All results / Stories / Terri Schlichenmeyer
“Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” by Zora Neale Hurston, edited with an introduction by Genevieve West, foreword by Tayari Jones
Everybody has that place. You know, that place where everyone knows you, they know what you want, and they get it for you before your coat’s half off. It’s where you can catch up on gossip and good news, where you take shelter and get sympathy. In “Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” by Zora Neale Hurston, you also get a front seat.
“Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf” by Helene Cooper
Your friends follow what you have to say. Whether on social media or otherwise, they listen to you and understand, ask your opinion, seek your wisdom, and look to your lead. With them, you live a good life. Have followers like those, as you’ll see in “Madame President” by Helene Cooper, and you can change the world.
"One Year of Ugly" by Caroline Mackenzie
The officer at the bank said "yes." And there you were: the proud owner of something big, something you'd wanted your entire life. That's thrilling, on one hand, and scary on the other: you've achieved your dream, but you'll be contributing toward that loan for many years. And as in the new novel "One Year of Ugly" by Caroline Mackenzie, payback is no fun.
“Queen Bey: A Celebration of the Power and Creativity of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter,” edited by Veronica Chambers
You were Crazy in Love. It happened the first time you heard Beyoncé Knowles, before she won a Grammy, before she added to her life with a man and motherhood. It happened the first time you saw her, a skinny child with a
“Well, That Escalated Quickly” by Franchesca Ramsey c.2018, Grand Central Publishing $27.00 / $35.00 Canada 256 pages
You sat down to check your email. And there you were an hour later, still logged on. Your email was checked but then you watched a newsfeed, four kitten videos, posted three opinions, RSVP’d to two grad parties, and wasted sixty minutes. And judging by the new book “Well, That Escalated Quickly” by Franchesca Ramsey, you got off easy.
“John Woman: A Novel” by Walter Mosley
Clothes, as they say, make the man. So do his language and demeanor – but what else? Did his parents or teachers make him who he is? Is it income, peer pressure, the movies he sees, jobs he holds, or his favorite music? Or, as in the new novel “John Woman” by Walter Mosley, is a man made purely of his actions – including murder?
“All the Women in My Family Sing,” edited by Deborah Santana
Spoken or unspoken, serious or in jest, you get asked that question all the time. Where are you from? Who are your parents? Have you been here before, and what do you do? In “All The Women in My Family Sing,” edited by Deborah Santana, the questions stand: who are you and what is your story?
“Clean Getaway” by Nic Stone
Your next vacation could be the dream of a lifetime. It could take you to the beach, park, or the mountains, shopping or sightseeing, visiting pals or hanging with family. A vacation could get you one city away, it can whisk you halfway around the world or, as in the new book “Clean Getaway” by Nic Stone, a vacation can take you where you don’t want to be.
“Bad Men and Wicked Women” by Eric Jerome Dickey
Blood is thicker than water. That’s what they say: your relationship with family – blood – is stronger than any connection you’ll have with someone unrelated. Blood is thicker than water – except, perhaps, as in the new novel “Bad Men and Wicked Women” by Eric Jerome Dickey, when the blood shed is your own.
“Play Big: Lessons in Being Limitless from the First Woman to Coach in the NFL” by Dr. Jen Welter with Stephanie Krikorian
At first, it was tennis. When little Jen Welter’s mother suggested that her daughters pick just one after-school activity, Welter chose tennis and became obsessed with it. She practiced non-stop and ultimately beat players much older than she, but a coach’s dismissive words caused her to give up the game.
“My Love Story” by Tina Turner (with Deborah Davis and Dominik Wichmann)
Just wait. Two words that are impossible to hear, especially if you have big plans. Hold on, don’t veer off-course, work the plan, hard as it may be. Just wait. As in “My Love Story” by Tina Turner, good things really do come to those who do.
“What Set Me Free” by Brian Banks (with Mark Dagostino)
You saw it happen. Every second of it, every sound, it’s burned in your memory. You can recall how it made you feel, how time seemed to slow down, how there was no room for anything else in your mind. It happened. Or – as in the new book “What Set Me Free” by Brian Banks (with Mark Dagostino) – did it?
“Valley of the Gods: A Silicon Valley Story” by Alexandra Wolfe
Here. Try this. Take a sip. Give it a whirl. Do a taste-test. A preliminary trial, it won’t take long. Here, see what you think. We’re asked to sample things every day, from products to ideas but, as in the new book, “Valley of the Gods” by Alexandra Wolfe, is everything worth a try?
"Ready to Rise" by Jo Saxton
You know you have it. There's all kinds of potential inside you but how can you actually use it? Says author Jo Saxton in her new book "Ready to Rise," it takes determination, a community, strength, belief in yourself, and a little leaning on God.
“Tech Boss Lady: How to Start-Up, Disrupt & Thrive as a Female Founder” by Adriana Gascoigne
One foot in front of the other. That’s how you get anywhere: whether it’s a toe-sliding shuffle or a one-two-three-waltz, the only way forward is step by step. Slow-walk it if you must, but you have to keep going and in “Tech Boss Lady” by Adriana Gascoigne, you’ll find helpful business shoe-prints to follow.
Review of "Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong" by Georgina Lawton and "Surviving the White Gaze: A Memoir" by Rebecca Carroll
Who are you? That's a question some people never ask themselves: seemingly intuitively, they know the answer at birth and they don't think about it again. Then there are those who struggle with knowing until their last breath. Still others have stories to tell about their search to learn who they are. Read on...
"The Last Negroes at Harvard" by Kent Garrett with Jeanne Ellsworth
Remember, remember....? Skipping school, good teachers, hard lessons, practical jokes, smelly lockers, remember? If you don't, your oldest friends probably do. As in the new book "The Last Negroes at Harvard" by Kent Garrett with Jeanne Ellsworth, they were there alongside you when everything happened, remember?
“Becoming a Veterinarian” by Boris Kachka
The minute the doctor walked into the room, you felt a sense of relief. Soon, the pain will be gone and you might finally get some rest. You could even have a name for the illness causing all these problems. Soon, your ailing pet will feel better, life will return to normal and in “Becoming a Veterinarian” by Boris Kachka, you’ll see what goes into the making of an animal doctor.
“Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File” by John Edgar Wideman
Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t escape your father. For most of your life, you were known as Little Him. Junior. Insert-your-father’s-name-here’s kid. You’re a chip off the ol’ block, maybe named after your Pops, forever known as your Dad’s offspring. But, as John Edgar Wideman indicates in “Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File,” that doesn’t mean that the supposed sins of a father should be laid at the feet of his child.
"Brave. Black. First." by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by Erin K. Robinson
Step right up. When you want to be first in line, that's what you have to do: get in place at the head, let everybody else queue behind you, and lead them forward. You might have to show them how it's done. You might have to show some responsibility. Or, as in the new book "Brave. Black. First." by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by Erin K. Robinson, you might have to take some big risks.
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