Edward P. Jones

Edward P. Jones
Thursday, April 14, 2011 - Kweli Journal in partnership with The New York Times and African Heritage Network presented and evening with Pulitzer-prize winning writer EDWARD P. JONES.

In front of a full house, Mr. Jones read passages from his books The Known World, Lost in the City, and All Aunt Hagar's Children (purchase books http://amzn.to/g8jO3O). After, he was joined in conversation by Wyatt Mason, Harpers and New York Times critic. Mr. Jones quipped about not understanding why people still wanted to hear him read from his "old" books. The audience chuckled, and continued to hang on his every word.

The reading was proceeded by readings from contributors to Kweli: Nicole Vasquez, Milton Washington, Princess Perry, and Radhiyah Ayobami. For more information on Kweli visit http://www.kwelijournal.com/.

Click here for complete photo album

Kevin Young at Greenlight Bookstore

Friday, March 4; poet Kevin Young read from his new book "Ardency: A Chronicle of the Amistad Rebels."

"Acclaimed poet Kevin Young gathers here a chorus of voices that tells the story of the Africans who mutinied onboard the slave ship Amistad. Written over twenty years, this poetic epic—part libretto, part captivity epistle—makes the past present, and even its sorrows sing." --RandomHouse

The reading took place at Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, NY
Buy the book: http://amzn.to/hshZUJ

Mat Johnson at McNally Jackson Bookstore

Teju Cole "Open City"

 

February, 24, 2011 @Greenlight Bookstore Bklyn NYC -Teju Cole, author of the critically received "Open City" read before an audience of numerous friends and many new fans.

"In other words, it is an ongoing reverie in the tradition of W.G. Sebald or Nicholson Baker, but with the welcome interruptions of the friends and strangers Julius meets as he wanders Penn Station, the Upper West Side, and Brussels during a short holiday, and amid discussions of Alexander Hamilton, black identity, and the far left--a truly American novel emerges." --Publishers Weekly

A haunting novel about national identity, race, liberty, loss, dislocation, and surrender, Teju Cole’s Open City seethes with intelligence. Written in a clear, rhythmic voice that lingers, this book is a mature, profound work by an important new author who has much to say about our country and our world.

Manning Marable at HueMan Bookstore

February 8, 2011 - Scholar Manning Marable and civil-rights attorney Kristen Clarke (a former student of Mr. Marable) have teamed to co-edit Barack Obama and African American Empowerment: The Rise of Black America's New Leadership (Critical Black Studies)

The reading took place at HueMan Bookstore in Harlem and was capped by a lively discussion with the audience. Click here for more pictures on Facebook

Julius "Dr. J" Erving

25 Coolest Athletes
GQ Magazine cover

As a kid I kept a "Dr. J" poster on my wall and Converse Allstars on my feet. He was a sports God. All that Lebron, Shaq, & Kobe aspire to be, Julius Erving was. A  trouble-free superstar who created the "highlight." Every dunk --most rather plain by today's standards-- was welcomed, examined, and mimicked on the biddy court. 

He was cool, his wife beautiful, and seemed to stay above public dalliances, drugs, and "slackerness." When he left the Nets --the mere fact he considered the ABA gave him a rebellious Oakland-Raider cool-- to join Philly I took to my bed knowing he could never win a championship with the Nets. 

Late in his career, a championship in hand, I felt like a good guy had won one for decency, hard work, and dedication.

Post-retirement news that "the Doctor," while married, had a child out of wedlock, removed some of the unnecessary shine. I guess we don't need a "God" when a man will do.

love & respect, "Doc"

Small Publishers, Start Right

A few "duuuh" tips for authors to follow.
 

1. Get a Facebook.com page, and start a fan page or group for your book. This will allow you to contact and organize your friends and fans into one area. You can email and post updates and list upcoming readings and events. You can also list photos and videos of your readings.
   
   
2. Speaking of photos and videos, get all your visual media organized on Flickr.com. Flickr allows you to upload, organize, and display your event photos. You can also eblast all your friends to visit your page and view photos. It may duplicate your Facebook efforts but it’ll help people find you through search engines.
   
   
3. Blog. If you’re a writer you may want to consider blogging. A blog is simply a web log (shortened to “blog”). Blogging gives you the opportunity to give friends and subscribers regular updates on your writing life. If people find what you’re blogging interesting they can subscribe and receive regular updates. Popular blog site: Wordpress.com and Blogger.com
   
   
   
4. If blogging takes too much energy think about sending “tweets.” It’s like blogging for people with attention deficit disorder. Similar to “texting,” Twitter.com gives you the ability to send succinct 160-character updates. You can send updates from your phone or computer. You can also sign up to receive “tweets” from people you share a like interest.
   
   
5. Book Clubs, the original social network for readers, are a rich resource for authors looking to connect with readers. Connect earlier and often. Keep them in the loop as they love to stay connected to the writers they support. Visit http://www.mosaicbooks.com/bookclub.html for a national list of black book clubs. And don’t forget to attend The National Book Club Conference. This event, which takes place in July, has become a must-attend event for authors looking to connect with hundreds of book club members.
   
   
6. Social networks are cool, easy, and free but they’re not the lone answer. You may want a traditional website. Go to Network Solutions, netsol.com, and buy your name, i.e., ronkavanaugh.com (.org, .net, etc.). This should serve as your home base. Costs vary depending on the length of years that you buy your name. Expect to spend between $9 to $35/year.
   
   
7. Once you reserve your name, get a website. Yahoo.com offers starter pages at $11/month.  By the way, if you want to make it easy skip the Network Solutions step and go directly to Yahoo.com. They can reserve your name and host your website.
   
   
8. You’ll need to develop an “identity” for your self and books. The quickest way is to print business cards, book marks, and postcards. If you have some rudimentary design skills go to VistaPrint.com. Here you can select from a wide array of products that will help you build a marketing identity. Products start at $25 but if you sign up for their emails you’ll receive regular notifications for free and discounted print materials.
   
   
9. Spend money to make money. Particularly on your cover art and collateral materials (postcards, bookmarks, etc). First impressions are important so make yours last. Look at cover art you like, make a note of the designer's credit, then track down online. Or, go to Elance.com and create a project for hundreds of designers to review and bid on.
   
   
10. Identify your niche, and start your face-to-face marketing (book fairs, street festivals, books clubs, etc.) with this in mind. Your first impulse may be to pitch to anyone who will listen. But be careful, all that hard work may be for naught and discouraging if you’re not receiving the feedback and sales you want. Assess your book and see where it fits in terms of subject, place, and characters. If you’re an expert in a specific field make sure you let the local press know. TV and radio are always looking for fresh faces to address newsworthy issues.

African Voices New Issue

Last week or so (time flies during the holidays), I was one of a slew of guests who checked out the African Voices's Christmas/new-issue party. I mingled and imbibed among poets, writers, visual artists, et al. Center stage were the playwrights. Many of whom are celebrated in the new issue,  which is dedicated to theater.


Publisher Carolyn Butts has worked hard to make AV a successful magazine --almost 20-years worth of hard work is no joke (and she coordinates the annual Reel Sisters Film Festival, http://www.reelsisters.org/). 


You can show your tax-deductible support for all she does at http://www.africanvoices.com/. It's a worthwhile investment in our culture and future.


the world
Ron Kavanaugh