RJ Young was not fond of guns, but that changed when he was determined to build a bond with his then white wife’s father, a gun enthusiast. Young became fixated with guns, and eventually became an NRA-certified pistol instructor. The unique and riveting journey to understanding and experiencing gun culture in America as a black man is tackled in Young’s debut, Let It Bang: A Young Black Man’s Reluctant Odyssey … Read the rest
Interview With Afro-Pop Singer FATi!
Some people prefer to keep their goals private. Recording artist FATi is one of those people. Despite having musical ties in her family (she is related to jazz singer Senabella aka The Bronzeville Diva and her (FATi) great-grandmother was a respected jazz artist during the 1940s), FATi chose not to disclose her musical aspirations. The reason is simple: she wanted to protect her dreams. “When something is dear to your … Read the rest
Review: Off the Ropes: The Ron Lyle Story by Candace Toft
OFF THE ROPES: THE RON LYLE STORY, Candace Toft. Hamilcar Publications, $27.95 (214p) ISBN-13: 978-1949590012
Publication date: Oct. 31, 2018
What you learn from a book is what really dictates its value. What the book reveals. What the book confronts. What the book asserts. Off the Ropes: The Ron Lyle Story, is the definitive biography about one of boxing’s “the most known and unknown” (homage to Three Six … Read the rest
Review: GuRu by RuPaul
GURU, RuPaul. Dey Street Books, $25.99 (208p) ISBN: 9780062862990
Publication date: October 23, 2018
If there is anything RuPaul is more passionate about than being unapologetically fierce, it is probably helping others tap into their fierceness—unapologetically, of course. Now, let’s take it further. It’s great to be fierce and fabulous, but how do you treat others? How do you treat yourself? In his new book, GuRu, RuPaul … Read the rest