BV on Books

Helena Andrews Says Her 'Bitch' Book is About Modern Feminism

Lynette Holloway — 2010-07-23T08:08:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews

During a recent book signing at Harlem's Hue-man Bookstore & Café, author Helena Andrews regaled visitors with tales of her adult life and childhood as she read from her compelling memoir 'Bitch is the New Black.'

The title is what screenwriters like to call a MacGuffin, a Hitchcockian way of saying a red herring.

While it conveys a story about bitchy blacks prevailing over the universe, it really is the tale of a young woman who was raised by a lesbian mother as the only black kid on Catalina Island. In this touching, yet humorous memoir, Andrews tries to answer the perennial question of whether a "strong, single and successful black woman can ever find love.''

"A lot of my story is unique, but it's extremely universal,'' she told the audience, explaining that the book is not just for black readers.

The impressive Ivy League graduate (Columbia University), who has worked at O magazine, Politico and as a clerk at the New York Times' Washington Bureau, recently spoke to BV on Books about her memoir. Below are excerpts from the conversation.

BV on Books: How did you come up with the title?

Helena Andrews: "I really wanted to call the book 'Dirty Astronaut Diapers' as an homage to my crazy white lady muse Lisa Nowak. Unfortunately, only me and two other people (okay one other person) thought that was funny. So I kicked around a few horrible titles for a while, including but not limited to 'Chasing Michelle' and 'Keeping it Moving.' Yeah I know. So when I heard Tina Fey shout, "Bitch is the new black" on 'Saturday Night Live,' I figured I better steal it before someone else did. To me the phrase speaks to modern feminism, this idea of strangers having a different take on you than you have on yourself, and the idea that being a bitch is in vogue for the modern woman -- be she black, white, purple or plaid. I wanted to explore that stereotype (not necessarily endorse it) by telling my story. Maybe bitch is the new black sometimes and maybe sometimes you should leave that bitch in the closet."

BV: Your mother sounds fascinating. Is that why you chose to read from Chapter 2 during the book signing? It really highlights her character.

HA: "My mother is utterly ridiculous in the sweetest of ways and now she's semi-folks-who-read-my-daughter's-book-famous. I got a call a few weeks ago from a magazine editor who goes, 'Your mother slipped me your card last night and on the back it read 'support her.' This is what she does. Folks are calling her Ms. Frances, which I find absolutely hilarious. My mom has always been the mom. She sewed costumes, built sets, baked cakes, and made signs -- the whole nine. Supporting me and the book is just an extension of cheering me on at a cheer leading competition for her. My friends have always liked Frances waaaay more than they ever liked me. After my big launch party in D.C. a friend of mine G [google]chatted me the next day, 'Just so you know your mom was the MVP last night.' She needs her own show. Bravo, are you listening?"

BV: You also read from Chapter 10, "Walk Like a Woman,'' where you describe walking ventures in various cities where you've lived. Can you talk a little bit about that? And do you still walk?

HA: "When I was growing up it was heresy to sit in the house when it was nice outside. During summers on Catalina, I usually sleep in my bathing suit so that I wouldn't waste anytime in the morning putting it on. I'd spend hours wondering around and just getting lost, which is actually sort of impossible to do on a tiny island. Same thing goes for Manhattan about 15 years later. One of my favorite quotes about being a woman is from Diane Von Furstenberg, who said, 'The most important relationship you'll ever have is with yourself.' That might depress some people, but it makes perfect sense to me. Walking is just a way to have an extended date with myself, some people call it 'me time.' Of course, it's gotten me into a bit of trouble. I've been robbed (twice) and I fainted (once). So now I just make sure to carry pepper spray and a bottle of water."

BV: Talk about some of your misadventures in dating and being single.

HA: "The definition of single is more fluid than people think. Yes, my tax filing status is 'single head of household,' but that doesn't mean I stay in all weekend watching 'True Blood' (although there is absolutely nothing wrong with that). I date. I meet plenty of smart, attractive, ambitious and funny men. I just haven't met my husband yet, or maybe I have. Who knows?. A friend once said to me, 'Your attitude about life seems to be one of adventure. You're the type of person who dates for the stories,' which is totally true. I've fallen in, out and over love a lot since I went on my first date at the Magic Johnson Theatre in the Baldwin Hills Mall in 1996. Fourteen years later, I'm still enjoying the ride -- despite hating roller coasters with a vengeance."

BV: How about misadventures on your enviable career track?

HA: "I am a not a good employee, period. I shouldn't work for people. I'm my own boss now and I get on my own nerves. But when I was all bright and shiny and new to the workforce for whatever reason I figured my Ivy League diploma, like a fancy doctor's note, would exempt me from working like a Hebrew slave. It did not. I remember one time I had to run 10 blocks in like a minute to give my boss a toothpick or something before the Jitney left for the Hamptons. I'm sweating and out of breath, thinking, 'Was this what I learned about the allegory of the cave for?' It's a rude wake-up call -- actually more like a slap in the face, but very necessary. I don't know if my career track is 'enviable,' but it definitely reflects my passion. I mean taking a $5.15-an-hour internship after college was not the business, but I wanted to write, so Ramen noodles rescued me. Passing out newspapers and making coffee in the Washington bureau of the New York Times after getting a master's in journalism was also a force-feeding of humble pie. And covering the 'congressional style' on Capitol Hill is an oxymoron if there ever was one. But when you know the end game, all the twists and turns make sense. I've wanted to be a writer since before I even knew how to write and now I am one."

BV: What's next for you?

HA: "Next up is the screenplay. Shonda Rhimes, creator of 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Private Practice,' has optioned my book for Fox Searching Pictures. It's superexciting and superscary because film is a new medium for me. I'm also thinking about my next book, which hopefully will be all about adventure, but not three-dimensional vampire pirates."

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Interview With An Author: Zane's Jessica Holter Serves Up Provocative Tale of 'Trysexuality' With 'Punany Experience'

Lynette Holloway — 2010-07-16T18:06:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews, Fiction, Romance & Erotica

Jessica Holter has never been known to mince words. For over a decade, she has transfixed audiences with her poetry that explores sensuality and sexuality.

In 2007, she hit a milestone when Zane, the critically acclaimed author and publisher of erotica, released 'Verbal Penetration,' which propelled Holter into the spotlight.

Now comes 'The Punany Experience: The War Between Tops and Bottoms, Not Your Average Down Low Story' by Holter, which is sure to raise eyebrows.

It is the story of Stormy Talbert, a bisexual, Korea Smith, an androgynous businesswoman and Hartford, a married man. And it takes you down mental alleyways and passages you never imagined.

Black Voices caught up to Holter. Below are excerpts from the conversation.

BV on Books: How did you come up with the title?
Jessica Holter: The first part of the title is what I call the theatrical episodes fans have when they attend a show by The Punany Poets [which she created in 1995 after the untimely death of gangsta rapper Eazy-E]. "The War Between Tops and Bottoms" is the title of a poem published by Zane in 'Verbal Penetration.' The novel is based on that poem, which details a night of taboo love making between two lesbians and a married man. The last part of the title "Not the Average Down Low Story" intends to let readers know that this book is not about a gay man, but a straight one, who happens to be curious about anal sex -- though not with a man.

BV: What was the genesis of "The Punany Experience?''
JH: I started with a basic plot about Stormy, Korea and Hartford, and suddenly the characters began to write their own stories. They gave themselves childhoods and families and very strong opinions. As in my poetry, I include many elements of the human experience: spiritual confusion, loss, love, career fulfillment and sexual curiosity. But the general theme is about experimentation and pushing one's own limits.

BV: How did you develop the characters?
JH: Let's just say it is a story I am very familiar with. It has been on my mind for a long time, mostly because I wanted to talk to women about the secret nature of the down low [lifestyle] without putting two men in bed together. Hartford is a lovely man who loves and takes care of his family. He is successful and sexy. He is humble and honest. He also is sexually curious, not because of any twisted desire, but because the strangest thing happened at the doctor's office one day. Stormy is the ultimate passive-aggressive. She is adorable, lovable and quite the manipulator. Korea is the epitome of a woman, unbound by any man, any politics, or any illusions. She is the realist you will hate to love. There are some great [characters] in the background too. I absolutely loved meeting them all and I am excited about presenting them to the world.

BV: Do you think these so-called "trysexual'' relationships are becoming a standard today?
JH: I think as women get more frustrated with secrets and lies, we will begin to open the channels of communication with our mates more. Hopefully, we will be open and not judgmental. The truth is that people love to talk. I have learned that from producing interactive sex education theater shows. People will tell you anything if they feel that you will not judge them.

BV: Do you think it's a stereotype that women and men who are open to these relationships have experienced traumatic childhoods? I ask because it's an element of the story.
JH: Yes. But, I believe a lot of women -- who are lesbian by choice -- have chosen so because they feel more comfortable with women. But in the story, Hartford decides to be with a woman who handles him as a man would, not because of sexual trauma, but because of his own personal sexual desires. The prostate is a very sensitive place that is almost always overlooked by heterosexual women. I truly believe the down low [phenomenon] is a result of that. I mean, we keep a minimum of one million black men incarcerated at any given time in America. Most of them know they have that down low spot back there. This awareness will soon be universal. There are already classes being taught on the topic of prostate stimulation.

BV: What's next for you?
JH: I am editing The 'Punany Psalms,' a series of self-published poetry and short stories by day, and working on my next novel for Zane by night. The novel, 'Grave Mothers,' is a deviation from erotica that is allowing another voice to come through me. The book ponders the question of how responsible we are for the sins of our children.

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Summer Hot Pick: 'Platinum,' a New Novel Reveals Music Industry as a Hotbed of Relationship Scandals

Lynette Holloway — 2010-07-07T16:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Hot Picks, Reviews, Fiction, Romance & Erotica

'Platinum,' a new novel by music journalist Aliya S. King is a summer hot pick full of fabulosity that will keep you reading from front to back in one sitting. So, grab some lemonade, a visor, sunscreen and head for the beach or a nice shady seat on the porch.

The sizzling tale gives a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when the social exigencies of the hip-hop lifestyle surpass the importance of love and commitment.

While interviewing several wives of hip-hop artists for an article for Vibe magazine four years ago, King said she witnessed the trials and tribulations of marriage and relationships. She saw that the worlds of wives and girlfriends were not all made up of Jimmy Choos, red carpets and private jets, which inspired the novel. While 'Platinum' is fictional, the stories are based on what she learned about the women for the article, she said.

'Platinum' revolves around Alex Maxwell, who is about to marry Birdie, a rising star in the hip-hop industry. Meanwhile, she is ghostwriting a scurrilous tell-all by video vixen Cleo Wright, who claims to have bedded all of the famous hip-hop stars, executives and producers. And she's got videos of some sexcapades!

In the following except, Maxwell questions whether she should take on the project during a meeting with Wright.

Alex wiped her brow and sat back in her seat so that she couldn't see the [computer] monitor.

"Yes. He likes to be taped. And he likes to watch afterward.''

Alex let out a long, low whistle. "And you're using real names in this book.''

"I'm sparing a few. But yeah, real names.''

Alex's face was lined. She put her fingers on her temples and rubbed them slowly. "You really want to do this?''

"Yes.''

Wright takes Maxwell on a head-spinning journey that leaves her wondering why hip-hop wives stay with their husbands under such challenging circumstances. One wife is married to a drug-addled aging rap star. Another is dating a record label president in an open secret. And then there is Cleo, who has that certain je ne sais quoi that no man or woman can turn down. Cleo also always gets what she wants.

As she delves deeper into the project, Maxwell learns she may have more in common with the hip-hop wives than she realized. She begins to question what would happen if Birdie finally signs with a major label. Would her life become a reflection of theirs?

Soon, Maxwell finds herself caught in the crosshairs of love and her newly formed relationship with Wright in this thought-provoking tale about relationships, work and success.

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'Souls of My Young Sisters': Poignant, Personal Stories That's Required Reading

Lynette Holloway — 2010-06-30T10:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews, Self-Help, Anthology, Young Adult, Spirituality and Religion

Raegan L. Burden grew up thinking she needed to gain weight to get more "play,'' or attention, from boys.

Floree Williams learned the hard way that her negative internal voice could be far worse than that of any enemy.

And Shalena Broaster learned that sharing too much information about a lover's spat with friends and family could cause them to stand in judgment of them both even after they make up.

These powerful lessons appear in, 'Souls of My Young Sisters: Young Women Break Their Silence with Personal Stories That Will Change Your Life,' written and edited by Dawn Marie Daniels and Candace Sandy.

It is a collection of poignant stories by 60 women, ages 18 to 30, who share their personal stories to inspire other young girls at a time when surveys suggest that young women continuously struggle with self-image, skin tone and self-esteem.

Sandy told BV on Books that beginning next month, the books would be read on air as part of a partnership with local radio stations. The programs will broadcasts the stories of contributors over the air and encourages listeners to learn from the tales. In each city, callers can win a chance to attend a reception and book club meeting called a New Beginning.

"African American women are victims of domestic violence at a considerably higher rate than women in other racial and ethnic groups in the United State,'' she said. " 'Souls of My Young Sisters' includes stories that are reflective of these statistics and will encourage young women everywhere to begin the healing process.''

Burden writes that she eventually learned to accept her body after years of trying to conform to social norms by overeating and gaining only five pounds! Now, she hopes her story will help others. "You are attractive and good enough just as you are,'' she writes. "Of this I am certain!''

In Williams' case, she writes that she still struggles. "I won't like and say that I am absolutely infatuated with myself,'' she writes. "I have my on and off days. The older I get, the more on days I have. I have learned with maturity that there is nothing wrong with my personality.''

Broaster has learned to balance her relationship with family and friend. "Promise me that before you air your dirty laundry, you'll pray about the situation and seek out God's counsel. God may give you the answer, help you think your way through your problem, or lead you to someone who has been through what you're going through and can offer wise advise and impartial advice and not hold things against you or your lover.''

Indeed, 'Souls of My Young Sisters'' is filled with sage advice that should be required reading for women of all ages.

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'In My Father's House,' By the Late E. Lynn Harris is a Summer Scorcher

Lynette Holloway — 2010-06-21T09:43:00+00:00

Filed under: Hot Picks, Reviews, Fiction

Take E. Lynn Harris' posthumously released novel, 'In My Father's House,' to the beach this summer and you just might burn under the hot the sun trying to finish it.

Yes, it is just that hot.

Harris completed it nearly a year ago just before his unexpected death. The book hits shelves today to commemorate the iconic author's lifetime of achievements.

His novels, 'Basketball Jones,' 'Just Too Good to Be True' and 'I Say a Little Prayer' hit the best-seller lists of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. They are among his 10 celebrated novels, as well as his memoir, 'What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.'

'In My Father's House'' will definitely be added to the best-sellers list. It's a potent tale of love, lust, betrayal, murder and redemption spun around Bentley L. Dean III, who jeopardizes his right to his family's multimillion family fortune simply because he reveals his homosexuality. The owner of Picture Perfect, one of the hottest modeling agencies in Miami, comes out to his beautiful fiancée, Kim Boston, in order to be with his lover, Warren Stubbs.
In typical form, Harris uses the moment to address homophobia in the black community through is trademark crisp dialogue and scene description. Below, Bentley comes out to Kim while nestled in bed.

" l'll always cheat on you. And one day, I'll meet a man that I will leave you for.''
She sat up, glaring down at me. She pulled the Egyptian cotton sheet to cover her small but plump breasts.
"Does this mean you're one of those down low brothers?'' she demanded.
There were those two words again.
"No, Kim. I'm trying to be an up-and-up brother."

And in typical fashion for some women, Kim offers to stay with Bentley and "pray the gay away'' like it's some sort of condition, saying she wanted the life he promised. Instead, he offered friendship.

"Friends don't need friends, Bentley. I need you to be a man.''
"I'm a man, Kim. I'm just not the man for you.''

Beyond praying away homosexuality, Harris addresses other important issues that plague the black community regarding homosexuality-family acceptance. Bentley was disinherited from the family fortune because his father refused to accept his homosexuality. As a result, Bentley goes from an overly confident trust fund baby to a struggling businessman. Warren also disappears when the money dries up.

But does Bentley's decision to come out turn out to be the worst in his life? The truth is revealed as the intricate plot unfolds. At the same time, the story reaches a major turning point when a rich party planner promises an insane amount of money for Bentley to provide 15 so-called "call bois" for an "A-list" party for a hip-hop mogul on a yacht. The bois don't have to work as sex toys, but the rules are unwritten. When one of the men in the lineup drops out, Bentley subs one of his protégés, Jah, in a move he later regrets because it could lead to murder.

'In My Father's House' is a rip-roaring page-turner, a gift to Harris' many fans and followers.

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Stand-up Comedian Damon Wayans Wears New Hat as Novelist Quite Well

Lynette Holloway — 2010-06-18T19:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews, Fiction

Few artists can cross over from one discipline to another successfully, but Damon Wayans, an award-winning actor, stand-up comedian, writer and producer, has done a fine job with his debut novel, 'Red Hats.'

He imbues the story of Alma, 64, a recent widow, estranged from her adult children, with his gift of dialogue in an uplifting story of a woman who unearths the fruits of life through friendship. It is a poignant and provocative read worthy of taking to the beach this summer even though it roils the soul. Alma tries to commit suicide after her husband Harold dies, but she is rescued by a group of passers-by known as The Red Hats.

Wayans, known for his skits on In Living Color, the early-1990s cutting-edge sketch comedy show, and later as executive producer and star of ABCs hit, My Wife and Kids, recently took time to speak to BV on Books about writing his first novel.
BV on Books: The book is serious. What a surprise. What happened to you (laughter)?
Damon Wayans: I was dealing with my midlife crisis. I had just turned 50, so I was little more open about life. You know, the day a man looks in a mirror and sees death, his chest turning into breast and gray hair popping up in his nose, he starts to regret how he lived his life. Most men freak out, start to date young women and live more recklessly. But I decided to write a book.

BV: Why didn't you tell this story from a man's perspective?
DW: I couldn't have told this story from a man's perspective. Women are constantly changing whereas men aren't willing to change easily.

BV: Was it hard to write a serious book?
DW: I had a hard time bringing things to a conclusion. First, it was Alma not wanting to put on the red hat. Then, it was the demons that prevented her from loving.

BV: How did you come up with the idea?
DW: I went to Paris for a second time to find myself as an artist and a boy because I was going through all of this emotion. I had been writing for a while, but I was too afraid to let anyone see it. I've been afraid to show anyone anything since my film, Blankman, which failed miserably at the box office. But Lionel Ritchie inspired me to write by telling me a story about a strip tease artist who said to keep it simple. Ever since then, I've kept it simple. I wrote the first 100 pages in 10 days.

BV: Was it hard?
DW: Yes, it was hard. In the story, she had to change. With telling jokes, you can forsake the reality of the story and compromise the story for jokes. But you can't do that with a novel. There is humor in the story, but it's within context.

BV: What's next for you?
DW: I'm going to keep writing. I love the exploration of character. I might write a play. I have an idea I have been messing around with.

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'Visible Lives: Three Stories in Tribute to E. Lynn Harris,'

Lynette Holloway — 2010-06-16T19:47:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews, Fiction, Urban Lit

When literary icon and gay rights advocate E. Lynn Harris passed away suddenly last year, not only did he leave a trail of brokenhearted fans, he left a procession of grieving writers whom he mentored.

The list includes Terrance Dean, Victoria Christopher Murray, James Earl Hardy and Stanley Bennett Clay. Now, Dean, Hardy and Clay have come together to pay tribute to Harris in 'Visible Lives: Three Stories in Tribute to E. Lynn Harris.'

Each story is written in the hot, engaging style about gay black men searching for love on the so-called "down low,'' a genre that Harris helped create. A cameo of the legendary bestselling author is featured in the stories, which follows Harris's signature style.

Dean, author of 'Hiding in Hip Hop,' the story of the gay culture in hip hop and Hollywood, and 'Reclaim Your Power,' spiritual meditations for men of color, said he came up with the idea for 'Invisible Lives' because he wanted to commemorate Harris's life with more than a blurb in a newspaper or online column.
"I come from the entertainment industry,'' Dean told BV on Books. " We do the Grammys to celebrate success in music and the Academy Awards to celebrate success in films. I wanted to do something like that for E. Lynn. I felt by doing a book, it would live on in his name.''

Dean said Harris had a true love of the craft of writing and of authors. Dean said Harris went above and beyond the call of duty to serve as a mentor.

"A lot of authors don't make a lot of money, but he really helped a lot of us along the way,'' Dean said. "One of the ways he helped was to provide blurbs on the back of book covers. One author told me that when E. Lynn found out she didn't have enough money to finish her book tour, he helped her pay for it. That's just how he was.''

In her foreword in 'Invisible Lives,' Murray also recounts how helpful Harris was to other authors. She also talks about how she misses his calming voice.

"It makes me so sad to think that I will never again hear, in this life, the calming voice my friend, passing on to me an encouraging word, or a silly story, or even a thought-provoking discussion about the challenges in this industry,'' she writes. "But then, in the next moment, my sadness is replaced by happiness when I think of the positive impact that Lynn had on me and countless others. It makes me smile to know that I will one day get the chance to see him again.''

In Dean's novella, 'The Intern,' he uses classic Harris-style to tell a story loosely based on his own life about an openly gay intern, Chase, and a closeted executive, Eric Sanderfield, a player for the New York Giants.

When Eric and Chase met four months ago, Eric said he was a divorcee trying to get custody of his three kids from an angry drug-addicted baby mama. And the drama unfolds in this well-done novella that is full of hubris and snappy dialogue. The novellas by Hardy and Clay are equally engaging and well written in this significant tribute to a literary icon.

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Powder Necklace: A Young Woman's Journey to Herself

Rebecca Brody — 2010-05-14T11:52:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Reviews, Fiction, Young Adult

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond's coming-of-age novel, 'Powder Necklace' is indeed one for the ages. As I devoured each page, engrossed in the story of a young girl in London whose mother sends her back to Ghana for school after an 'incident,' I was incredibly moved by the main character's extraordinary journey.

Teenage Lila struggles with her stark new surroundings, attempting to find solid ground beneath her feet, while questioning her mother's love, and why she was sent away. She questions God, in disbelief that her new life is so vastly different than the one she left in London.

This remarkable story not only points out how easy Western living has become, but teaches us that there is growth in hardship, and that when we allow ourselves to experience life through the eyes of others, we reconnect with our own humanity. I had the honor of sitting down with this exceptional writer, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, whose incredible voice gave birth to this unique and fresh novel.

Where are you from and where were you raised?

I grew up in Queens, NY and am a full-on New Yorker who knows who to stand in front of to ensure I'll get a seat on the subway when it's packed, where to get a heaping $5 plate of the most awesome Cuban food, and where to score affordable vintage clothes, but my Ghanaian parents raised me on a diet of Ghanaian food, Ghana-style discipline, and eventually sent me to school and live in Ghana for three of my teenage years so I feel like I'm from both places--Ghanaian when I'm in New York, and a New Yorker when I'm in Ghana. Much of the book was inspired by my own experience schooling and living in Ghana between the ages of 12 and 15, spending summer vacations in London with my extended family, and also living in New York so I drew heavily from that.

When did you first realize you wanted to tell this story?

I feel like I've been telling this story ever since I returned to the States--whether I was recounting some of the craziness of that time in my life to friends, analyzing the experience in college papers, or sharing it in drafts with the small writing group I was in. I think the leap from telling the story casually to getting it published happened when I decided to write a fictionalized account. Telling this story as "Lila's story" freed me up to examine the experience and the issues of family, faith, and identity from an objective and helpful place.

Where did you get the information and ideas for Powder Necklace?

I also tried to subtly address class issues in the book and give a nod to Ghanaian history. For example, the school in the book is called Dadaba Girls' Secondary School. "Dadaba" means "spoiled child" in the Akan language. It was my way of saying that as "bad" as Lila thought she had it, there were the Enyos of Ghana who did not have the option of attending an elite boarding school. The dormitory houses are named after some of The Big Six -- the six men credited with leading Ghana to independence from Britain Dr. J.B. Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, William Ofori-Atta, Edward Akufo-Addo, Dr. Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

In terms of research, I tapped family members, friends, the internet, and books on Ghana to fill in holes, help with translation of Ghanaian words, etc.

How is your experience similar and different from Lila's?

The differences and similarities between my story and Lila's are literal and figurative. For instance, I think the theme of single parenthood/divorced parents was just my way of addressing the feeling of separation I felt from my parents and all that I had known when they sent me and my siblings to school in Ghana. Lila stays in the school for 6 months; I schooled in Ghana for 3 years.

I am from New York, but I wanted Lila to be from London because my summers spent there further expanded my definition of blackness and what it meant to be a Ghanaian. Because England colonized Ghana and many other African countries and Caribbean islands there is a thriving population of blacks who hold tight to their original culture, even as they reconcile it with the English culture they live, school, and work in.

It was also important to me to explore how Lila experienced England and later America after her time in Ghana. My experience in Ghana instilled a deep respect, pride and love for my Ghanaian heritage, and I think it did for Lila too and changed the course of her destiny.

What are the most surprising things you learned about yourself while writing Powder Necklace?

I was surprised to find how emotionally connected to that time I still am. As I wrote and reread certain passage, I would alternately tear up and crack up laughing.

What part did religion play in shaping your life and the book?

I became born-again during my time in Ghana. God was my ace as I emotionally and physically struggled through secondary school. When I returned to the States for college, I kind of kicked God to the curb in favor of the "college experience" -- after years of being the "broni" at school in Ghana I just didn't want to be "different" anymore for any reason. I found my old friend waiting for me though as I matured past my desperation to be like everyone else.

If you could have dinner with any one of your characters who would it be, why, and what would you like to tell them?

Auntie Flora! Lila's fashionista auntie was one of my faves to write because she was up front and unapologetic about the airs she put on to survive in her worlds -- her worlds being London and fashion. Plus, I'd want to go shopping with her. I'd love to talk Azzedine Alaia, knit kimonos, and juicing with her over cocktails and Thai or some piri-piri chicken at Nando's.

If readers would like to learn more about Ghana, are there any books you would recommend?

I'd recommend Accused in the Gold Coast by Fred Agyemang, a quick read of the history of Ghana's early interaction with the Dutch and English. Ayesha Harruna Attah's book Harmattan Rain which was short-listed for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize is a great fictional account of three generations of Ghanaian women that takes readers through the history of political upheaval and cultural shifts in post-Independence Ghana. I also quite enjoyed Ama Ata Aidoo's play Dilemma of a Ghost. It's a great examination of the interaction between Ghanaian and African-American culture as it happens when a Ghanaian son brings an African-American girl home as his bride.

What is in store for the next chapter in the life of Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond?

I'm excited to find out! As far as writing goes, I hope it involves writing and supporting many more books, plays, films, etc that add new and necessary strands to conversations around spirituality and faith, race, class, gender, Africa, and the African Diaspora.

If you could sum yourself up in a lyric, what would it be?

I think this lyric sums me up more or less: "I'm just a soul whose intentions are good -- Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood."

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Unhappy? Dr. Ian Smith Tells You How to Get Happy in His New Book

Lynette Holloway — 2010-05-04T01:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Self-Help, Health, Spirituality and Religion

Best-selling author Dr. Ian K. Smith is world-renowned for his medical and diet advice. He is the expert and host of VH1's 'Celebrity Fit Club.' And in 2008, he created the Million Pound Challenge, a free national weight-loss initiative.

Now, he is helping people in another pursuit: the pursuit of happiness. In his new book, 'Happy: Simple Steps to Get the Most Out of Life,' Smith explores the human psyche from a scientific perspective to determine how happiness can be achieved. Surprisingly, it's simple, he said. It is connected to spending time with family, community involvement, doing good deeds and other uncomplicated steps.

Smith recently sat down with BV on Books to talk about happiness:

BV: Why did you decide to write this book?
Dr. Ian K. Smith: I was looking around and noticed that so many people were depressed or in a blue mood because of the recession, home foreclosures, the two wars, and rising unemployment. People were just down and out. I wanted to figure out what science had to say about happiness and how we can restore it. Are there things we can do despite the difficulties around us to boost our happiness? The good news is yes. You can improve your happiness. Fifty percent of your happiness is genetic, but you can control 40 percent of it. That is the focus of the book.

BV: What is the 40 percent that people can control?

IS: They are the things that are meaningful, engaging and purposeful, such as spending time with family or friends and doing good deeds for other people. These things require time, and our time is imbalanced these days, which has made it difficult to do things that bring happiness. The book teaches people how to reallocate their time and restore balance.

BV: If you are stressed out, do you have time to spend with friends and family? Are you at liberty to help others? And if you are broke, how are you going to do all of those things?

IS: Those all are good questions. There are things that require very little time. For example, if you are stressed out, sitting down and taking just 10 minutes to write a thank you letter to someone, not a text or an e-mail, is something that has been shown by scientific studies to boost your happiness by up to six months. Writing three things that you're grateful for at the end of the day also is a happiness booster. For example, you can write that you are grateful for getting home safely, that your parents are still alive or that the weather is good. There are many things to do that don't require time. What they require is a willingness to sit there and do it. Scientific studies show that these things are small but significant and attainable.
Dr. Ian K. Smith: I was looking around and noticed that so many people were depressed or in a blue mood because of the recession, home foreclosures, the two wars, and rising unemployment. People were just down and out. I wanted to figure out what science had to say about happiness and how we can restore it. Are there things we can do despite the difficulties around us to boost our happiness? The good news is yes. You can improve your happiness. Fifty percent of your happiness is genetic, but you can control 40 percent of it. That is the focus of the book. They are the things that are meaningful, engaging and purposeful, such as spending time with family or friends and doing good deeds for other people. These things require time, and our time is imbalanced these days, which has made it difficult to do things that bring happiness. The book teaches people how to reallocate their time and restore balance. Those all are good questions. There are things that require very little time. For example, if you are stressed out, sitting down and taking just 10 minutes to write a thank you letter to someone, not a text or an e-mail, is something that has been shown by scientific studies to boost your happiness by up to six months. Writing three things that you're grateful for at the end of the day also is a happiness booster. For example, you can write that you are grateful for getting home safely, that your parents are still alive or that the weather is good. There are many things to do that don't require time. What they require is a willingness to sit there and do it. Scientific studies show that these things are small but significant and attainable.

BV: Are you happy?

IS: Very. I've always been happy. I have optimism because I come from a family where we were very big in love and very poor in material goods. My grandmother taught me to see the patch of blue between the clouds. A lot of it has been about my attitude and my perspective. What I try to teach people in the chapter on optimism is that attitude can make all the difference.

BV: How does your advice differ from the Dali Lama in 'The Art of Happiness' by Howard C. Cutler?

IS: These things are on the same continuum. It's not like one book is radically different from the other. His is probably more spiritual than mine. However, I do mention in the happiness booster section that research has shown that spirituality is one way to improve happiness. My book is designed to do two things: Empower people to let them know that happiness is attainable, and to provide simple exercises to demonstrate ways to attain happiness.

BV: Most of your work involves diet and exercise. Does weight affect happiness?

IS: A lot of people who struggle with weight issues are people who are sometimes unhappy in their lives for one reason or another. One way of coping is emotional eating, or mindless eating. Sometimes losing weight will help people recover from their blue mood. However there is more to it than just losing weight. It's also about realizing they can't attach their happiness to external factors. Their happiness is not determined by whether they are accepted or rejected by outside people, but whether they love themselves, like where they are in their lives and whether they are doing things that are meaningful and engaging.

BV: What would you like readers to take away from the book?

IS: I would like people to walk away from this book with the feeling that, yes, happiness is attainable even in the most difficult of circumstances. Achieving it is inexpensive, simple and rewarding.

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Kirk Franklin Reveals the Secrets to Surviving Life's Storms

Lynette Holloway — 2010-04-17T10:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews, Self-Help, Spirituality and Religion

If you thought you knew gospel artist Kirk Franklin through his music and interviews about his porn addiction and childhood abandonment, think again. The seven-time Grammy award winner opens up further in his new autobiography, due to hit shelves on May 18.

This time, however, he provides a blueprint to help others triumph over life's challenges through his powerful and awe-inspiring life story in 'Kirk Franklin: The Blueprint, A Plan for Living above Life's Storms.' Developing a blueprint includes embracing "non-sexies" or good works that do not involve obvious payoffs, examining your relationships with others and establishing a good support team.

"I didn't have any blueprint when I was coming up, any kind of instruction manual on how to be a man,'' he writes. "All you have to do is look at any city corner to know that my education was flawed. And so was my behavior. Many of us had either no blueprint or a bad one -- maybe you had to be a daddy to a drunk daddy or mama to a mama who was raising you all alone.''

Franklin's blueprint looked like this: His father abandoned him at an early age, and his mother flat out told him she did not want him. She eventually left him in the hands of an impoverished and un-nurturing aunt.

As a result, he learned to fend for himself on the gritty streets of Fort Worth, Texas. By age 11, he believed that sex equaled love and became a teenage father. He smoked, drank, use drugs and developed an addiction to pornography that would last through adulthood. He was on the fast route to self-destruction until he developed a father-son relationship with God and his pastor, Tony Evans, who helped him begin to etch out a blueprint for his life.

"There are so many vivid examples from my own flawed upbringing,'' he writes. "I never saw a man who was faithful to his wife. Think about that one -- not one! I was told by my own mother that she did not want me, that she had wanted to abort me. That messed me up real bad!''

The twain between Franklin's award-winning music and his life story is remarkable. In one case, he sings about his past in a hit single 'Let it Go,' from the best-selling album, 'Hero.' The song seems so much like the precursor to 'The Blueprint'' that this writer mistakenly thought the name of the single was 'The Blueprint.'

"My mama gave me up when I was 4 years old,'' he raps at the beginning of 'Let it Go.' "She didn't destroy my body, but she killed my soul. Now, it's cold because I'm sleepin' in my back seat. I understand the spirit's with m,e but my flesh is weak. Let me speak. I never had a chance to dream. Ten-years-old and finding love in dirty magazines. Miss December, remember I bought you twice? Now I'm 30-plus and I'm still paying the price."

But Franklin was able to stop overcome his obstacles by getting rid of textbook religion and developing a close relation to God, he said. Today, he and his wife, Tammy, have been happily married for 14 years and are the proud parents of four children. And since the release of his self-titled debut album in 1993, he has been an innovator, mixing hip-hop and gospel. 'Kirk Franklin and the Family' changed musical history when it became the first gospel album to sell more than a million units.

"We can't live by a bunch of rules,'' he said. "We were created to have an intimate relationship with God. Most of us treat God like a spare tire. We go to him when we are sick, when we are pregnant, when we are about to lose our job or when we are scared. He wants a father-son or father-daughter relationship with us. He doesn't want us to stop by when we have a problem. We need to develop a one-on-one relation with life's architect, God.''

In 'The Blueprint,' Franklin provides ample steps for developing a relationship with God, which can lead to developing a road map for your life. Here are five:

1 .Embrace the non-sexies: What are the things in your life that do not win applause, do not earn bonuses and do not always return what you give? Those are the things you need to be committed to.

2. Examine the fruit: Some of you may ask, 'How do I know if I'm working with the right blueprint, the one that will relieve me from the despair?' We have to pay attention to what our souls are trying to tell us as we attempt to walk the right path. If the fruit doesn't look right or smell right, keep steppin.

3. Not even Kobe can do it alone: It is possible that these changes you begin to make within yourself won't be warmly embraced or understood by the people who are close to you. In this case, you have to let everybody know how they're going to benefit from a better you. You have to reinforce what everybody's going to get from it.

4. This is your life--not a step program: 'This program is a life-long journey, not a step program. I think the most destructive thing we have done to people is we have given them steps. But the kind of meaningful change I'm seeking for you does not come in steps.

5. God brings order to confusion: Why do bad things happen to good people? I don't know. But when I look through the lens of God's love letters and promises, I see the pieces of life's puzzles come together. If I can trust Him with all the hell and horrible things in my life-things that made sense in the end-you can, too.

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Depressed? Unemployed? Get Over It!

Lynette Holloway — 2010-04-17T00:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Reviews

Herndon L. Davis had three careers before landing on his feet. In his new book, 'Repackaged Common Sense: A New Age Path to Career and Business Success,' he writes about turning challenges into triumphs. Davis, a TV host and executive producer of DiversityTV.tv, an online news and entertainment video magazine, also writes how his spiritual growth helped him overcome the harsh realities of life.

Davis began his career in corporate budgeting and human resources planning. Later, he expanded his career to include communications, media and public relations. Later still, he became an author, commentator and syndicated writer, focusing on media analysis and the interpretation of issues pertaining to people of color, women, gays and lesbians, according to his Web site.

Davis holds a bachelor's degree in finance and spent nearly 25 years in the corporate world until he realized it was not for him. That's when he found himself jobless and in search of a new career.

"I was laid off from a job when I miraculously realized I didn't want to be on the corporate finance path,'' Herndon said in an interview with BV on Books. "I started writing and speaking full time. The lay off opened doors for me to transition to media, communications and public relations. I've had three different careers, including human resources and finance. Now that I'm on third one, I'm doing what I like. Although I majored in finance, I realized my strength was in something else. I just didn't transition into it voluntarily. It was a signal from the universe. I made lemonade out of lemons to use a cliché. So, whether you've been laid off or fired, take the time figure out what you want to do and do it.''

Herndon's Five Rules of Law:

I. You are not a victim. One of the biggest things that happens when we get laid off or fired is that we look for someone or something to blame. Some of us are so quick to say, 'Oh, they are racists.' Stop! We have to see every experience as a learning experience. Sometimes it's really not about us. It boils down to dollars and sense.

II. It's never too late to succeed. If you haven't achieved success by a certain age then you must be a failure and you'll never succeed. It's not true. It's a fallacy that has to be shattered.

III. You are not the check in the box that people put next to your name. You can transcend whatever it is others see you as.

IV. Do your own research. Always use as much information around you as possible. Use the Internet and network. We have to be intellectually curious to seek out our next opportunity. If we are expecting it to come us, it's not going to come. We have to go get it.

V. Use your spirituality. We have everything inside us to succeed. We have talents that we don't realize until we seek them out on a spiritual level. I try to teach people in workshops that we can accomplish whatever it is we want, but we have to figure out what that is. We can accomplish this through spiritual visualization.

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New Bibles Help Children and Teens Cope With Life Through Scriptures

Lynette Holloway — 2010-04-01T12:11:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Reviews, Children's, Young Adult, Spirituality and Religion

Coping with depression. Dealing with worry. And tackling fear all are lessons taught in a new Bible series geared toward African American youth called 'My Holy Bible for African-American Children' and 'Our Heritage & Faith Holy Bible For African-American Teens.'

The releases arrive just in time for Easter, one of the most important holidays in the Christian faith. For teens, they come in color palattes for girls (pictured) and boys.

The Bibles come at a time when the nation's youth are experiencing a so-called crisis of faith or lethargy, said Wade Hudson, the nationally acclaimed author and publisher of Just Us Books, who along with his wife, Cheryl Hudson, served as general editors of the Bibles. The project took a year of research and writing.

Hudson hopes the Bibles will serve as a foundation for today's youth to help them move toward religion to seek answers instead of away from the church.

He sees today's youth as possessing a devil-may-care attitude, a trend he fears may have played a role in the death of a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl who recently committed suicide after a spate of bullying by nine teens.

"At the core of a lot of problems I see today is that many people feel disconnected to anything of value, including their parents, close friends and God,'' Wade Hudson said.

"So many of us are just wandering alone in the universe and not understanding that we are connected to something larger. I think these Bibles will help our youth to begin to understand their lives and give them a sense of purpose. Having a strong spiritual connection to the Lord is important. It's key to feeling good about who you are and accepting other people. We are all in this together.''

Indeed, the teen Bible offers ways to deal with emotional issues such as being bullied and bullying through a special "question and answer" section at the back of the Bible. When depressed and overwhelmed, for example, the teen Bible urges readers not to deny their feelings. "Read Psalm 42:11" (You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations).

"The psalmist acknowledges his depression,'' the excerpt reads. "He did not pretend he didn't feel awful. You cannot get help when other people don't know how you are doing. Follow his example. Expect to get better.''

When worried, the teen Bible urges readers "to trade your worry for something better -- peace.'' When fearful, it reminds readers that "God's help is to make YOU the conqueror of your own fear.''

"In spite of Sunday school classes, children don't get a good understanding of what our Christian faith is all about,'' Hudson said. "We felt there was a need to develop a vehicle for children and young adults to help them understand what their faith is all about. There are so many young people who are turned off from the church experience. We wanted to provide them with a resource in a presentable, non-threatening way.''

To that end, the children's Bible tries to "connect the spiritual challenges and triumphs of today's youth with the journeys of well-known Bible heroes.'' It illustrates biblical stories with people of color, including striking images of Daniel in the Lion's Den, David and Goliath and, of course, Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. The teen Bible, on the other hand, attempts to address the traditions of the African-American church.

One hundred six pages of articles and essays help teens understand religious heritage, forms of worship and the roots of their Christian faith. Photos help readers relate to contemporary religious figures, ceremonies and experiences. Eight pages of maps help readers imagine the world during biblical times.

'Our Heritage and Faith Holy Bible for African-American Teens' is available in both the New International Version (NIV) and King James Version (KJV) translations.

"I think we need to delve deeper into the Bible stories to add meaning to our lives,'' Wade Hudson said. "That's what these books are all about, teaching the younger generation to find nourishment in the Holy Bible.''

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'A Taste of Honey,' An Evocative Collection of Short Stories about Love, Pain and Honor

Lynette Holloway — 2010-03-16T10:51:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews, Fiction

Rose Whittier escapes the vice grip of her abusive husband when death comes knocking at the door for him. Ed and Charlotte experience the tenderness of love amid a welter of racial hatred at the peak of the Civil Rights movement. And two improbable friends form a lifelong friendship following an act of brutish violence.

The stories are part of 16 interwoven tales in Jabari Asim's 'Taste of Honey: Stories', a new work of historical fiction based on the year 1968, one of the most tumultuous in American history. That year marked the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement was at its historical apex.

Better known for his nonfiction, 'Taste of Honey' is Asim's first foray into fiction. And he does an excellent job at seamlessly weaving history and fiction into engaging stories that draw on everyday experiences of colorful characters who highlight an important period.
He is author of 'What Obama Means... For Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Future;' 'The N Word' and several children's books. He is editor of 'The Crisis,' the flagship NAACP magazine and a former columnist for the Washington Post. Currently, he is a scholar-in-residence at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He recently took time to talk to BV on Books about 'Taste of Honey':

BV On Books: What inspired you to write the book?
Jabari Asim: I was researching the 'N Word' at the time. Every day I had to immerse myself in a lot of challenging hateful material. I really needed a diversion, a way to wind down after dealing with such heavy such stuff. That's how I wrote the first couple of stories. I really just wanted to exercise my writing muscles by writing something completely different from what I was under contract to do at that moment.

BV: How did you come up with the idea for each story?
JA: Initially, I just wrote two or three stories set in the same time and place. I was sort of turned on by this idea of William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, where he kinda created this fictional community based on a real community and also the short stories and novels of Ernest Gaines, whose stories took place in a fictional parish in Louisiana. So when I sat down to do fiction, I wanted to create this alternative reality, this sort of parallel community that was a fictional place based on where I grew up. In talking to my editor at the time, we started talking about these other fictional communities and how it might be interesting to set all the stories in one community. If we did that, the characters could be connected. They could walk in and out of each other's houses and show up at the same church, and that sort of thing.

BV: How did you settle on the year 1968, aside from it being the year of the assassination of Dr. King?
JA: I don't want it to read as a sentimental journey, but I do try to make the point, however gently that it was an important time in African American history. Our values were different. I think that young people are often dismissive of that history, but the people who lived through it could spend a little more energy saying, 'this is why it's important.' It's a little bit different in fiction than in nonfiction because you can't just say this is why it's important. You have to show why it's important. I tried to do that through the relationships between the various characters.

BV: Was writing historical fictional an easy transition for you?
JA: It allowed me to play to my strengths. I also think writing short stories was a little less daunting for me. I was able to write fiction in a smaller way opposed to doing this great epic novel, which I would love to do. I enjoy a reputation as a nonfiction writer so I wanted to ease into this other area where I'm the newcomer.

BV: The stories are well crafted. How did you develop the characters?
JA: In African American communities we all know these personalities who are just wonderful and who are natural storytellers. They are at the beauty parlor, they're at the barbershop, church and anywhere we gather. I was very aware of those personalities as I wrote, including the people from the community where I grew up. I had an uncle who would entertain us for hours spinning monologues that had some loose grounding in fact. As I got older and became aware of craft and structure, I thought he could be a novelist, stand-up comedian, historian or any number of things. That's what I tried to convey and I hope readers will recognize some of the characters from their lives.

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Todd Bridges Breaks His Silence in New Memoir: Affair With 'Diff'rent Strokes' Co-Star and Molested By Male Publicist

Lynette Holloway — 2010-03-15T14:51:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews, Self-Help

Trying to fight back the demons of his childhood through drugs and alcohol contributed to his slide into darkness, embattled former child star Todd Bridges reveals in his new memoir, 'Killing Willis: From the Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted.'

"Everyone wants to blame Hollywood when they take a fall,'' Bridges said in an exclusive interview with BV on Books. "When people read my memoir, they will see I'm not blaming Hollywood. I'm taking full responsibility for my actions. Not a lot of people do that. A lot of people spend their lives blaming somebody else. But I will say this: No child should ever endure what I had to go through.''

Bridges, who says he was sodomized by his publicist and abused by his father, was one of the biggest child stars of his time. He won roles on 'Roots,' 'Fish,' 'Little House on the Prairie,' 'The Waltons' and others before becoming Willis on 'Diff'rent Strokes,' a sitcom about a wealthy white widower who adopts two black sons, Bridges (Willis) and Gary Coleman (Arnold). It ran from 1978 to 1986. Dana Plato, who played their older sister Kimberly, later died of a prescription drug overdose.

After 'Diff'rent Strokes' ended, Bridges found his life spiraling out of control as he tried to conceal his inner hurts. In 1989, he was arrested on attempted murder charges, but was later acquitted. He then slid into drug addiction and dealing, including cocaine, crack and methamphetamines. He became constant fodder for tabloid headlines.

"People thought stardom went to my head,'' he said. "They didn't know this was a 12- year-old kid who was experiencing child abuse and child molestation. I don't think any child could come out alive.''

Now, he hopes to set the record straight by telling his side of the story.

He writes in graphic detail about how he grappled with his sexuality after his publicist sodomized him for the first time in a Cadillac on the way back from an autograph signing shortly after he turned 12. It was Bridges's first sexual encounter, which confused him because it was with a man whom he viewed as a father figure. But it was a classic case of a sexual predator grooming his prey. The publicist, Bridges writes, bought him a $300 bike and told him he could rely on him for his every need. And Bridges did. He became such an integral part of Bridges's career that he was afraid to tell anyone about the molestation out of fear of losing everything, especially since the man said, "Remember, Todd, this our secret, right?''

"I realize now that he was grooming me,'' Bridges said during the interview. "He was tricking me. How could he do that to a kid?''

If the publicist caused ambiguity about Bridges's sexuality, Plato did a lot to clear it up. After the first day at a special school with Coleman and Plato, they were all took a nap in the same room. Suddenly, Bridges woke to find his pants being unzipped. He looked around the room to see if his publicist was there, but quickly discovered it was Plato. That's when he realized he definitely was heterosexual, he recalled.

"I was happy to know, once and for all, that I liked girls,'' he writes. He and Plato fooled around between sets in each others dressing rooms in an arrangement that lasted on-and-off for eight years. He also smoked pot and shared his first drink with Plato.

By the age of 15, he writes, he found three escapes that made him feel better: acting, sex and drugs.

"In 1985, during season five, we did an episode called 'Bicycle Man,' in which a sexual predator stalks Arnold and his friends,'' Bridges writes. "We had already done an anti-drug episode with guest star Nancy Reagan, who had recently launched her famous 'Just Say No' campaign against drugs that was ironic, since I'm sure Dana and I went off together and just said 'Yes' to getting high as soon as we had finished filming the show with her. Of course, the audience didn't know that. They thought we were the most wholesome role models there could be.''

But when Plato got pregnant in 1985, that was not a story line the show thought would be appropriate for her character, so they fired her, Bridges writes. She only appeared on a few episodes after that.

He also addresses tensions between his family and that of Gary Coleman's on the set. In his view, fame went to the Coleman family's head and they became unbearable. Coleman was the biggest star and was widely known for his wildly popular catchphrase, "Whatchu talkin' bout, Willis," which is still known today.

"Soon they [the Colemans] wanted everything their way or else there would be trouble,'' Bridges writes, "but I don't think they ever really asked Gary what he wanted. He always seemed unhappy and exhausted during that time.''

The final episode aired on March 7, 1986 without Bridges. He writes that he believes Coleman and his agent conspired to keep him off the show. But today, as he watches Coleman's life spiral out of control, he is sympathetic.

"I feel bad that he has to go through that stuff. He spent so much time blaming everybody else that he never accepted responsibility for his actions. He's going through so much stress. He has anger issues.''

Today, Bridges feels his life has turned a corner. He has a role on 'The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest Criminals' on truTV, among other things. He also is a director and producer who travels the U.S. speaking at schools and churches about the dangers of drugs. He has been clean for 17 years, he says. He is married with two children, a girl and a boy.

"My life story can really help a lot of people come through their lives,'' he said during the interview. "It's a book of redemption and about accepting responsibility for your actions so you can move forward in your life.''

Bridges hopes to end the public scrutiny he says he has endured for years with 'Killing Willis.'' In this shocking read about innocence lost by a child who became a willing adult victim, he definitely kills Willis and gives birth to Todd Bridges.

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'Living the Ebony Life: E-mails from The Plantation:' A New Memoir

Lynette Holloway — 2010-03-01T00:33:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews, Self Publishing

It is no secret that Ebony Magazine-America's one-time venerable go-to publication for black entertainment and political news-is floundering as the newspaper and magazine industries dissipate, triggered by shifting paradigms.

Rumors and speculation abound that Linda Johnson Rice, who took over the reigns following the death of her father John H. Johnson, is putting Ebony up for sale, though she has yet to confirm it. (Her mother, Eunice, also died recently.)

The latest name to surface as an interested party was Magic Johnson. But he told Richard Prince of Journal-isms that talks were off because he was unable to reach an agreement with the company. Johnson Publishing Co. has declined to discuss the matter.

But some insiders and former employees say Ebony's declining circulation and shrinking ad dollars have less to do with the magazine industry's seismic shift from print to cyberspace, but more to do with stunningly bad leadership and management.

Zondra Hughes, a former associate editor at Ebony who is now editor of Chicago's N'Digo magapaper, writes in her new memoir, 'Living the Ebony Life: E-mails From the Plantation,' that the magazine's problems are pervasive and deeply entrenched throughout the culture of Johnson Publishing Co.

The memoir presents an interesting insider's take on the internal machinations of Ebony and its leadership. She recently took time from her busy schedule to talk about her memoir:

BV on Books: What prompted you to write the book?
Zondra Hughes: Newsweek broke the story that Ebony was rumored to be up for sale. The bloggers and media watchdogs were right on point about the outdated content, but they didn't explain why.
Only those who were on the inside knew why and how things really went down. So part of me felt indicted because I was there when the "outdated" content was produced. I had to say something, not only for those who were powerless to change things, but also for those who are still there.

BV: Who is "The Man?"
ZH: Ha! The Man is an entity that oppressed the worker bees on the plantation. Much like an evil spirit, it traveled and controlled the actions and motives of SOME of those entrusted to manage the magazine.

BV: Is your story as an associate editor at Ebony emblematic of most experiences?
ZH: Well, an associate editor has not ascended the ranks in decades. I'm speaking of outsiders, those who worked hard but did not have the right DNA, skin tone, or grade of hair. You feel me?

BV: Were there systems put in place to ensure failure? If so, what were they?
ZH: Social hierarchy and colorism, to a degree.

BV: At the end of the book, you mentioned a new hire to replace "The Man.'' Were systemic changes made?
ZH: I don't believe so. Perhaps, it's worse. Not being as good as the person you're supervising is a beast. Lots of games are played to hide what one does not know.

BV: What are you doing now and how did the experience at Ebony help you?
ZH: I am the editor of N'Digo, a magapaper-a paper that reads like a magazine. I have grown professionally on many different levels because of Ebony and its worker bees. I also write books. I witnessed the passion Lerone Bennett Jr., Ebony's former longtime executive editor; put into his other life as a writer and historian. It resonated with me.

BV: What positive experiences did you take away from your employment at Ebony?
ZH: I am a new age feminist with a colorful sense of fashion and a sincere devotion to philanthropy. Thank you, John H. Johnson and Eunice Johnson.

Full disclosure: I am a former associate editor at Ebony magazine. My tenure overlapped with Hughes's and I'm a contributor to N'Digo.

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Drama Around Ky-Mani Marley Memoir 'Dear Dad'

Lynette Holloway — 2010-02-16T09:32:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews

The 10th child of music legend Bob Marley is embroiled in a fiery debate with a Las Vegas-based publisher over alleged unauthorized changes to the cover and title of his recently released memoir which threatens to taint the near-perfect image of reggae music royalty, the Marleys.

Ky-Mani Marley, a Grammy Award-nominated reggae and hip-hop artist, penned ,"Dear Dad: Where's the family in our family, today?'' which was released this month by Farrah Gray Publishing in celebration of Marley's 65th birthday.

The issue between author and publisher lies mainly in the extra coverline: "The Story The Marley Family Apparently Doesn't Want You To Know.''

In an online statement, Ky-Mani says the caption is unauthorized: "I did NOT authorize him to make any changes to the cover of my book, nor do I condone any of the captions he has written!''

Further, Ky-Mani told The Gleaner, a Jamaican newspaper, that he was considering legal action against the Gray, saying he simply wanted to tell his story without causing any conflict. He told the newspaper the title was changed from "Dear Dad: The Marley Son Who Persevered From The Streets To Prominence."

But Dr. Farrah Gray, the publisher, stands by the book, saying he worked with Marley every step of the way. He said that Marley wrote the book using a ghostwriter and the interviews were recorded.

"I didn't write his book,'' Gray told BV on Books. "I published it. He did the final edit. Now he's issuing a statement that he didn't approve it...for those of us who believe in one love, Ky-Mani Marley's story deserves light. He's throwing me under the bus and going on a smear campaign, but I have the tapes. The tapes are worse and he doesn't want those publicized.''

Beyond the controversy, "Dear Dad'' is an absorbing read. It lays bare some long hidden family secrets. Ky-Mani writes that after his father's untimely death in 1981, he grew up outside the realm of his father's prestigious roots, and all the wealth, and comfort it had to offer.

Instead, born out of wedlock to Marley and Anita Belnavis, a table tennis champion, he writes that he grew up in abject poverty in Jamaica and then on the hardscrabble streets of Miami's Liberty City, where he hustled crack. They later moved to a south Miami suburb so he could escape the drugs, but he ended up fighting his way through school.

He goes on to paint an unflattering portrait of the family, especially Rita Marley, the matriarch, who according to the book, proclaimed on the day of Bob Marley's untimely death from cancer: " 'All of Bob's dutty baby's mothers and bastard children will suffer'...And so it was.''

Ky-Mani is the 10th of Bob Marley's 11 children, according to the official Marley Web site. Not all of them have the same mothers.

"It didn't matter who my father was. I grew up in the trap, the ghetto. I'm just like the millions who are out there right now. I wanted to live. Survive. Just like you would if you were there. Survival is the instinct of life itself, and like I said before, if it meant selling all the ...drugs in America, that's exactly what I would have done to make it out. That was my clear perspective about it. End of story.''

Additionally, Ky-Mani writes that after he turned 18, he was forced to decide between taking a lump sum payment from the Marley estate and risk not being "part of the estate,'' or reinvest the payment. He took the lump sum to the consternation of some family members, prompting some to stop speaking to him for a time, he writes. The Marley estate is expected to generate worldwide annual sales in excess of $1 billion by 2012, according to Fortune Magazine.

But through the pain, there was love, he writes, the kind his father inculcates through his music even today. Marley's music remains popular.

"I love my Marley family,'' Ky-Mani writes. "Period. I love them. I love both of my families, every last member. Love them. I'm the type of man who reserves his deepest love and loyalty for family.''

Gray adds that Ky-Mani's positive energy and survival instinct are what inspired him to publish "Dear Dad.''

"The reason I decided to published it is that I hope it will provide people with a pivotal moment to change their lives,'' Gray said. "He may have been born with the last name, but that did not guarantee privilege. His story should inspire others. If he can survive the streets, and the harsh realities that he talks about throughout the book, it is possible to survive what you go through. You also get the truth about some very controversial things.

"The part that inspires me most is that he lived the life that his father sings about and the people he used to sing to, the forgotten, the rejected, the neglected, the downtrodden and disadvantaged.''

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First Black Female Prisoner of War Tells Harrowing Story

Lynette Holloway — 2010-02-08T17:32:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Hot Picks, Reviews, Politics, Health

Much like the powerful images of Tuskegee airmen in full regalia sidled next to their planes during World War II, the image of Shoshana Johnson being escorted to safety after her captivity in Iraq is indelibly imprinted in the minds of television viewers across the world.

It was especially poignant for African Americans, who saw it as a fleeting moment of vindication for a time when blacks in the military were not acknowledged for their service.

Now, years later, Johnson, a former U.S. Army cook has helped change history again for blacks in the military. She was thrust into the spotlight when, in the early days of the Iraq War, she was shot in both ankles as her convoy of mechanics, cooks and disabled vehicles wandered into the city of Nasiriyah, Johnson writes in her newly released memoir, 'I'm Still Standing: From Captive U. S. Soldier to Free Citizen--My Journey Home.'

The wandering convoy touched off a bloody battle that left 11 U.S. soldiers dead and six abducted and held as prisoners of war, including Johnson and her friend, Jessica Lynch, she writes in the gripping memoir released just in time for Black History Month.

"I was shaking,'' she writes. "I was saying the Lord's Prayer to myself...when someone grabbed my legs and pulled me from my shelter. And like that, I became a prisoner of war.''

She became the first female prisoner of war in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the first black female prisoner of war in U.S. history. But the Pentagon peddled Lynch's story, saying she went down fighting. Lynch later wrote a book correcting the story, saying she never fired a shot before being critically injured.

While Johnson's ordeal received less media attention, she was treated like a star on her home base at Fort Bliss, Texas. She was given light duties to allow her wounds to heal and was assigned by ranking officers and supervisors to represent the Army at high-profile events, which drew grumblings and rancor from some of her fellow soldiers.

"Being a POW was horrible, but some of the comments I received from fellow soldiers felt just as bad,'' she said in an interview with BV on Books. "I had a lot of support from the African American community, but it's like someone once said, 'Not every black person is your friend, and not every white person is your enemy. A black male was upset because I went to an Oscar De La Hoya fight. He was like, 'I was in the same Army and I didn't get to go.' I was like, 'did you get shot? We had totally different experiences. That hurt my heart. There was another white officer who accused me of housing fraud and said I wasn't living with my child.''

Johnson was rescued in April 2003, but by late August, she was severely depressed, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and at risk of endangering her relationship with her daughter. She requested a medical discharge.

"I wrote my story to set the record straight,'' she said in the interview. "There is so much out there that happened to me from people who were not there. I just wanted to tell my story and let it be known. I'm not naïve. There are people who will still say that is not what happened, but I know in my heart what is true.''

She is critical of the nation's military efforts in Iraq. "I never understood the politics of what's going into Iraq. I want my fellow soldiers to come home. It's not something I can watch on the news. It's very tender.''

Johnson said she still suffers from the aftereffects of combat. "It's going to be a long, hard road to get better,'' she said. "I take medication. It won't ease up as long as these conflicts are going on in the Middle East. I just have to get over the guilt of living when good people died. It's hard, but each day gets easier.''

'I'm Still Standing' is a riveting piece of black history that should be read for generations. It also is a compelling story of a woman's courage to survive against all odds.

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Michael Jackson As He Was And Always Be, A Captivating Picture Book

Lynette Holloway — 2010-01-31T19:11:00+00:00

Filed under: Interviews, Reviews

In life, Michael Jackson's aura was as colorful and enigmatic as climate change. He was a tsunami of creativity that has yet to be matched by any other artist.

Unfortunately, he did not know how much he was appreciated when he was alive because, well, he was extraordinarily eccentric and reclusive. And he was dogged by charges of child molestation, some of which he stood trial for and was cleared. There also were relentless rumors of drug abuse and homosexuality. As a result, he was relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi by the likes unseen since Lady Diana. Tabloid headlines were merciless, dubbing him "Wacko Jacko.''

Now, in death his life and accomplishments are celebrated in a new book, 'Michael Jackson: A Life In Pictures,' edited by Yann-Brice Dherbier and Candace Bal.
The book highlights his successes from childhood to his dramatic home going celebration at the Staples Center in Los Angeles last summer. It is filled with poignant quotes that will strike at the heart of any sentient person.

"My father was a brilliant manager,'' Jackson once said. "But what I needed was a dad.''

"Michael (14) and his sister Janet (six) at home in Los Angeles, a few days before Christmas. They remained close over the years and in 1995 would make a memorable video, 'Scream' which received many awards, including an MTV Award and a Grammy.

"When you look out over the stage, as far as the naked eye can see, you see people. And, it's a wonderful feeling, but it came with a lot of pain, a lot of pain.'' (Photo of Michael Jackson on stage at age 37).

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'Wench': A Riveting Novel About Love, Friendship And Survival

Lynette Holloway — 2010-01-31T02:17:00+00:00

Filed under: Hot Picks, Reviews, Fiction

Set against the backdrop of the idyllic Tawawa House resort in the free state of Ohio, new author Dolen Perkins-Valdez spins a sonorous narrative about the brutal complexities of life and the immorality of slavery leading up to the Civil War in 'Wench.'

The story unfolds through the eyes of Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet, whose friendships develop during their summer visits to Tawawa. But things take a dramatic turn when a stranger enters the scene and challenges their very beliefs.

The mysterious red-maned woman, Mawu, encourages them to escape from slavery. With that suggestion, their lives take on a dramatic emotional shift as they begin to contemplate leaving behind everything they know and love. Then a fire tears through the resort, forcing them to "bear witness to the end of an era.''

"Lizzie ran the day over and over through her mind,'' Perkins-Valdez writes. "From the girl with the burned legs-the way the skin merely looked sunburned-to the oozing sores on Mawu's arms. From the dark smoke rising from the cottage to the empty feeling in her stomach that came with the knowledge that she was the only one of the four left.'' She later earns the name "Wench'' for reasons that come to light in the story.

'Wench' is a compelling read and a great debut novel for Perkins-Valdez, whose fiction and essays have appeared in 'The Kenyon Review,' 'The African American Review,' the 'North Carolina Literary Review' and the 'Richard Wright Newsletter.' A native of Memphis, she graduated from Harvard University. She splits her time between Washington, D.C, and Seattle.

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Ladies, Put Cheatahs in their Place with the M.O.O.D. Lounge, a New Novel

Lynette Holloway — 2010-01-08T11:21:00+00:00

Filed under: Hot Picks, Reviews, Fiction, Romance & Erotica

Any woman who has been run up on by a cheatah will appreciate the hysterically funny new novel the 'M.O.O.D. Lounge: Come As You Are...Come All You Want' by Zondra Hughes, editor of N'Digo, Chicago's largest African American alternative weekly.

The first of a three-part series, the M.O.O.D. Lounge, weaves the tale of three emotionally traumatized women: Eva James, an entertainment publicist, Fawn LaFollette, a porn star, and Drusilla "Dru" Vidal, a prosecutor, whose men subdue them into submission with steamy sex while cheating on them and spending their hard-earned cash on other women.

"From the very beginning, Dru encouraged Amaru to chase his culinary dreams, and now it came back to haunt her,'' Hughes writes. "Amaru's next conquest would be a restaurant tycoon Louisi-Ana Pompano. Dru had money, but Louisi-Ana Pompano had money and clout in the culinary society, and was now the biggest fish in his net...

"Amaru learned a lot in jail, and he was stepping up his game. He no longer slept with women for pleasure; instead, Amaru became a man-whore with purpose, and he only serviced women that could do something for him. And he was quite successful.''

Man, puh-lease!

That is what Dr. Pat Rizzo, a rebellious therapist, taught the three women to say. She added a dollop of extra attitude: I. Don't. Need. You. The women joined forces to create Multiple Orgasms On Demand, and let's just say it involves adult toys.

Hughes uses an innovative style that draws on her journalistic skills as an interviewer and feature writer. She recently burst onto the literary scene as co-author of Wendy Williams' 'Ritz Harper Goes to Hollywood!' 'The M.O.O.D. Lounge' is a fun read that will make cheatahs and tigers stay in the woods.

Full Disclosure: Zondra Hughes and Lynette Holloway worked together as associate editors at Ebony magazine. Holloway also is a freelance writer for N'Digo.

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