WIN A FREE COPY OF . . . AFTER THE DANCE . . . AND OTHER PRIZES . . . (See Contest Details Below)

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a music lover. My debut novel contains over 20 references to songs and artists. But one artist in particular has more songs listed than any of the others.

I'll award a free, autographed copy of AFTER THE DANCE to the first person who can correctly guess the name of the artist whose music is mentioned more times than any of the others in the book.

In addition, I'll award a free AFTER THE DANCE cd (either Marvin's or the Fourplay version) to the first person who can correctly guess the number of songs the book contains by the artist whose name is most frequently mentioned.

As an extra bonus, I'll give a free bottle of Memphis barbeque sauce (Neely's or Corky's) to the first person who can correctly guess the names of the songs by the artist who is most frequently mentioned in my novel, AFTER THE DANCE.

Got it?! You wanna play? Yes, it is possible to win all three prizes. No, you won't have to pay any shipping and handling charges. Ready?! Set!? Go!

NOTE: MALCOLM WON THE FREE AUTOGRAPHED BOOK !!! BUT THE FREE CD AND BOTTLE OF MEMPHIS BARBECUE SAUCE ARE STILL UP FOR GRABS!!!

WOMEN, MARRIAGE AND THE BONE DENSITY FACTOR . . .

No, this is not a post about osteoporosis. It is a post about bones . . . more specifically spines or, perhaps, I should say . . . the lack thereof.

I guess, I just don't get it--you know--the whole "publicly standing by my man" bit, particularly when said "man" has not only broken his marriage vows, but made a Zip-Dang-Fool of himself to boot.

Why after being duped by said Zip-Dang-Fool would any woman, owning so much as an ounce of self-respect left, turn around and let Zip D. Fool drag her before the public so He can apology for His transgressions? Yes, I am referring to women like Effie Barry, Suzanne Craig, Carlita Kilpatrick, Silda Spitzer and all of the others . . .

Okay, I do understand and respect folks going off privately to work on their marriage/relationship/issues and the like. I've been married a long time--long enough to have high school age kids, actually, even though I don't. I know it's all about compromise, learning to take the good with the bad and operating in a spirit of forgiveness. I'm not about to hate or cast aspersions on any woman or man who ultimately decides she/he wants to stay with Zippy, put the transgressions behind them and move forward. Tor err is human. Now, to make the dang same err over and over and over again, is, well, you know . . .

I'm just saying, after the dirt's been done, why parade the Mrs. out to hold Mr. Fool's hand, pat his back and stand by his side? For the career? Heck, seems to me Zip should have thought about that before he unzipped . . . For the children? Please. I think, in the long-run, children are better served by having a Mama with a back-bone.

Really, I just wish more of these ladies would just say, "No, I'm not going out there!" Tell ole boy, "Okay, we can work on our issues, but after having already abused me and my trust, I'm simply not going to let you use me in this fashion."

I'm sure there will be others, but if I could say anything to them it would be "Stop drinking the Kool-Aid! Really, it ain't nothing, but poison, the type of which will eat your soul, if you let it. Instead, why not go get yourself a big, tall glass of milk, put your big girl panties on and see if you can't sing a few bars of Beyonce's "To The Left?" I bet it would make you feel a whole lot better.

(Written while listening to Erykah Badu's "The Healer" "Master Teacher" "Honey" and Aretha's "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and "Respect."

COLOR BLIND . . . or . . . COLOR STRUCK? (True Story) . . .

Back when I was a bright-eyed, twenty-some-year-old, college student and living in Memphis, I found myself frequenting a hair salon with a predominately-White clientele. The salon was one of those chains you typically find in a mall. Matter of fact, this one was located in what, at the time, was my favorite mall--the now demolished, though forever infamous (smile) Mall of Memphis.

Anyway, I was sporting a perm back then and I'd somehow lucked up on a fella at this particular salon who could give me that hot, poofed-out look all the PYT's were sporting in the '80s. So one day, I'm there sitting under the dryer (possibly getting a conditioner, I can't recall) when the older White lady seated next to me strikes up a conversation.

No biggie right? Happens all the time in salons across America, I'm sure. But hold on, this one was a little bit different. This lady, bless her lil ole heart, starts in on how she loves my color.

"Oh my, I just absolutely love your color! I'd give anything to be able to tan like that."

With the salon music blaring (Duran, Duran, no doubt) in the background and the dryer humming on full blast, it takes me a few seconds to process the information and to realize, okay, wait, she thinks I'm . . .

I've barely finished the thought when she smiles ever so sweetly and asks, "So are you Greek? Jewish? Italian?"

Okay, granted, I'm a card-carrying member of the light-skinned tribe. I have a tendency to wash out in pictures and grow pale in the winter-time. And, sure, my perm-straightened head was tucked inside of a dryer. But I'm sorry, the nose is a dead-give away. Till this day, how anyone could ever mistake me for anything other than a person of African descent, truly boggles my mind.

In any case, I smile ever so sweetly back at her and say, "No ma'am, actually, I'm African American."

The sweet little old lady's smile disappears and for the remainder of our stints beneath our respective dryers, she doesn't utter so much as another word in my direction. Go figure (LOL).

(Written while listening to Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady," "I Say A Little Prayer," and "Think.")

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #17 . . . 13 FOODS THAT MAKE ME SAY "YUCK!"

We all have them, right? Come on, you know you do (smile). Okay, I'm talking about those foods that trigger your gag reflex or make you wanna cuss your Mama, or whomever it is who's insisting you eat, taste or try "just a little bit." Bleech! For my Big Guy, it's beets and Brussell sprouts. For my little one, it's creamed spinach. You'd best believe, if something, anything is nasty to this kid, inevitably, he says it tastes like creamed spinach. Personally, I don't have a problem with any of the aforementioned. But just thinking about any of the following, summons a right awful taste in my mouth . . .

1) Fig Newtons (My husband loves these. But really, don't these taste like something that got rolled in kitty litter?)

2) Pottage, Cottage . . . Okay, "Potted" Meat (This is one I've long filed under mystery meat).

3) Spam (What sick and diseased animal does this come from anyway? See above).

4) Okra (This holds the honor of being the very first food that I can ever recall making me gag.)

5) Black-Eyed Peas (Okra and Peas seem to always come together to make one big, nasty-a$$ slime fest, don't they?)

6) Liverwurst (Liver is a bile secreting organ . . . need I say more?)

7) Livercheese (You know, I think I want to hurl.)

8) Liver (Okay, by now I think it's pretty much been established that anything with the word "liver" in it gets a pass from me.)

9) Cottage Cheese (I won't even put this in my lasanga. For me, the only thing more disgusting than eating it--is watching someone else do so. Bleech!

10) Grape Fruit (I say we vote this bitter, sour imposter right out of the fruit family.)

11) Watergate Salad (My mom loves to make this marshmallow, fruit and whipped cream-filled, multi-colored concoction and my hubby is generally the first to fix himself a big bowl. I, on the other hand, consider this little more than sweet and chunky cottage cheese with a bit of food coloring tossed in a sly attempt to fool the eye.)

12) Ground Turkey (I had a bad experience with this once. Rather than share any of the gross details, I'll just say it's not an experience I'd wish on my worse enemy.)

13) Egg Nog (There's not enough liquor in the world to make me want to drink this. Actually, I highly suspect this is cottage cheese that's been pureed with buttermilk, which, for the record, I can't stand either.)

Okay, your turn. Which foods consistently turn your stomach? I'm saying, let's all be grossed out together . . .

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

I WISH I HAD THE TIME . . . BUT AT LEAST, SOMEBODY IS READING . . .

From Lori's Picture Collection

At the moment, the fellas in my life, at least the ones with whom I currently reside, are out reading me. The tyke you see in the picture above is now quite a few years older. From the looks of things, he's even recently acquired his very first zit. Poor baby (smile).

But between his Sports Illustrated For Kids and college basketball mags, the young'un has been reading The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and poetry by Claude McKay from The Portable Harlem Renaissance Reader. No, none of the aforementioned is required reading for a class or an assignment from his dear old mother (smile). Actually, I told him The Three Musketeers might prove a bit challenging for him and recently he agreed. But to his credit, he hasn't given up and tossed the book aside just yet. I, most certainly, would have at his age. The other book, The Portable Harlem Renaissance Reader is something the boy's dad (the hubby) picked up for him last year at a Black Book store we visited on a spur of the moment trip to Durham. Now why the boy's sudden interest in Claude McKay's poetry is anybody's guess. Hey, he's just strange like that and he lucked up and gott nerds for parents, is what I figure.

For inspiration, the hubby is currently reading Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps To Living At Your Full Potential by the always smiling Joel Osteen, who I playfully refer to as the "Kool-Aid" man and for pure pleasure the hubby has been reading The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. The latter title is actually one I'd probably read if I had the time. One the book's inside flap, a Black Swan is described as "a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random and more predictable, than it was. The astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 911." Forgive me, but yes, that sort of thing really does speak to my inner nerd (LOL). But for now, I'll just content myself with listening and asking questions when the hubby comments on what he's read thus far.

If I were reading something other than the weekend edition of the local newspaper or a few pages from the latest Essence or Poet's & Writers Magazines, I'd probably be tackling Toni Morrison's Tar Baby, a hardback copy of which I recently picked up--though where I can't recall at the moment. It's one of the few older titles by Morrison that I haven't read. Also, on my list is I Got Thunder: Black Women Songwriters On Their Craft edited by LaSonda Katrice Barnett, a book the hubby got me at my request this past Christmas. Arnold Rampersad's Biography of Ralph Ellison, a book I bought at the Black Store we visited in Durham, is another title I would be reading had I the time.

So what about you? What are you reading? Or what would you be reading if you had the time? Also, if you dare, what type of literature are the folks in your house into these days?

WOMEN WHO'VE AGED . . . GRACEFULLY . . .

The topic of this post was inspired by none other than Ms. Ruby Dee, who really should have been honored with an Oscar the other night. No, I didn't see her performance in American Gangster nor the performances of any of the the other actresses she was up against. I mean, really, does it matter? Very seldom is that stuff is ever assessed fairly or based on any degree of real talent anyway (LOL).

Folks have been overlooking Ms. Ruby Dee (aka Mother Sister) for a long-time. At least since, A Raisin In The Sun I'd dare say. A big ups goes to Spike Lee for bringing her and her late hubby Ossie Davis back into the forefront and the big screen, via movies like Do The Right Thing and Jungle Fever.

But anyway, getting back to the topic, there's nothing that inspires me more than to see a woman, like Ms. Ruby Dee, who has aged gracefully. 'Cause y'all know, there are a lot ole girls out here who seem to be doing their darnedest to accomplish the exact opposite. No, I'm not trying to name any names. Please! And get myself put on somebody's hit list? Ah, no thank you (LOL).

Besides, I'd much rather stay on this side of positive and concentrate on those ladies who I think are still working it with class, style, beauty and grace. You may or may not agree with some of my choices. But feel free to add you own or comment on some of my pics. So, in no particular order . . .

1) Ruby Dee (Keep representing, Ms. Dee!)

2) Nancy Wilson (Yes, ma'am, now this is how I want to go gray.)

3) Sophia Loren (I do believe the hubby still has heart palpitations whenever he spies Ms. Loren. I know he can barely watch any of her old flicks without salivating.)

4) Rita Moreno (Makes me want to go find my copy of Westside Story and then slap somebody.)

5) Toni Morrison (Ms. Morrison can rock those dreads, can't she?)

6) Racquel Welch (I saw her on some show recently and could barely believe my eyes. All I could think was: Now, I know she is old as dirt. How is this possible?!)

7) Diahann Carroll (Gotta love Whitley and Preston Burke's mama, don't you? LOL!)

8) Judy Pace (Many of you may not remember Ms. Pace, whose hey-day was in the '70s. But I saw a picture of her in Jet, not long ago, and she doesn't look like she's aged a bit.)

9) Sally Fields (I think she just might be sipping from the fountain of youth.)

10) Barbara Streisand (Age has actually softened her looks, I think.)

11) Patti LaBelle (I'm pretty sure Ms. Patti has had some "work" done, but I swear she looks younger now than she did when she was with the group LaBelle.)

12) Priscilla Presley (I almost didn't put Ms. Presley on the list. I can tell she's had some "work" done fairly recently and if she's not careful she may end up looking like her former son-law. But overall, ole girl has got it going on.)

13) Diana Ross (Y'all stop hating. Even if you don't like Ms. Ross, you've gotta give it to her. For her age, she still looks darn good.)

Ordinarily, I would have saved a list like this for "Thursday Thirteen." But these days, I just don't have the time to visit all of those different blogs and reciprocate in kind with comments. But don't let that make you hesistate to leave your two cents here. If you leave a remark, I will most certainly holler right back at ya (smile).

WHAT'S YOUR PREFERENCE? THE ORIGINAL? THE REMAKE? OR BOTH . . .

Let's play a game, shall we? Okay, I'll name a song and you tell me which version you prefer. Are you game? Of course, there are no real winners or losers and no prizes will be awarded nor will any money will be changing hands (smile). And, of course, I plan to share my preferences as well . . .

1) FEEL THE FIRE (Peabo vs Stephanie Mills) Okay, I REALLY enjoy BOTH of these versions of the song. I just saw & heard Peabo's version on Soul Train classics, this past Saturday, so I'm leaning hard in brother P.'s direction. But Ms. Mills' versions is in my car's cd rotation.

2) KILLING ME SOFTLY (Roberta Flack vs Lauryn Hill) Again, I'm torn. I like both versions. But if forced to choose, I'd have to go with sister Flack.

3) I SHOT THE SHERIFF (Eric Clapton vs Bob Marley) Gotta go with Marley on this one.

4) TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK (Nina Simone vs Donnie Hathaway) Both versions make me cry. But I owned Simone's version on a 45 when I was little girl, so she gets my vote.

5) HOW COME YOU DON'T CALL ME? (Prince vs. Alicia Keys) Come on folks, don't even try it. Prince all the way!

6) LADY MARMALADE (Labelle vs Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink and Lil Kim) Okay, I have to give it to them, the youngsters held their own on this one. BUT nobody says, "Itchy geetchy ya-ya, da-da," like Patti, Nona and Sara. Y'all betta recognize!)

7) FOREVER, FOR ALWAYS, FOR LOVE (Luther Vandross vs Lalah Hathaway) This may surprise you, but I think Lalah out does Luther on this one. Her versions really takes my breath away.

8) IF THIS WORLD WERE MINE (Marvin & Tammi vs Luther & Cheryl Lynn) This is such a beautiful song and they all do such wonderful jobs. Today, I'm gonna say both. It's a tie.

9) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE (Michael Jackson vs. Isaac Hayes) Yes, Mr. Hayes is a hometown (Memphis) product, but I've gotta go with MJ's version.

10) CRUISING (Smokey vs DeAngelo) The hubby hates both of these equally (LOL). But I think I'm a tad more partial to DeAngelo's version.

11) DO ME BABY (Prince vs. Meli'sa Morgan) Sigh, I don't know why she even tried to go there. Again, it's all about the Purple One. Prince baby!

12) I CAN'T STAND THE RAIN (Ann Peebles vs Tina Turner) Sorry Ms. Tina. Ms. Ann has this one SO covered can't nobody touch it (smile).

13) OUTSIDE MY WINDOW / ANYTIME (Meshell Ndegeocello vs. Brian McKnight) According to Brian these are two different songs. Ha! Man please. Meshell did it first and she did it better. Ya heard?

Would you like to share some of your choices from my list? Yes, I know, there are plenty of others. Any in particular you'd like to add?

DEBUT AUTHOR . . . IN THE SPOTLIGHT . . .

"Debut author Lori Johnson spent the first seventeen years of her life as a "military brat." Even though she has lived in a total of eight different cites/communities in the U.S. and one abroad (Wiesbaden Germany) . . .

(click here to read the rest of the article)

Recently, I was honored when the kind ladies of The Page Turners Book Club (representing Bridgeport/New Haven/Hartford ) invited me to be their very first spotlight author. After a brief introduction, I took a shot at answering four different questions, among them: "What is the biggest misconception about your work?" If you like to read my response, I invite you to click on the highlighted link above.

I learned about The Page Turners Book Club while visiting author Shelia Goss's blog. If you've never visited Shelia's blog, I strongly encourage you to do so. Her current post, deals with recent cancellation of the "Girlfriends" series. Over the past week or so, Shelia's written a nice recap of the recent Grammy Awards and invited folks to join her in listing some of their favorite slow jams. Shelia is also quite generous when it comes to sharing her obviously extensive collection of beef-cake pics (if you're looking for a peek, go to the end of the link *LOL*). Hey, just because a sister is happily married (I'm talking about myself, here), doesn't mean she's on some sort of visual lockdown (smile).

Anyway, Shelia is the author of several books. Two of them, My Invisible Husband (2007) and Roses are Thorns, Violets are True (2008) have been Page Turners Book Club "book" of the month" selections.

If you know of any interesting book clubs in your area, or belong to one, please feel free to mention them here. Also, any comments or questions about the spotlight piece are welcome.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN # 16 . . . 13 GUILTY PLEASURES . . .

1) Tyson Beckford Calendars (For those of you who don't know, he's a pretty boy model. Hey, even a old girl has to have a little beefcake every now and then.)

2) Godiva Turtles (The hubby likes buying these for me on special occasion even though we both know they go straight to the hips and thighs.)

3) Girl Scout Cookies (Thin Mints and Trefoils. Need I say more?)

4) The Best of Soul Train (Yes, WGN shows old episodes of the program on Saturday afternoon. It's nice to revist those days when folks really danced rather than simulated various positions from the Karma Sutra.)

5) Oprah (I don't care what y'all say. Opie is all right by me. The best thing about living in Charlotte is that her show comes on twice--at 4pm and 9pm.)

6) General Foods Coffee (The Hazelnut Belgian is actually the only coffee I'll drink at the moment)

7) Men with Facial Hair (Don't ask. It's a fetish.)

8) Head Gear (I'm a hat, cap and scarf kind of gal. And there's nothing more I love than a guy who knows how to sport a tilted brim.)

9) Arbor Mist (Yeah, it's cheap, fruity and ghetto as all get out. So, is that, like, a problem?)

10) Lavender (Lotion, body wash, candles, shampoo, air freshners, doesn't matter. I just love the scent.)

11) Black Sitcoms from Back In the Day (Martin, A Different World, Cosby, Sanford & Son. Half the mess passing for such now, makes my head hurt.)

12) VH1 SOUL (I love R & B and hiphop music videos. Actually, it's the way I prefer to hear most new music. Sadly, Charlotte doesn't offer this as a cable option. Now, I have to wait unitl I'm in Memphis in order to partake or go with the Music Choice Channels where I can listen, but don't get the videos. Sheesh!

13) Blue Bell Ice Cream (They didn't sell this in Cleveland, so I was denied the pleasure for four, long years. Even though you have to search, you can find it in Charlotte. The home-made vanilla tastes nearly as good as grandma's.)

I have a long list of others, but since it's Thursday 13 . . . So do we share any guilty pleasures? No (smile). Well, do you have any as odd as mine? If so, do you dare share them?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

SUNDAY BEST . . . TEN THINGS OF WHICH I AM CONVINCED . . .

1) Faith is a choice;

2) The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want;

3) More often than not, the dictates of Fundamentalists, Churchfolk, Preachers and Organized Religion block one's path to the Lord;

4) Prayer works;

5) The Jewish cantor, the Southern Black hymn and the cries of a child all sound the same to God's ears;

6) Joy Cometh in the Morning;

7) Blessed are the Peacemakers;

8) A little child shall lead them;

9) The meek shall inherit the earth;

10) Jesus wept . . . (and so should we)

(Conceived while listening to songs from Aretha Franklin's "Amazing Grace.")

A FEW BODY DOUBLE . . . DON'T (s) . . .

Some things you just ought not tell me . . . really, unless your aim is, in fact, to make me bust out laughing. Take the time my friend JG told me, and with a perfectly straight face, that his grandmama looked like B.B. King. What the?! (LOL) Yeah, it was slow day at the library, but still . . . I was like dude, I don't mean any harm, but if my grandmama looked like B.B. King, I wouldn't tell anybody.

Same goes for my friend YN, who every now and then will mention how her sisters used to claim one of her college boyfriends looked just like Billy Ocean. Y, girl, please . . . you know I love ya like a play cousin, but you're really gonna have to stop telling people that mess (LOL).

One body-double moment that at the time wasn't so funny was when my cousin Mary's husband said my NEWBORN son looked just like Al Freeman Jr. For those of you who don't know or need a little refreshing, Al Freeman Jr. is the actor who played Elijah Muhammad in Spike Lee's Malcolm X. Yeah MR . . . I'm still not laughing dude (smile). Actually, the boy did kind of look like brother Freeman, but still . . . Some things you just don't say out loud!

Another not so funny body-double moment, I still remember and harbor a grudge over, happened back in college. One of my so-called good friends, who, herself, could pass for a Gremlin twin, said I reminded her of Big Bird from Sesame Street Fame. Yeah, I get it . . . tall, yellow, goofy and big-hipped. That's all right, LF 'cause guess what? You still have more teeth than height!

See, don't start none, won't be none (LOL).

So, what about any of you? Any memorable body double don't(s) you care to share? Do you have a celebrity twin? Who do people say you resemble?

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #15 . . . 13 OF MY FAVORITE "BEST OF" & "GREATEST HITS" MUSIC COLLECTIONS . . .

This list didn't come easy. I have a ton of "best of" & "greatest hits" cds from a variety of musical genres. In order to simplify the task, I decided to take my hard-core "jazz" and "blues" collections off the table altogether. So here we go and in no particular order-- a short list of SOME of my favorite "best of" and "greatest hits" music collections.

1) PRINCE (Prince: The Hits/The B-Sides) 4 favorite cuts: Erotic City, Let's Go Crazy, Head & Purple Rain

2) STEELY DAN (The Definitive Collection) 3 favorite cuts: Peg, Deacon Blues & Rikki Don't Lose That Number

3) ARETHA FRANKLIN (Aretha's Best) 5 fav cuts: A Natural Woman, Rock Steady, Call Me, Day Dreaming & I Never Loved A Man

4) MARVIN GAYE (The Best of Marvin Gaye: Vol 2. The '70s) 3 fav cuts: Trouble Man, Come Get To This & Inner City Blues

5) AVERAGE WHITE BAND (Pickin' Up The Pieces: The Best Of Average White Band) 2 fav cuts: School Boy Crush & Cut The Cake

6) LENNY KRAVITZ (Lenny Kravitz Greatest Hits) 2 fav cuts: Again & Heaven Help

7) BOBBY MCFERRIN (The Best of Bobby McFerrin: The Blue Note Years) 2 fav cuts: Freedom Is A Voice & Friends

8) PHYLLIS HYMAN (The Legacy of Phyllis Hyman) 3 fav cuts: Betcha by Golly, Wow, Old Friend & Living All Alone

9) CHIC (The Best of Chic: Dance, Dance, Dance) 3 fav cuts: Good Times, Everybody Dance & I Want Your Love

10) JOHNNIE TAYLOR (Johnnie Taylor: The Twenty Greatest Hits) 3 fav cuts: I Believe In You, Cheaper To Keep Her & We're Getting Careless With Our Love

11) TEENA MARIE (Teena Marie: Greatest Hits) 3 fav cuts: Square Biz, Behind The Groove & Portuguese Love

12) LUTHER VANDROSS (Always & Forever: The Classics) 3 fav cuts: Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me, Anyone Who Had A Heart, & I (Who Have Nothing)

13) THE ISLEY BROTHERS (The Essential Isley Brothers) 5 fav cuts: That Lady, Harvest For The World, Summer Breeze, Fight The Power & The Pride

What are your favorite "best of" and/ or "greatest hits" music collections? Feel free to name them, even if they didn't make my list.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

A LINK TO THE NEW WEB SITE . . . DRUM ROLL PLEASE . . .

Advance Praise For

AFTER THE DANCE by Lori Johnson

"AFTER THE DANCE is a fast-paced delight with a plotline so intriguing and dialogue and characters so real, I had to keep reminding myself that I was reading fiction. It is an easy read with NO dull moments. I was hooked from the first page to the last. This is a five star new story from a five star new author!"

--Mary Monroe, New York Times bestselling author

"Surprisingly well-written. But I'm not sure if I want my church members reading this."

--Bobbie Mae Johnson, Lori's Mama and Cummings Street Missionary Baptist Church member

Okay, I'm tripping (LOL). Even though both quotes are indeed legit, only the first will appear on the 2nd edition of the book's cover. Anyway, I have a few additional equally nice quotes that I'll save for a later date.

Click on the link below if you'd like to check out the new web site.

If you feel like reading, the site also includes an excerpt of the work. I hope to add an Amazon "buy this book" tag to the site in the coming days.

www.lorijohnsonbooks.com

STAY TUNED . . . LORI'S NEW WEB SITE . . . COMING SOON . . .

No, it won't be long now. Thanks to SheliaRenee of N'Digo Design, my new web site should be up and running sometime within the next few days.

It's been a long journey, to say the least. After the first sistergirl webdesigner happily took all of my info, but failed to deliver or even summon the courtesy to say why she couldn't, I wasn't particularly eager to jump back on board with anyone. I really don't have time to be wasting. No, I'm not hating, just calling 'em like I see 'em. If you want to do business, you really ought to be about business.

Anyway, working with SheliaRenee of N'Digo Design has renewed my faith. She's been personable, patient, prompt and extremely professional. Big ups to E.C. for passing her name along to me.

I prefer keeping things simple, so you won't find a whole lot of bells and whistles or new stuff on the web site, at least not right away. BUT the site will include an excerpt of AFTER THE DANCE. Hopefully, reading it will inspire you to pre-order the book or make plans to snag a copy when it hits the shelves in April.

Also, in a coming post, I hope to share some of the reactions (blurbs & comments) the book has already garnered. So, y'all come back now, ya hear (smile)?!

PART II: A FEW THINGS THAT KINDA OF GREW ON ME IN 2007 . . . (Literature)

Pearl Cleage's I Wish I Had A Red Dress

Make no mistake, I was reading this author's work long before she received the Oprah Winfrey stamp of approval and subsequently found herself being catapulted onto an even larger stage and before an even bigger audience.

Yeah, I probably first took note of Pearl Cleage's work via the essays/articles she used to write for Essence Magazine. Years ago, when I worked at the Memphis/Shelby County Public Library, had access to books galore, plus the free time necessary to read them, I devoured a couple of Ms. Cleage's books--Mad At Miles: A Black Woman's Guide To The Truth and Deals With The Devil And Other Reasons To Riot among them. I was drawn to and shared sister Pearl's, down-home, common sense, "Black womanist" perspective and approach to life. Of course, I later read and loved What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day well before Opie's people, the critics and all the other folks in the know "discovered" it.

So, I figured it would be more of the same when I first picked up I Wish I Had A Red Dress, which originally came out in 2001. I'm not exactly sure when I purchased the book , but it was years ago and at a library book sale, if I'm not mistaken. I do recall rushing home with it and diving right in, fully anticipating and expecting the thought-provoking enjoyment her work had brought me on every other occasion.

On that first attempt, I think I might have read all of 3 chapters, a total of 10 pages before I tossed the book, scratched my head and said, "Well, I don't know, Ms. Pearl. I am not feeling this at all. What's up with the Sewing Circle or rather Circus? Isn't that something tired, old ladies do? And, no, you did not start Chapter Two with an, umm, Good Lord, a 'self-pleasuring' sence? What the heck was that all about?!" (LOL)

Ever so often in the years afterward, I'd pluck the book from the shelves, flip through it and put it back. But something about that cover (the one with woman in a swirling red dress) and that title kept calling me back. So near the end of last year, I grabbed the book again and said, "I'll be dag if I don't at least get to Chapter 4." Lo and behold, I don't know what happened, but I couldn't put the durn thing down.

I fell in love with the book, the characters and all of the words of wisdom Ms. Pearl so expertly and strategically scattered throughout the story. After I finished reading, I went back with a pencil and just started underlining passages, among them, the one that's become my own personal mantra, particularly when I start to doubt or question myself, is: "What would a free woman do?" Don't you absolutely, positively love that?!!

Basically, the story centers around a young widowed and lonely social worker, who serves as a guide and a mentor to a group of lost and/or struggling, teenage girls and their babies. When the widow, Joyce Mitchell, is introduced by her best friend, who just so happens to be a minister, to a tall, dark stranger named Nate Anderson, of course sparks start flying all over the place. But before Joyce and Nate can properly hook up and do their own private little thing, they have to help the young ladies of Joyce's 'Sewing Circus' work out their issues with self-esteem, bad baby daddies and the like. At the same time, Joyce also has to work out her own unresolved issues with trust and grief. Some of my favorite characters in the book were "The Smitherman Twins" who reminded me of the loveable, old sisters from "Having Our Say."

Anyway, some of the other passsages I underlined in my copy of I Wish I Had A Red Dress include:

1) ". . . I don't think a group of people can survive if the women don't even have enough sense to raise their children."

2) "I'm a big fan of stating your intentions up front and clearly as possible. Saves a lot of confusion and wasted time later . . ."

3) "I think that for some men, using the word "free" and "woman" so close together seems such an obvious oxymoron that they assume it must be the setup for a funny story."

4) "The advantage of faith in moments of crisis and transition is that when the rest of us find ourselves swimming in guilt, fear, confusion and second-guessing, the true believer simply goes with the flow."

5) "If I could pick, I'd probably choose this one all over again, even though being black and female in a place that doesn't bring a whole lot of love to either group is probably not the most luxe life I could come up with."

6) "Is 'her p*$$y curves to my d!#k' really a compliment? And how can he tell, since it's a known fact that a vagina can snugly accommodate everything from a junior tampon to a baby's head . . ."

7) "Sister believes that the beginning of wisdom is to call all things by their proper names, so she's a fiend for the conscious use of language."

There were others, of course, but seven is always a good place to stop (smile). In any case, I recommend you pick up a copy of the book and see if you aren't moved to underline a few of your own favorite passages.

So again, to those of you who feel like sharing, have you ever had a similar experience with a book? You started out not being able to 'get into it,' but something happened. Time, perhaps? Your own personal growth? Life experiences? And blam! You picked up that very same book, months, even years later and you couldn't put it down? Tell us about it.

A WRITING CONTEST . . . FOR KIDS . . .

I saw this on Black Male Appreciation and thought I'd pass it along. Just Us Books is sponsoring a writing contest "My Most Memorable Moment With My Father" for elementary school students in 1st through 5th grades. The first prize is $250.oo. The second prize is $100.oo. Entries must be postmarked by January 31, 2008.

For more information and full contest details see Just Us Books Contest.

A FEW THINGS THAT KINDA GREW ON ME . . . IN 2007 . . . (Part I: Music)

Don't worry. This isn't a post about weird moles, foot fungus, back fat or anything else that, by all right, ought to run by the nearest family physician or neighborhood pharmacist. No, I'm not talking about that sort of growth.

I'm talking those things that you start out not really feeling, but for some strange reason you keep drifting back to and before you know it, you're straight, cold sprung on, like:

Jill Scott's "The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Vol.3"

Like a lot of folks, I'd been faithfully awaiting Jilly from Philly's latest release. But when I initially brought home 'The Real Thing" and pop it on, I was like what the . . . ?! First of all, I was not feeling the new 'do or the cd cover photos. On the back she looked like like she'd just finished having a crying/hissy fit and on the front, I couldn't figure out if she was striving to look sultry, constipated or pissed. In any case, I wanted the old Jill back, the one with flaming red 'fro, the 'you ain't even ready for the likes of this' grin, and the slamming, all up in your face lyrics.

So for the first couple of days, the only cut I listened to was the one getting all the radio air play, "Hate On Me." But then one day, I slipped up, left it on and quickly found myself getting all caught up in the intoxicating groove of "Crown Royal." Jill, if you're listening, you really do need to come out with an extended version of that song, girl. You know, something along the lines of Marvin's 30 minute version of "Got To Give It Up?" I swear, I've played "Crown Royal" over so many times, I've nearly worn out the 'previous' button on my Windows Media Player.

Late at night, while I'm pecking away at the keyboard or surfing the net, I like listening to music with my headphones on. So naturally, I started turning to Jill to get my "Crown Royal" and "Hate On Me" fix. But pretty soon, I wasn't just stopping with those two. "My Love" with its telephone conversation opening sounded so much like the real deal, I couldn't help but stop and listen to a vexed and perplexed Jill tell some ole boy:

"Yo, I'm tripping right. I heard you got married. You got married? That don't really make any sense. I mean, its not like I didn't think you were seeing other people or whatever. I mean, I was seeing other people. But you know what this is. You know what it was. I can't say I really understand though." (from Jill Scott's "My Love")

Oh yeah! And then she goes on to put dude in check with a cool and collected that's all right, "cause my love is deeper, tighter, sweeter, higher fly-yer, didn't you know this Didn't you notice?" I guess she told him, huh? (LOL) Anyway, after getting hooked on that cut, I started taking a closer listen to the one after it "Insomnia" which breaks of a bluesy little ditty about a woman who's lying in bed, tossing and turning, watching the clock and waiting for the phone to ring. Yeah, a lot of us have been there, right? Okay, let me stop (smile).

The song that sealed the deal for me, the one that really renewed my faith in Jilly from Philly was the oh so funky, soulful and deeply political, "How It Make You Feel." It took me a couple of listens before I really "got" the message, not only because of the clever way it's posed, but also because I couldn't believe Jill actually owned the audacity to ask: "What if, poof, every Black female in the world disappeared? Tell me, how you'd feel if I was gone?"

For me, as a Black woman, this question is profound on a lot of different emotional levels, in particular given the indifference the media routinely exhibits in the disappearance of Black women. I could go on a tangent, but I instead I'll just say in reponse to Jill's question, a lot folks, including some within our OWN community would really give less than a d@m# if every Black woman (excusing their own mamas, perhaps) suddenly disappeared . . . Sorry, that's just how I feel y'all (smile). Anyway, Jill said it better and against a musical backdrop, no less.

And you know, as far as the "Real Thing" cover photos are concerned, I actually kinda like the ones on the inside of the cd and thought they were much more flattering. But hey, I'm not the one getting paid to make those decisions.

So, have you ever had a similar experience? Any particular cds, albums or musical artist ever grow on you? You started out hating it or them, but then something happened . . . you really started listening and suddenly discovered your were a fan? Do tell.

A SHORT LIST OF MY FAVORITE . . . OLD SCHOOL DUETS . . .

It's been a while since I posted about one of my favorite subjects--music. So let me take a moment to rectify that situation (smile). While visiting with the kinfolks in Memphis over the holidays, I heard a lot of that NEYO & JENNIFER HUDSON jam on the radio, "Leaving Tonight." There's not a whole lot coming out these days that really grabs my attention. But "Leaving Tonight is one of those songs I actually stopped and listened to the first time I heard it. Nothing tickles my fancy like a nice duet.

The following are some of my other favorite "old school" duets and I bet you'll find quite a few surprises on the list. Let me know if we share any favorites or if there is a song (or songs) on my list that grate (s) on your last nerve (smile).

1) Don't Look Any Further (Dennis Edwards & Siedah Garrett)

2) Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This (Will Downing & Rachelle Ferrell)

3) If This World Were Mine (Luther Vandross & Cheryl Lynn)

4) Love Has Finally Come At Last (Patti Labelle & Bobby Womack)

5) Tramp (Carla Thomas & Otis Redding)

6) With You I'm Born Again (Billy Preston & Syreeta Wright)

7) Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell)

8) Your Smile (Rene & Angela)

9) You're All I Need (Mary J. Blige & Method Man)

10) There's Nothing Better Than Love (Luther Vandross & Gregory Hines)

11) The Closer I Get To You (Donnie Hathaway & Roberta Flack)

12) Where Is The Love? (Donnie Hathaway & Roberta Flack)

13) Love Makes Things Happen (Baby Face & Pebbles)

14) Loving You (Nancy Wilson & Peabo Bryson)

15) Spirit In The Dark (Aretha Franklin & Ray Charles)

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #14 . . . 13 THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE LESS OF IN 2008 . . .

1) BOOTLEG DVDS (As an artist, this pratice truly offends me. I don't buy, watch or listen to bootleg products when I can help it. Now, if Shay-Shay and 'Nem have got it running on full blast down at the hair salon, there's not much I can do about it. But I'm not trying to cut into another artist's profits when and if I can help it.)

2) IGNORANT A$$ MOVIES (particularly those aimed at the African American audience. If these went straight to bootleg, I'd be more than happy.)

3) BRITNEY SPEARS' BARE COOCHIE AND/OR NAKED A$$ (Apparently, "Oops, I did it again" as in left the durn house without undies, is this poor child's freaking theme song. I can only hope she got a year's supply of clean drawers for Christmas.)

4) SYMBOLS OF RACIAL HATRED (All y'all out there tying nooses, putting on blackface, dressing up like stereotypes and calling it big fun need to grow the hell up and get a life.)

5) BOOKS WITH WORDS LIKE PIMP, PLAYA, HO', THUG, TRICK, THONG OR GANGSTA IN THE TITLE (Sorry, no offense intended, really. Were I on lockdown, trying to work the stroll or the pole, I just might find this kind of mess entertaining, but I'm not and I don't.)

6) ANNA NICOLE STORIES (Dang, the poor woman and her son are dead and buried. Can't we just let them rest in peace already?)

7) REALITY SHOWS (Some of this mess is about as entertaining as watching a fat kid pick his nose and at the rate we're going, I'm pretty sure something along those lines will hit the networks soon.)

8) CHEATING A$$ ATHLETES, COACHES AND SPORTS OFFICIALS

9) LYING A$$ POLITICIANS

10) ANOREXIC (NO A$$) STARLETS

11) MURDER

12) POVERTY

13) ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION COMMERCIALS (Why it's acceptable to run 15 different, loud, lengthy (no pun intended) and incredibly annoying erectile dysfunction commercials in prime time, but not a single condom ad is truly beyond me.)

So what are you hoping to see less of in 2008? Is there anything on my list you strongly agree or disagree with?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

IT'S 2008 . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

How about we start off 2008 with a quote?

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Albert Einstein

Don't you love that? I ran across it several months ago in an article about Walter Isaacson who penned a bio entitled Einstein: His Life and Universe. Deep down in my gut, I've always believed the idea expressed in the statement above. But it was nice to see that a "genius" had actually confirmed it (smile).