Catching Up

Okay - I've been missing in action, but with good reason. I was a the National Association of Black Journalists 30th anniversary conference. Sans laptop, so no blogging. But it was a pretty good conference. It seemed a little lighter on sessions than past gatherings, but the sessions that did happen were good. And lots of authors and book talk there. Seems a lot of journalists want to writer in longer form.

And yes, the National Book Club Conference was going on at the same time. No, I didn't go visit over there - though it would seem like the right place for the BBB Editor. Just didn't have the registration cash, or extra time. I hear really good things about the turnout and the vibe. Check out "Tayari Jones' reports from the conference.

Here are a few links worth checking out:
A NYTimes story about Jill Nelson and her new book, Finding Martha's Vineyard: African Americans at Home on an Island,. There's also an audio slideshow.
She's also featured in a story on the Boston Globe web site, which touches on issues of class as well as race and color.

The South Carolina Writers Conference is in October and Kimberla Lawson Roby is the keynote speaker.

Also in the NYTimes - a review of Israel on the Appomattox : A Southern Experiment in Black Freedom From the 1790s Through the Civil War, by Melvin Patrick Ely and The First Emancipator: The Forgotten Story of Robert Carter, the Founding Father Who Freed His Slaves, by Andrew Levy, two biographies of American slaveholders who freed their slaves.

The Berry College Southern Women Writers Conference will be September 22 - 24, 2005. Tina McElroy Ansa and Trudier Harris are among the scheduled speakers.

I know that's been a real mixed up bag of links - but I'm trying to catch up. Thanks for the emails - I'll be updating my links rail soon.