Book picks similar to
Afro-Blue: Improvisations in African American Poetry and Culture by Tony Bolden


literary-criticism
music-genre-equity
african-american-literature
blues

Hood Luvin' From A White Boy 2


Sha Jones - 2019
    However, when Diamond, the stripper that was only supposed to be a one night stand unexpectedly gets pregnant, she refuses to let go of Javo. Not wanting to lose Mahogany, Javo hides the pregnancy, but just like the old saying goes, “What’s done in the dark will come to light.” Mahogany has been through mishaps, including miscarriages, heartbreak, and betrayal. Every man she meets hurts her, leaving her to pick up the pieces to her broken heart, but Javo convinces her to take another chance on love. Unfortunately, when Diamond finds out about the new love affair between the two of them, all hell breaks loose! Will Mahogany reflect on all of her past failed relationships and let Javo go to protect her already wounded heart, or will she stick it out with him and a child that might not be his? Find out in the second installment to Sha Jones’ latest love story.

Main Chick vs Side Bitch 1: African American Romance


Solae Dehvine - 2015
    With his main girl Kierra Lawrence by his side, DeWayne rules the town. Sneaking in and out of beds but DeWayne was always about to slither his way out of any whorish problem he got himself into. DeWayne and Kiara had their share of ups and downs from women to extra kids but they always stayed together until Ariane came along. Kiara is a lawyer with money and brains but Ariane has a body with hustle and street smarts and with DeWayne mixed in, disaster isn't far behind. There is no way to stop the madness and with DeWayne caught in the world wind, the women have no choice but to fight for the love of their life, but at what cost? Find out in Main Chick vs. Side Bitch

Joyful Noise: The Hot Mess Choir


She Nell - 2018
    She must pull together four choirs that hate each other for her husband, Pastor Myron Jones’ Pastor’s Anniversary Celebration. The Holy Missionary Mass Choir is filled with characters like Shonda, a single mother of six trying to keep her oldest son alive. Then there’s Donnell, the church playboy who is torn between three women. And no one can forget Mother Willie Mae Odell; whose sole mission in life is to take down Lady Deidra and the choir. First Lady Deidra Jones has a Hot Mess on her hands but will God be able to bring them all together or will they crash and burn like fire and brimstone?

Can't Love What I Don't Trust


Khara Campbell - 2015
    She struggles to provide for the kids, working a dead-end job while going to school. Stuck in a meaningless relationship, which only involved midnight creeps into her bed, she ends things with Darius in hopes for something better in life. Just when Cassandra isn't looking for anything or anyone, that's when Marco comes along; he's handsome, a great father to his son, and a business owner. Marco's had his share of women and often juggled relationships, but upon meeting Cassandra, his desire is kindled and he has to fight against wanting anything more than just a casual thing. With each day, they both fight the obvious; they want each other. A night of forbidden passion leads them into bed together; they soon wind up going back and forth, as Cassandra begins to date Damian to distract her from the one she really wants--Marco. The attraction is strong and the chemistry is explosive--will their efforts to ignore their hearts' desire trump love, or will they finally give in to what is obviously meant to be?

Can You Hear Me Now?: The Inspiration, Wisdom, and Insight of Michael Eric Dyson


Michael Eric Dyson - 2009
    Whether in his sixteen books, or in countless newspapers, television and radio appearances, or on stages, podiums, and pulpits across the world, Dyson has spun an enchanting web of words that has caught the attention of the masses and elites alike. He has weighed in on a myriad array of topics - from faith to fatherhood, and from race to sex, as well as sports, manhood, gender, music, leadership, politics, language, love, justice, literature, suffering, death, hope, relationships and much, much more.Can You Hear Me Now?, offers a sampling of Dyson's sharp wit, profound thought, and edifying eloquence on the enduring problems of humanity, from love to justice, and the latest topics of the day, including race and the presidency. It is both revealing and relevant, and at once thoughtful provoking and uplifting. Whether he is writing about Jay-Z or Barack Obama, addressing racial catastrophes or opportunities, or speaking about religion or the felicities of King's rhetoric, Dyson's intellect shines with insight and inspiration.Can You Hear Me Now? captures Dyson's incredible facility with words, and his prodigious intelligence, at a time when he has gained greater fame as a public intellectual, university professor, best-selling author, and most recently, as one of the first prominent blacks to endorse President Barack Obama. The time is ripe for his wit, wisdom and worldview, and this book is Dyson's most accessible compendium of thinking on a broad range of topics that haunt and shape the nation.

Stuck On You (Stoneworths Series, #1)


Michelle Stimpson - 2016
    Yet when they returned to school in the fall, Braxton made a decision that drove Tiffany to transfer schools and never look back.Now, nearly a decade later, they meet again as business experts vying for the same contract at a prestigious school. In addition to their professional competition, tensions mount as Braxton and Tiffany discover that they have two different versions of what happened to their romance so long ago. Can they overcome hard feelings and pick up where they left off? Tiffany’s father passed away a few months ago, just as she was founding her new project management firm. She wonders if her leap of faith was a good move, and her doubts only increase when she learns that someone from the firm she left is trying to undermine her independent efforts…not to mention her possibilities with Braxton.Braxton thought he might follow his father’s footsteps into ministry. His wild fraternity days caught up with him, however, causing Braxton to give up the idea of teaching anyone to follow the faith he so obviously neglected. Can he win back his own self-respect and the heart of the woman he never forgot?Stuck On You is the first book in The Stoneworth Series by bestselling Christian Fiction author Michelle Stimpson. The family history is briefly established, and then readers are off to experience the Stoneworth family's rich legacy of faith and integrity within the context of contemporary romance. Come fall in love with the family!

RL'S Dream


Walter Mosley - 1995
    But all that will soon change.Soupspoon Wise is dying on the unforgiving streets of New York City, years and worlds away from the Mississippi delta, where he once jammed with blues legend Robert "RL" Johnson. It was an experience that burned indelibly into Soupspoon's soul—never mind that they said RL's gift came from the Devil himself. Now it's Soupspoon's turn to strike a deal with a stranger. An alcoholic angel of mercy, Kiki Waters isn't much better off than Soupspoon, but she too is a child of the South, and knows its pull. And she is determined to let Soupspoon ride out the final notes of his haunting blues dream, to pour out the remarkable tale of what he's seen, where he's been—and where he's going. Mosley creates a “a meditation on the history and meaning of the blues” (Entertainment Weekly) in R L’s Dream, which practically sings a soulful blues song itself.

The Robert B. Parker Companion


Dean A. James - 2005
    Parker's novels from Spenser to Jesse Stone to Sunny Randall, plot summaries, cast of characters, Boston locations and maps, and more. Even before he was named Grand Master for Lifetime Achievement by the Mystery Writers of America, Edgar® Award-winning Robert B. Parker had assumed the mantle of dean of American crime fiction. "Taking his place beside Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Ross MacDonald" (Boston Globe), he transcended the crime genre. As one of the most prolific writers in the world, he reinvented crime writing. Now his millions of fans can discover everything about Robert B. Parker and his books: - Comprehensive biography of Robert B. Parker - Inside the Spenser novels - All about the Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall novels - Parker's stand-alone fiction - Complete cast of characters - Spenser on film - Robert B. Parker's Boston: locales, crime scenes, and maps - Memorable quotes - Inclusive bibliography - Plus, an exclusive and insightful new interview with Robert B. Parker

Rhythm And The Blues: A Life In American Music


Jerry Wexler - 1993
    Wexler has worked with the entire range of American genius: Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and others. 75 photographs.

Unsung Heroes Of Rock 'n' Roll: The Birth Of Rock In The Wild Years Before Elvis


Nick Tosches - 1984
    More than just a series of shrewd and evocative portraits of these and sixteen other performers, this book is also a paean to a forsaken time of relentless excess, sudden ruin, and fierce music. For this edition, the author has contributed a new listing of recent CD reissues. From 1945 to 1955, from Chinese hillbillies to Elvis's long-lost twin brother, here are the Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll.

The Life And Legend Of Leadbelly


Charles Wolfe - 1992
    His close musical associations included such towering figures as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and John and Alan Lomax. He helped lay the foundations for blues, modern folk music, and rock 'n' roll. This definitive biography draws on a wealth of new archival material, interviews, and previously unknown recordings to detail Leadbelly's proud, tumultuous, and often violent life.

How to Love


Sabrina B. Scales - 2018
    Fall enough times, you’ll learn how to walk. Bite your tongue enough times, you’ll learn to speak up. Lose enough times, you’ll learn how to win. Get burnt enough times, you'll learn how to avoid the flame. But what happens when two tormented souls suffer too many losses? Is it enough for fate to bring them together and let them to do the rest? Or will they find it impossible to learn how to love?

The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader: Histories and Debates


David Brackett - 2004
    In this richly textured anthology, well-known scholar David Brackett brings together more than 100 readings from a wide range of sources and by writers who have played an integral part in the development of popular music criticism. Brackett includes articles from mainstream and specialized magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals, as well as interviews and autobiographies of musicians and other music industry insiders. Organized into broad time periods, the chapters are divided into sections by genre, and these sections are organized chronologically. The chapter divisions parallel those found most frequently in textbooks on popular music. Representing a wide variety of time periods, styles, and genres--and including groundbreaking criticism on disco, hip-hop, rap, and techno--the selections introduce students to important social and cultural issues raised by the study of popular music. Topics covered include the role of race, class conflict, gender roles, regional differences in the reception of popular music, and the relative value of artistry versus commerce. Extensive editorial introductions and headnotes supply context for the selections, provide links between different eras and genres, clarify the issues raised by the documents, and explain their historical significance. The second edition of this captivating anthology features eleven new source readings and introductions, further reading and discography selections for each chapter, and a companion website containing student and instructor resources.

The Serial Cheater PT 2


Silk White - 2014
    The sky is the limit for the young power house couple, the only problem is Cam's fiancé Yolanda.Yolanda and Cam have been together for seven long years, and she hates the fact that her man has to work with Honey. Yolanda trust, Honey as far as she can throw her and will rather die before she lets the R&B diva steal her man.Cam does his best to juggle both women and keep everyone happy, that is until the murders began....The Serial Cheater PT 1 picks up where pt 1 left off.Best Selling Silk White takes you on a hot, steamy, action filled ride that you won't want to end!

Things Are Happening


Joshua Beckman - 1998
    The inaugural winner of the annual American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Award.