A Great Summer for Black Books.

This summer offers the best publishing line-up of fiction by black authors, perhaps in history. Not only are a number of our beloved best-selling favorites back with long-awaited next novels, but a number of rising stars are returning with mature additions to their early work. And, formerly first-time and self-published authors are proving their staying power with new books. In paperback and hardcover, readers of African American fiction--whatever their taste or preferred genre--have choices like never before. We trust this issue of BIBR will help you choose many and well.

We've included a host of fiction reviews. In addition, we are looking at this season's crop of fiction similar to the way many of us take in the wonderful rays of summer--through a lens. Rather than sunglasses, however, we're checking out these shiny new novels by examining how black writers are crossing over from other genres, especially plays, into fiction. We're also highlighting the important social themes our writers are exploring through their fiction and commentary. (See "The Literature of AIDS" page 48.) We hope this story will spur dialogue about the social and interpersonal issues associated with the disease.

This issue is jam packed with news about developments in the black writing community, new deals for black authors at major publishing houses, amazing work from independents publishing on the Internet, writing contests for our youth, black comic book innovators, and much more.

Amid this climate of expansion and development, BIBR has launched a new program to bring our readers together with publishing service providers--editors, proofreaders, agents, graphic designers, printers, and others. We know from the volume of calls and emails to our office that our ads work! Last issue we ran a small ad from a young black independent literary agent Arlene Roberts. When she told us about the immediate strong response we were encouraged to devote a full page of advertising to bring such professionals to our readers. Many of you are writers, aspiring authors, or involved in myriad other activities of the book world and need access to such services. Others of you are among the growing cadre of African American (and other) professionals who provide these services with excellence. We're hoping to hook you up. A small representation of what is in store for future issues is on page 57.

Have a wonderful reading summer. Enjoy the issue. Keep your feedback coming to us via letters and email--we really do listen to you!