MahoganyBooks Presents: WritersBloc — Books, Community, Words, & You

June

2009

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview: 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…Gary Johnson, author of 25 Things That Really Matter in Life (Courtland Press)

Joey Pinkney | Featured Authors, Interviews

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Gary Johnson, author of 25 Things That Really Matter in Life
(Courtland Press)

25 Things That Really Matter In Life will help you identify your natural gifts and how to use them to feel better about yourself. Gary Johnson uses worksheets to outline the principles of Life Mastery to cleanse your mind of all the dysfunctional thoughts that have accumulated over the years.

Practicing Life Mastery will allow you to develop yourself to be the best “you” that you can be for yourself, family and friends. Control the quality of your life by making 25 Things That Really Matter In Life a part of your daily living. This book was written for people who have some sense of needing to make changes in their life but do not know how to do it.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write 25 Things That Really Matter in Life?

Gary Johnson: I wrote this book at one of the lowest points in my life. My businesses were heavily in debt . Although I continued to function every day, there were times when I did not feel good about myself. Through it all, I continued to try to affect the lives of others through my training seminars and speeches.

I also went out of my way to make sure I was an active dad for my sons. On a Friday night, in September 2006, I decided to write down the things that really mattered to me. I stopped the list at twenty-five and shelved the project for another year.

Putting pen to paper was a measure of accountability. Thirteen months later I was ready to be accountable and make a change in my life. Writing my thoughts on paper was therapeutic and gave me a sense of relief. This process was a “freeing” experience that helped me to feel good again.

JP: What sets 25 Things That Really Matter in Life apart from other motivational books?

GJ: This book is universal in that it is easy to read and understand and appeals to men and women of all races and culture. The book has worksheets that help examine your life in a way that perhaps you haven’t done before.

Looking at your life and the choices you’ve made in an open and honest way can be an emotional and gut-wrenching experience. As you rewind your mental tapes, you are likely to see a pattern of decision-making that is self-defeating or sabotaging. This book wastes no time helping you to help yourself.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to 25 Things That Really Matter in Life getting out to the public?

GJ: I’m fortunate that I own digital media in the form of a very popular web site/online magazine called Black Men In America.com (www.blackmeninamerica.com). This site gets millions of hits a month from both men and women and provides a forum that most authors don’t have as a starting point.

I’m also a successful management consultant and motivational speaker who has traveled around the world and developed a network. I have to consistently work hard. When you have an established network, you can also work smart. For authors who don’t have a web site, my advice is to get one. The key to success is to market and let people know you are out there and that your book is worth buying.

JP: Who would best benefit from 25 Things That Really Matter in Life?

GJ: I firmly believe that anyone who purchases this book will benefit from reading it. If you’re asking me about a demographic or target market, I would have to say women would benefit the most from reading this book because my experience is that they tend to read more books than men.

JP: What’s next for Gary Johnson?

GJ: I plan to write a book on relationships using the same “keep it simple and keep it real” formula as 25 Things That Really Matter in Life. I’m not ready to share the specifics just yet. Let’s just say that you can never have enough books on relationships. I also want to continue my efforts to help authors and independent artist have their voices heard through Black Men In America.com.

http://www.blackmeninamerica.com/
http://www.courtlandpress.com/
http://www.garyjohnsoncompany.com/

P.S. Join the Joey Reviews Newsletter at http://joeypinkney.com/joey-reviews-newsletter.html

P.S.S. If you want to be feature in a 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… series, email me at joey.pinkney@gmail.com or myspace.com/joeyreviews

Thanks,
Joey Pinkney

“Your Favorite Book Reviewer’s Favorite Book Reviewer…Period!”
http://www.joeypinkney.com

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May

2009

Reflections on “This Bridge Called My Back”

Bettina Judd | Reviews

“Why am I compelled to write? Because the writing saves me from this complacency I fear. Because I have no choice. Because I must keep the spirit of my revolt and myself alive. Because the world I create in the writing compensates for what the real world does not give me. By writing I put order in the world, give it a handle so I can grasp it. I write because life does not appease my appetites and hunger. I write to record what others erase when I speak, to rewrite the stories others have miswritten about me, about you.” – Gloria Anzaldúa “Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to Third World Women Writers.”

I am a writer. Writing in this particular body, this body that is Black, queer, and woman has immeasurable gifts. Gifts that are self created in the way that Mama Lucille says she has “shaped into a kind of life.” Gifts that come from consistently being thrown up against annihilation and surviving. I write this as the world turns towards incredible change. I write this as a Black woman sits in the white house—as the lady of the house. I write this as there is a financial crisis that is putting many folks of many classes, races, and genders out of business, out of jobs. I write this as North Korea inches us closer to Armageddon. It is not romantic to write about these things, in whatever form they come. It is important to write about them. To “put order in the world.”

It is probably fitting that I begin my first blog here at MahoganyBooks with a reflection on one of the most important books of my development as a reader, as a writer, and (not to be too sentimental) as a human being. This Bridge Called My Back appeared in my hands, used, the spine of the verge of cracking because it was out of print in 1999. I was sixteen and searching for something that made sense in my world that did not make sense at all. I had no language to critique or even describe the abuse in the household in which I grew up. I had no concept of what it meant, politically, for me to love women. Indeed I had no idea I could be Black and lesbian at the same time. This is a kind of chaos. A lack of order that is in the spirit, mind, and body.

This chaos necessitates a kind of dismemberment that tears apart pieces of our humanity. The body in its raced Blackness, its sexed femaleness, its sexual queerness… I could go on. It is writing which can re-member these things. Writing holistically accounts for the self— in community and inseparable from the rest of humanity. It’s amazing then, to look back at the criticism that This Bridge Called My Back endured. Namely, it was criticized for being too invested in difference. For holding white sisters accountable for their racism as well as acknowledging the differences among queer women, women of color, and men of color.

I am thinking of wholeness here, because we are in a new age. We can say in the United States that our president is Black. Ask the pundits and they would claim the goal for racial harmony is in dis-acknowledging this—in seeing Barack Obama as a man and our president rather than a Black man and our president. As if one man’s transcendence means national progress rather than racist exceptionalism. (Notice how we have to continue to consider is gender in this in both scenarios.) It is possible to see Obama as all of these things even as both biracial and Black. As Black and male. As male and president. All of these things considered paint a larger picture of our shortcomings as a nation, and yet how far we have come as well.

For me, as a young person who was trying to embrace my whole self. The woman, the Black, the queer, This Bridge Called My Back offered order to what would otherwise have been a chaotic or possibly invisible, sense of self. We must remember wholeness as a practice. As anti-gay Black churches rally against equality, and as anti-Black gays rally against Black folk these writers, nearly 30 years later witnessed to, and wrote about such order. And more importantly, wrote their very existence back to whole.

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May

2009

dangerousNegro Black Empowerment

The Lit Lounge | Ujamaa

dangerousNEGRO Black Empowerment

I can’t exactly remember how I learned about this company, but once I did I became an immediate fan of their mission and work. Not to mention that their company has a name that is not easily forgotten. Check them out and show them some love.

I’m not sure if they have this shirt anymore, but it is a straight classic.

DANGEROUSNEGRO SHAKES UP THE FASHION WORLD

Every decade an iconic urban wear line manages to infiltrate all levels of American street fashion. First Cross Colors, then FUBU, and now dN|Be Apparel (dangerousNEGRO Black Empowerment Apparel) has emerged as the street’s choice for edgy, yet fun gear. In this politically charged election year, dN|Be Apparel has seen an enormous rise in popularity due to the socially active messages associated with its clothing. As a result, retailers clamored to get their hands on the line when it debuted at the August MAGIC fashion show. In addition to previously established presence in Brooklyn, Houston and the Bay Area, dangerousNEGRO can now also be found in Manhattan, Atlanta, Detroit, and Orlando stores.

Derived from historical depictions of A. Phillip Randolph and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as “dangerous Negro” leaders, dN|Be Apparel is best known for promoting education and social awareness through its clothing. With the Hip Hop community latching on to social consciousness as the agent of change during the late stages of the Bush Administration, dangerousNEGRO tees have been popping up frequently in music videos. Signature shirt “Smart is the New Gangsta,” is flashed several times in the video for Bun B’s leadoff single “That’s Gangsta.” Furthermore, established artists like dead prez and Royce Da 5’9, as well as up and comers 5th Flow and Reo, all recently made appearances on dangerousNEGRO’s latest free mixtape offering. Rhymefest and Mistah FAB have also proudly donned their dN|Be Apparel and are in talks to contribute to the next mixtape. Hip Hop has found dangerousNEGRO to be the line with the political energy and fashionable swagger to drive its rebellious principles into the future.

Being multi-dimensional has contributed greatly to dangerousNEGRO’s rise in popularity. Not only does the company have a large following with its dN|Be Apparel line, free mixtape series, and strong online presence, dangerousNEGRO is also known for bringing its empowering message to college campuses in the form of public speaking. Marketing Director Demetrius Walker has made dozens of appearances from Northern Michigan University to the New York Institute of Technology in recent months. With a lecture titled “CEOtivated,” Walker has been dangerousNEGRO’s public motivational voice, encouraging entrepreneurship in students of all races.

Seeking to infiltrate all avenues of social, political, and economic empowerment, dangerousNEGRO will undoubtedly continue to stand out in the fashion industry. Along with the expansion of the clothing line, look for dangerousNEGRO to become further entrenched in the Hip Hop industry and the public speaking arena in the near future.

Additional information about dangerousNEGRO can be found online at www.dangerousNEGRO.com. For interviews please contact Marketing Director Demetrius Walker at (615) 491-5859 or demetrius@dNBeApparel.com. dangerousNEGROtm is owned and operated by dN Group LLC.

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May

2009

What is the importance of a culturally aware President?

Derrick Young | Debate This!

Peace Family,

I wanted to share this with you all just in case you hadn’t heard. The First Family hosted a Poetry Slam this evening at the White House. When I read that article I felt compelled to write about it. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to write so I went through several versions of this post just to get to this point. However, through all of the backspacing, deleting, cutting & pasting I finally reached an ah-ha moment. Hopefully, I am able to express it as clearly as it came to me.

Why is it important that we have a culturally aware President? Why with everything that is going on in the world right now (i.e. corporations receiving massive amounts of tax-payer money, the country being stuck in conflicts in perhaps the most volatile part of the world, and politicians that seem to be more concerned with either maintaining power or recapturing it), is it important that our President is hosting a Poetry Slam in the White House.

Art in all of its forms has always been a tool upon which we learn about ourselves. With poetry specifically, we learn the power of words and gain a greater appreciation for the world and the many iterations in which we experience it, from adolescence to manhood/womanhood to parenthood. It provokes us to unearth talents we never imagined having. Not a talent of writing, but a talent of loving, giving, and of sacrifice.

For me personally, because of poetry I found the beauty in Hip-Hop, the connection it has with Jazz, Blues, and Negro Spirituals that spoke of freedom found through “The Underground.” I learned to respect and appreciate the spirit and beauty of all cultures whether through paintings, photography, historic edifices, modern day buildings, legendary literature, or timeless prose; I was able recognize the common thread through it all.

Imagination. Creativity. Humility.

Its this dynamism that art & literature supplies to us. As a world, as a country, as a community, as a family, and as individuals…we must reacquaint ourselves with it. Otherwise, we become fat, stagnant, & dead. That’s why having a culturally aware President is important. To reinforce on a national scale that we must read, write, and recite words that enrich our lives and teach our young.

“The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.” -Ghanaian Proverb

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May

2009

Ujamaa = Cooperative Economics

The Lit Lounge | Ujamaa

“In all things that are purely social we can be separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.”

– Booker T. Washington

For that reason MahoganyBooks has adopted Ujamaa or “Co-operative Economics” as a key principle in its mission statement. We believe that in addition to educating ourselves and becoming politically active, it is equally as important to wield our collective wealth in a manner that demands results and not just rhetoric.

To that point we have created this page to shine a light on Black Businesses that we have either worked with, are currently working with, or believe in their mission to educate, encourage, & empower the African American community.

Check them out and share the love.

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May

2009

30% off books on the Essence Best sellers book list

The Lit Lounge | Sales

Barack Obama, Judge Greg Mathis, Sister Souljah, Dr. Ian Smith, & Kimberla Lawson Roby…bestselling authors from the 2009 May Essence best sellers list. Books deserving of your time, so we’re giving you 30% just because.

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May

2009

Tell Me Your Names: A Seminar on the Poetry of Lucille Clifton

Melanie Henderson | Events

Hey Poets & Poetry Lovers,

You all are invited to apply for participation in Tell Me Your Names: A Seminar on the Poetry of Lucille Clifton from June 14 -21, 2009.

Sounds like it’ll be a great opportunity to engage in Clifton’s work (and possibly the poet herself).

Check it out!

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April

2009

Reading List: Books for Black Boys

The Lit Lounge | Debate This!

Hey Fam,

A few weeks ago I put out a request to all of our Twitter & Facebook family asking them to help us build a reading list for Black Boys. There were a number of contributions and many of the titles suggested began to repeat itself. Take a look and let us know what your thoughts are.

Books for Black Boys Reading List

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley & Malcolm X
Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G Woodson
Manchild in the Promised Land by Claude Brown
Native Son by Richard Wright
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Makes Me Wanna Holler by Nathan McCall
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson
Six Days in January by William Frederick Cooper
A Hero Ain’t Nothin But A Sandwich by Alice Childress
A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines
The Harris Men by R.M. Johnson
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

I have a few questions for you: First, did we leave a book off that should be on this list? Second, would you consider this to be a definitive list for all black boys to read before they graduate high school?

If you have read any of these books and have a story as to how it impacted your life we’d love to hear from you and post it to our blog. Send it to info@mahoganybooks.com along with your contact info and a link to your blog or website.

Last but not least we want to thank all who have contributed especially, Gerald Moore & ForBlackBoys.

Peace,

The MahoganyBooks Family

“Books, Community, Words, & You”

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April

2009

Gifted Hands: The Story of our Gifted Minds

The Lit Lounge | Debate This!

I had a chance to sit down with my wife to watch Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story on TV tonight. There were a number of things that struck me during the course of the movie. However, what really grabbed me happened during the first quarter of the movie and it dealt with developing Ben’s self-confidence & imagination.

At one point during the movie Dr. Carson’s mother recognized that her sons spent too much time in front of the TV. She then enacted a set of rules that forced them to read & write two reports a week and limited the amount of TV they could watch.

I wrote this post because of that scene, because of the topic of Television versus Books.

Here are a few questions to start the debate:

Are we allowing our children to watch too much TV?
Are we placing a high enough premium on reading & creativity?
What tips can you share with other parents that are struggling to motivate and instill confidence into their children?
WWBD…What Would Barack Do?

Somehow we need to even the playing field with our childrens counterparts who are privy to better funded and less burdened schools. My contention is that parents are the “somehow.”

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March

2009

Reveiwing The Willie Lynch Letter and The Making of a Slave

Derrick Young | Reviews

I picked up this book for two very specific reasons:

1. To gain insight into the theory that African slaves were intentionally de-constructed into self-loathing, destructive personalities for the sole purpose of capital gain.

2. It was a very short book that I could read on my dreaded direct flight to San Antonio.

From a technical stand point this is not a book that will ever be lauded for its great ability to relay concise and profound ideas. This book is more about identifying why the Black family unit began to fail and how artificially generated divisions between sub-groups of African Americans (i.e. Light vs. dark, young vs. old) continue to pose a serious threat to the restoration and advancement of our communities.

Unfortunately, the lack of depth and reliable evidence prevents The Willie Lynch Letter from providing a traceable cause for many issues facing today’s African American family. For a book to claim to have identified the root cause for the serious problems besieging our community and then fail to back up its assertion is very discouraging. In fact, it provides further ammunition to the argument that African Americans seek out excuses for failing at greater rates than their other ethnic counterparts.

Despite the many shortcomings that this book has, it does present the reader with a theory and possible antidote to correct the dysfunction found in the Black family. Which I understood to be re-learning the roles of Man & Woman and respecting the sanctity of family and the values passed on from parent to child within a complete unit. These are only my personal observations; however, this book is a great start for people who are just starting to read about their history for reasons of self-empowerment and personal knowledge. The reader will be presented with information that, although lacks evidence, provokes the reader to reflect and hopefully move beyond any “mental shackles” that make them fearful resentful of their African American peers.

Overall, whether or not the event actually occurred is irrelevant because the divisions that supposedly came from the teachings of Willie Lynch do exist. The Willie Lynch Letter and The Making of a Slave represent an opportunity for African Americans to address the issues of distrust within the Black community and its subsequent family units.

I would suggest reading it.

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← Previous Entries

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview: 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…Gary Johnson, author of 25 Things That Really Matter in Life (Courtland Press)

Reflections on “This Bridge Called My Back”

dangerousNegro Black Empowerment

What is the importance of a culturally aware President?

Ujamaa = Cooperative Economics

30% off books on the Essence Best sellers book list

Tell Me Your Names: A Seminar on the Poetry of Lucille Clifton

Reading List: Books for Black Boys

Gifted Hands: The Story of our Gifted Minds

Reveiwing The Willie Lynch Letter and The Making of a Slave

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