Black History Month Spotlight: Kevin Benoit, Parlé Magazine and Parlé Endeavors Founder

Image credits: Reynaldo Osoria

Kevin Benoit learned the power of voice early. Since age 12, he has helped others find and use their own. This Black History month, SBC highlights and explores the contributions of the 39-year-old self-starter who founded Parlé Magazine over two-decades ago, and, more recently, its arm nonprofit organization, Parlé Endeavors.

Benoit was born and raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Originally named Kerven, his parents legally changed … Read the rest

ACINOM Yoga & Therapy Founder and CEO Names Yvonne Orji’s “Bamboozled by Jesus”

What’s a soul read? A soul read is basically a book that touches one or every fiber of one’s being. It is when you feel a strong connection to the story. For Monica Shepherd, founder and CEO of the New York based organization, Acinom Yoga & Therapy LLC, that book is Bamboozled by Jesus: How God Tricked Me into the Life of My Dreams (Worthy Books/Hachette) by actress … Read the rest

Interview With “Wicked, Wild, Wonderful” Author Matthew Dawkins!

mdawkinsMatthew Dawkins, Watty award-winning author of Wicked, Wild, Wonderful, vividly remembers the moment he knew he wanted to be a writer. He was in the seventh grade. Instead of completing classwork, he was in book heaven with Clockwork Angel by New York Times bestselling author Cassandra Clare, one of his inspirations. Dawkins was the kid who asked for a book any chance he got.

“When I was younger … Read the rest

Book Report: RIP Publishing Legend Sonny Mehta, Kobe Bryant, Happy belated Langston Hughes; The “Diverse Editions” Backlash; Current reads & more!

sbc epi 1 collageWe 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