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AFRICAN-AMERICAN POETRY
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THE DREAM KEEPER AND OTHER POEMS
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Author:Langston Hughes
Gr. 4-12. Hughes' classic poetry collection, originally published for young people in 1932, is reissued here in a handsome new edition. It includes seven additional poems, a fine introduction by Lee Bennett Hopkins, and a personal afterword by Augusta Baker. Black-and-white scratchboard illustrations in Pinkney's signature style express the emotion and beat of the poetry, the laughter that hides pain, the celebration and the struggle of the African American experience, and the music of the weary blues. The poems are as powerful today as they were 60 years ago, colloquial and direct yet mysterious and complex. The simplicity of these lines makes them accessible to middle-graders but doesn't detract from their appeal to older readers. As Hopkins says, "Poem: I loved my friend" has become an elegy for separation and loss. History and the most private feeling "mingle themselves softly" in the voices that "cross and recross" here. Demanding to be spoken aloud, the words sing for all of us. There's no better way to show kids that poetry is about them than to share this collection
Retails:$8.99
C&B Books Price: $8.00
ISBN: 0679883479
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POETRY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
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Author:Vincent R. Alexandria
This is a poetic compilation of soul stirring, moving, and provocative emotions from a romantic man of chivalry. "The Light of Day" and "Dallas Deportment" are two erotic stories in the back of this poetry book that you will need a cup of ice to read. They are sensually hot. The poetry promised to be a passionate treat.
Retails:$14.95
C&B Books Price: $14.00
ISBN: 0974956422
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THE PROPHET
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Author:Kahlil Gibran
A brilliant man's philosophy on love, marriage, joy and sorrow, time, friendship and much more. Originally published in 1923 - translated into more than 20 languages. With 12 full page drawings by Gibran.
Retails:$15.00
C&B Books Price: $10.00
ISBN: 0394404289
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POEMS OF LOVE AND MISTAKES
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Author:Karen Ligon
Love is a Splendorous Thing with Many Assumptions is a compilation of the author's favorite original poetry. This work is simple and truthful, personal, and yet accessible by all. Although the majority of these poems deal with a female's perspective on relationships, feelings, and sensations, several are written with the male psyche in mind. All in all, this poignant collection covers all the emotions of life: love, hurt, abandonment, humor, and eventual fulfillment.
Retails:$14.95
C&B Books Price: $14.00
ISBN: 1413750001
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TEARS FOR WATER
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Author:Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys shares the joys and sorrows that inspired her hit songs. Includes lyrics for 28 songs and poetry from her personal writings.
Retails:$19.95
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YES,GOD,I'M LISTENING
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Author:Regina Vincent Clark
A wonderful book of poetry on life and relationships. Very easy to read and relate to. The book makes a fantastic gift for men and women. There is humor,sadness, and motivation to move beyond shattered and fragmented courtships.
This book is a collection of prayers, poems, essays, scriptures and other inspirational messages that will uplift and soothing a healing heart. Although written from a personal perspective, Yes, God, I'm Listening is for all readers because it addresses issues and concerns that we all go through. The book encourages each reader to establish a loving, listening, personal relationship with God.
Retails:$15.00
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LIFE IS A ROLLER COASTER
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Author:Linda Hayes
Life Is A Roller Coaster" is a collection of poems depicting life's ups, downs, twists, and turns, as seen through the eyes of Linda Hayes, an African American poetess.
Retails:$5.00
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Life is a Roller Coaster
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LIFE IS A ROLLER COASTER 2
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Author:Linda Hayes
Life Is A Roller Coaster" is a collection of poems depicting life's ups, downs, twists, and turns, as seen through the eyes of Linda Hayes, an African American poetess.
Retails:$5.00
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Life is a Roller Coaster 2
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YOU BECKON
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Author:Peggy Eldridge-Love
All that Really Matters
I might have stayed there
engaged in the process,
caught up in the cycle,
needing us to be,
being what you needed
but never being needed by you.
I might have made demands
that elicited half-hearted promises
that echoed in the chamber of
insincerity because in reality
there was never an us,
only a you, only a me, and a process that made us want
there to be something we shared
that was more tangible than just the same name.
I might have reasoned longer
had I not been twenty-one
and positive it wasn’t meant to be so hard,
and that the only word that really mattered
in the English language was “next.”
Retails:$14.95
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THE POET SPEAKS IN BLACK
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Author:Terry A. O'Neal
The Poet Speaks in Black... translates everyday life into dynamic poetry. It touches on every aspect of our lives. "All things will eventually emerge from the darkness and into the light," says O'Neal. Her poems are reflective of African American culture and at the same time underscore our universal humanity.
Dr. Kevin Starr
State Librarian of California
The Poet Speaks In Black is a rich volume of rhythmic, free-verse poetry by Terry O'Neal, an emotional, talented, and compelling female writer. Encouraging dreams, pondering life, and stretching past the horizons of the mind, The Poet Speaks In Black is highly enjoyable reading whether aloud at a microphone or quietly at home
Retails:$16.95
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THE SOUL OF A BLACK WOMAN
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Author:C. Highsmith-Hooks
"The Soul of a Black Woman: From a Whisper to a Shout" marks Cynthia's debut onto the literary scene. This poetry collection spans thirty-one of the author's first forty years and tells her story with great candor and heartache. She shares her innermost thoughts as she survives the crippling effects of fatherly rejection, the pain of first love, early pregnancy and the loss of that child, the insecurity of adolescence and the struggles of single parenthood to finally find herself and her place in the world. From beginning to end, it is a story of empowerment written during various stages of her life and told in four parts: Little Girl Lost, Between Two Worlds, Natural Woman and A New Attitude, A New Direction.
In "Mama Says," a young girl looks for the daddy who left her. "Ghetto Child," tells the story of a child from the 'hood whose senseless death is mourned by only his mother. In "I Know Nothing of Africa", the author uses colorful language to describe her soul-stirring dream-journey to Africa and in "The Last Hanging Tree", she vividly recounts the lynching of a man as if she was actually there. The title poem proclaims the magnificent power, remarkable resilience and undying spirit of the black woman, "the mother of all life." It is a celebration of all womanhood. Seven short stories round out this collection, the most compelling of which is "Just Like the Mama."
Retails:$20.99
ISBN: 1401065503
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NEW POEMS
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Author:Alice Walker
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple gives us her first new collection of poetry in more than a decade, poems that reaffirm her as “one of the best American writers of today” (The Washington Post).
The forces of nature and the strength of the human spirit inspire the poems in Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth. Alice Walker opens us up to feeling and understanding with poems that cover a broad spectrum of emotions. With profound artistry, Walker searches for, discovers, and declares the fundamental beauty of existence, as she explores what it means to live life fully, to learn from it, and to grow both as an individual and as part of a greater spiritual community.
In “The Same as Gold,” Walker writes of the essence of grief, and of our inherent powers of love and acceptance. In “Everyone Who Works for Me,” Walker considers, with humor and grace, the frenzy that permeates modern life-a frenzy that prevents us from seeing the beauty in everything we do until we step back and take the time to look at and comprehend ourselves and those around us. In “The Love of Bodies,” Walker elegantly expresses the gratitude and tenderness we are capable of feeling for loved ones, living and dead, and the inescapable emotional connections that bind us together.
About Walker’s poetry, America has said, “In the tradition of Whitman, Walker sings, celebrates and agonizes over the ordinary vicissitudes that link and separate all of humankind,” and the same could be said about this astonishing new collection.
Retails:$22.95
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COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO WRITING POETRY
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Author:Nikki Moustaki
Discover the poet within! You've read poetry that has touched your heart, and you'd like to improve your own writing technique. But even though you have loads of inspiration, you're discovering that good instruction can be as elusive as a good metaphor. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry will help you compose powerful, emotion-packed poems that you can be proud of. You'll learn simple explanations of poetry building blocks such as metaphor, imagery, symbolism and stanzas; steps to the poetic process; easy-to-follow guidelines for writing sonnets, sestinas, narrative poems and more; fun exercises to help you master the basics of poetry writing; cliches and other poetry pitfalls to avoid; advice on writers' conferences and workshops; tips on getting your poetry published; good poems that will inspire your own work; strategies to beat writer's block.
Retails:$16.95
ISBN: 0028641418
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ROSE THAT GREW FROM CONCRETE
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Author:Tupac Shakur, Karolyn Ali (Editor),Foreword by Nikki Giovanni
This collection of more than 100 poems that honestly and artfully confront topics ranging from poverty and motherhood to Van Gogh and Mandela is presented in Tupac Shakur's own handwriting on one side of the page, with a typed version on the opposite side. This book is full of 2Pac's poetry in his own words from his heart. A book that should be read and taken seriously
Retails:$20.00
ISBN: 0671028448
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CHOCOLATE THOUGHTS
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Author:S. James Guitard
Chocolate Thoughts is a compilation of 55 short stories, essays and poetry from the hearts and minds of Black men. A searing modern commentary, it provides a spirited, at times austere look at psychological, social, political, and economic views that are often held but not expressed by Black men to the general public.
Often referenced as a modern day combination of Langston Hughes and James Baldwin, Mr. Guitard's writings provide uncompromising truth about how Black men truly feel about themselves, relationships, family, sex, marriage, work, careers, religion, love, money, racism, music, sports, and violence. It uniquely captures the commonality of Black men irrespective of their socioeconomic background or educational attainment.
Retails:$22.95
ISBN: 1929642008
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PERSOULNALITIES
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Author:Heather Covington
Have you ever come face to face with a shark before and lived to tell the world about it? Get ready to meet PerSOULnalities: Poems For Every Kind Of Woman: The Complete Trilogy Series, written and illustrated by Heather Covington, and dubbed as the poetical bible of all women's perSOULnalities. The book debuted at The Circle Of Sisters in New York's Jacob Javits Center with an all star entourage of celebrity authors along with C&B Books. Every personality is unearthed in this neo-perSOULnal and fashionably illustrated collection of memorable caricatures that will remind the reader of every encounter from upright souls to splashes of motivational and heartwarming caricatures to return the reader to normalcy after meeting these poetical divas. No one is left out. Careful, there are a few sharks in these ocean waters. The question is, " What will you do when you meet them, and will you be able to face caricatures like Negativity's Shoes and move on, once and for all?"
Retails:$17.50
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A ROYAL TRIP
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Poetry For Those With Soul
Author:Glynnis Christian
What has been called the Black experience holds different meanings for every person of African descent. As an adult I found myself dissatisfied with the lack of factual African and African American history. I began to acquire the publications of historians the world over. Unknowingly, I had embarked on a search for my true self. I now, with eyes wide open, see what I had not seen before and feel what I have never felt before. Through this book of poetry I wish to pass these thoughts on to others who may be unknowingly searching as well.
Retails:$10.95
ISBN: 0741411482
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FOOLISH/UNFOOLISH
Reflections on Love
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Author:Ashanti
Foolish/Unfoolish is a collection of vibrant and honest "reflections on love" by R&B singer Ashanti. Ever since she was thirteen years old, Ashanti has kept journals of her poetry, thoughts, and ideas about life and love. Now, in this very personal collection, Ashanti presents her poems about love, along with stories about what (or who) moved her to write them. In Foolish/Unfoolish, Ashanti explores such universal themes as falling head-over heals in love, becoming insanely jealous, feeling broken-hearted, and being single but having hope for the future. In "No Words," she describes being completely addicted to a new boyfriend; in "Ride Out," she captures what it feels like to be joyriding with your man on a hot summer night; in "Insecure," she writes about telling a suspicious boyfriend to stop driving by her house at night to see if her car is there; and in "Us," she delves into the pain of discovering that your man is cheating on you. Spirited, moving and often filled with humor, Ashanti’s poetry and reflections will entertain and surprise as they offer an intimate look into the life of one of today’s most popular performers. These are works that are both lyrical and raw and which tell the truth about love.
Retails:$16.95
ISBN: 1401300308
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POETIC WISDOM
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Author:Julie Murray
Poetic Wisdom promises to lead you on a journey in search of your soul. From battles with external societal demons, to internal challenges and self-imposed limitations, Murray helps you achieve balance through unconditional love of self and love of others. Throughout Poetic Wisdom, Murray's poetry offers inspirational affirmations through bold honesty, thought-provoking interludes and, of course, lots of love.
Retails:$15.00
ISBN: 0795101333
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SECRETS OF MY SOUL
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Author:Latorial Fasion
This collection is packed with over seventy poetic renditions including "Secrets of My Soul." "Fast Girls" "Pure Thought," "Rev. Dr. Do Right," "They Trouble Me," "Loving You," "How Did You Decide," "Glad God Gave Me You," "Born At The Right Time" and many more. With this collection, Faison aims to put readers in touch with the reality of a soul pondering its own identity and realness in the trenches of a multifaceted world of change and circumstances. Readers will be captivated by this collection's poetically resounding and emotional truths on love, life and spirituality.
Retails:$14.99
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SELECTED POEMS
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Author:Gwendolyn Brooks
A Street in Bronzeville to David and Keziab Brooks - kitchenette building
We are things of dry hours and the involuntary plan,
Grayed in, and gray. "Dream" makes a giddy sound, not strong
Like "rent," "feeding a wife," "satisfying a man."
But could a dream send up through onion fumes
Its white and violet, fight with fried potatoes
And yesterday's garbage ripening in the hall,
Flutter, or sing an aria down these rooms
Even if we were willing to let it in,
Had time to warm it, keep it very clean,
Anticipate a message, let it begin?
We wonder. But not well! not for a minute!
Since Number Five is out of the bathroom now,
We think of lukewarm water, hope to get in it.
Retails:$12.00
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THE VINTAGE BOOK OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN POETRY
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Author:Michael S. Harper(Editor)
What makes special this collection special is the general introduction, along with the biographies that introduce the work of each poet. The introduction articulates clearly the history of African American poetry, and emphasizes the political and historical context of the poems. The editors then use the work of Sterling A. Brown as a model for investigating and understanding the work of each individual poet. Each biography provides basic facts and summary of the work, and also some evaluation of style, topic and form, which will help both students and teachers study and appreciate the poetry.
Retails:$14.00
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THE COMPLETE COLLECTED POEMS OF MAYA ANGELOU
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Author:Maya Angelou (Editor)
Maya Angelou's five volumes of poems are reset in a handsome typeface, and produced in a collector's first edition. {They} celebrate black people, men and women; at the same time, they bear witness to the trials of black people in this country. The poems are generous in their directness, in the humor Angelou finds alongside her outrage and pain, in their robust embrace of life. The musical currents of blues and jazz, and the rhythm of rap songs, and the language of the Bible mingle in her poems. 'Still I Rise' deploys most of these forces, as it celebrates black women while simultaneously challenging the stereotypes to which America has subjected them since the days of slavery. The penultimate stanza is especially strong: 'Out of the huts of history's shame/ I rise Up from a past that's rooted in pain/ I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide
Retails:$24.00
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THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LANGSTON HUGHES
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Author:Langston Hughes
At last Hughes has gotten his first collected edition; it is overdue. The editors have attempted to collect every poem (860 in all) published by the writer in his lifetime, and have also provided a brief but informative introduction, a detailed chronology and extensive textual notes that include the original date and place of publication for each poem. In fact, this edition corrects the many errors and omissions of the standard Hughes bibliography, and the editors plan to update the text as more unpublished work surfaces. Although Hughes is best known for his poems celebrating African African life, he was also a passionately political poet who paid dearly for his communist affiliations and radical views. The chronological arrangement of the poems allows the reader to follow the course of Hughes's career-long political engagement, though probably Hughes will mainly be read for the clarity of his language, his wise humor and his insight into the human condition.
Retails:$18.95
C&B Books Price: $12.00
ISBN: 0679764089
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SELECTED POEMS OF LANGSTON HUGHES
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Author:Langston
The poems in this collection were chosen by Hughes himself shortly before his death in 1967 and represent work from his entire career, including "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "The Weary Blues," "Still Here," "Song for a Dark Girl," "Montage of a Dream Deferred," and "Refugee in America." It gives us a poet of extraordinary range, directness, and stylistic virtuosity.
Retails:$13.00
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I AM THE DARKER BROTHER
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An Anthology of Modern Poems by African Americans
Author:Arnold Adolff-Benny Andrews(Illustrator)Foward by Nikki Giovanni
First published in 1968, this anthology was one of the first collections of African American poetry specifically created with the young reader in mind. Along with selections from Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks, this newly updated version features poems by such contemporary poets as Maya Angelou, Ishmael Reed, Rita Dove, and others. This is a comprehensive reflection of the African-American voice and culture
Retails:$4.99
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GRAND MOTHERS
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Poems, Reminiscences, and Short Stories about the Keepers of Our Traditions
Author:Nikki Giovanni(Editor)
Poet Nikki Giovanni asked her friends--people such as Gloria Naylor and Gwendolyn Brooks-for their stories and recollections of their grandmothers. The result of their collaborative efforts is this wonderful collection which celebrates those special women who preserve our heritage and prepare our future
Retails:$7.95
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CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT
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The Best Short Stories by Black Writers 1967 to the Present
Author:Gloria Naylor
Gloria Naylor has compiled an encore volume, Children of the Night, bringing this extraordinary series up to date. Gathering together the most gifted black writers of our time - from 1967 to the present - Naylor has assembled a rich and varied collection of stories. The portrait that emerges of the African-American experience in the post-Civil Rights era is stirring, compelling, sometimes disturbing, and certainly provocative. Naylor has arranged the stories thematically so the reader focuses on a particular subject - slavery, for example, or the family. In the hands of different writers, these themes provide a wealth and variety of human experience.
Retails:$14.95
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