Urban X.nyc Blog and Urban X Podcast founder and co-host Malcom X. Bowser believes it is time to start highlighting and championing shining examples from one’s community. It is why he wrote Urban Xcellence: Unveiling Extraordinary Stories by Everyday People (January 21, 2020). Initially, Bowser conducted interviews with his peers to provide a platform and gain inspiration. Learning about their journeys helped him navigate his own life such as figuring … Read the rest
Interview With “The Animal People” Co-director Casey Suchan! (PART 1)
So you’ve figured out that you want to work in a particular industry, let’s say film. But do you know which aspect of film? Do you know the kinds of stories you want to tell and how you want to tell them? Everyone comes to find their place in their chosen field. They realize where they best fit in, and more importantly, where their passion lies. For veteran filmmaker Casey … Read the rest
Review: Legacy and the Queen by Annie Matthew and creator Kobe Bryant
![Legacy Cover[2]](https://i0.wp.com/sobookingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Legacy-Cover2.png?resize=712%2C1068&ssl=1)
LEGACY AND THE QUEEN, Annie Matthew, Kobe Bryant. Granity Studios, $11.88 (208p) ISBN-13: 978-1949520033
Publication date: September 3, 2019
From Kobe Bryant’s Granity Studios, comes the unique and beautiful middle grade fantasy novel, Legacy and the Queen, penned by the talented Annie Matthew. Endearing as it is inspiring, the tale centers on Legacy, a selfless tween from the Republic of Nova, who, when she is not helping her … Read the rest
Interview With “How to Be Remy Cameron” Author Julian Winters! (Part 1)
When Julian Winters reflects on how he has grown as a writer since his award-winning debut, Running With Lions (Interlude Press, 2018), he acknowledges both personal and professional improvements. One of the challenges he initially faced when penning his sophomore novel, How to Be Remy Cameron, released earlier this month by the same parent publisher, were his doubts about telling a story in the first-person.
“Running With … Read the rest
Interview (Part 1) With Songwriter & “Permission to Fly” Author, Layng Martine, Jr.!
He’s written hits for the likes of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Pointer Sisters, Reba McEntire, and Billy “Crash” Craddock (whose “Rub it In” song inspired the “Plug it In” jingle) to name a few. He wrote an essay about his marriage of 54 years for the New York Times Modern Love column that moved the world. Now, he has written his debut bestseller, Permission to Fly: A Memoir … Read the rest
Review: Diamond Doris: The True Story of the World’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief by Doris Payne
DIAMOND DORIS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST NOTORIOUS JEWEL THIEF, Doris Payne. Amistad, $25.99 (288p) ISBN-13: 9780062917997
Publication date: September 10, 2019
To say that it is amazing that Doris Payne generated a career as a global jewelry thief for six decades is an understatement. When reading about her life, one can’t help but marvel over the level of dedication and precision that she exerted into her unlawful … Read the rest
Interview (Part 2) With “For Black Girls Like Me” Author Mariama J. Lockington!
“Writing and storytelling is such a powerful tool for building confidence in young people,” novelist Mariama J. Lockington tells So Booking Cool in part two of our conversation. This statement arrives when we ask the “For Black Girls Like Me” author about the story behind her passion for leading youth. Lockington, who noted in part one that her work with middle schoolers contributed to the dialogue for … Read the rest
Review: Dapper Dan Made in Harlem: A Memoir
DAPPER DAN MADE IN HARLEM: A MEMOIR, Daniel R. Day. Random House, $28.00 (277p) ISBN-13: 9780525510512
Publication date: July 9, 2019
He might have been born and raised in Harlem, but his impact as a fashion designer has been felt worldwide. Daniel Day, a.k.a. Dapper Dan, is a man of immense complexity. He was born in 1944, one of seven children, and was a Daddy’s boy, not a Momma’s … Read the rest
Author Piece: Bosom Friends & Pen Pals in FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME by Mariama J. Lockington
FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME, MARIAMA J. LOCKINGTON. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), $9.99 (336p) ISBN-13: 978-0374308049
Publication date: July 30, 2019
Before I’d ever read the books by L.M. Montgomery, I fell in love with the 1985 Anne of Green Gables film adaptation starring Megan Follows. From the opening scene, where Anne is wandering through the woods reciting poetry dramatically from a worn book, to her first love-sick … Read the rest
Interview With Journalist & Author of “Truthteller,” Stephen Davis!
It is a fact of life that some people do not watch the news because they find it depressing. It is another fact that many people are fascinated by conspiracy theories such as the Illuminati. Award-winning journalist of 30 years and author of the new book, Truthteller: An Investigative Reporter’s Journey Through the World of Truth Prevention, Fake News and Conspiracy Theories (Exisle Publishing, May 7), … Read the rest