. E. B. Du Bois: "Would America have been
America without her Negro people?" Through exceptional
photographic images and penetrating words, America I AM Legends
captures the dynamism of 78 legendary African Americans,
highlighting the indelible imprint each has made on the United
States and the world. A statement illuminating a unique aspect
of each iconic figure— made by the legend or by someone carrying
on their legacy today—portrays the vision and contribution of
each subject.
Whether black artistic genius, athletic excellence, political
leadership, or the struggle to hold America true to its promise,
each legend reminds us that America would be unrecognizable
without its African American imprint. America I AM Legends takes
us on an unforgettable journey to the heart of the American
experience.
Hope on a Tightrope: Words
and Wisdom
Click to order via
Amazon
by
Dr. Cornel West
Hardcover: 246 Pages, illustrated (Includes a
free CD)
Publisher:
Smiley Books (November 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401921868
ISBN-13: 978-1401921866
Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 6 x 1 inches
Read an AALBC.com Book Review
The New York Times best-selling author of Race Matters and Democracy
Matters offers open-hearted wisdom for our times in this courageous
collection of quotations, speech excerpts, letters, philosophy, and
photographs that reflect the profound humanity that fuels the passionate
public intellectual. In a world that seesaws between unconditional love
and acceptance and blind hatred and exclusion, Hope on a Tightrope will
satisfy readers in search of deep wells of inspiration and challenge
that marries the mind to the heart.
This gift book features an original CD that highlights Dr. West’s
outstanding spoken-word artistry. His August 2007 CD release
Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations that featured
collaborations with best-selling artists Prince, Jill Scott, and Andre
3000 topped the charts as Billboard’s #1 Spoken Word album.
Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self-Empowerment for Women
Click to order via Amazon
by
Iyanla Vanzant
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Hay House (August 15, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401921884
ISBN-13: 978-1401921880
Book Description
The 20th anniversary edition of Iyanla Vanzant’s first published work
offers a powerful path to self-empowerment based on the revitalization
of one's spiritual and ancestral roots. Written with Vanzant’s signature
healing stories, this classic guide to uniting the will with the spirit
teaches that only you have the power to make a change for the better.
From basic breathing and meditation techniques, setting up a home altar,
connecting with ancestors and guardian spirits, to the extraordinary
power of forgiveness, Tapping is a perfect companion on the way toward
the real you. This edition also contains the author’s new “What I Know
Now” commentaries and an original CD. Iyanla’s debut spoken word album
In the Meantime: The Music That Tells The Story was a # 1 Billboard
Gospel bestseller.
|