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Incarcerated & Read: Coming of Age in Prison
R. Dwayne Betts was a 16-year-old honor student when he carjacked a man. It was 30 seconds that would forever change lives. Thirty seconds that he, his mother, nor his victim could ever get back. It was 30 seconds that would eventually lead Betts to spend nine years in prison. His first book, “A Question of Freedom:…
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What is Bill Clinton Reading?
Are You Interested in the Full Story? Laura Ling, one of the journalists who was recently freed after being held in North Korea, and her sister, journalist Lisa Ling, are said to be shopping a book proposal according to the Wall Street Journal. The book plans to discuss Ling’s time in captivity but will focus…
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Victor LaValle's Big Machine
Acclaimed, yet underappreciated author Victor LaValle has returned with his third book “Big Machine.” The novel, unlike anything I’ve read before, is a tour de force that’s really about redemption. In signature LaValle style, it’s also laced with his comedic wit and knack for creating narrators whose journeys you enjoy following. Books on the Root…
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It is Okay to Put a Black Face on a Book Cover! Publisher Changes Its Mind
The internet recently erupted over the controversy surrounding the cover choice for the forthcoming young adult novel, “Liar” by Justine Larbalestier. Read all about it here. In a nutshell, the book donned a cover featuring a young white girl, even though the main character is black. After seeing how disgusted people were—including the author—Bloomsbury, the…
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HIV/AIDS in Jamaica: A Poet Responds
As HIV/AIDS continues to spread across the globe, one project, “Hope: Living and Loving with HIV in Jamaica,” commissioned by the Pulitzer Center, aims to show the full lives of people who face the disease daily. Poet Kwame Dawes, who has written several books and is a champion of the arts, traveled to the place…
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Black Faces on Covers Don't Sell Books?
Black Faces on Covers Don’t Sell Books? Looks like book publishing isn’t all that post-racial, but we already knew that. A controversy has been brewing regarding the book cover for “Liar,” a young adult novel by Justine Larbalestier that’s set to publish at the end of September by Bloomsbury Children’s Books. The cover (see right)…
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What Becomes of the Big-Hearted? A Tribute to E. Lynn Harris
Although it’s still hard to believe that he’s gone, E. Lynn Harris’s understated impact as a writer, mentor, and truth-seeker can no longer be denied, ignored, or overlooked. He was an honest storyteller. He illuminated the lives of gay black men, in particular, in ways that the book world hadn’t truly seen before. He encouraged…
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I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Write You a Letter)
Recently, I came across some old letters I wrote a friend back in the day. There were several, and as I read them, memories came flooding back. Funny enough, I could still smell the cologne that he sprayed on a few (we were young). But then I tried to remember the last time that I…
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Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness? And Other Lit-Related Questions
Did you know that Michael Jackson was a Bibliophile? The LA Times recently chronicled the book-loving ways of the King of Pop. Jackson frequented a local Santa Monica shop, Dutton’s Books, where he was a fan of the poetry section. His favorite poet? Ralph Waldo Emerson. Jackson’s lawyer also told LA Weekly that the star…
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The Root's Summer Book List
For many, summer is one of the few times of the year when life slows down a little. And for many, it is one of the few periods when there’s actually time to sit still enough to read an entire book. So whether you like to spend these precious moments escaping with some juicy drama,…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
