The mother of all black Book Clubs: after 13 years, Go on Girl! has become a national presence with more than 300 members in 12 states.Thirteen years ago, Tracy Mitchell-Brown opened the doors of her Brooklyn brownstone brownstone, red to brown variety of sandstone. Its unusual color is caused in some instances by the presence of red iron oxide which acts as a cement, binding the sand grains together. and invited a circle of friends to join her in a monthly celebration of black literature. They named themselves the Go on Girl! Book Club, Inc. and affirmed their cultural identity by adopting a logo of a little girl with dreadlocks dread·locks pl.n. 1. A natural hairstyle in which the hair is twisted into long matted or ropelike locks. 2. A similar hairstyle consisting of long thin braids radiating from the scalp. engrossed en·gross tr.v. en·grossed, en·gross·ing, en·gross·es 1. To occupy exclusively; absorb: A great novel engrosses the reader. See Synonyms at monopolize. 2. in reading a book. "When we started in 1991, we never envisioned growing beyond the twelve of us," Mitchell-Brown says. "However, as time progressed, members relocated to different cities and states, and friends and relatives became interested in joining" New chapters came into existence through kinship ties, media attention, seminars and word of mouth. The group quickly grew to include more than 300 members in 12 states, and the Go on Girl! Book Club evolved into the country's largest reading group for black women. "We have a significant impact on the publishing world," says Mitchell-Brown. "By our very size and existence, we prove African Americans buy books, read and discuss them. As a result, publishers began giving us more of what we crave--a diverse selection of books about us and by us." Yet, with 30 or more chapters reading the same book each month, choosing titles is no easy feat. Governed by comprehensive bylaws The rules and regulations enacted by an association or a corporation to provide a framework for its operation and management. Bylaws may specify the qualifications, rights, and liabilities of membership, and the powers, duties, and grounds for the dissolution of an and a board of directors with representatives from each chapter, the group uses genre committees to identify book titles. It also writes letters to publishers, offering critiques, support and words of encouragement. "Authors know that when we really like something, we will support it, and they seek us out," adds Mitchell-Brown. "Not only do we buy the book, we spread the word like wild-fire, among our friends and relatives. We come out, often in groups, to readings and special events just to get our hooks signed and to have a chance to talk with the authors." Honoring Their Own The group honors their favorite authors, local dignitaries and scholarship recipients each year at an elegant ceremony during its Annual Awards Weekend. The 12th Annual Awards weekend will be June 4-6, in Charleston, South Carolina South Carolina, state of the SE United States. It is bordered by North Carolina (N), the Atlantic Ocean (SE), and Georgia (SW). Facts and Figures Area, 31,055 sq mi (80,432 sq km). Pop. (2000) 4,012,012, a 15. , at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center. The Author of the Year Award will be presented to Jewell Parker Rhodes Jewell Parker Rhodes (b.1954 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American novelist. Rhodes is professor of Creative Writing and American Literature and former Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Arizona State University. for her novel Douglass' Women (Washington Square Press, September 2003) and the New Author of the Year Award will be presented to Shelia Williams for Dancing on the Edge of the Roof (One World/Ballantine, October 2002). The South Carolina chapters are hosting this year's event. For more information, contact Monica Williamson; e-mail: mljwill@msn.com or telephone: 803-261-4948. GROUP PROFILE The Club: Go on Girl! Book Club Inc. Location: A national reading group with chapters in California, Georgia Illinois. Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, 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 , Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington. D.C., and Washington State Book Preferences: Books by authors of African descent Number of Members: 300+ How Often They Meet: Once a month Last Book Read; Hottentot Venus by Barbara Chase-Riboud. (Doubleday, November 2003, $24.00. ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-385-50856-5) Next Book: Don't Play In The Sun: One Woman's Journey Through the Color Complex by Marita Golden, (Doubleday, April 2004, $23.95. ISBN 0-385-50786-0) How They Choose Books: Genre committees nominate three books each that are voted upon by the membership body. For more information, visit www.goongirl.org or read The Go on Girl! Book Club Guide for Reading Groups: Works Worth Reading: Chats With Our Favorite Authors; Tips for Starting and Sustaining a Literary Circle by Monique Greenwood. Lynda Johnson. Tracy Mitchell-Brown (Little, Brown & Company, April 1999. ASIN 0-786-88350-2), or write: Go on Girl! Book Club National Headquarters P.O. Box 3368 New York, NY 10185 Clubs Across America Meet in August The National Book Club Conference will convene August 6 through 8 in Atlanta at the Sheraton Buckhead Hotel. More than 50 book clubs from more than 40 states are expected to participate in the second annual event. Curtis Bunn, the organizer, said more than 30 of the top black authors in the country have been invited, including Tina McElroy Ansa, Steven Barnes, Pearl Cleage Pearl Cleage (born 7 December, 1948) is an [African-American]] poet, essayist, and journalist living in Atlanta, Georgia. An activist on issues including AIDS, women's rights, and black life, her first novel, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day , J. California Cooper Joan California Cooper is an African-American playwright and author. , Tananarive Due Tananarive Due (tuh-NAN-uh-reev DOO; born 1966) is an American author. Due is originally from Florida. Her mother is civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due.[] Due earned a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University and an M.A. , Dr. Obery Hendricks, Benilde Little, Victoria Christopher Murray, Jacquelin Thomas, Valerie Wilson The name Valerie Wilson may refer to:
Panel discussions will range from the challenges of black literature, featuring literary agents, publishing editors and marketing managers, to the responsibility of black authors as storytellers, featuring authors, editors and readers. The registration deadline is May 30. For more information, log onto www.nationalbookclubconference.com or call 888-406-6222. The Sheraton Buckhead Hotel is located at 3405 Lenox Road, Atlanta, GA, 30326; telephone 404-261-9250. Pat Houser is a contributing editor for BIBR BIBR Bay Islands Beach Resort (Roatan, Honduras) BIBR Backward Indicator Bit Received . If you would like to have your book club mentioned, e-mail her at pathouser@aol.com. |
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