June 2005

Celebrating Black Men!

Strong, passionate, loving and caring. Most of us have been blessed to have a Black man make a difference in our lives. Father, brother, mentor, teacher or friend, our experiences fill the range of the entire color spectrum. This month, we take a moment to bring to your attention a few literary picks from fatherhood to politcal, from style to spirituality, all celebrating Black Men.

Feeling Political? Michael Eric Dyson keeps it real. So do Larry Elder and Tavis Smiley. Younger men have words of wisdom also. Aaron McGruder has released Public Enemy #2, the next in his collection of witty 'urban' comic strips. If you're not lucky or progressive enough to have a newspaper that carries the strip, you can check it out at The Boondocks.net.

Did you know that Robert Fleming collected stories of love, lust and marriage from 23 black men in Intimacy: Erotic Stories of Love, Lust, and Marriage by Black Men. Now, who said men don't love?

In honor of our fathers, we're reading The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey by Muhammed Ali. It's a hearfelt and honest look at the reflections and lessons learned by one of the worlds most famous men. Next to it on the bookshelf are My Soul To His Spirit: Soulful Expressions From Black Daughters To Their Fathers edited by Melda Beatty and Dreams of My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama.

Spiritual Upliftment? TD Jakes represents with He:Motions . Practical Virtues : Everyday Values and Devotions for African American Families by Floyd and Elaine Flakes.

Science fiction or mysteries? You would be well served to review the works of Stephen Barnes, Walter Mosley, And by the way, how long do I have to wait for Gar Anthony Haywood to put out the next in the Aaron Gunner series?

Many of us hold a man in our life dear. So, during this month, show a brother some love.

Peace and good books,