Monthly Archives: July 2008

DISILGOLD.COM- LITERARY DIVA TERRY O’NEAL RADIO INTERVIEW ALERT

Posted on by
177
This Week on Conversations of Africa New Time–
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Pacific Standard Time
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
 
 
 
Best selling Author Terry O’Neal 
 
Will be my first guest at this new time slot
 
Here is the link listen live and/or call in Wednesday
 
10AM to 11:00AM Pacific Standard Time
 
(Please note the new time for
 
Conversations of Africa)
 
Conversations of Africa and African People
 Internet Radio Segment from California 
 
 
 
Larry Ukali Johnson-Redd and Terry A O’Neal atthe4thAnnualLABBX 6/14/08
 
 
 
My special guest for the first Conversations of Africa Segment during
The new 10 AM to 11 AM time period will be Best Selling Author Terry O’Neal 
 
Best Selling Author, Terry a O’Neal, whose poetry has been published in numerous magazines, journals and newspapers. Her previous publications include three volumes of poetry, Motion Sickness, The Poet Speaks in Black and Good Mornin’ Glory; two children’s books, Ev’ry Little Soul and My Jazz Shoes; and the award winning family fiction novel Sweet Lavender.
 
Terry has been named among the most popular African American female writers of
our time, featured in a book entitled “Literary Divas: The Top 100+ Most Admired
African American Women in Literature”—a list of women who’ve left a mark on the
wider world through their writing. ( Terry has written many books!)

In addition to her writing accomplishments, Terry is the editor of the annual youth poetry anthology, Make Some Noise! An anthology by inspired youth from all around the Unites States, Canada, Australia and Africa. In addition to her writing accomplishments, she is the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization, Lend Your Hand, Inc. Educating the World’s Children.

 

 

 
 
Max Rodriquez Founder of the Harlem Book Fair and
 
QBR Review speaking about the 2008 Harlem Book Fair and more
 
The woman in the photo is Therez Fleetwood, author of The Afrocentric Bride: A Style Guide.
Here is the link QBR Black Book Review link:
 
 
Listen to the Max Rod Rodriquez Interview Segment of Conversations of Africa-Wednesday July 23, 2008 by clicking on the link below !
 
 

Interview with Ed Gordon: Turning the Tables on the Emmy-Winning Interviewer

Posted on by
335

ed-gordona

 

Ed Gordon:The Daddy’s Promise Interview

with Kam Williams
Click here for image
http://www.disilgold.com/images/500_DLNA-_Ed_Gordon.jpg

Edward Lansing Gordon, III was born in Detroit in 1960. Both his parents, Ed and Jimmie, were schoolteachers, although his father is best remembered for winning a gold medal in the long jump at the 1932 Olympics. Ed credits them both with instilling in him his dedication to the tireless work ethic which served him well while earning his B.A. in communications and political science at Western Michigan University and subsequently in his Emmy-winning career as a television journalist.

His name became synonymous with celebrity interviews while with the Black Entertainment Television Network where he hosted Conversation with Ed Gordon along with anchoring BET News and BET Tonight. In that capacity, he is perhaps most famous for landing the first post-acquittal one-on-one with O.J. Simpson. Ed’s impressive resume also includes intimate tete-a-tetes with President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Reverend Al Sharpton, Halle Berry, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jamie Foxx, Minister Louis Farrakhan, South Africa’s President Nelson Mandela, R. Kelly and Senator Trent Lott, just to name a few

Since BET, Ed has enjoyed stints at CBS as a correspondent on 60 Minutes and at NBC as a commentator on Dateline and The Today Show. He is currently hosting a couple of nationally-syndicated programs: Our World with Black Enterprise and NPR’s News and Notes with Ed Gordon.

Besides collecting his fair share of professional accolades such as an NAACP Image Award and the National Association of Black Journalist’s Journalist of the Year Award, Ed has also been named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People Magazine.

Though divorced, he remains very much a part of the life of his 14 year-old daughter, Taylor. Inspired by the positive response to an article he wrote for Essence Magazine about his commitment to Taylor, Ed recently launched his latest project: Daddy’s Promise (http://www.daddyspromise.com/), an initiative celebrating the bond between African-American men and their daughters.

KW: Hey, Ed, I’m honored to get some time with you.

EG: No, my pleasure, I appreciate your taking the time for this.

KW: What inspired you to write the article for Essence?

EG: Just the relationship that I have with Taylor. I had always wanted kids and thought I’d have a boy. But I had this little girl and she’s just been such a joy to me. I really only wanted to say that out loud. And after it was published, the response was overwhelming. I always knew that Essence was the Bible for black women, but I never understood until then just how far-reaching it was. After that response, I felt that I needed to do more, and we came up with Daddy’s Promise, a national initiative. Ironically, we knew we were going to launch it around Father’s Day, but Barack Obama’s recently speaking about the need for men to be fathers makes it even more poignant.

KW: Do you think part of your originally wanting to have a son might have had to do with you’re being Ed Gordon, III and the son of an Olympic gold medalist?

EG: Probably. My brother suggested that that was just my little macho thing, wanting to relive my childhood and high school years by watching a son play basketball and football and date pretty girls. I suspect a lot of men feel like that. But my brother also told me, “You’re about to receive a gift in a woman who will love you like no other. Not like your mother, not like your wife or any girl friend you’ve ever had. This person will love you unconditionally, in a way which you won’t be able to fathom until you experience it.” He was so right. But I also see the importance of men being in their daughters’ lives.

KW: What do you hope the program will accomplish?

EG: We know that sisters are doing such a fine job going to college and entering the corporate world, yet often when you talk to them, many still have a void from not having a father in their lives. And they might make certain decisions which, upon reflection, they might wish they hadn’t made. But they didn’t have a road map. You can often tell a woman who didn’t have a father in her life.

KW: How can fathers get involved with your rogram?

EG: Go to the website, http://www.daddyspromise.com/, download the pledge, hand it to your daughter, tell her you love her, and send us a picture of the two of you to show the world that you are a good father. We’re trying to get people to stand up and say, “Hey, I’m a good one, and join me.” The first wave is very symbolic.

KW: Are you at all worried about your message being misconstrued the way some people unfairly labeled Bill Cosby elitist and out of touch after his call for black self-responsibility?

EG: I don’t see that happening because this movement is not doing any finger-pointing. I’m saying that, in general, there are a lot of ills in our society and in our community that we have to fix, period. And we need to be about fixing them. This is a celebration of the brothers who are doing the right thing. And those who aren’t know who they are. We’re trying to make this an initiative where brothers who aren’t doing the right thing will want to come on board and turn things around.

KW: Did you have any problems with Obama’s Father’s Day speech in which he sharply criticized absentee African-American fathers?

EG: No. Look, I think that as a community we have to be willing to step up and examine our ills without being concerned that we might be seen as blaming the victim or telling tales out of school, so to speak. We have problems, as does the rest of the world. We’ve faced a disproportionate share for a myriad of reasons. It’s not just because we’re trifling, there are a number of things that impact us. The point is we can’t continue to let those reasons, which run the gamut from racism to being trifling and everything in between, stop us. The world is moving at a very fast pace now, and we have to make sure that we stay in this race.

KW: Do you think it was fair for Obama to talk about the ills of the ghetto, when he was raised by his white mother and white grandparents in the Midwest, in Hawaii and overseas?

EG: Here’s my issue with that. I think it’s unfair for people to suggest, as you just did, that he didn’t grow up with a black experience. His was a black experience, just a different one. We have to understand that the black experience includes being a mulatto. Nobody complains about Halle Berry who was raised by her mom. And Halle’s been very up front about how she sees herself and who she is.

The reality is that black America comes in all shapes, colors, hair textures… the whole nine yards. And we have to start embracing it all, because that’s who we are. Barack Obama was first criticized for, quote, not being black enough and for not being able to understand the black experience. Now, when he deals with some real black issues, people are still knocking him.

KW: Do you feel at all funny about the popular notion that because Obama won the nomination America is now a post-racial society?

EG: I think it’s important to note that he has never suggested that. Often, the pundits are saying that. But I think we have to be mindful that as wonderful as this Obama wave is we still have to be careful. We are not beyond racism. This could very well be an anomaly, much as after Hattie McDaniel won an Oscar for Gone with the Wind, it took another three decades for another black person to win an Academy Award. So, I think we have to be mindful of what can occur. That being said, I do believe that those of us who are of a certain age have to allow for the baggage to drop. I do think that the younger generation is less burdened by the weight of race. But let’s not assume that the vestiges of racism are gone just because Mr. Obama has the Democratic nomination. It certainly is a milestone that should be saluted. And it speaks to how far this country has come in the last forty years, but it doesn’t eradicate the issues or the problems which still face us in a country so consumed with race prejudice and quite frankly the question of gender as well. We still have a ways to go, so we should celebrate the accomplishment while being mindful that it is not by any means complete.

KW: Have you interviewed Obama?

EG: I’ve interviewed him a number of times. The last time was about a week or two before he declared. But we’re going back and forth with his folks right now about sitting down again with him in the immediate future.

KW: What did you think about the flap between him and Tavis Smiley, which resulted in Tavis’ resigning from The Tom Joyner Show.

EG: I think black America has to realize that this race is bigger than one thing. That’s how I see it. There are certain things this candidate is going to do and rules he has to follow. But it doesn’t mean that he isn’t with us. Barack Obama has been masterful in being middle ground enough for white America to embrace him but black enough for black America to say, “That’s our guy.”

KW: Are you familiar with black conservative Shelby Steele’s new book explains why Obama won’t win the Presidency because of his having to satisfy the competing concerns of black and white constituencies? I had a pretty interesting interview with him about it.

EG: Yeah, I interviewed him as well.

KW: Who are you supporting for President?

EG: Well, as journalists, as you know, because I’m on all of these shows, I do not publicly suggest who I support. But, eh, you know.

KW: Since you’re originally from Detroit, how do you feel about your hometown’s embattled Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick? Do you think he should step down?

EG: I think he has certainly placed himself in a position that does not bode well for trying to hold the mayoral seat because there are so many issues likely to sidetrack him. I will be disappointed because Kwame is smart, charismatic and everything you would want in a leader. I’m sorry that some of the personal has involved itself in the political. And it has made things more difficult for a city that’s already reeling. In terms of resigning, he says that he doesn’t believe he should, so at this point you just let the process play itself out.

KW: What was it like to be named one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People Magazine?

EG: Man, they had probably finished picking 49 and were tired, and I just happened to be passing by. Look, Kam, it’s flattering, and I appreciate it, but you can’t take that stuff seriously. Just when you start buying into it, something slaps you back down to Earth.

KW: When you interviewed O.J. Simpson, you asked him right off the bat whether he did it. But in retrospect were there any other questions you wished you’d asked him?

EG: No, I have learned over the years that as long as you’re well prepared, you do the best you can do. It’s funny because sometimes people will say you didn’t ask this or that, when you did ask those questions but the interviewee didn’t answer it in the way the viewer wanted. So, I’ve learned not to beat myself up after these interviews. If I can say I went in prepared, then I know I’ve done my best.

KW: That makes me think of the passing of Tim Russert who was among the very best at preparation.

EG: Tim was one of those anomalies in the business who started off at the other end, as an executive, and found his way in front of the camera. And you can see just by the outpouring of sympathy and well-deserved tributes that he’s receiving that he touched America deeply.

KW: How well did you know him?

EG: During my years at NBC, I was stationed in New York while he was in D.C., so I didn’t get to see him a lot, but we would do a lot of cross-talks on the shows. And he, as everyone has mentioned, always had very nice and supportive things to say to you. Professionally, you could see that he had passion for what he did. That’s key. I don’t know that you could find anything that better suits someone for a career than passion. So, it’s a big loss.

KW: Which of your interviews did you find the most interesting?

EG: Honestly, without sounding too corny, I find almost every interview I do interesting, because everyone has a story. So, if you listen, you’ll see that there is a unique dynamic when dealing with each person. But in terms of the interview which was most special to me, while most people think it must be either O.J. Simpson or R. Kelly, it actually was the first time I had an opportunity to sit down with Nelson Mandela. I am underwhelmed by most interviewees, but I was floored by this man. Floored! I’m really meat and potatoes. I ain’t that deep. But you could feel this man’s presence when he walked into the room before he even uttered a word. I’m probably most proud of that interview because he’s an extraordinary person and because it was conducted in his home in South Africa.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

EG: Most days.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

EG: Hmm… rarely, but yes.

KW: Is there any question that no one ever asks you that you wish someone would?

EG: No, because I never think I’m that interesting. So, no.

KW: What you think of BET programming and Bob Johnson’s new film studio, Our Stories Films?

EG: I can’t really comment about Our Stories Films, because I haven’t seen their first movie, Who’s Your Caddy. As for the direction of BET, look, BET is what it is. I had concerns when I was there, and often fought about the programming. But I also understood that it wasn’t my ball, and that the person that controls the ball controls the game. So, I tried to represent the news department as best I could. That being said, my disappointment is more with the fact that until TV-One came about, black people only had one television network, because competition spurs better programming and better thought. So, my bigger disappointment was with the industry itself and with the failure of black entrepreneurs to give BET competition when it was more feasible, economically, to get in the game.

KW: How do you feel about your longevity in this business?

EG: I’ve been very blessed and feel very fortunate to be able to work in a number of areas and to make some noise with the interviews and programs I’ve done through the years, and to be able to work continuously, which is not easy in our industry. The fact that I’m hanging on and have some gray hair now, is okay.

KW: How do you want to be remembered?

EG: As Taylor’s daddy, and a good one.

KW: How did it feel to be on the other side of an interview?

EG: Some interviewers-turned-interviewees don’t like not being in control, but I wasn’t really bothered by it.

KW: Thanks again, Ed. I appreciate the time.

EG: Thank you for your interest.

To check out Ed’s website, visit: http://www.daddyspromise.com/

To hear Gil Scott-Heron’s classic tribute to his daughter ”Your Daddy Loves You” visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD9Ku5qEPjQ

=

DisilgoldSOUL Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Heather Covington, Reveals 10 Literary Exercises for Writer While Working On Computers!

Posted on by
50

by Author Heather Covington
from new book book GOD’S 24 HOUR MAKEOVER
www.disilgold.com

It doesn’t take a rocket exercise to know what exercises to do to keep in shape, maintain and make better what you already have, avoid unsightly fat, sluggishness and what I call “Writer’s Body” when writers work out on their computers all day instead of at the gym.

The signs of “Writer’s Body” are evident when men and women lose muscle tone, gain weight and most of all can’t fit into the same clothes from the year before. To be a focused writer and stay in the game of penning books with passion, one has to feel their absolute best mentally, physically and emotionally. Exercise proves to be a great motivational tool for writers and helps keep one looking and feeling their best. In fact, people have said, you are what you write.

I write sexy, urban erotica thrillers and so there you have it. Exercise is a part of my daily motivation as a writer and it should be a part of your regimen, too as a writer. Here are some fail safe solutions to get writers in tip top shape with minimal effort every day and that work.

1. After writing excursions, step away from one’s computer and do 50 squats with 30 second breaks. Think 20, 15, 10 and than 5 for each set. Use hand weights for a more challenging squat.

2. After reading your emails, pick up a set of hand barbells and lift away for 3 songs non-stop. This exercise contours the muscles of your arms with definition.

3. While waiting for your computer to load, why not drop on the floor and do 20 slow push ups. Your upper body will always stay in shape.

4. If you work on your computer for 20 minutes or more a day, use that time to swivel back and forth in a swivel chair. This spot exercise shrinks your waistline 2- 3 inches in less than a month providing you maintain a sensible diet.

5. While talking on the phone, do arm stretches by clutching your fists over your head and pulling from side to side behind your back with a brief stretch hold of 5 seconds per side. Do as many as you can handle. This avoids saddle bags under the arms.

6. Turn away from your computer and use bands to stretch your legs. Just place a pair under your feet and stretch and hold with resistance for 5 seconds per retraction. Use two bands for resistance.

7. Hold on to your chair and apply what I call an isometric crunch and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Isometrics uses your bodies own weight to apply resistance, but careful, these exercises can cause crampingof muscles. Repeat up to 3 times only.

8. Place your hands and elbows between your thighs in a cris cross position and squeeze against the resistance of your own weight. This exercise keeps your thighs tones and shoulders. Warning, the collar blades on your chest will pop out if you keep doing this and you’ll way too sexy to walk in the street.

9. If you happen to visit a site that has on great music, stand and do what I call SHOCK JACKS or jumping jacks with a bit of a flair. If you do a few normal jumping jacks and then suddenly jump real high in the air and than start doing “tire run” jogs in place, your body will say what is going on and start building muscle every where to protect itself from you! Fat will shed also, because your body needs energy to repair itself from your short bursts of abuse on your body. The result is a lovely body. Your body wins! It thinks it outsmarted you, but you really outsmarted it. In other words, don’t let your body predict your exercise, SHOCK IT! Seek medical advice before exerting yourself with any exercise.

10. To get up and stretch, Ppace your leg on your sofa or chair and do alternate lunges with each leg and dip your body as low as you can. Be steady and thorough. Your knee ligaments are very delicate.

Finally, nothing is better than sprint running late at night for 10- 20 minutes and drinking a nice warm cup of tea if you are trying to lose weight or a healthy milk shake if you are trying to gain muscle mass. Just give yourself at least 1 hour or so before hitting the sack because you’ll have a lot of restless energy.

Exercise doesn’t have to be painful and you don’t have to hit the gym every day, but you do have to exercise every day so you’re body will respond and maintain its form. It’s like writing a novel. Each page is like an exercise rep and the end of each chapter, a full set of an exercise. Add up every chapter, and that’s a workout with results that are everlasting.

Write well, exercise well and live well WRITER!

Heather Covington is the Editor-in-Chief of Disilgold SOUL Literary Review. Visit her magazine at www.Disilgold.com.

DisilgoldSOUL Magazine Movie Review- “Trumbo” -Bio-Pic Revisits the Rise, Fall and Vindication of Blacklisted Hollywood Screenwriter

Posted on by
119

Trumbo

Film Review by Kam Williams
www.disilgold.com

Headline: Bio-Pic Revisits the Rise, Fall and Vindication of Blacklisted Hollywood Screenwriter

Dalton Trumbo (1905-1976) was one of the most successful screenwriters in the country when he was subpoenaed in 1947 to testify before the House American Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigating citizens suspected of having Communist leanings. The Committee was in the midst of conducting its infamous witch hunt which would derail the careers of anyone who refused to throw somebody else under the bus.

Trumbo and nine other colleagues, dubbed the Hollywood Ten, refused to capitulate, claiming an infringement on their fundamental First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech. Nonetheless, they were all railroaded to prison, and subsequently blacklisted upon being paroled.

In Dalton’s case, this meant he went from being the entertainment industry’s highest paid scriptwriter to having no means of supporting his wife and three kids. He was blocked from writing under his own name until 1960, so he resorted to submitting material under an alias.

You might recognize the titles of some of his 60+ movies, starting with Roman Holiday and The Brave One, both of which won him Oscars in the scriptwriting category. Then there’s Exodus, Spartacus, Papillon, The Sandpiper, Hawaii, Lonely are the Brave, Thirty Seconds over Tokyo and Kitty Foyle.

Adapted from the stage play of the same name by his son, Christopher, Trumbo is a docudrama comprised of staged readings of its subject’s letters combined with archival news footage, family home movies and contemporary interviews. Among celebs making appearances by Kirk Douglas, Danny Glover, Joan Allen, Nathan Lane, Michael Douglas, Paul Giamatti, Brian Dennehy, Donald Sutherland, David Strathairn and Liam Neeson.

A on overdue vindication of a true patriot and a timely reminder to continue challenging authority in the face of the Patriot Act.

Very Good (3 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 96 minutes

Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

To see a trailer of Trumbo, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP8lqj-lZ4s

=

Disilgold SOUL Magazine Movie Review- “The Reflecting Pool” Scathes By With a Decent Review

Posted on by
210

The Reflecting Pool

Film Review by Kam Williams
www.disilgold.com

Headline: Conspiracy Theories Abound in Docudrama Revisiting 9/11

If you are familiar with Loose Change, the internet documentary implicating the U.S. 9/11 Commission in a cover-up, then you have a good idea of what to expect of The Reflecting Pool, a docudrama covering essentially the same ground. The difference is that this version is presented from the perspective of a couple of fictionalized characters, one, an intrepid, Russian-American journalist (Jarek Kupsc), the other, the grieving father (Joseph Culp) of a woman who perished in the terrorist attack.

Together, these two leave no stones unturned in their endeavor to elicit the truth about whether an aircraft ever hit the Pentagon and how the 47-story World Trade Center 7 collapsed without ever being hit. In addition, they question whether either Twin Tower could have been brought down by a jet crash alone, and it doesn’t take long for them to sense that something’s rotten in the State of Denmark.

After interviewing eyewitnesses, grilling government bureaucrats or examining video footage of the disaster frame by frame like the Zapruder film, these researchers arrive at a shocking conclusion, namely, that Vice President Cheney had orchestrated the whole international incident, from ignoring FBI warnings about Al-Qaeda to keeping NORAD fighter planes on the ground on 9/11 to making sure the matter was ultimately whitewashed.

And what was Cheney’s motivation? That’s less of a surprise. An excuse to unleash the Military-Industrial Complex in the Persian Gulf Region not only to ensure American dominance but war profiteering opportunities for his corporate cronies.

The Reflecting Pool is the sort of expose’ that will divide an audience along party lines. It is likely to confirm everything leftist conspiracy theorists have long suspected, while infuriating those Republicans still in the Bush-Cheney camp. A damning indictment of the White House which concludes that 9/11 was less a failure of intelligence than a willful failure to act.

Very Good (3 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 106 minutes

Studio: BW Filmworks

To see a trailer of The Reflecting Pool, visit: http://reflectingpoolfilm.com/reflectingpooltrailer.htm

=

Disilgold SOUL Magazine Movie Review- “A Man Named Pearl” Gets High Ratings

Posted on by
233

A Man Named Pearl

Film Review by Kam Williams
www.disilgold.com

Headline: Black Man’s Green Thumb Proves Best Revenge for White Intolerance

When Pearl Fryar needed to move to Bishopville, South Carolina in 1976 to start a new job as a janitor in a can factory located there, the first house he and his wife, Metra, settled on was located on the white side of town. However, they changed their plans upon being informed by their new neighbors that they weren’t welcome because “Black people don’t keep up their yards.”

Though hurt by the racist remark, the African-American couple didn’t become embittered but instead opted to buy a place on a 3½ acre plot across the proverbial tracks in the black community. Immediately, Pearl began to cultivate a top-flight garden, determined to make those bigots eat their words. Even though he had to work a 12-hour day shift, he would find time in the evenings to attend to his flowers and bushes, hoping to become the first black person to win the Iris Garden Club’s “Yard of the Month Award.”

Because he didn’t have much money to fund his ambitious enterprise, most of Pearl’s plants and seedlings came from the dump behind the local nursery. And even though this son of a sharecropper didn’t have any book knowledge about botany, he had enough of a green thumb to figure out ways to revive all sorts of ailing and abandoned vegetation.

Mr. Fryar knew that to land the “Yard of the Month Award” he would have to create something spectacular, so he began shaping his growing shrubs into an eye-catching collection of over 150 topiary figures. Not only did he ultimately earn the coveted accolade, but today folks flock from all over to see his world-renowned garden. In fact, because Bishopville is in economic decline due to the outsourcing overseas of the industries which had served as the city’s backbone, it can thank its lucky stars that Pearl’s topiaries have turned tourism into an alternate source of revenue.

This moving story of rejection-turned-acceptance is the subject of A Man Named Pearl, a touching bio-pic about a humble soul who encountered racism and responded with love, peace and goodwill towards all people. A life-affirming documentary illustrating how a black man’s green thumb proved to be the best revenge for white intolerance.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 78 minutes

Studio: Shadow Distribution

To see a trailer of A Man Named Pearl, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFW2zuWCcFg =

Disilgold SOUL Magazine Movie Review- “disFigured” Gets High Rating- Visit www.disilgold.com for more movie reviews!

Posted on by
168

Movie Dish: Kam William’s Explosive Blockbuster Picks and Flops this Week!

disFIGURED
Film Review by Kam Williams
www.disilgold.com

Headline: Obese and Anorexic Women Bond in Body Image Dramedy

Lydia (Deidra Edwards) is a queen-sized sales clerk who lives and works in Venice Beach, a trendy section of L.A. where it’s fashionable for women to be thin. Unable to measure up to that unreasonable, hourglass ideal despite dieting, she joins a fat acceptance support group dedicated to fighting prejudice against the obese. In meetings, the members share their fears and frustrations about everything from dating to being teased to weight-loss surgery, while encouraging each other to love themselves just the way they are.

Darcy (Staci Lawrence), on the other hand, is an emaciated anorexic with a body dysmorphic disorder who thinks of herself as too fat. So, when she shows up saying she wants to join the group, people don’t know what to make of her. After they take a vote and decide to reject her application, only Lydia offers a shoulder to cry on.

Although physically polar opposites, chubby and skinny still manage to bond because they are both lonely and have many issues in common revolving around hunger, fear, fashion and femininity. And their unlikely friendship is the focus of disFIGURED, a female empowerment flick filled with painfully-dramatic moments offset by occasional comic asides.

This slice of life adventure paints a picture so realistic you often wince while wondering whether the talented cast was acting or just encouraged to be themselves in a series of improvised scenarios. Regardless, director Glenn Gers deserves raves for his refreshingly-honest exploration of such a sensitive subject.

A novel buddy vehicle contrasting the unique perspectives of a two segments of society ordinarily either marginalized in movies or treated almost as if they didn’t exist at all.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 96 minutes

Studio: Cinema Libre Studio

To see a trailer of disFIGURED, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4MVXkCKbyA

The HEATLIST at www.disilgold.com reviews Wil Smith’s New Movie, HANCOCK! Was it a Summer Blockbuster? Bonus: DisilgoldSOUL Magazine July 16th News

Posted on by
125

 DisilgoldSOUL Magazine Top Story: Wil Smith’s New Movie, HANCOCK! Was it a Summer Blockbuster?

Reviewed by Author & Entertainment Journalist Heather Covington

www.Heather-Covington.com

Directed by Peter Berg who has directed films like The Last Kingdom and has a long list of acting credits in movies like Smokin’ Aces and Lions for Lambs, Berg’s latest production, Hancock, starring Wil Smith, tops the Summer Box Office as the NO.1 movie in America grossing an impressive 164 million.

Wil Smith, the former tv actor, respected Hip-Hop Icon who symbolizes (Smooth Rap) and better known as the Fresh Prince by die-hard fans and has stage credits may be America’s Golden Boy.

Hancock( 2008) stars an allstar cast with Wil Smith as (Hancock) and Charline Therez as (Mrs. Embrey). Wil Smith (Hancock) plays a fallen Super Hero whose discontented with his life and a depressed alcoholic because his city of Los Angeles where he resides does not respect his efforts to catch dangerous criminals.

While a good-natured super hero, Wil Smith (Hancock) is clumsy and destroys landmark buildings and vehicles while doing good deeds which leads to good ‘ole comical elements that chokes up dry humor, but that is the state of mind of movie goers anyways and works well.

Not only does the city have to pay millions for Wil Smith’s (Hancock) attempts to catch criminals leaving the city to wonder if he’s better off not catching criminals, but he’s sort of disgraced until the day he saves a victim’s life named  Ray Embrey played by Jason Bateman. Wil Smith’s life is changed around when the he discovers the thankful victim is a big time public relations executive who maybe able to change people’s perceptions of Wil Smith (Hancock) by helping to reform his clumsy deeds.  Conflict arises as Ray Embrey’s wife (Charlene Theron) just dowsn’t have faith in Wil Smith and fears her husband may get hurt aiding the clumsy Hancock.

Hancock is undoubtedly one of the best family movies of the summer, but the graphics can’t compete with your usual super hero films like The Hulk, Batman and Spiderman. More of a plot builder that thickens as the story builds, there are some pacing problems in the film that steal away from it being a contender as a top action film, but Wil Smith is always a joy to watch by movie goers and can make almost any movie shine. His natural acting ability lends well to light-hearted super-natural films I Am Legend and of course, Men in Black sequels.

I gave this film 3 Stars for originality and an entertaining storyline.

***3 Stars! DisilgoldSOUL Magazine

www.Disilgold.com

DisilgoldSOUL Magazine July 16th News

Sports Dish: A Historical Day in Yankee History as National Allstars Come Out!

Bronx, New York’s own Yankee Stadium made history today as national All-Star Game stars came out for the All Star Hall of Famers Pre-Show featuring guests like Yogi Berra.  Sentiment filled the air as Yankee Stadium owner George Steinbrenner arrived. He invested 10 million in the establishment and turned it into a sports landmark empire.  Bronx’s own Derek Jeter received the loudest ovation bringing in the 15th Inning with an All Star Run!

 

TV Talk Dish: Wendy William’s New TV Show Lights Up Fox 5!

Author Wendy Williams  new “Wendy Williams” Show airs for the second day on FOX TV with a favorable audience of fans and supporters who are given opportunity by the self-professed “Queen of All Media” who has a nationally syndicated radio show on WBLS, to interact with the audience, ask questions of life, love, fashion and bad relationships at the risk of getting a straight forward and no-holds barred answer from the “shock jockette” of radio  who has been light-hearted and upbeat thus far winning over her audience. She wears really big blonde hair that pokes at Tyra and Beyonce’ and shows fascination for audience members sporting her look while not hesitating to ask you if you are wearing a weave. She’s unrehearsed, flips through tacky notes live on air, rarely site with any etiquette as she uncrosses her legs several times in one minute to fix her skirt and sashay about the audience like a “wet behind the ears new jack” afraid of the monster media hype she’s created, a bit cautious, yet trusting of her fans as she sports the kind of fashion duds that make looking like a ”HOT MESS”  in style, but the audience loves her. Al Roker, featured guest on secodn day shouts at Wendy giving her a reality check and says, “BE YOU!” and “THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE!”. She’s a real people pleaser when in front of an audience and nothing like that venemous radio personality behind her radio desk.  Are there two sides to Wendy Williams that fall prey to vulnerabilities when exposed or is she just warming up to her new home on national air.  Regardless, there is no stopping the bold talk show host who fancies inviting celebrity friends like Vivica A. Fox and taking frequent trips to the Truth Booth which hides self-confessed folks with issues too embarrassed to show their face and reminiscent of a Catholic church confession. Will the show pass its 6 week trial run is questionable. Folks are drawn to Wendy mainly from the gay/ transgender community and anyone in bad relationships thanks to folks giving pop shots that she’s a drag queen with her familiar “How ya’ doin”  greeting and self-professed happy-go-lucky married life with child. This is all she needs to give her the authority to share advice and you either can grin or bear it or flip the channel, but that will be hard. She’s unpredictable and it seems like she has Carte Blanche to be as raunchy, loud, and obnoxious as she wants to be. Tune in everyday at 10:30 am on FOX TV. The literary arena tunes in to Wendy Williams as well because it’s always fascinating to see a literary artists rise above the ranks in media and still be able to take over the literary world.

Literary Dish: The Re-Education of the Black Female by Dante Moore Takes Over

Hypnotic and very frank, Dante Moore, author of The Re-education of the Female gives a matriculated and intimate course on women’s issues that clearly will stir debate. Open-minded, yet opiniated and brutally honest, he tells black women how to keep a black man and what to do to not lose them. His self-centered talk will make you want to throw rocks at him, but from a black man’s perspective, it’s a worthwhile read. The myth he defies is “Black women can’t find a man or keep them!” There are plenty of good black men out there, but Dante Moore points the finger at the Black female who may be searching for the wrong man. He also, shares why some black men don’t want to be with some black women. His reasons will amaze you.

MUSIC PRODUCER DENNIS BELL IS A TRIPLE THREAT WITH 3 NEW ALBUMS IN ONE YEAR!

Posted on by
55

VISIT WWW.DISILGOLD.COM PRESSRELEASEBLASTER FOR PHOTOS!

GuavaJamm Entertainment Releases Three New Albums

July10, 2008
For Immediate Release

GuavaJamm Entertainment is pleased to announce the release of three new albums Produced by Gold/Platinum Award Winning Producer/Pianist/Composer/Conductor Dennis Bell.
“Come Together” -the debut album from master jazz guitarist  John Cariddi who has played with everyone from Nancy Wilson to Peggy Lee
“Musique Pour La Danse Moderne” (Music for Modern Dance/Ballet) – Double CD set featuring the compositions of Dennis Bell for Modern Dance/Ballet
“The Yuppie Rap”- Dr D, Sugar Dee & The Yuppie Boyz. The unexpected…the sublime…..the stoopid…the debut….”The Yuppie Rap”…The Hip-Hop CD of the year…by far!!!! 

GuavaJamm is also pleased to announce that Mr Bell will be completing scores the for the Alvin Ailey II company and for the Juilliard School this summer for choreographer Sidra Bell and recording a new album from Jazzmobile Jazz Vocalist Winner and Itunes Essential Jazz Artist Lynette Washington. GuavaJamm albums are available from www.guavajamm.net, store.yahoo.com/guavajammmstore, iTunes.com, CDBaby.com, Amazon.com & eMusic.com

In addition Sidra Bell Dance NY will be busy performing in the City this summer and fall. Ms Bell just returned from Montreal where she presented her work during the month of June. The following are two upcoming performances:

and Summerstage in Harlem

Sidra Bell Dance NY
Smoke Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative

Saturday, July 26, 2008
From 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Jackie Robinson BandshellDance

Founded in 2001 by Yale-graduate Sidra Bell, this Harlem-based contemporary dance troupe presents a unique blend of dance and live music. In merely seven years, Ms. Bell, known for her fluid yet dramatic movements, has already received numerous awards for her achievements in choreography including the prestigious Bessie Schönberg Choreographers Residency at The Yard; the “Patricia Kerr Ross Award.” and a Tribeca Performing Arts Center Artist-in-Residency. SBDNY has performed at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, Jacob’s Pillow, and Joyce SoHo Presents.

The SLJ, led by choreographer and activist Zane Booker, is a socially-conscious multimedia dance theatre collective dedicated to educating and informing the masses about tolerance, diversity, and the still critical AIDS epidemic. Because their work is powerful, spirit-driven, and relevant, the SLJ, based in Philadelphia, has been a regular invitee at festivals that highlight the fight against social injustice. After touring the U.S. and abroad with the Philadelphia Dance Company, the Netherlands Dance Theater, and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project, Mr. Booker brings a broad global perspective to his classical yet contemporary work. Mr. Booker, who last year was featured as one of “25 to Watch” in Dance Magazine, appeared in the 2007 CityParks Dance festival as a guest artist with Subtle Changes.

 

 


For further information please contact:

Juicy

GuavaJamm Entertainment
City Slicker Productions
Mark of Aries Music BMI
212-567-0411 Voice/Fax
www.orchard.com (Digital Distributors)
cdbaby.com, amazon.com

Now Available………….. 
the debut CD from Master Guitarist 
John Cariddi “Come Together”
Jazz/Smooth Jazz at its best!

Now Available…………..
“Musique Pour La Danse Moderne“
The modern dance/ballet compositions of Dennis Bell..Double CD Set

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Rose, Publisher/CEO, Amber Communications Group, Inc. and other top Black Book Publishers to receive The Wheatley Book Award at the Harlem Book Fair

Posted on by
478

 

Tony Rose, Publisher/CEO, Amber Communications Group, Inc. and other top Black Book Publishers to receive The Wheatley Book Award at the
2008 10th Anniversary of The Harlem Book Fair.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, July 18, Harlem, New York.

 

 

Tony Rose, Haki R. Madhubuti, Max Rodriguez, Kassahun Checole, W. Paul Coates. 
The 2003 Harlem Book Fair.
 

July 2008 – (National)  Tony Rose, Publisher/CEO, Amber Communications Group, Inc. and Executive Director/Co-Founder of the African American Pavilion at BookExpo America has been selected to receive the prestigious Wheatley Book Award.  Other 2008 honorees are Haki R. Madhubuti (Third World Press); W. Paul Coates (Black Classic Press); Kassahun Checole (Africa World Press) and Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson (Just Us Books). 

 

Created by Harlem Book Fair founder Max Rodriguez, the Wheatley Book Awards recognizes literary achievement that transcends culture, boundary, and perception. Past honorees include Maya Angelou, Chinua Achebe, Sonia Sanchez, Walter Mosley, Octavia Butler, Ishmael Reed, Ruby Dee, John A. Williams, Walter Dean Myers, Amiri Baraka, Eloise Greenfield, Omar Tyree and other notable authors.

 

Rose states, “I am very honored and proud to have been selected as a ’Wheatley Book Award’ recipient, following in the footsteps of the many distinguished awardees who have vastly contributed to the literacy of all Americans, but particularly people of African descent. I applaud Max Rodriguez for creating such an important platform in recognition of the literary achievements of the men and women who had the foresight and fortitude to make a difference in our communities and the world.” 

 

The 2008 awards foreshadow an expansion to honor more writers in various categories from African and the African Diaspora experience.  Max Rodriguez said, “Through this year’s honorees, we acknowledge the diversity of our reading public; next, we will embrace those writers and publishers who contribute to our awareness as a global community.”

 

The Wheatley Book Awards celebrates 40 Years of Black Book Publishing, a red carpet, black tie dinner, award program, and reception for the founders of modern black publishing as the formal opening event of the 2008 10th Anniversary of the Harlem Book Fair. The event will be held on Friday, July 18, 2008, at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem, New York, with a reception starting at 6:30pm. 

 

The Award program was named after Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American poet whose writings helped create the genre of African American literature. She was born in in 1753 in Gambia, Africa, became a slave at age seven and was purchased by the Boston Wheatley family, who taught her to read and write, and helped encourage her poetry.  The 1773 publication of Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, brought her fame, with dignitaries such as George Washington praising her work.

 

 

Tony Rose is the Founder, Publisher and CEO of  Phoenix, AZ  based, Amber Communications Group, Inc. (ACGI). Amber Books Publishing, the corporation’s first imprint, was founded in 1998 and soon became established as the nation’s largest African-American publisher of self-help, career-guide and commercial/pop book titles written by and for African Americans.  During ACGI’s ten year history, five other imprints emerged:  BUSTA BOOKS – Celebrity Bios; COLOSSUS BOOKS featuring world-renowned personalities and history-making topics, AMBER/WILEY BOOKS – self-help & financial books co-published with John Wiley & Sons, Inc., AMBROSIA BOOKS for non-fiction/fiction novels and docu-dramas, and AMBER BOOKS2 for in-general specialty books. 

 

Tony Rose is noted as the first African American Independent Publisher to gain a multi book Co-Publishing/imprint deal with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in their two hundred year history and the first Independent African American Publisher to be licensed and distributed by Black Expressions Book Club with fifteen titles signed to date.  Among ACGI’s most notable and diverse titles are:  African Americans and the Future of New Orleans;   Beautiful Black Hair;   The African American Family’s Guide to Tracing Our Roots;   The Afro-Centric Bride;  The African American Scholarship Guide for Students and Parents;   Born Beautiful: The African American Teenagers Complete Beauty Guide;  Pay Yourself First:   The African American Guide to Financial Success and Security;   Aaliyah – An R & B Princess in Words & Pictures;   Destiny’s Child: The Complete Story  and  Memoirs of a Superfreak – The Confessions of Rick James.

 

In 1996 Tony, along with his wife Yvonne Rose, began writing, and published in 1998 Amber Books first National Best-Selling title, Is Modeling For You? The Handbook and Guide for the Young Aspiring Black Model.   Rose, originally from Roxbury/Boston, and a former internationally renowned  record producer, having had production deals with Virgin Records, Atlantic Records and Pavilion/CBS/Sony Records, has also penned Before the Legend – The Rise of New Kids on the Block… and a Guy Named Maurice Starr – The Early Years scheduled for a July 2008 release. 

 

Rose has acquired/licensed paperback rights from:  Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins and Hyperion Books for publishing and distribution by ACGI.  He has also successfully negotiated numerous worldwide partnerships and licensing deals for ACGI in the United States, South Africa, Europe, and Asia.   ACGI is distributed by Independent Publishers Group (IPG).

  

As a leading book publisher, and mentor to hundreds of authors and publishers, Tony Rose has become one of the most forceful voices in the African American Book Publishing community.  In 2004 he co-founded the African American Pavilion at Book Expo America, bringing together as exhibitors a community of thousands of African American book publishers and book publishing industry professionals, a feat that had been unprecedented in the 109-year history of BookExpo America.  In 2005 Rose founded the Katrina Literary Collective, which has been responsible for collecting and donating over 90,000 books for the Hurricane Katrina Survivors and he serves as a founding Director of the Harlem Book Fair National and The Harlem Book Fair/Roxbury, Mass. 

 

Rose is also the Executive Director and Co-Founder, The African American Pavilion at BookExpo America, Founding “Coordinator” for the Community of Color Pavilion / African American Exhibitors at the American Library Association Annual Conference (ALA),  a Member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. (BCALA) and the Creator and Executive Producer of Literary Living, a unique television show formerly aired on The Black Family Channel and aimed exclusively at the African American book buying market, featuring African American book publishing professionals / personalities and celebrities.   

 

Rose is the recipient of several awards including:  The Chicago Black Book Fair and Conference Independent Publisher/Press Award;  The BlackBoard Bestseller’s African-American Publisher of the Year Award;  The American Library Association “Reluctant Reader” Award;  The 1st YOUnity Book Reviewers, Disilgold Soul Magazine “Publisher of the Millennium” Award;  The Diamond Literary Festival “Certificate of Appreciation” Award;  The Harlem Book Fair, Boston/Roxbury “Charles C. Yancey” Literary Award;  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, House of Representatives, In Recognition of “Promoting the African American Experience Through the Literary World” Award;  The City of Boston “Continuous Promotion of African American Authors” Resolution;  The Black Caucus of The American Library Association (BCALA) “Appreciation Award;  The BookExpo America “Founders Award”;  The Haki R. Madhubuti “Independent Publisher of Note” Award;  The City of Los Angeles, State of California, Leimert Park Village Book Fair, Certificate of Appreciation, “For Extraordinary Contributions to the African American Literacy Legacy” Award;  The Los Angeles Black BookExpo, Certificate of Appreciation ”Outstanding Contributions in Promoting Black Literature” Award and The Cape Verdean News “Millennium Award” for Book Publishing Excellence.