Mamalicious!

Today our 32 Days of Black History celebration features a Q&A Yvette and I conducted with Troy Johnson, the founder and webmaster of AALBC.com LLC (The African American Literarture Book Club). I have mixed feelings about Troy. Sure his CV is impressive (see bio below), he is a True Friend to black writers, and through his site’s discussion board (Thumper’s Corner), Yvette and I met each other AND the irrepressible Cynique. But in 2004/2005, I lost way too many hours being entertained and informed by the brainy, zany Thumper’s Corner regulars. So to the extent that I have not completed my Great American Novel, I blame Troy. But all is forgiven as Troy shares with us his thoughts on black literature, past and present, and a glimpse at what’s currently on his nightstand.

Who would be on your short list of authors to watch, up-and-coming writers with promise?

A very short list off the top of my head: Dwight Fryer, Troy Cle, Eisa Ulen. Of course there are many, many more that I do not know.

What’s on your nightstand right now?

My response to this question is probably going to a lot more than you bargained for; I literally (pardon the pun) went into my bed room and grabbed all of the books on my night stand. There were 12 books in all. The books have been on my nightstand anywhere from a 24 hours to almost two years. These are all books I originally intended to complete. Right now they are in various stages of completion; and I already know some I will never finish. I also have books in my nightstand drawer and on a book shelf in a small bookshelf in my bedroom. I did not look include these titles, but I intend to read those too. I should also mention that I don’t usually read in bed, and when I do I’m usually too tired to continue very long. In no particular order I found;

• True to the Game II by Teri Woods
  Despite Woods’ popularity on my web site, I’ve actually never read one her books. I decided I really needed to read at least one of her books – even if it is just to be a little more informed about her writing. Also the controversy with Caleb Alexander also piqued my interest. I’m about a ¼ of the way through it. I will probably abandon the book before I complete it. It is simply not really not my cup of tea.
• Race Manners for the 21^st Century: Navigating the minefield between Black and White Americans in the Age of Fear by Bruce A. Jacobs
  This book was send to me by the publisher or the author. It seemed like an interested title. I have not started it.
• Paths of Sanctuary by ihsan bracy
  This book was submitted to AALBC.com for review. I read the first paragraph of this book and it seemed like a very interesting read. The prose was quite lyrical reminded me of Jean Toomer’s Cane or John R. Keene’s book Annotations.
• Home Schoolin’ by Jerry Craft
  This is Jerry Craft’s second book of comics from his popular syndicated strip. This book would appeal to people of all ages. I’ve been skimming it since this Summer.
• Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies by Brian Coleman
  This is a really cool book for quick read at bedtime. Basically this book is a series of in depth liner notes of Rap albums from back in the day. The book is chock full of information and each of the chapters can be read independently. The last piece I read was the “liner notes” for the Classic LP Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions. I’d forgotten about the tough road KRS-One traveled to get to where he is today
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  This book is critically acclaimed. I have not spoken to s single person who has read it that did not absolutely love it. When I come across a title like this I try to read at least a portion of it. So far this one is not really grabbing me. I’m a little disappointed – cause there is nothing like a great novel.
• Come on People by Bill Cosby and Alvin Poussaint
  I was one of the judges for this year’s Essence Literary Awards and this title was one of the nominees in the Current Affairs category. This is one of the few books on my nightstand that I actually completed. It was a quick read and contained no revelations. However it is an important book simply because we can not draw too much attention to the current crisis situation in our community.
• Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic, and initiation in the life of an African Shaman by Malidoma Patrice Some
  This book has only been on my night stand for 1 day. It was given to me by a friend who teaches mediation and yoga. We were talking about spirituality and she this book, originally published in 1994, was amazing. It will probably be the next book I actually complete.
• The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson
  This is frequently a best selling book on my the AALBC.com web site. I read it many years ago. However given the number of Black people who I’ve spoken to that chose not to support Barack Obama’s Presidency – I feel like I need to read this classic again.
• The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time and the texture of Reality by Brian Green
  I heard Green discuss this book, on CSpan2, a year or two ago. The discussion and this subject really fascinates me. It has been on my nightstand the longest. This book keeps getting pushed back in the queue, in favor of books which require less concentration. I’m usually too tired to follow this book by the time I get into bed. If I do have the energy it is used for other activities…
• W.E.B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race 1868 – 1919 by David Levering Lewis
  Perhaps one of our greatest Black intellects, I’m really interested in learning more about this important man. Lewis’ biographies are critically acclaimed so I figured this would be a good place to start. I’ve barely made a dent in this one.
• Don’t Blame it on Rio: The Real Deal Behind Why Men Go to Brazil for Sex by Jewel Woods and Karen Hunter
  This is actually an advance reading copy of a book due for publication in April of this year. The title and cover intrigued me. I had no idea this was such a pervasive activity. It seemed odd to me that so many dudes would travel all the way to South America when you could get yourself “plenty” in the states. Then again I have a buddy I used to call Joe “Gotta go to Rio” Brown. So far the book is a little too anecdotal for me, but I’ve only read the first 40 pages.

What black authors/books do you find particularly underrated?

Honestly I can’t say. The market seems to be somewhat efficient in recognizing talent. I bet one can argue that there are more overrated authors. That said many agents tell me they know of many authors worthy of publication that are not being published…

And–If you are feeling particularly creative, adventurous, and playful take a stab at answering the question below:

Name five Black authors, living or not, who you’d love to be in a book club with. What book would you all read and why? What do you think their reactions to that book would be?

Phillis Wheatley – Anything she has written
Wheatly was born in Africa, but managed to learn English, Greek and Latin. She is also one of the first Black writers to be published in this country.

Aesop - Aesop’s Fables
This would just be a fascinating conversation.

Jean Toomer – Cane
This was the first book on our on-line reading group’s reading list. It is actually one of my favorites too. It was a wonderfully written, slim little book, which I will go back and read again sometime this decade.

James Baldwin – Price of the Ticket
This is a book contains Baldwin’s work compiled from 1948 to 1985. It would be interesting to discuss his work in today’s context

Ralph Ellison – Invisible Man
I read this a classic book in high school. I don’t recall really understanding it very well. I need to re-read this one as an adult.

(Want more Troy? Check out Emanuel Carpenter’s insightful interview with Troy at Blogging in Black.)

Troy Johnson is a technology expert and industry leader in marketing books on the World Wide Web. Mr. Johnson is the founder and webmaster of AALBC.com, LLC (The African American Literature Book Club). AALBC.com was launched in 1998, and is now the largest and most frequently visited web site dedicated to books by and about black people. Johnson is also shareholder and Senior Book Editor, of the 4 year old, Harlem World Magazine. In addition, to his entrepreneurial ventures, Mr. Johnson has over 20 years of corporate experience; in roles ranging from designing wide area networks to managing international projects.

Mr. Johnson has been recognized in articles that have appeared in Publishers Weekly, Essence Magazine, The New York Times, The Amsterdam News, Black Issues Book Review, Emerge Magazine, Black Enterprise and many other publications. He has also made numerous radio and television appearances including C-Span2’s Book TV and The Black Family Channel’s Literary Living.

Johnson is a frequent panelist and public speaker. His subjects and events have included lecturing on; “Success Strategies for the African American Book Market” at the PMA University; “Distribution and the Internet” during the Sacred Circle/Spoken Word International Festival; “Using the Internet to Advance Black Arts” at Howard University; “Get the Word Out: Marketing and PR” at the Small Press Center’s Third Annual New York Round Table Writers’ Conference; and many others.

Mr. Johnson has served on numerous boards and committees including the advisory boards of Black American’s in Publishing and New York is Book Country. He is currently a board member of the Literary Freedom Project, and an advisory board member of the Harlem Book Fair.

Mr. Johnson holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University, an MS from Polytechnic University, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He lives in Harlem, New York, with his wife and two daughters.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 9:40 am and is filed under 32 Days of Black History, Books and Writers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.