The Rise and Fall of a Ghetto Celebrity


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Ghetto Celebrity


Book Description

Donnell Alexander grew up sideways in the cramped spaces of Sandusky, Ohio, the son of a devout mother and a dad named Delbert, a protean genius who jacked a thousand identities—from pimpin’ them hoes to preaching the gospel—but skipped out on fatherhood when his son was in diapers. Donnell unwittingly replayed Delbert’s tragedy as farce until he finally wrote himself his own story, becoming a star of California’s freewheeling alternative press, spreading the gospels of punk and hip-hop in print. After finding a career and starting a family of his own, Donnell was drawn to reconnect with the vanished Delbert, and when he did, things fell apart, as they tend to in the grip of ghetto celebrity. Told in multiple voices, freestyle raps, and a graphic interlude, this is the riotous story of one writer’s mission to find truth in the margins and an engrossing tale about phantom fathers and the sons they leave behind.




Ghetto Celebrity


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The Taste of Champagne Urge


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... it will be a Number 1 Book Seller around the world -Dawn Gobourne- Librarian, Marcus Garvey Library, London The Taste of Champagne Urge by Lyndon Walters . . . needs to be given credit for attempting an unusual concept . . . The central plot is dreamt up by two brains. . . The identity of the person in whose head the two brains reside, is a mystery almost till the very end of the novel .The authors aim with this book is to analyze human behavior . . . definitely worth a read and I would recommend it to all readers. -Online Book Club What a fantastic work by Lyndon Walters! I do honestly believe that this huge piece of writing would be turned to a futuristic movie series . . . put together in one of the clearest contrast of writing in relating complex ideas and stories . . . what a perfect way to narrate a story about Man, Love, Relationship, Politics and Ruler- ship in a dramatic and futuristic symbolism. -Godson Azu - Writer and Commentator, BenTV/Freevoiceradio London Lyndon Walters debut novel is an unputdownable epic of gargamtuan proportions literally and literarily . . . a plot and diversions that take you on a rollercoaster of a narrative that is relentless in its grip . . . To capture what its all about in a prcis would be like unlocking the secret of the universe in a sentence . . . Cannot recommend it enough. -Dotun Adebayo BBC Radio The author effectively creates an alternate reality and through it challenges the audience to explore the things they often take for granted . . . he cleverly creates a complex and complicated narrative and elevates the genre into one that will resonate with audiences of all stripes . . . several similar books have been adapted and produced into films to both critical and financial successes including The Matrix and Cloud Atlas . . . audiences around the world will one day enjoy The Taste of Champagne Urge. -Lawrence Koster Hollywood Treatment Film Screen Writer




New York Ricans from the Hip Hop Zone


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New York Puerto Ricans have been an integral part of hip hop culture since day one: from 1970s pioneers like Rock Steady Crew's Jo-Jo, to recent rap mega-stars Big Punisher (R.I.P.) and Angie Martinez. Yet, Puerto Rican participation and contributions to hip hop have often been downplayed and even completely ignored. And when their presence has been acknowledged, it has frequently been misinterpreted as a defection from Puerto Rican culture and identity, into the African American camp. But nothing could be further from the truth. Through hip hop, Puerto Ricans have simply stretched the boundaries of Puerto Ricanness and latinidad.




The Autobiographer's Handbook


Book Description

At last—the contemporary masters of memoir have come together to reveal their strategies and impart their advice. This book contains an unprecedented wealth of knowledge in one place. In The Autobiographer's Handbook, you're invited to a roundtable discussion with today's most successful memoirists. Let Nick Hornby show you how the banal can be brilliant. Elizabeth Gilbert will teach you to turn pain into prose. Want to beat procrastination? Steve Almond has the answer. Learn about memory triggers (Ishmael Beah: music) and warm-up exercises (Jonathan Ames: internet backgammon). These writers may not always agree (on research: Tobias Wolff, yes, Frank McCourt, no) but whether you're a blossoming writer or a veteran wordsmith, this book will help anyone who has ever dreamed of putting their story on paper, on writing themselves into existence. Featuring: STEVE ALMOND • JONATHAN AMES • ISHMAEL BEAH • ELIZABETH GILBERT • NICK HORNBY • A. J. JACOBS • MAXINE HONG KINGSTON • PHILLIP LOPATE • FRANK MCCOURT • DAVID RAKOFF • ESMERALDA SANTIAGO • JULIA SCHEERES • ART SPIEGELMAN • ANTHONY SWOFFORD • SARAH VOWELL • SEAN WILSEY • TOBIAS WOLFF • AND MANY MORE




SPIN


Book Description

From the concert stage to the dressing room, from the recording studio to the digital realm, SPIN surveys the modern musical landscape and the culture around it with authoritative reporting, provocative interviews, and a discerning critical ear. With dynamic photography, bold graphic design, and informed irreverence, the pages of SPIN pulsate with the energy of today's most innovative sounds. Whether covering what's new or what's next, SPIN is your monthly VIP pass to all that rocks.




Born to Be


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Born to Be By: Jim Hill Born to a poverty-stricken Black family, Jim Hill’s memoir recounts his life as a child and his journey to break out of the ghetto. An inspiring tale of strength and resilience, Hill, now seventy-five, depicts a life of ups and downs and his passion for life leading him to success. Now seventy-five years old, Hill can say he has never worked a day in his life, and attributes that happiness to finding joy and meaning in his careers. His story is one of hope, a symbol to others in poverty that success and a better life is possible, no matter how far the odds are stacked against you.




The Portable Promised Land


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This inspired collection of stories is cause for celebration. With stunning language and dazzling characters, Toure introduces Soul City -- a wholly imagined utopia where magic happens and black is beautiful. In a broad range of characterization and styles, The Portable Promised Land is filled with lighthearted humor and heavyhearted issues. Toure challenges form and what's considered politically correct in stories like The Sad, Sweet Story of Sugar Lips Shinehot and Afrolexicolgy: Today's Bi-Annual List of the Top 50 Words in African America. The Portable Promised Land marks the entrance of a new and wildly compelling voice to fiction.




Kings of the Garden


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In Kings of the Garden, Adam J. Criblez traces the fall and rise of the New York Knicks between the 1973, the year they won their last NBA championship, and 1985, when the organization drafted Patrick Ewing and gave their fans hope after a decade of frustrations. During these years, the teams led by Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Bob McAdoo, Spencer Haywood, and Bernard King never achieved tremendous on-court success, and their struggles mirrored those facing New York City over the same span. In the mid-seventies, as the Knicks lost more games than they won and played before smaller and smaller crowds, the city they represented was on the brink of bankruptcy, while urban disinvestment, growing income inequality, and street gangs created a feeling of urban despair. Kings of the Garden details how the Knicks' fortunes and those of New York City were inextricably linked. As the team's Black superstars enjoyed national fame, Black musicians, DJs, and B-boys in the South Bronx were creating a new culture expression—hip-hop—that like the NBA would become a global phenomenon. Criblez's fascinating account of the era shows that even though the team's efforts to build a dynasty ultimately failed, the Knicks, like the city they played in, scrappily and spectacularly symbolized all that was right—and wrong—with the NBA and the nation during this turbulent, creative, and momentous time.