From the editor-in-chief.

I wish BIBR were celebrating a wizened, silver-haired Malcolm X on his 77th birthday, which would have been May 19th. I'm guessing that he'd still be magnificently tall, but perhaps his "redbone" skin wouldn't be as taut on his sculpted cheekbones and square chin. A bit of gray stubble might have peeked through like silver glitter on his clean-shaven face. His eyes would be even more intense and illuminated, although his glasses might have thicker lenses cut into a stylish new design, to keep in step with the times. But I know he'd still be Malcolm. He'd wear the dignity of his years regally, just as he wore the mantle of leadership in his prime.

Like so many others who still weep for him, I wish BIBR could send a photographer out to some quiet place to which Malcolm had retired and capture him in his study, his brilliant mind in profound thought. I wish we could assign a writer to interview him and his wife, Betty Shabazz, there in a simple den, filled with mementos of lives given to the cause of liberation.

But if wishes were reality we would miss many of the flavors of life, delighting only in the sweet, and never tasting the bitter-sweet. It is a sweet, yet melancholy privilege, as we approach Malcolm's birthday, to feature his daughter on our cover and to talk to Ilyasah Shabazz about her new book, Growing Up X.

It is also a pleasure to include in this issue our special report on BookExpo America (BEA), the book industry's largest annual gathering. BEA will be held in New York City's Javits Center from May 3 to 5, with special activities planned for African-American booksellers the day before.

Since BIBR launched our first issue in 1999, we have exhibited at BEA and experienced the utter joy and excitement of this spectacular event. Here, best-selling and prizewinning authors roam the aisles like mere mortals. (Witness our very own Advertising Director Michelle Gipson with Oprah Winfrey, who happened by our booth last year. See photo in BIBR, September/October 2001, p. 8.) Publishers give away samples of the best reading for the coming year, and awestruck attendees amble along weighed down by the booty of galleys. There are concerts by recording artists-turned-authors. Readings and book signings by new and notable writers are so plentiful--it's frustrating not being able to meet every single one of your favorites. And the fellowship of booklovers, from those who help produce the books, to those who sell them, to those like us who read and talk about them, creates an atmosphere of book heaven.

I am reminded, however, that it was not always so for black booklovers. Some of BIBR's staff have attended this event for decades and have made me acutely aware that not so many years ago, you could count on one hand those of African descent in attendance. The current black presence at BEA is a result of the growth of our black reading culture. We at BIBR do not take it for granted, and to make sure our communities receive information on this most important gathering, we've prepared this special report on BEA, starting on page 71. It is your guide to the festivities for those booksellers who are attending, and a glimpse inside the world of book publishing. We hope it will be the first of many.

If you're at BEA, drop by and see me and my staff. We'll be at booth # 4280. Just look for the corner booth with the party crowd of black booklovers.

Sincerely,

William E. Cox
President/Editor-in-Chief