A goal for the new picture book Ambitious Girl (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, January 19, 2020) by New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ niece, Meena Harris, is to cease the limitation of girls’ expectations and opportunities, says the illustrator Marissa Valdez.
“This whole book, Ambitious Girl, is kind of based around Meena’s aunt Kamala Harris and how people … Read the rest
The relationship that R&B and jazz songstress Alyson Williams has with reading today stems from her childhood, which included vigorous academic requirements. “I don’t want to sound like it’s an excuse, I love books,” she tells So Booking Cool. “I physically love a book, the opening, the closing, the spine, the feel of a book, the smell of a book—I love books. But I find—and this is something people may … Read the rest
Before becoming a hit songstress and newly Soul Music Hall of Famer for Best Female Artist, Alyson Williams once felt she had to hide her love for music from her school peers. “I realized at an early age the music that I was surrounded by and the music that I loved was different than the music that all my other friends were into,” the “Just Call My Name” singer recalls … Read the rest
2020 Creative Emmy-winner Nena Erb, ACE (Insecure, Little America, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) has embraced mentorship and networking during quarantine and recommends that creatives do the same. “I would take advantage of this time,” she tells So Booking Cool. “Reach out to anybody whose work you admire and see if they’ll have a little Zoom coffee with you. We’re all kind of hanging out. It’s a really good time … Read the rest
The advice Booki Vivat, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling series, Frazzled, has for other authors and illustrators is to not discredit their creative work. “… Doodling, I totally dismissed it as not being creative,” she tells So Booking Cool. “I grew up writing fanfiction, and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s not writing, that’s not really writing.’ But it is. And all of these things people … Read the rest
In his own words, DJ, producer, record label owner, radio host, and Free the Music Business: Tips and Tales from an Indie Music Nerd author, Adam Cruz, wants to write music that heals. Having recently lost several friends to the pandemic, Cruz is reminded of how short life can be. “I am talking about the feeling of people dying,” he tells So Booking Cool. “I am talking about politics. … Read the rest
For some of us, books are more than words on a page; they do more than tell stories. When emerging author and entrepreneur, Crown Shepherd, aka Crown the Writer, found black authors, her writing soared. Her love for reading and writing, which had gone dormant for about ten years, was resurrected thanks to Octavia Butler and Jesmyn Ward, who is among the black authors of Shepherd’s book club … Read the rest
Fine artist of 35 years, Charly Palmer, does not believe he has yet created a masterpiece, and that is what drives him. His work has been both privately and publicly commissioned by many including the 1996 Olympics; McDonald’s Corporation; Coca Cola Company; the Green Bay Packers; Maya Angelou’s estate before being auctioned by Swann Gallery; and universities (i.e., Howard, Fisk, and Vanderbilt). In 2018, he was awarded with the … Read the rest
Author and previous ESPN sports content researcher, Jeremy Bhandari, wants to inspire youth with his debut book, Trust the Grind: How World-Class Athletes Got To The Top (Mango Publishing, April 14, 2020), an Amazon Teen and Young Adult Sports multi-category bestseller since its launch. The intention was to create a successful-habit template for children no matter their career path. He also wants young people to understand the importance of … Read the rest
We discuss some of the latest news in publishing including the late publishing legend Sonny Mehta (Knopf and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group); we also recognize Kobe Bryant and Langston Hughes; we discuss the backlash Barnes and Noble Fifth Avenue and Penguin Random House received for their Diverse Edition initiative; Jessica Simpson’s new, trending memoir; some of our current and anticipated reads, as well as other bookish tidbits. Check it out! … Read the rest
