IYANLA’S DRAMA WITH OPRAH MAKES HER BOOK #1

(blackmediaSCOOP) That tv cat fight between Iyanla Vanzant and Oprah Winfrey is paying off! Iyanla’s latest book “Peace From Broken Pieces: How to Get Through What You’re Going Through” is now a New York Times bestseller! You may remember, Iyanla enjoyed regular segments as a self-help guru on “Oprah” until a falling out ended her appearances 10 years ago. In February she returned to the show for a no-holds-barred interview that aired in two parts.

The two finally got to the bottom of the miscommunication that forced them to go their separate ways, which left Iyanla broke and on the verge of committing suicide. FYI, “Peace From Broken Pieces,” is published talk show host/author Tavis Smiley’s SmileyBooks. It currently sits at #1 on the Times’ Hardcover Advice & Misc. list.

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Harlem is Nowhere

A Journey to the Mecca of Black America

by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts

For a century Harlem has been celebrated as the capital of black America, a thriving center of cultural achievement and political action. At a crucial moment in Harlem's history, as gentrification encroaches, Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts untangles the myth and meaning of Harlem's legacy. Examining the epic Harlem of official history and the personal Harlem that begins at her front door, Rhodes-Pitts introduces us to a wide variety of characters, past and present. At the heart of their stories, and her own, is the hope carried over many generations, hope that Harlem would be the ground from which blacks fully entered America's democracy.


Rhodes-Pitts is a brilliant new voice who, like other significant chroniclers of places-Joan Didion on California, or Jamaica Kincaid on Antigua-captures the very essence of her subject.

My Princess Boy

By Bruce Baker

Tampa Bay Natural Health Examiner

My Princess Boy is a book that began from one parent's wish to deal with her own struggles to accept her child from taking on gay-like behavior at an early age. Now, it is part of a national conversation that tries to determine if the behavior is healthy or the reinforcement is part of a child's natural health.

Cheryl Kilodavis is fortunate to have a loving husband, a home of her own, and several children to complete the picture of the American Dream. However, for one of her kids, a quiet storm developed months ago when she was forced to contend with a delicate issue. To her chagrin, little Dyson, 5, was showing signs of identifying more with girls instead of his peer group. This becomes the true test on what a person's inner beliefs are despite what the persona shows.

Young Dyson asked her during Halloween if he could wear a bright pink dress. He wanted become a princess boy, not only during Halloween; he actually enjoyed wearing dresses and bright pink and red colors. Kilodavis became outraged and pushed back on this type of taboo behavior as she was raised to denounce it, for fear that it does not fit the rules of society-at-large.

To her astonishment, her husband embraced the idea and just dismissed it as a child who is trying to explore his surroundings. He reasoned that to punish the child for his choices robbed him of his self-worth. Faced with the growing pressure to accept her princess boy, Kilodavis published a journal called, My Princess Boy as a means to cope with her mounting anxiety about how to deal with the revelation.

Over time, she realized that the child she raised is taking cues from her and that she should move to a point of acceptance in order for young Dyson to have a naturally healthy upbringing with parents who did not admonish him for his choices.

Soon, a major publisher discovered how well the topic would impact the mainstream, and awarded the mother turned author a contract. She soon realized the larger message in My Princess Boy is one of acceptance despite the harsh criticisms the public has to offer.

What are your thoughts? Is it naturally healthy to allow a child to cross genders at an early age? What impact does the decision one makes for their child have on the mental health of the child later?

Here's a simple answer to coping with a child who may present gay/lesbian tendencies: According to Charlotte J. Patterson, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, she recommends that you should desperately try to separate your immediate reaction from the love of your child. It makes a difference in how their natural health is impacted.

Do you know a little My Princess Boy?

Black is the New Green

Meet Len Burnett and Andrea Hoffman, the authors of the groundbreaking book, “Black is the New Green," , as they tell us how to follow in the footsteps laid down by brands such as Gucci, HSBC, Sony Electronics, and Aston Martin to become successful in the luxury market. Come hear the authors share their knowledge of the "Affluent African American" (AAA) consumers which boast current buying power of $87.3 billion.

Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Location: Macys, 151 W. 34th Street16th Floor
Time: 6pm – 8pm

The authors will offer up buying power estimates for the future and tell us how to skillfully tap into this growing consumer base. We will hear how to attract the "AAA" audience and learn how to create brand loyalty and product bonding in an affordable and measurable way. You cannot afford to overlook this market segment if growth is your business objective. Purchase additional copies of “Black is the New Green" at 30% off the national retail price.

About the Authors:
Leonard E. Burnett Jr. serves as Co-CEO and Group Publisher of UPTOWN Media Group and VIBE Lifestyle Network. UPTOWN Magazine is a bi-monthly publication for urbanites focusing on the lifestyle and culture of Affluent African Americans (AAA) which also comprises UptownLife.net, the interactive website, was well as Uptown’s signature and advertiser sponsored upscale events, and Uptown Social. Len is a pioneer in the urban media space, and has been transforming marketers’ perceptions of the importance of reaching the underserved urban audience for twenty years.

Andrea Hoffman is founder and CEO of Diversity Affluence, a research, marketing communications, and business development consultancy that helps brand managers, marketers, agencies, business development, and media executives to understand and market to affluent ethnic consumers. She is a marketing strategist, trend forecaster, and consultant with over 23 years of experience in marketing and communications. She has worked with brands such as Scholastic, Sony Electronics, Mercedes-Benz, BMW NA, NASCAR Café, Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, Nashville Entertainment Association, Alliance Bernstein and Fox Television.

FOXY: My Life in Three Acts by Pam Grier

By Angelia Vernon Menchan

APOOO BookClub

I became a fan of Pam Grier’s movies as a teenager in the 1970s. I was old enough to see R-rated movies and I was fascinated by a female, militant-type actress. My friends and I spent many Saturdays watching her movies, then coming home and talking about how ‘bad’ she was. My friends even called me ‘Coffy’ due to our shared height, slight tooth gap, brown skin and yards of curly hair. So, of course, I was delighted to be asked to review her memoir. FOXY: My Life in Three Acts.

I absolutely enjoyed the honest, talkative way in which Ms. Grier wrote her memoirs. The first act focused on her childhood and the relationships she had with the people in her life. Particularly influential was the work ethic and strength of her mother, and the fiery, fighting spirit of her aunt, Mennon. I could literally visualize Pam’s mother working on a degree in nursing and purchasing a home while her father was away in the Air Force. This act also covered the molestation Pam suffered at age six by her cousins. I could feel her pain emanating from the pages but also she made it clear why she never told anyone. It really brought out how the act of molestation is not ‘new’ and that children should be able to tell someone.

Act Two discussed her life as young adult and her work ethic and how she became an actress. Also discussed was her relationship with Kareem Abdul Jabar and how his becoming a member of the Nation of Islam came between them. She also had relationships with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Richard Pryor that ended due to their drug usage. Grier was very honest about her relationships without being salacious or telling every dirty detail. I really admired that component of the book. It proved it is not necessary to drag anyone through the mud to tell your story.

The Final Act discussed the actress’ battle with cancer and how she continued to take her life into her own hands and never allowed anyone to tell her how to live. She wrote with honesty, expressing little regret for the life she lived. More importantly, she painted herself as more than an actress, but as a well-rounded woman. I recommend this memoir to all who love memoirs and biographies that allow them to see inside famous people they thought they knew.

Literary Review: "Love Yourself First"

Every so often, I come across a book that I describe as a good "train book". That's a book like black, gay author Delvon Johnson's debut novel, Love Yourself First. It's a smart, funny, fast-paced story that just might cause you to become so engrossed in its drama, that you miss your station on your way home. Set in the high-stakes, fabulous fashion world, the story centers on executive Dwight Jones, who has teamed up with his best friend, Issiah, to open up their own fashion-consulting agency, Vondel. As the business partners chase their dreams among the glitterati of fashiondom, they meet shoe designer Joan Marks, an ambitious career woman looking to stake her claim to high society and fashion. Seeing opportunity in Dwight's consulting business, she signs on with Vondel and sets her sights on fame and wealth, regardless of cost or ruined lives. Along the way, we meet other memorable characters such as Joan's fiancee Ron, who is set to marry her, but his head and his heart differ sharply on who he wants to share his future with, and Corey, who adds love and passion to Dwight's busy life.



Delvon Johnson credits the late, iconic writer E. Lynn Harris as one of his literary influences, and he sees himself as fulfilling the legacy Harris left behind for gay authors of color. Johnson hosted a Gala tribute to E. Lynn Harris last month, in which he reaffirmed his commitment to Harris' vision and works. Looking forward to the future, Johnson strives to continue the advancement of the black gay genre, to which Love Yourself First is a worthy addition. The story deals with some up-to-the-minute slices of life in the gay world, including the controversial "down-low" issue, violence among and against gay men, jealousy, and the complexities of dealing with one's own sexuality and self-acceptance. Johnson reveals the glittering, but treacherous, world of high fashion, and shows us how some people will ruthlessly crush and claw their way to the top of the industry--then suddenly realize their avarice has a heavy price.



Another aspect of Johnson's book which brought a smile to my face, were the scenes from well-known places in NYC's famous Greenwich Village. Such familiar spots as Chi-Chiz and dining favorite Manatus give authenticity and local flavor to Love Yourself First. There are some hysterically funny moments in this book, and Johnson makes the most of them. Like all good gay-genre stories, drama abounds as the divas get crazy and the fashionistas becoime fierce. There are also some very tender, human moments which give Johnson's characters depth and meaning. His exploration of the complexities we often face in our relationships as gay men is telling, yet honest. I give this first novel by a promising young author four stars. A sequel is in the works, according to Johnson, but Love Yourself First will be a tough act to follow. It's available on Author House and at Amazon.