Founded in 2004 by Felicia Pride, an author, speaker, and voice of her generation, BackList, LLC is an organization dedicated to harnessing the power of words to uplift individuals and their communities. We consult, conduct workshops/seminars, curate events, assist in content creation, and engage in special community-based initiatives. Get to know us.
New Seminar!! Write Your Book and Get it Published! August 2, 2008 Location: Crowne Plaza Baltimore Timonium, MD Click here for more information. Register today! Spaces are limited!!! Inquire:
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New Workshop! Here Comes the Remix
Developed by authors Ferentz Lafargue and Felicia Pride, Here Comes the Remix is an innovative workshop designed to promote improved research, writing and public speaking teamwork and open-dialogue within social and professional organizations. For more information, visit www.herecomestheremix.com.
BackList also provides writing and other creative workshops. Contact us today for more information. New Literacy Initiative! The Message: Using Hip-Hop as a Tool of Engagement
Attention educators! Schools around the country are using THE MESSAGE as a tool to promote literacy, critical thinking, discussion and improved writing skills.
Felicia is available for speaking engagements and other events. For more information, contact
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and check out her website.
MOSAIC LITERARY MAGAZINE A new issue of MosaicLiterary Magazine is available. Issue 20 features interviews with Tayari Jones and J. California Cooper and a profile of William Demby. Visit mosaicmagazine.org to subscribe today.
Gang Memoir, Turning Page, Is Pure Fiction By MOTOKO RICH
In “Love and Consequences,” a critically acclaimed memoir published last week, Margaret B. Jones wrote about her life as a half-white, half-Native American girl growing up in South-Central Los Angeles as a foster child among gang-bangers, running drugs for the Bloods.
I actually think this is kind of a big deal. According to Publishers Weekly: Kensington Publishing has acquired most of the publishing assets of Holloway House Publishing in Los Angeles, the original publisher of such classic black crime writers as Donald Goines, adding an historic trove of gritty African American popular literature to its publishing program. The acquisition includes about 400 backlist titles which will become part of a new imprint at Kensington called Holloway House Classics. Holloway House also publishes a range of popular fiction and nonfiction titles including biographies of famous African Americans.
Author Tayari Jones has written a wonderfully thoughtful piece for The Believer on being a writer during Black History Month.
She begins:
The invitations start around Thanksgiving: Greetings, Ms. Jones! I am events coordinator for the Mayberry Public Library and we are delighted to invite you to be our Black History Month speaker! About ten years ago, when I was struggling to make a name for myself as a writer, I greeted these requests with an uncomplicated delight: my handful of short stories and essays had reached an audience and had earned me a place not just as a spokesperson on black history but as example of black excellence. These invitations usually came without honoraria and I often shared the docket with three or four other “emerging” writers. Some of my peers who are not black writers grumbled a bit about the idea that I could score invitations “just” for being black. And I must admit that at that stage of my life, I did think of this as lagniappe, just a tiny leg up. Since then, I have published two novels and have begun to chafe a bit at these invitations. Like many black writers, my schedule is frequently packed during February, but comparatively lean during the rest of the year. If February is Black History Month, is the rest of the calendar reserved for white people?
Many thanks to Naysue for her post over at Black Girl Lost In A Book alerting us to some books being adapted for the big screen. Some of them I had heard of and some are news to me!
A RAISIN IN THE SUN by Lorraine Hansberry - After a successful Broadway run, this star-studded adaptation is coming to the small screen. Tune in to ABC on February 25th at 8PM EST.
PUSH by Sapphire - If you haven't read this book, add it to your list immediately. Although I read it many years ago, it's a story I'll always remember. It has an interesting array of celebs attached to it such as singer, Lenny Kravitz, comedianne, Mo'Nique, and actress, Paula Patton. Lee Daniels will direct. No release date yet.
This week's video comes from one of our featured authors, Cheryl Robinson. She recently released her fourth novel, SWEET GEORGIA BROWN.
Devoted wife and mother Georgia Brown is fed up with her marriage to radio personality Marvelous Marvin-and not just because she suspects he's cheating. What really set her off were the comments he made-on the air-about her weight and their sex life. Finally, Georgia phones the station to let her husband have it-not realizing that she's on the air. What she says piques the interest of an aggressive young radio executive in search of a female host for a nationally syndicated show. Soon Georgia's a household name. But Marvin refuses to be beaten. And what was a battle at home will become a blistering ratings war for all to hear.
I actually think this is kind of a big deal. According to 
Author 
Many thanks to Naysue for 