Noteworthy titles.

Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race. by Maureen Mahon Duke University Press, September 2004 $22.95, ISBN 0-822-33317-1

Mahon, an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology and the African American Studies Program at UCLA, takes on a topic that doesn't get much attention or airplay these days--black rock 'n' roll. Although, many people will acknowledge that the "original architects" of rock music were black (musicians such as Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Etta James and Little Richard), few may be aware that there are plenty of musicians today who are still rockin'. Mahon offers an up-close look at the performers who formed the Black Rock Coalition, and she discusses the connections between music, race and identity.

All-Night Party: The Women of Bohemian Greenwich Village and Harlem, 1913-1930 by Andrea Barnet Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill March 2004 $16.95, ISBN 1-565-12381-6

During the early years of the 20th century--and even nowadays--New York's Greenwich Village and Harlem were two of the most exciting communities in the city, brimming with creativity, political activism, rebellion and scandal All-Night Party profiles women, including Alberta Hunter, Hessie Smith, Madame C.J. Walker and Ethel Waters who were at the center of the artistic and social excitement.