| Author | Message | ||
     Troy AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Troy Post Number: 1873 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
 http://authors.aalbc.com/amiri.htm Check out Baraka's thoughts on the NAACP's 100 years 100 authors at the 4:29 mark. | ||
| Mochascafe Veteran Poster Username: Mochascafe Post Number: 151 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
Kind of disappointing because I am a big fan but expected when the facts aren't right. 1. The names of the authors were the names of the authors who were PARTICIPATING. 2. Its not that he was not invited, there are no invites just a general "Call for Authors" that usually gets posted on most black literary sites including this one and to publishers. Letters were sent to Toni Morrison (schedule conflict), Sonia Sanchez (schedule conflict) publishers and I guarantee you the publisher of at least one of his books got the call for authors document (I dont want to name names). If they CHOSE not to submit his name then...... 3. As far as "sex books" go, I can only see three that have sexually explicit scenes. And guess what, if we did not include them there would be the "not representative of all genres" argument. This is a great example of a whole lot of misinformation. I also find it funny that in the section before he talks about black people doing a whole lot of talking and criticizing and not enough doing, and about how they just sound corny....well one of my moms favorite sayings is "physician, heal thyself" There were a lot of really good genres, financial wellness, health and spiritual wellness, youth and young adult, fiction, current events and civil rights and history. No sex categories. I cringe at the thought of Dr. Height, Cornel West, Walter Mosley, Diahann Carroll and about 90 other authors hearing that they are nothing but "negros that write them little sex books". But you know, when you get to a certain age especially in our community once you have earned your respect you get it no matter what, right or wrong. Mr. Baraka, not going to take it personal. You still deserve mad love and respect. | ||
| Troy AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Troy Post Number: 1893 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: |
Thanks for sharing your perspective Mocha. If you have a report on the authors pavilion. I would be glad to publish it and link it to our next newsletter. Unfortunately, I have not heard very much about the event from the participating authors. Amiri's comments was even more interesting if you consider the event (the Harlem Book Fair), which he was participating in when he made the comment, garners for more criticism for being a bastion of sex and urban literature books. At the end of the day, there virtually nothing you can do in life, of any consequence, that will go uncriticized by others. Keep up the good work. |
