Sisterfriends' first decade: a North New Jersey reading club shares literature and lots of love.EACH MONTH, MEMBERS OF SISTERFRIENDS, each bearing a book and a dish to fit the selected menu, converge on one of the member's living rooms from throughout northern New Jersey. It is not uncommon, they say, for some discussions to get lively and animated and go on for hours and hours. "It's never just about the book. Invariably in·var·i·a·ble adj. Not changing or subject to change; constant. in·var  i·a·bil , as we
discuss the words on the printed pages, we are transported into
someone's real-life experience," says. Roslyn Y. Rogers, the
Sisterfriends founder.
In July 1997, Rogers, who is vice president for human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. for Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood A service mark used for an organization that provides family planning services. of Metropolitan New Jersey (Newark, New Jersey) and an adjunct professor at William Paterson Several notable individuals have been named William Paterson:
That August, seven women, all relatives or close friends, met and Sisterfriends was born, and the group has met monthly ever since with few exceptions. The book club will celebrate its 10th anniversary this summer. Rogers has two sisters, Joan Rogers Ross and Wadette Rogers Jones, and several cousins in the club. Members come from Irvington, Jersey City, Newark, North Plainfield North Plainfield, residential borough (1990 pop. 18,820), Somerset co., NE N.J.; settled 1736, inc. 1885. A Revolutionary War cemetery is there. , Piscataway, Rahway and other towns. A friend, graphic designer Dennis Flagg, created a logo for the club, depicting a rich piece of colorful kente ken·te n. 1. A brightly patterned, handwoven ceremonial cloth of the Ashanti. 2. A durable machine-woven fabric similar to this fabric, prominently featured in Afrocentric fashion. cloth, symbolic of our African roots, with threads joining to form the silhouettes of seven women, representing the seven women attending the first meeting. "From diverse walks of life, we come together to support, nurture and affirm one another," says Rogers. Members include professional women, educators, homemakers, airline employees and government workers, ranging in age from their thirties to sixties. "Our reading experience has been culturally enriching, entertaining and inspiring," she adds. "In our early days, we made a commitment to read exclusively authors of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color and have remained true to that ideal." Chatting With Authors The club has also been visited by an impressive roster of authors. Several times a year, it holds an "Author's Showcase," inviting the writer of the monthly selection to chat with the group. Authors Dr. Obery Hendricks, (Living Water, HarperSanFrancisco, 2003) and Bernice L. McFadden (Sugar, Plume, 2001 and This Bitter Earth (Min.) tale earth; calcined magnesia. See also: Bitter , Plume, 2002) have sat in on meetings. Gloria Mallette has become almost a "resident author," making frequent visits, Rogers says. And the author expresses gratitude. Mallette, who recently moved from New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. to Pennsylvania, has visited the club or joined by speakerphone for every book she has written and members have attended her book launches in the city. "Since my first self-published book, Shades of Noun 1. shades of - something that reminds you of someone or something; "aren't there shades of 1948 here?" reminder - an experience that causes you to remember something Jade (Villard, 2001), to my most recent title, If There Be Pain (Dafina Books/Kensington, 2006), the fabulous ladies of Sisterfriends Book Club have walked alongside me on my literary journey," Mallette says. "What I love most is their unbiased and direct analysis of my story lines and characters. They are serious readers, and I am honored that they have chosen to read my titles." The group has also functioned as a prayer circle and raises money for causes such as breast cancer research and Hurricane Katrina recovery. "While the reading may stimulate our intellect, the book club meetings have become so much more," says Rogers. "Each meeting begins with sharing our month's events with one another and ends with prayer and lots of hugs. We discuss life, share spirit and exchange ideas. Sometimes, we laugh so hard until we cry, and other times we cry so hard until we laugh." If you would like to have your book club covered, visit www.bibookreview.com or e-mail bibookreview@aol.com, or write us at 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1522, Empire State Building, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY 10118. THE CLUB: Sisterfriends LOCATION: Northern New Jersey BOOK PREFERENCES: African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. fiction, nonfiction, inspirational and self-published books. NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 12 to 20 (membership varies) HOW OFTEN THEY MEET: One Saturday monthly HOW THEY CHOOSE BOOKS: Members present book recommendations for the group to discuss and choose. LAST BOOK READ: Last Bride Standing by Patricia Ann Phillips (K Mass Paper. March 2006, $6.99, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-758-20833-2) GROUP'S REACTION: The book was well received, under the club's rating system of 1-5 (5 being the highest), the overall score was 4 1/2. NEXT BOOK: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama (Crown Publishers, October 2006, $25, ISBN 0-307-23769-9) For more information, contact: Roslyn Y. Rogers; e-mail: Rozattifl@verizon.net. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion