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Troy
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 1074
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2008 - 11:55 pm: | 
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Well sports fans, guess who was asked to be on the Blue Ribbon panel of judges to select the winning books, from the list of 2008 Essence Literary Awards nominees.
http://books.aalbc.com/2008_essence_literary_awards_nominees.htm
I took the trouble of posting more details of all of the nominated titles because they are simnply quite good. Some are great.
The winning titles will be annouced Feb 7th 2008.
If anyone tries to tell you that there are no good Black books being published please point them to this page.
I also encourge you avid readers out there to take a chance on some of these titles.
Troy
p.s. I was just thinking how much I miss Thumper's Picks...
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 11342
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 28, 2008 - 08:53 pm: |
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Do panel members have to have read all of these books, Troy?? They do look like an interesting collection but reading them all would seem to be a daunting assignment. But, maybe I'm just judging others by myself. Anyway, congrats on a well-deserved honor. |
Jmho
Veteran Poster
Username: Jmho
Post Number: 330
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 28, 2008 - 11:25 pm: |
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Cynique asked:
Do panel members have to have read all of these books, Troy??
I was wondering the same thing. Otherwise, how would one compare one book to another if they haven't read them both? |
Troy
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 1085
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 - 12:13 am: |
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I can't speak for the other panelists, but I, did not read all of the books. Of course I was familiar with all of them, and read parts of most of them.
Ideally, I would say everyone would be given all of the books, with the covers ripped off so that one would not even know the author's name. They would read each book then rate them in isolation, without the influence of other judges, book reviews, book cover art, the prejudice of knowing the author's work or even knowing the author personally.
However in the real world this does not happen. All real world processes like this are flawed in some way.
That said, based upon my observations, without going into detail, the process for selecting the winners was valid.
It was not really about comparing one book to another in the way that you are thinking JMHO.
There are 38 titles that are being recognized. 38 titles by Black authors that deserve attention and recognition.
This is more a celebration of our literature than a competition. I know this will sound corny, but there are no losers here...
This is the first of, I hope, many Essence Literary Awards. Each year the process, will develop and improve.
A Black literary event we can poke holes in is better than not having one at all -- Sort of like my man Barack Obama.
Please Note: These are Troy Johnson's opinions an in no way represent those of Essence Communication or Time Inc.
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Soul_sister
Regular Poster
Username: Soul_sister
Post Number: 68
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - 12:33 pm: |
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Thanks for the post - from Tavis Smiley to Essence magazine - everyone is "doing books" yet the content of the front runners continues to drop -- WOW. I suppose I too am glad that they have made an effort to "celebrate" what their readership buys - however, this is not enough in my opinion - Im working on an alternative -- give me some time - in the meantime - peace
Soul Sister
aka - the aging cynic |
Steve_s
Veteran Poster
Username: Steve_s
Post Number: 315
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 09:33 am: |
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38 titles by Black authors that deserve attention and recognition. This is more a celebration of our literature than a competition...A Black literary event we can poke holes in is better than not having one at all -- Sort of like my man Barack Obama.
I like the selection of books, I like the fact that the qualifying period for eligibility, 2007, puts it in line with the major book awards unlike to the International IMPAC Dublin Award and the Hurston-Wright Award which nominate books whose eligibility for most of the other awards has already expired.
Every award has its own identity politics, so to speak. For example, the National Book Award is open to U.S. citizens writing in English (no translations). The National Book Critics Circle Award is open to books published in English (including translations) with no nationality requirement.
Just my own taste, but I like the Essence Award's standard more than the Hurston Wright's which is open to all writers of African descent. The Essence requirement, on the other hand, while slightly ambiguous, seems more cultural or ethnic rather than racial:
* Finalists illuminate the African-American experience throughout the Diaspora while provoking discussion about the human condition
I'm talking about in theory, because in practice I love some of the books nominated for the HW Award.
Zake's Mda's new novel, Cion, the only one of his I haven't read, is set in Ohio and is about African American history. He lived in the States for twenty years. I think that Chinua Achebe, Nuruddin Farah, and many other African writers also have long-standing U.S. connections. I'm just wondering how many African Americans would feel a commonality with, say, a Scottish woman of Sierra Leonean descent who reclaims the family's cashew plantation and founds a school in her father's country? Would many African American take a propietary interest or consider that "their" literature?
I liked Bliss Broyard's book a lot, but she's not really an African American writer although her book should meet the standards of both awards. Anyway, I think it's cool that it was nominated by Essence. I think anyone was able to vote for the finalist, weren't they? Thanks for the info in advance.
PS Randall Kennedy's Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal, takes an interesting perspective on many facets of this problem or stigma, including passing, both as selling out and in defense of. |
Cac
Newbie Poster
Username: Cac
Post Number: 2
Registered: 01-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 11:36 am: |
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Bliss's book is well written and I'm sure from the heart. Yet it's irksome in a way. The whole concept of it--to the fact that was published and that her colleagues and the Manhattan and Hamptons crowd have eaten it up--bugs me. |
Steve_s
Veteran Poster
Username: Steve_s
Post Number: 316
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 09:22 pm: |
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Yeah, I can dig it. I had just read a good book a few months earlier called Louis Armstrong's New Orleans by Thomas Brothers that also contains a lot of information about downtown New Orleans Creole culture, so I liked the historical research that she obviously did which compliments the other book in a way, if that makes any sense. Thanks. |
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