Solace International, Inc. - Ten day auction beginning today (12.26.05 - 1.5.06.) A collection of paintings by Indonesian artists, survivors of the Tsunami, are up for auction at Overstock.com to raise $10,000 for a community art center where the artists can paint, teach and share their work.

A Selection of the Most Blogged-About Books of 2005. I've read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell who graced the cover of July-August 2005 issue of Black Issues Book Review.

Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year 2005. "Based on your online lookups, the #1 Word of the Year for 2005 was . . . . . .

Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year 2005

"Based on your online lookups, the #1 Word of the Year for 2005 was . . . . . .

Richard Pryor died today at the age of 65. I saw the movies Silver Streak and Stir Crazy and Which Way is Up (I think) or at least I remember hearing the Staple Singers singing the theme song to the movie soundtrack. In Harlem Nights he was oh so cool - his voice and mannerism, I enjoyed his performance. Other than that I was a kid when his stand up was big and wasn't allowed to listen to any of it.

Richard Pryor's Biography (and official website).

The blog, Baghdad Burning, is now a book.

Womanist, Novelist, Poet -->Diary of A Lost Girl: The Autobiography of Kola Boof will be available this month, December. Another book added to my wish list. She's also the author of Flesh and The Devil and Long Train to the Redeeming Sin: Stories About African Women, which was banned and put out of print in 2002 by her Ethiopian publisher, Russom Damba, due to pressure from Arab Muslim factions (the publisher's printing press was firebombed and he and his family received death threats). Of course, the reissued version is avaialbe @Amazon.com.
Kola Boof's ---> website

For the past seven days, I have awakened with the singing (in my head) of "I Sing The Body Electric" from the movie Fame which I haven't seen in years. Finally I decided to search for what the "body electric" means, if it means anything. My sister asked if I'd ever read I Sing the Body Electric by Walt Whitman. And my online search took me straight to it.

Author: Michael Symmons Roberts
Book: The Miracles of Jesus
Description: The miracle accounts of the New Testament describe how Jesus could calm the storms with a word . . . heal the sick. But are these accounts true?

I'm going to purchase this novel. Outside of the Bible, I haven't read any books supporting Jesus on a historical level or anything that reveals and documents the reality of biblical characters and events. Lately, I have questioned myself and others about the belief system I inherited from my kin - without question of course, especially since my mother was a minister (as was the majority of her friends) and my great-grandfather was the pastor of Hills Avenue Baptist Church. My purpose is to know God for myself. Is God Real? Is God there to help or simply watching? Currently I'm reading Dancing the Dream by Jamie Sams. The book was given to me by Mak about two years ago. I started reading it two years ago but put it aside. I may not have been ready for it at the time. I am now. It is enlightening, on a level outside of what Christianity "taught" me. I like that she refers to God as The Great Mystery.

World AIDS Day is today. In reality, every day is a day for awareness. Isn't it somewhat amazing that because there is so much going on in the world we have specific days and months set aside, geared towards a particular cause to make us take the time to gather information, read stories, committ and show compassion . . .

(1)"World AIDS days is about people getting the facts:
(2) CDCs HIV Mission,
(3) UNAIDS,
(4) AIDS Epidemic update (WHO) and while you're there, take a look at the Voices of Hope: Photo Stories particularly Aaron and Mavis' story - it is heartbreaking . . .
(5)Office of Minority Health Resource Center.

Bookslut's interview of Mary Anne Mohanraj is wonderful. She is a much favored author of mine.

Oprah Winfrey present The Color Purple, a new musical. In addition to that, I just heard that she's also working on a movie deal for Toni Morrison's novel, Paradise.

A new HIGH for Atlanta. Grand opening to the public - celebration of events and Ohhhhh! Latin Jazz on the Sifley Piazza, Woodruff Arts Center, Salsa, latin jazz group featuring Alicia y Rumba Brava, Saturday 8pm-midnight.

Shavar.com - director, writer, producer, editor and photographer - very talented man.

The 2006 Lulu Blooker Prize for Blooks . The deadline: Entry forms and three copies of the relevant book must be received by Monday, January 30, 2006.
Catagories:
a. Fiction
b. Non-Fiction
c. Comic-blooks (i.e. based on a web-comic)

Get your Men Are Catty . . . t-shirts, hoodies, and more.

I'm behind on entertainment current events, but I was surprised to read that Fantasia has written a book. I stumbled on the information by way of an MSN story : Couple Seeks Removal of Fantasia signs.

Without having read the book, I have learned that Fantasia can't read or at least she reads well enough to survive but is considered illiterate - having dropped out of school in 9th grade after she was raped. Her book, titled Life Is Not A Fairy Tale has received interesting reviews on Amazon. In particular, two reviewers seemed more interested in passing judgment, and tearing down a young lady who seems to be making strides in a better direction, rather than actually reviewing the book.

WritersWeekly 24-Hour Short Story Contest, limited to 500 entrants: begins October 22, 2005. Fall 2005 Contest

Grant Will Send 500,000 Books to Affected Areas. First Book Receives Oprah's Angel Network Book Club Award for $250,000 to Support Book Relief for Katrina Victims.

Book Relief is the nation's largest and most comprehensive book distribution relief program and includes publishers large and small, such as HarperCollins Publishers, Disney, Townsend Press, Random House, Scholastic, American Girl, Reader's Digest, Simon & Schuster and Houghton Mifflin. To date, Book Relief has received commitments for more than four million books from these and other publishers, and additional commitments are expected.

Designed a new t-shirt lovely. More designs coming down the pipeline. I'm going to expand in December. While you're there, buy some stamps.

Antagonyms, words that contradict themselves.

Yet another reason to like Lulu.com. "J.K. Rowling, Agatha Christie and Hunter S. Thompson all got their share of publishers' rejection letters. Stephen King got so many that he used to nail them on a spike in his bedroom. Now, authors whose work has met similar rejection have the chance to put it behind them and get even thanks to a website that lets them print their rejection letters onto rolls of customized toilet paper." Read more of the press release. Unfortunately for me, I lost many of my letters to a fire.

I have ten book orders to fill, via email - all requested signed copies. I never know what to write especially to strangers. Someone said the signature is enough, is it? In addition to Lulu.com and Amazon.com, I guess (for signed copied) I need different form of distribution.

Having to wait 'til Feb06 but it will be worth the wait I'm sure. Olympia Vernon is one of my favorite authors.

katrina.com is a resource center for those affected by hurricane Katrina and for those people who would like to donate or get involved. There is also a message board to assist individuals in locating family and friends.

Darnishia.com, providing prizes for the 2005 Blackweblog Awards in the following categories:

1. Best Blog Design: $30 Visa Gift Card
2. Best Writing in a Blog: Copy of Small Pleasures: Mya's Story
3. Black Blogger Achievement Award: $20 Visa Gift Card

Online interview of Karrine Steffans, author of Confessions of a Video Vixen

Last night I watched the movie, To Kill a Mockingbird and nearing the end the little girl says: "hey Boo" and I thought, there really isn't anything new under the sun (tho boo was the character's nick name).

Designer Vaginas?!? Dr. Matlock says: "It's basically all about art. I'm an artist." Designer Vaginas.

Lorraine and James |Global Urban Literature publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and interviews in summer, fall and winter.

Female Persuasion a site for political and provocative female artists.

Small Pleasures: Mya's Story (v2).

Want to be the next Russell Simmons? Apply for the Online Reality Show sponsored by AOL Music and Warner Music Group.

Today I am reading Poetry @ Literary Mama: a literary magazine. Particularly No and Son of a Bitch.

Have you voted for your favorite weblog / site today? I think my design is quite fetching, don't you? VOTE! Best Blog Design.

I've decided to sell this version of Small Pleasures through CafePress. Will provide the details later.

A Day in the Life of the American Woman: find out here.

Children's drawings illustrate Darfur atrocities. The Art of War.

Illuminations Collection, Vol II: accepting submissions for short stories, poetry and art.

$3.00 off on apparel. Expires 7/14/05. Use coupon: LOLSAV. @ the Needful Thing's Store.

Not to forget, Terry's upcoming novel The Interruption of Everything available 7/19/05.

Terry McMillan learned her husband is gay (he also learned that he was gay). Read. She's calling him a "fag", according to the article, and he's calling her homophobic. Interesting to note, she's interviewed in the current issue of Essence and it doesn't mention any of this. In fact, the article makes it seem as if all is well on the home front.

I'm learning. Self-published authors do not receive much respect from the literary community (foundations funding literary grants, publishers, legitimate contests). At least Publishers pay attention ONLY IF you've sold over 20,000 copies of your novel (within a certain period of time). But that's understandable. The bottom line for them is revenue. I'm just saddened about grants and contests that I'd like to enter but cannot because my work isn't published by a "Publisher".

Toni Morrison's Beloved, based on the true story of Margaret Garner, is an opera!

Created new image for t-shirt at the store.