The following are titles of African-American interest published between September 2001 and March 2002.
ABRAMS
Testimony: Vernacular Art of the African-American South (Feb., $39.95) pays tribute to the visual expression of African-Americans born and reared in the South with essays accompanying contemporary artworks from the Ronald and June Shelp collection. Traveling exhibition tie-in.
AFRICAN AMERICAN IMAGES
State of Emergency: We Must Save African American Males (Nov., $23.95) by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu takes a thorough look at the problems and concerns facing African-American males today.
Saving Black America: An Economic Plan for Civil Rights (Dec., $22.95) by Dr. John Odom provides a blueprint for civil rights organizations that keeps up with the issues facing African-Americans in the present.
ALPHA BOOKS
Critical Lives: Malcolm X (Oct., paper $14.95) by Kofi Natambu takes a fresh look at the highly complex and dynamic man.
AMISTAD PRESS
Too Beautiful for Words (Sept., $24) by Monique W. Morris takes a gritty look at the brutality of life on the streets and the humanity of the people who inhabit them.
Blowback (Oct., $24) by Eric James Fullilove. Framed for the murder of his white socialite girlfriend, Richard Whelan is the only one who can uncover the mysterious connections between the president's administration and an international conspiracy.
Not Guilty: Twelve Black Men Speak Out on Law, Justice, and Life (Oct., $25) by Jabari Asim features essays by young black men who recount their experiences with the legal system in America.
The Warrior Method: A Program for Rearing Healthy Black Boys (Oct., $25) by Raymond Winbush teaches parents how to raise their sons in a program modeled after the Poro Societies of West Africa.
A Phat Death: A Nina Halligan Mystery (Feb., $23.95) by Norman Kelley. When hip-hop artists start turning up dead, Nina Halligan gets on the case. Ad/promo.
ASSOULINE
African Forms: Art and Rituals (Oct., $50) by Laure Meyer decodes African art by analyzing some of the continent's emblematic artifacts.
Ethnic Style: History and Fashion (Oct., $45) by Berenice Geoffroy-Schneiter reveals how body-marking, headdresses, jewelry and clothing symbolize beliefs, prestige and community standing.
BALLANTINE/ONE WORLD
Bittersweet (Jan., $23.95) by Freddie Lee Johnson III chronicles the tumultuous times of three brothers, as each fights to save his marriage. Advertising. Author publicity.
Bill Clinton and Black America (Feb., $23.95) by DeWayne Wickham reveals through interviews the conflicting views of leading African-Americans on the former president's appeal. Advertising. Author tour.
Discretion (Feb., $23.95) by Elizabeth Nunez explores an intricate lovers' triangle and the human need for passion. Advertising. Author tour.
Satisfy My Soul (Feb., $19.95) by Colin Channer tells the story of a young playwright whose life changes dramatically when he meets and falls in love with a singer with mystical powers. Advertising. Author tour.
BEACON PRESS
The Beacon Best of 2001: Great Writing by Women and Men of all Colors and Cultures (Oct., $28.50, $14 paper) edited by Junot Diaz is the third annual collection of essays, short fiction and poetry.
The Condemnation of Little B (Feb., $24) by Elaine Brown indicts the black middle class for condemning poor African-Americans.
Lester Leaps In (Feb., $30) by Douglas Henry Daniels is a biography of jazz legend Lester "Pres" Young.
BET BOOKS
Change of Heart (Oct., paper $5.99) by Marcia King-Gamble is a novel in which a former gymnast sets out to heal the shattered mind and body of an injured U.S. Olympic team skier.
Like Boogie on Tuesday (Jan., paper $15) by Linda Dominique Grosvenor tells the story of two couples whose carefully guarded secrets slowly unravel their lives.
BILLBOARD BOOKS
Heart & Soul: A Celebration of Black Music Style in America, 1930-1975 (Jan., paper $24.95) by Bob Merlis and Davin Seary celebrates the vibrant flowering in African-American culture that exploded in the mid-20th century.
Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix (Mar., paper $19.95) by Steven Roby profiles every stage of the artist's life and career.
BLACK RENAISSANCE PUBLICATIONS
The Nomination (Nov., $21.95) by Frederick Williams. This political thriller examines black leadership at the highest echelons of government.
BROADWAY BOOKS
African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Nonfiction (Dec., paper $12.95) by Jewel Parker Rhodes offers a hands-on, heartfelt guide to writing and publishing African-American nonfiction. Ad/promo.
CARTER-KRALL PUBLISHERS
Granddaddy's Dirt (Oct., $24, paper $13) by Brian Egeston tells the story of a grandfather eluding deceit and a grandson searching for the truth.
CHECKMARK BOOKS
Encyclopedia of African American Heritage: Second Edition (Sept., $45) by Susan Altman traces people, cultures, politics and history, with updated text and visuals.
An Eyewitness History of Slavery in America: From Colonial Times to the Civil War (Sept., paper $21.95) by Dorothy and Carl J. Schneider features firsthand accounts of the era through diary entries, letters, speeches and newspaper articles.
COOPER SQUARE PRESS
Just for a Thrill: Lil Armstrong, First Lady of Jazz (Feb., $28.95) by James L. Dickerson follows the remarkable story of Lil's years with Louis in the underworld of jazz's past. Ad/promo. 4-city author tour.
CORNELL UNIV. PRESS
Whose Detroit?: Politics, Labor and Race in a Modern American City (Nov., $29.95) by Heather Ann Thompson chronicles the post-World War II fate of Detroit.
The Ethics of Transracial Adoption (Dec. $25) by Hawley Fogg-Davis carves out a middle ground about the controversial topic of transracial adoption.
"I'm Not a Racist, But...": The Moral Quandary of Race (Dec., $29.95) by Lawrence Blum develops a historically grounded account of "racism" as the deeply morally charged notion it has become.
Walking on Fire: Haitian Women's Stories of Survival and Resistance (Dec., $39.95, paper $18.95) by Beverly Bell brings together 38 oral histories from a diverse group of Haitian women.
CROWN
Sympathy for the Devil: An Angela Bivens Thriller (Sept., $23) by Christopher Chambers introduces Washington FBI agent Angela Bivens as she struggles to balance love, duty, ambition and self-doubt.
Life and Def: Sex, Drugs, Money and God (Nov., $24) by Russell Simmons with Nelson George is the autobiography of the hip-hop mogul.
Black Men: In Their Own Words (Mar., $30) edited by Patricia Mignon Hinds with Susan L. Taylor. Today's most prominent black men talk candidly about things that shaped their lives and their manhood.
DOMHAN BOOKS
Lady Killer (Feb., $19.95, paper $13.95) by Gail McFarland is a tale of a female serial killer and a woman who is suspected of the shocking murders.
DUKE UNIV. PRESS
Deep River: Music and Memory in Harlem Renaissance Thought (Sept., paper $19.95) by Paul Allen Anderson focuses on the role of African-American folk music in the Renaissance aesthetic and in political debates about racial performance, social memory and national identity.
Black Athena Writes Back: Martin Bernal Responds to His Critics (Nov., paper $24.95) by Martin Bernal provides additional documentation to back up his thesis that Greek civilization was heavily influenced by Afro-Asiatic civilizations.
The Genuine Article: Race, Mass Culture, and American Literary Manhood (Jan., paper $18.95) by Paul Gilmore examines how white authors of the early 19th century used primitive racialized figures of African-Americans and Native Americans to construct their own sense of masculinity.
DUTTON
Near Perfect (Oct., $23.95) by Sharon Mitchell explores the powerful ties that hold two friends together, and the lengths to which they're both willing to go to protect each other.
Colored Sugar Water (Jan., $23.95) by Venise Berry tells the story of two women who search together for happiness and spiritual fulfillment. Ad/promo.
The Reckoning: What Blacks Owe to Each Other (Jan., $24.95) by Randall Robinson calls for black leaders to step up and lend support to deteriorating urban communities and their residents. Ad/promo. 10-city author tour.
This Bitter Earth (Feb., $23.95) by Bernice McFadden continues the story of Sugar Lacey, the heroine of the author's debut novel, Sugar.
Love Don't Live Here Anymore (Mar., $23.95) by Denene Millner and Nick Chiles tells the story of what happens to a marriage when the demands of emerging professional lives cloud the judgment of two people who claim to love each other.
ENCOUNTER BOOKS
Uncivil Wars: The Controversy over Reparations for Slavery (Jan., $21.95) by David Horowitz shows what happens when the new racial orthodoxy collides with tolerance and free speech.
FREE PRESS
Bombingham (Oct., $24) by Anthony Grooms takes readers back to the violence of 1960s Birmingham, Ala., through the eyes of a child.
FREE TO SOAR
Promises Beyond Jordan (Dec., paper $12.95) by Vanessa Davis Griggs spins a tale of love, friendship and suspense set in Birmingham, Ala. Ad/promo. Author publicity. 12-city author tour.
GENESIS PRESS
Illusions (Oct., paper $8.95) by Pamela Leigh Starr. In this novel, Zain struggles to ignore her growing feelings for her boss.
The Love We Had (Nov., paper $8.95) by Natalie Dunbar. After accepting a marriage proposal from a prominent judge, Imani and her ex-lover succumb to memories that ignite their sexual tensions.
Everything and More (Jan., paper $8.95) by Sinclair LeBeau. A skinny teen who grows up to be a handsome rap artist and actor plots revenge against the spoiled little rich girl from his childhood.
Still the Storm (Jan., paper $8.95) by Sharon Robinson. A tale of betrayal and forgiveness set against the backdrop of political drama in a wealthy Connecticut suburb.
GRAYWOLF PRESS
(dist. by Consortium)
Antebellum Dream Book (Oct., paper $14) by Elizabeth Alexander features poems that explore gender and race through different American cities and eras.
HARPERCOLLINS
Every Tongue Got to Confess: Negro Folk-Tales from the Gulf States (Dec., $25) by Zora Neale Hurston features 500 tales that reflect the sorrows and joys of the African-American heritage. Ad/promo.
HARRISON HOUSE
A Seed Will Meet Any Need (Feb., paper $8.99) by Keith A. Butler reveals the principle that any human need can be met by starting with a seed. Ad/promo.
The Image of Righteousness: You're More Than You Know (Mar., $19.99) by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar Jr. teaches readers to understand what righteousness is. Ad/promo.
HARVARD UNIV. PRESS
The Showman and the Slave: Race, Death, and Memory in Barnum's America (Oct., $29.95) by Benjamin Reiss reconstructs the relationship between P.T. Barnum and his first exhibit, Joice Heth, an African-American woman said to be the 161-year-old former nurse of George Washington.
The Cold War and the Color Line: American Race Relations in the Global Arena (Jan., $35) by Thomas Borstelmann examines two important yet conflicting challenges that the U.S. faced after World War II.
The Anatomy of Racial Inequality (Feb., $22.95) by Glenn C. Loury explores the depressed conditions of much of black society today, and looks at the consequences and implications for the future of these conditions.
The Miner's Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting Power, Transforming Democracy (Feb., $27.95) by Lani Guinier and Gerald Torres proposes a dramatic, hopeful shift in the way we think about race. 12-city author tour.
HIGHBRIDGE PRESS
Killing Time Between Buses (Feb., paper $19.95) by Basil Warner. A young actor's uncertain career takes him from immigrant dislocation and self-doubt to second chances and self-assuredness.
HENRY HOLT
He Sleeps (Sept., $23) by Reginald McKnight tells of a soul-searching African-American anthropologist who finds himself caught in a surreal web of deception and betrayal.
HOLT/OWL
W.E.B. DuBois: The Fight for Equality and the American Century, 1919-1963 (Nov., $20) by David Levering Lewis is the second volume of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography.
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Hoop Roots (Oct., $24) by John Edgar Wideman tells the story of the roots of black basketball in America.
Riot and Remembrance: The Tulsa Race War and Its Legacy (Feb., $25) by James S. Hirsch illuminates the long, wide historical shadow cast by this single incident of racist carnage. 13-city author tour.
HYPERION
Cosbyology: Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy (Nov., $17.95) by Bill Cosby. The comedian draws from his own life in this collection of stand-up material.
INTERVARSITY PRESS
King Came Preaching: The Pulpit Power of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Nov., $19.99) by Mervyn A. Warren explores King's sermons, his use of language, his delivery and more.
Women's Liberation: Jesus Style: Messages of Spirituality & Wisdom for Today's Women (Jan., paper $12.99), edited by Stephanie Frances Bibb, compiles words of some of the brightest stars from the African-American pulpit who address the empowerment of women.
JOSSEY-BASS
Stickin' To, Watchin' Over, and Getting' With: An African American Parent's Guide to Discipline (Sept., $17.95) by Howard C. Stevenson et al. offers black parents three ingredients to effective discipline.
Fighting for Your African-American Marriage (Oct., paper $17.95) by Keith Whitfield et al. offers advice for couples who want to develop better communication skills and a better relationship in general.
JUDSON PRESS
9.11.01: African American Leaders Respond to an American Tragedy (Dec., paper $16) edited by Martha Simmons and Frank A. Thomas. African-American church leaders interpret the tragedy from various inspirational perspectives.
KENSINGTON/DAFINA BOOKS
Married Men (Sept., paper $14) by Carl Weber. Four friends discover that marriage means more than acting like the Huxtables.
Some Sunday (Sept., $24) by Margaret Johnson-Hodge tells the story of a scarred African-American widow who must accept new challenges, new lessons and new loves in order to move forward in life.
When Twilight Comes (Feb., $24) by Gwynne Forster brings readers the story of one family's journey through crisis and healing. Ad/promo.
KENSINGTON/CITADEL PRESS
The African-American Bookshelf: 100 Must Reads from Before the Civil War Through Today (Dec., $22.50) by Clifford Mason summarizes the story of black America through literature.
A Complete History of the Negro Leagues: 1884-1955 (Jan., paper $18.95) by Mark Ribowsky evokes those long-gone days with portraits of Hall of Fame players such as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell.
MORROW
West of Rehoboth (Sept., $24) by Alexs Pate details a young boy's attempt to make sense of the sadness and despair in life.
The Sweet Hell Inside: A Family History (Oct., $27) by Edward Ball tells the story of one light-skinned black family's journey from the Civil War period to the civil rights movement and beyond.
Having What Matters: The Black Woman's Guide to Creating the Life You Really Want (Dec., $25) by Monique Greenwood. The former editor-in-chief of Essence magazine shares her perspective on personal and professional success. Ad/promo. Author tour.
Communion: The Female Search for Love (Feb., $24.95) by bell hooks addresses women's issues with love and intimacy. Ad/promo. 15-city radio satellite tour. 6-city author tour. Lecture tie-ins.
This Far by Faith: Stories from the African-American Religious Experience (Feb., $29.95) by Juan Williams tells the dramatic story of the role faith and religion have played in the lives and struggles of African-Americans. 50,000 first printing. Ad/promo. 15-city radio satellite tour. 7-city author tour. PBS series tie-in. Lecture tie-ins.
MOUNTAIN MOVERS
A Dozen Ways to Sunday: Stories of Hope and Courage (Oct., $17.95) by Montel Williams offers 12 inspirational profiles of individuals and families who have appeared on the nationally syndicated program.
Firefighter (Feb., $23.95) by Herman Williams Jr. recounts the story of Montel Williams's firefighter father, a black man who refuses to accept anything short of his dreams. 50,000 first printing. Ad/promo.
THE NEW PRESS
Legal Lynching: The Death Penalty and America's Future (Oct., $22.95) by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. et al. points out the grave inequities of our justice system that make state-sponsored executions look like nothing more than murder.
NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY
Revenge Is Best Served Cold (Oct., paper $12.95) by Danita Carter and Tracy Howard is a novel about the most glamorous and privileged of African-American society.
NEW YORK UNIV. PRESS
Amiri Baraka: The Politics and Art of a Black Intellectual (Sept., $34.95) by Jerry Gafio Watts offers a comprehensive commentary on the political journey of the controversial poet and playwright.
King Sugar: Jamaica, the Caribbean and the World Sugar Industry (Sept., $27.50) by Michele Harrison identifies the key players of the world sugar business and explains how the industry works.
In the Company of Black Men: The African Influence on African American Culture in New York City (Nov., $38) by Craig Steven Wilder argues that enslaved Africans provided the institutional foundation upon which African-American religious, political and social culture could flourish in New York City.
The Best Pitcher in Baseball: The Life of Rube Foster, Negro League Giant (Dec., $24.95) by Robert Charles Cottrell pays tribute to the most important figure in black baseball.
Talking at Trena's: Everyday Conversations at an African American Tavern (Dec., $45, paper $16) by Reuben A. Buford May provides a window into the laughs, complaints and experiences that Trena's regulars share and their strategies for managing daily life outside the safety and comfort of the tavern.
Race Woman (Mar., paper $17.95) by Gerald Horne draws a revealing portrait of Shirley Graham DuBois, one of the most intriguing activists and artists of the 20th century.
W.W. NORTON
From My People: 400 Years of African American Folklore: An Anthology (Feb., $35), edited by Daryl Cumber Dance, celebrates African-American life and culture with tales that have survived and been adapted over the years. Advertising. Author tour.
NOTRE DAME PRESS
Rope and Faggot: A Biography of Judge Lynch (Jan., $42.95, paper $23.95) by Walter White presents the 1929 study of a shameful practice in modern American history.
The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Boundaries of Law, Politics, and Religion (Mar., $42.95, paper $24.95), edited by Lewis V. Baldwin, explores the development of King's understanding of the relationship between religion, morality, law and politics.
OXFORD UNIV. PRESS
The Life of Langston Hughes: Volume I: 1902-1941: I, Too, Sing America and ...Volume II: 1941-1967: I Dream a World (Feb., $21.50 each) by Arnold Rampersad commemorates the 100th birthday of this prolific American writer.
The Narrative of the Life of Henry "Box" Brown (Feb., $19.95), edited by Richard Newman, conveys the unquenchable spirit of a hero who risked death rather than live as a slave.
PANTHEON
Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word (Jan., $22) by Randall Kennedy gives a comprehensive reckoning of the most incendiary and consequential social insult in American English.
PELICAN PUBLISHING
Growing Up Nigger Rich (Feb., $24) by Gwendoline Y. Fortune juxtaposes privilege and powerlessness in this novel about growing up and coming home.
PENGUIN
I Am Third: The Inspiration for Brian's Song (Nov., $14) by Gayle Sayers reprints a memoir by one of the best running backs in the history of the NCAA and pro football.
Fire in Beulah (Jan., $13) by Rilla Askew centers on the complex fictional relationship between an oil wildcatter's high-strung wife and her enigmatic black maid.
PENN STATE UNIV. PRESS
Who Is Black?: One Nation's Definition, Tenth Anniversary Edition (Nov., paper $19.95) by F. James Davis examines recent challenges to the "one-drop" rule, including the multiracial identity movement and a significant change in the census classification of racial and ethnic groups.
PEONY PRESS
Michael's Journal, 1917-1925, Book One (Sept., paper $17.95) by Michael Cooke Holt tells of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy white New Yorker and a black fundamentalist preacher.
PERMANENT PRESS
Africa Speaks (Feb., $24) by Mark Goldblatt features young characters on the cusp of both self-realization and self-ruin.
POCKET BOOKS
Addicted (Oct., paper $14) by Zane is a novel about a woman racing against time to uncover the source of her overpowering addiction to sex.
Sisterfriends: Portraits of Sisterly Love (Nov., $28.50) by Julia Chance, photographs by Michelle Agins, collects essays of sisters, whether related by blood or bonded by fate.
Bad Boy: The Influence of Sean "Puffy" Combs on the Music Industry (Nov., $25) by Ronin Ro. The inside story of friendship, greed and betrayal in the music industry and of Combs, the rap mogul.
The Envy of the World: On Being a Black Man in America (Jan., $22) by Ellis Cose takes an unflinching look at what it means to be a black man in America.
PRESTEL
Africa (Jan., $29.95) by Peter Stepan collects 50 of the most outstanding examples of African art in this first volume in Prestel's new World Art series.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Vernon Can Read!: A Memoir (Oct., $26) by Vernon E. Jordan Jr. offers a firsthand account of the sweeping struggles, changes and dangers of black life during the civil rights revolution.
PUTNAM
The Church Ladies' Divine Desserts: Heavenly Recipes and Sweet Recollections (Oct., $22.95) by Brenda Rhodes Miller celebrates the lives and cooking skills of the women affectionately known as "church ladies."
From the Soul: The Stories of Great Black Parents and the Lives They Gave Us (Oct., $24.95) by Phyliss Harris shows how the black family has been a source of enormous resilience, support and understanding through the most difficult times.
RANDOM HOUSE
October Suite (Oct., $23.95) by Maxine Clair tells a moving story about two sisters in bitter conflict over a child's future.
At the Hands of Persons Unknown: The Lynching of Black America (Jan., $29,95) by Philip Dray offers a history of the origins of and crusades against lynching in America.
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight (Jan., $24.95) by Alexandra Fuller captures the fascinating life of a white family living in one of the remotest regions of Africa. Ad/promo. 10-city author tour.
RIVER CITY PUBLISHING
Blues in the Wind (Feb., $23.95) by Whitney J. LeBlanc shares the story of a family trying to hold itself together in 1930s Louisiana. 25,000-copy first printing. Author tour.
RIVERHEAD
Miracle at St. Anna (Feb., $24.95) by James McBride tells a historically based story of four black American soldiers, a band of partisans and an Italian boy who encounter a miracle. Author tour.
ROUTLEDGE
Welfare Racism: Playing the Race Card Against America's Poor (Sept., paper $19.95) by Kenneth J. Neubeck and Noel A. Cazenave examines the ways in which racism has shaped public assistance policies and practices.
Why They Couldn't Wait: A Critique of the Black-Jewish Conflict Over Community Control in Ocean Hill-Brownsville, 1967-1971 (Sept., paper $17.95) by Jane Anna Gordon examines the conflict between a predominantly black community and a predominantly Jewish teachers' union.
Black Bottom Stomp: Eight Masters of Ragtime and Early Jazz (Oct., $29.95) by David A. Jasen and Gene Jones offers a complex look at the music, lives and impact of eight seminal figures in American music history.
Soul Babies: Black Popular Culture and the Post-Soul Aesthetic (Feb., $85, paper $19.95) by Mark Anthony Neal explains the complexities and contradictions of black life and culture after the end of the civil rights era. Advertising.
The Voice of the Blues: Classic Interviews from Living Blues Magazine (Feb., $95, paper $24.95) by James O'Neal and Amy van Singel brings together lengthy interviews with pioneering blues performers. Advertising.
RUNNING PRESS
My Soul Has Grown Deep: Classics of Early African-American Literature (Oct., $29.95) by John Edgar Wideman presents the best of early African-American writing.
In Our Own Image: Treasured African American Traditions, Journeys, & Icons (Nov., $30) by Patrik Henry Bass and Karen Pugh chronicles the black community from the postwar period to the present.
ST. MARTIN'S
A Family Reunion (Sept., paper $6.99) by Brenda Jackson. For four cousins, hidden desires and long-kept secrets will challenge their bond, test their courage and change their hearts forever.
Greenwichtown (Sept., $23.95) by Joyce Palmer offers a coming-of-age tale of a young girl living in a shack outside a Jamaican plantation.
The Ten Things You Can't Say in America (Sept., $14.95) by Larry Elder breaks through political hype to identify the 10 things that are taboo in public debate.
The Sisters of Theta Phi Kappa (Oct., $24.95) by Kayla Perrin is a novel about the mysteries behind friendship and the boundaries of loyalty.
American Nightmare: The History of Jim Crow (Feb., $24.95) by Jerrold Packard brings fresh light to the most horrifying period in America's history since the end of slavery.
ST. MARTIN'S/THOMAS DUNNE
Leaving Disneyland (Oct., $23.95) by Alexander Parsons portrays an aging convict and the struggles he must endure both inside and outside prison walls.
The Burning: Massacre, Destruction, and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 (Nov., $24.95) by Tim Madigan. The award-winning reporter addresses this crucial historical omission from America's long attempt at racial reconciliation.
ST. MARTIN'S/GRIFFIN
Making Callaloo: 25 Years of Black Literature (Jan., $34.95, paper $17.95), edited by Charles Henry Rowell, captures the multifarious nature of the African-American experience and looks at challenging notions of race and the realities of colonization.
ST. MARTIN'S/MINOTAUR
Strawman's Hammock (Nov., $23.95) by Darryl Wimberley. A man running for sheriff is challenged by a series of murders.
Whispers in the Dark: A Marti MacAlister Mystery (Nov., $23.95) by Eleanor Taylor Bland follows an investigation into the secretive history of the Lincoln Prairie art world.
ST. MARTIN'S/PALGRAVE
A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America (Nov., $24.95) by James H. Madison explores the events of August 7, 1930, in the small town of Marion, Ind.
SCRIBNER
The Fall of Rome (Feb., $23) by Martha Southgate delivers a powerful account of one African-American teacher amongst the white elite at a fictional New England boarding school. Ad/promo. Author publicity.
SEVEN STORIES PRESS
All Things Censored (Nov., paper $14.95) by Mumia Abu-Jamal presents essays with calm and powerful words of humanity, spoken by a man on death row.
Hearts and Hands: Creating Community in Violent Times (Nov., $24.95) by Luis Rodriguez makes a powerful argument for building and supporting grassroots level, hands-on community life.
STACKPOLE BOOKS
Cathy Williams: From Slave to Buffalo Soldier (Feb., $26.95) by Phillip Thomas Tucker recounts the story of a former slave who disguised herself as a man and served as a Buffalo Soldier for two years before being discovered.
TEMPLE UNIV. PRESS
The Black Female Body: A Photographic History (Feb., $50) by Deborah Willis and Carla Williams traces the unique history of the black woman's image through lavish photos. Ad/promo.
More Than Black?: Multiracial Identity and the New Racial Order (Feb., paper $22.95) by G. Reginald Daniel regards the crumbling of the old racial order as an opportunity for improvement in U.S. race relations and for a radical transformation of the nation's racial consciousness and the practice of democracy.
THREE RIVERS PRESS
Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam (Sept., paper $12.95), edited by Tony Medina and Louis Reyes Rivera, features a collection of the hottest poetry to come out of today's spoken-word movement.
Hip-Hop Divas (Nov., paper $17) by Vibe magazine editors offers a thoughtful, provocative, entertaining look at the cool, charismatic women who have become the biggest stars on today's hip-hop scene.
Droppin' Science: Straight-Up Talk from Hip Hop's Greatest Voices (Jan., paper $10.95) by Denise L. McIver features a collection of quotations, life lessons and words of wisdom from the most influential voices in today's urban music scene. Ad/promo.
TRINITY PRESS
Dark Salutations: Ritual, God, and Greetings in the African-American Community (Sept., paper $28) by Riggins R. Earl, Jr. examines black American's ethnocentric verbalized salutary expressions.
UNIVERSE PUBLISHING
I Am Iman (Nov., $45) by Iman offers a hybrid essay on the cultural and political power of good looks.
Beautiful: Nudes by Marc Baptiste (Dec., $45) features an artistic compilation of multi-ethnic women baring their bodies and souls.
UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Harlem in Montmarte: A Paris Jazz Story Between the Great Wars (Sept., $27.50) by William A. Shack offers a comprehensive history of the rise and decline of the African-American music community in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s.
The Price of Dissent: Testimonies to Political Repression in America (Nov., $65, paper $24.95) by Bud and Ruth Schultz features a collection of 50 firsthand accounts of government repression by participants in the labor, Black Freedom and antiwar movements of the 20th century.
UNIV. OF ILLINOIS PRESS
Contemporary Black Men's Fiction and Drama (Nov., $35), edited by Keith Clark, illustrates how black male novelists and playwrights have expanded the conventions of both black American writing and black male identity.
Passing and the Rise of the African American Novel (Nov., $35) by M. Giulia Fabi shows how early black authors used the theme of passing to transform traditional representations of blackness.
African American Concert Dance: The Harlem Renaissance and Beyond (Sept., $29.95) by John O. Perpener III profiles eight black dancers/choreographers of the 1920s, '30s and '40s who worked to legitimize black dance as a serious art form.
UNIV. OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
Ida B. Wells-Barnett and American Reform, 1880-1930 (Sept., $55, paper $19.95) by Patricia A. Schechter places the pioneering black journalist in the context of the early civil rights, women's suffrage and progressive reform movements in the U.S.
Remaking Respectability: African American Women in Interwar Detroit (Sept., $49.95, paper $19.95) by Victoria W. Walcott examines black women's lives between the World Wars in Detroit.
The Waterman's Song: Slavery and Freedom in Maritime North Carolina (Oct., $39.95, paper $17.95) by David S. Cecelski investigates the vitality and significance of black maritime culture in 19th-century North Carolina and shows that black watermen were a powerful force in shaping slave resistance.
Imagining Medea: Rhodessa Jones and Theater for Incarcerated Women (Nov., $39.95, paper $18.95) by Rena Fraden explores the artist's theater work with women in prisons.
Too Much to Ask: Black Women in the Era of Integration (Dec., $49.95, paper $19.95) by Elizabeth Higginbotham. Oral histories of the first generation of black women to integrate northern U.S. universities.
The Artistry of Anger: Black and White Women's Literature in America, 1820-1860 (Mar., $49.95, paper $19.95) by Linda M. Grasso looks at ways in which 19th-century women writers define, express and dramatize anger.
UNIV. PRESS OF FLORIDA
Inside the Nation of Islam: A Historical and Personal Testimony by a Black Muslim (Sept., $24.95) by Vibert L. White Jr. studies in great detail the internal workings of the Nation of Islam under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan.
The Highwaymen: Florida's African-American Landscape Painters (Nov., $29.95) by Gary Monroe introduces a group of young black artists who painted their way out of the despair awaiting them in citrus groves and packing houses of 1950s Florida.
Between Cross and Crescent: Christian and Muslim Perspectives on Malcolm and Martin (Mar., $34.95) by Lewis V. Baldwin and Amiri YaSin Al-Hadid details the interconnections between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
UNIV. PRESS OF MISSISSIPPI
African American Writers: Portraits and Visions (Nov., $40) by Lynda Koolish showcases 59 photographs of African-American writers, accompanied by thumbnail biographies and summations of each writer's vision.
UNIV. PRESS OF NEW ENGLAND
Erasure (Sept., $24.95) by Percival Everett offers a satirical look at race and publishing in America.
Chewed Water: A Memoir (Nov., $26) by Aishas Rahman tells the story of a remarkable woman who escaped a difficult home life during a crucial time in African-American history.
VILLARD
Hand-Me-Down Heartache (Oct., $22.95) by Tajuana "TJ" Butler tells the story of a recent college graduate navigating the rocky terrain of family, career and relationships.
Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes from a Marriage (Jan., $24.95) by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher. The two Wall Street Journal reporters who invented the popular "Tastings" column talk about their life as an interracial couple, their common bond of wine and their love for each other.
On Our Way to Beautiful: A Family Memoir (Feb., $21.95) by Yolanda Young tells of a young woman's coming-of-age with stories of inspirations, faith, wit and nerve. Ad/promo. 11-city author tour.
You Get Past the Tears: A Mother/Daughter Memoir of Love and Survival (Mar., $19.95) by Patricia and Hydeia Broadbent shares the touching story of a 16-year-old AIDS activist. 9-city author tour.
VILLARD/STRIVERS ROW
Black Coffee (Jan., paper $13.95) by Tracy Price-Thompson tells a story about two soldiers whose romance may threaten their careers. Ad/promo. 5-city author tour.
Meant to Be (Mar., paper $11.95) by Rita Coburn Whack. A young woman struggles to accept her family, make wise decisions in love and come to terms with the spiritual churning that is a part of her ancestry. Ad/promo. 5-city author tour.
WALK WORTHY PRESS
Joy (Nov., $23.95) by Victoria Christopher Murray offers an uplifting story about the crucial life decisions a woman must make after being stalked.
WARNER
Patti's Pearls: Lessons in Living Genuinely, Joyfully, Generously (Oct., $19.95) by Patti LaBelle and Laura Randolph Lancaster shares the Grammy-winning singer's secrets for living wisely and well.
A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Jan., paper $14.95), edited by Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard, includes King's speeches accompanied by insightful introductions by renowned defenders of civil rights. Ad/promo.
Black Silk: A Collection of African-American Erotica (Feb., paper $13.95), edited by Retha Powers, represents a spectrum of styles and sexual perspectives. Advertising. Author publicity.
WARNER/ASPECT
Skin Folk (Dec., paper $12.95) by Nalo Hopkinson offers 15 SF stories that are powerful, sensual and disturbing. Ad/promo.
Lion's Blood (Feb., $24.95) by Steven Barnes presents a remarkable alternate history based on the premise that Africa arose hundreds of years ago as a superior military and intellectual power. Advertising.
MARKUS WIENER
Afro-Cuban Religions (Sept., paper $16.95) by Miguel Barnet describes how African cults enrich all aspects of Cuba's social and cultural life.
Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua (Oct., paper $18.95), edited by Paul Lovejoy and Robin Law, details the life of an African-born slave in America.
Cuban Festivals (Oct., paper $18.95), edited by Judith Bettelheim, features an anthology of historical and new essays on Afro-Cuban religious festivals and popular culture.
Cuban Legends (Dec., paper $18.95), edited by Salvador Bueno, translated by Christine Ayorinde, features stories ranging from the original inhabitants and the African slaves to colonial Hispanic and modern legends.
Blacks in Tennis: A Global History of a "White Sport" and Its Colorful Players (Jan., paper $18.95) by Sundiata A.K. Djata explores black participation in tennis throughout the world. Author tour.
Busha's Mistress: A Stirring Romance from the Days of Slavery in Jamaica (Feb., paper $19.95) by Cyrus Frances Perkins tells the story of the slave concubine of a cruel white overseer in 19th-century Jamaica. Author tour.
JOHN WILEY
Pay Yourself First: The African American Guide to Financial Successand Security (Oct., paper $14.95) by Jesse Brown guides readers to build personal wealth and financial security.
Wealth Building Journal: A Day by Day Journey to a Brighter Future, a Better You (Nov., paper $19.95) by Black Enterprise editors outlines strategies for becoming financially responsible and secure.
Black Enterprise Guide to Building Your Career (Jan., paper $16.95) helps readers make their own assessments and decisions through questionnaires and aptitude summaries.
In the Black: A History of African Americans on Wall Street (Jan., $24.95) by Gregory Bell offers a sweeping history of five decades of African-Americans on Wall Street. Ad/promo.
Ralph Ellison: Emergence of a Genius (Jan., $30) by Lawrence Jackson offers a biography of one of the most acclaimed African-American writers of the past century.
WILLOW BEND BOOKS
Created to Be Free (Oct., $30) by Juanita Patience Moss tells the fact-based story of a runaway slave boy from North Carolina who in 1863 joined an all-white Pennsylvania regiment during the Civil War.
WRITERSANDPOETS.COM
Threesome (Nov., paper $14.95) by Brenda L. Thomas explores the sexually charged underbelly of professional basketball by examining this unique lifestyle from the perspective of a personal assistant.
