Opal is being recalled

Regarding the Kaavya Viswanathan scandal, here's an update from Publishers Weekly:

But last night Little, Brown released a statement saying it would recall all
copies of the title from sale. Statements also came from Megan McCafferty and
Crown (the RH imprint which recently released her latest title, Charmed Thirds).
McCafferty said she is "not seeking restitution in any form" and ended with: "In
my career, I am, first and foremost, a writer. So I look forward to getting back
to work and moving on, and hope Ms. Viswanathan can too." Crown said it was
"proud" of its author and "pleased that this matter has been resolved in an
appropriate and timely fashion."

As they should. I can't believe that keeping the book on shelves was even considered.

Tips from Terry

In a new book, Terry McMillan is offering tips for college-bound graduates. I have yet to see the book, which I am eager to do because here are some of the tips. None of which seem very enlightening:

Among Terry McMillan's tips for grads:
No. 1: Sit up straight and walk tall.
No. 12: Make God proud.
No. 17: Beg for money. . . . This way your
parents will know you still need them for something.
No. 23: If you drink, try not to get sloppy drunk, and if you can, avoid doing drugs

People can say what they want about Tyler Perry

But I think Madea is hilarious. And I'm not the only one. His new book, Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings, has sold about 25,000 copies in less than two weeks. Wow.

Snoop Doggy Dogg

is writing a novel. I'm sure you've heard. Everyone is all up in arms about it. What they should be more up in arms about is:

This is the first novel in a street-lit series headed by Snoop for Atria.
“Books speak more to a female audience than does his music,” Schmidt says, “so
these novels give him an opportunity to show, particularly his female fans,
another side.”

And yes us females definitely need to see another side of him. Okay, right.

Heading a publishing imprint? While I'm confused about that (as I was with 50 cent), Snoop's got the star power.

Personally, I think Snoop fell off after Doggystyle. His rhyming was never the same. But it ain't about skillz no more...it's about how many books, I mean records you can sell. Maybe he'll put that same fire into his fiction? I won't judge until I read it, shoot as a novelist, Snoop could be the next 50 cent.

The problems of publishing

So everyone's talking about:

Kaavya Viswanathan, Harvard sophomore and author of How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life, has been
accused of lifting passages from two previous young-adult books, The Harvard
Crimson reported on Sunday.

Well I was interning at Little, Brown when her proposal was being shopped around. I read it. I wasn't impressed. Granted it was packaged nice--the proposal kept talking about how young she was, how she was going to Harvard, etc. But the writing was fairly sub-par but that's not surprising, publishing these days doesn't necessarily look for stellar writing. It's about a package (can we turn her into a star, she's just so cute). But I guess I didn't have to tell you that.

But the real problem is why, oh why would a publisher pay a 17 year-old unknown writer, 500,000 for two books? Why does she need this sort of advance? Don't get it twisted, this isn't hate in my words, it's logic.

Even if her books were to be a big hit (and they just might still since America loves to read writing that has some sort of controversy attached to it and according to the article, the Bookscan number was already 8,000 copies in less than a month), these type of advances are hurting, not helping publishing. Especially when publishing is an industry quick to complain: we don't have any month to send you on a tour, we don't have any money to purchase coop for your book. Why? Because they just paid 500,000 to a 17-year old and now must spend more money on marketing in efforts to see their investment recouped.

New Orleans Public Library Seeking Book Donations...

New Orleans Public Library Seeking Book Donations...

The New Orleans Public Library is asking for any and all hardcover and paperback books for people of all ages in an effort to re-stock the shelves after Katrina. The staff will assess all donations and choose titles to be designated for its collections. Those not designated to the collections will be distributed to still-destitute families or sold for library fundraising. Any way about it, this is a very good thing! For more information, call or e-mail Ms. Rica Trigs at 504-596-2652 or rtrigs@gno.lib.la.us *NOTE: If you tell the post office the items are for the library in New Orleans, they will give you the library rate, which is slightly less than the book rate.*

Please send your books to:
Rica A. Trigs c/o Public Relations
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112

New Orleans Public Library Seeking Book Donations...

New Orleans Public Library Seeking Book Donations...

The New Orleans Public Library is asking for any and all hardcover and paperback books for people of all ages in an effort to re-stock the shelves after Katrina. The staff will assess all donations and choose titles to be designated for its collections. Those not designated to the collections will be distributed to still-destitute families or sold for library fundraising. Any way about it, this is a very good thing! For more information, call or e-mail Ms. Rica Trigs at 504-596-2652 or rtrigs@gno.lib.la.us *NOTE: If you tell the post office the items are for the library in New Orleans, they will give you the library rate, which is slightly less than the book rate.*

Please send your books to:
Rica A. Trigs c/o Public Relations
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112

Call for Literary Artists to Teach in Atlanta

***PLEASE SEND RESUMES ASAP ****

Call for Literary Artists to teach in AtlantaThe Bureau of Cultural Affairs is seeking literaryartists to teach this summer in Atlanta.The following outlines some brief details:90 minute Studio15 - 20 students3 groupsIt pays $5,000 for 8 weeks.Artists must develop their own curriculum.

Please send resumes and any questions to Shawndejones@atlantaga.gov. Please feel free to forwardthis information to other literary artists.

New Literary Festival in Harlem

A story I wrote that appeared in today's PW Daily:

Atria's Adero to Launch New Book Festival
by Felicia Pride

In an effort to promote and celebrate literature and art by people of color, Malaika Adero, a senior editor at Atria Books, has founded Up South, Inc., a nonprofit organization that will produce an annual book and peforming arts festival in Harlem beginning this fall.

A combination of staged dialogues and readings, the Up South International Book Festival will be held September 29-October 1. The festival will integrate African, Latino and Asian-American arts, presenting writers alongside dancers, musicians, and actors to illustrate the narrative links of storytelling. Authors confirmed to appear include Ruby Dee, Reyna Grande, Guillermo Arriaga, Maryse Condé, Greg Tate, Edward P. Jones and Marie-Elena John. "We are promoting a high standard of literature and look to feature the future Richard Wrights, Toni Morrisons and Gabriel García Márquezs as well as veteran authors that are underexposed," said Adero.
Festival events will take place in The Gatehouse, a new Aaron Davis Hall event space being built in Harlem that seats approximately180 people. The festival will target an audience of serious book buyers, and generating sales is an underlying goal of the event; the Hue-Man Bookstore will be the festival’s exclusive book vendor.

Atria is supporting the festival and according to Adero, other publishers have expressed interest in participating. The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University has signed on as a sponsor and Adero said Up South Inc. is continuing to raise funds and solidify sponsorships. A marketing campaign will be rolled out soon.

"We are starting small but hope to expand the festival to five days and hold events in larger venues by 2008," said Adero. Between festivals, Up South will focus on smaller literary events throughout the year and look to partner with publishers to promote individual authors and projects.

Calabash Literary Festival

I am incredibly excited, this year, finally I will be attending the Calabash Literary Festival taking place Memorial Day Weekend. The entire concept--beach, Jamaica, authors, writers, international, readings, relaxation--is dope. I hope to have a full report upon my return (and pictures).

Anyone out there attending?

If you only read one thing this week...

If you only read one thing for the rest of the week (although I hope that isn't the case), I urge you to read Chris Abani's essay on Truthdig.com about conceptualizing Becoming Abigail. For those writers out there, he provides an insightful, poignant, abstract, and lyrical discussion about how books emerge, characters haunt, and writing liberates.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060419_chris_abani_unintended_worship/.

Greatest MC's & Bob Marley

MTV picked their Top 10 greatest MCs and Jay-Z is number one. While I don't think their top 10 was a bad list (they had my men Rakim and Big Daddy Kane on the list), I disagree with the order. Jay-Z as number one? Nas number 5? But as Jay-Z rapped, politics as usual.

But that didn't bug me out as much as the individual lists of the top 10 albums of the 2005 MTV brain trust. When I say they have some far out choices, geez. There are like two lists that include Tribe's Midnight Mauraders. While I really, really like that album, it can't compete with Low End Theory. Come on now. Collectively, their lists missed too many crucial albums.

Anywho Christopher John Farley wrote a piece for Vibe that Bob Marley was the godfather of hip hop. Check it out.

Unburnable by Marie-Elena John

Another new book you should check out. Marie-Elena John is a former Africa development specialist, best known for her pioneering work on the denial of women's inheritance rights in Africa, has written a multi-generational novel that weaves Caribbean history, African customs, and African-American sensibilities. Released in April by Amistad/Harpercollins.

She's living my dream: dividing her time between Antigua and Washington, D.C.

New Bob Marley Biography by Christopher John Farley

All you Bob fans out there, Christopher John Farley (former editor of Time magazine, now editor at the Wall Street Journal) has written a new biography of Marley that uncovers new information about the icon. Releasing May 1st from Amistad/Harpercollins.

Check out info from AOL Blackvoices.

Becoming Abigail and Essence

Everybody's probably seen that Essence second pick was Becoming Abigail by Chris Abani. That's a big win for Chris and for independent publishing (Congrats to Johnny and Johanna of Akashic books, the publisher).

Anyway, I went to Chris's reading at Barnes and Noble at Astor Place in NYC. It was pretty amazing. Because Chris is a poet, he reads like a poet, so the words just came alive. The book is pretty intense and hearing Chris read, bought a new dynamic to it. I was impressed.

congrats to adam

Just read in PW: Congrats to Adam Mansbach for selling a new book entitled The End of Jews to Chris Jackson in his new position as executive editor at a new imprint at Doubleday. If you haven't read Adam's Angry Black White Boy, I highly recommend it.

Literate Nubian

Big up to Justin Collins of Literatenubian.org. He's a fellow publishing nerd committed to highlighting books and authors. Check out his site and show him love.

www.literatenubian.org

National Black Writer's Conference

I've been meaning to blog about the conference, becuase I did attend on Saturday. I still have to write something about it. In the meantime...read this writeup from the Amsterdam News.

City Paper on Covenant

My hometown paper did a significant piece entitled, Independent Black Publisher Cracks National Best-Seller List for the First Time. It talks about the success of The Covenant with Black America.

City Paper on Covenant

My hometown paper did a significant piece entitled, Independent Black Publisher Cracks National Best-Seller List for the First Time. It talks about the success of The Covenant with Black America.

new caribbean/guyanese journal & Maya Angelou

Came across this new online journal: http://kykoveral.blogspot.com/.

Have to thank Jonathan Bratt, the founder of the journal for reminding me that today is Maya Angelou's birthday.

For those in NY

Thursday, April 13, 7pm @ Barnes & Noble Astor Place

CHRIS ABANI's first New York reading from his new novella, "Becoming Abigail."

Store address: 4 Astor Place, Manhattan.

Call for Submissions

Nationally bestselling and award-winning authors Niobia Bryant and Kim Louise are seeking submissions of short stories for an urban fiction/street lit anthology. The ladies are looking for the best street lit authors out there, whether published or unpublished. Stories in the tradition of Ann Petry, Donald Goines, Iceberg Slim, and contemporaries like Sistah Souljah, Shannon Holmes, and Teri Woods will catch their attention. The stories should truly capture the realistic portrayal of the lives, the choices, the hustle, the grind, the drama, and the angst of surviving in today’s urban inner cities. The tone of the stories should be gritty, edgy, contemporary, and raw.

The project is represented by Claudia Menza of the Menza-Barron Literary Agency.

Anthology Concept
* All stories must be set on August 15, the hottest day of the summer.
* All stories must be set in the fictional low-rise Carter G. Woodson housing projects-- a.k.a Woodson Court--located on the fictional Washington Ave. in Newark, New Jersey.

Please note: Visit the website www.geocities.com/urbananthologies for descriptions of the project to be used in your stories.
* All characters must be living in or visiting residents of Woodson Court.
* All stories should take place in or around Woodson Court.

Submission Guidelines
* All stories must be written in proper manuscript formatting--12pt. Courier New, double spaced with one-inch margins.
* Stories should be 2500 – 3500 words (10 – 14 pages with proper formatting)
* Both first person and third person stories are welcome from both female and male points of view
* E-mail your story to urbananthologies@yahoo.com. No attachments will be accepted. Please paste your submission into the body of the e-mail. Any stories sent as an attachment will be deleted. Please put URBAN ANTHOLOGY in the subject line.
* Be sure to include your name and contact information on a cover sheet WITH THE STORY (not just in the email)— mailing address, phone, fax and email. The final selection process will take a while, so if your contact information changes, please keep us informed.
* Only original stories that have not been published in any format are allowed.
* Just one one story per author and please submit to us exclusively.
* All stories may be edited for content and length.
* Submissions must be received by June 1, 2006.

Compensation:
* There will be a payment for each story accepted for the final publication. Each contributor will receive copies of the completed project and a payment of $100.00.
* Also every contributor will be able to include a bio in the Contributors section of both the book and on the web site.

Bebe Moore Campbell remains in our prayers

I know you've probably heard that Bebe Moore Campbell is recuperating from a neurological condition. That is so scary. You can visit www.bebemoorecampbell for updates on her progress.

No more Time Warner Book Group

The new name, reflecting the new owners is : Hachette Book Group USA. The name is only the beginning of changes, I'm sure.

Speaking of changes, reflecting its new owners as well. Black Issues Book Review's website has a new look: www.bibookreview.com. Also in changes, Susan McHenry, who was most recently editor-in-large is returning as editorial director.