Checkered Fences is not only a novel of remarkable insight, but a tribute to our world?s changing social and political climate. Author Alma Hudson writes with extraordinary vision and clarity, bringing racial issues to the forefront with delicate balance and thoughtful compassion. It?s the late...  more

Checkered Fences is not only a novel of remarkable insight, but a tribute to our world?s changing social and political climate. Author Alma Hudson writes with extraordinary vision and clarity, bringing racial issues to the forefront with delicate balance and thoughtful compassion. It?s the late 1970s in California; a time of racial turbulence, but change is in the air and Diane Jones, an African-American 18-year old honors student will come face to face with those changes. Diane takes a job as a nanny to a prestigious white family, Jerry and Ann Shaw, before entering college. She quickly becomes a respected friend and member of their blended family, paying special attention to their eight-year old son, Chad, Ann?s son from a previous marriage. Their eldest son, David returns home for the summer and an immediate attraction sparks between Diane and David. They began a secretive love affair. Can Diane?s proud, traditional family accept a white man as Diane?s love interest and will the Shaw?s value her as their son?s potential partner? As their love affair blossoms, they decide to make their relationship public. This story of an interracial love during the turbulent 70s deftly explores the ugly racism that propelled our nation?s conscious to change toward a more diversified culture. Written with sophisticated realism, Hudson?s novel stands out as a literary piece of significance during our present-day political climate.

Relentless, remorseless, and inspirational, this "horrific, hope-filled story" (Newsday) is certain to haunt a generation of readers. Precious Jones, 16 years old and pregnant by her father with her second child, meets a determined and highly radical teacher who takes her on a journey...  more

Relentless, remorseless, and inspirational, this "horrific, hope-filled story" (Newsday) is certain to haunt a generation of readers. Precious Jones, 16 years old and pregnant by her father with her second child, meets a determined and highly radical teacher who takes her on a journey of transformation and redemption.

When Maya Angelou published "I know why the caged bird sings," her memoir of girlhood in the South, she left an indelible mark on the literary world. Since that debut over two decades ago, Angelou has further developed her self-possessed and powerful voice, charting the course of her fascinating...  more

When Maya Angelou published "I know why the caged bird sings," her memoir of girlhood in the South, she left an indelible mark on the literary world. Since that debut over two decades ago, Angelou has further developed her self-possessed and powerful voice, charting the course of her fascinating and triumphant life in memoirs and poetry that culminated in the beautiful and inspiring poem "On the Pulse of Morning," which she read at the inauguration of President Clinton. In "I know why the caged bird sings", Angelou has created an unforgettable coming-of-age story. Marguerite - or Rita, as she is known to her family (with the exception of her brother, Bailey, who nicknames her Maya) -- is smart and Black, which means she is relegated to a lesser identity in Stamps, Arkansas. She is raised by her grandmother in a sparse but proud way until the Most Beautiful Mother in the World takes Maya and Bailey to St. Louis. Maya is raped, and she is so traumatized that she creates a perfect world of silence that she breaks only to speak to Bailey. As she grows, however, Maya learns that she must speak loudly to win the independence and regard she deserves.

In King Lear, one of Shakespeare's greatest and most enduring plays, an aging father's demand that his daughters publicly declare their love for him triggers a reaction that involves nations and brings suffering and death to his entire family. The play takes ordinary jealousies, demands for...  more

In King Lear, one of Shakespeare's greatest and most enduring plays, an aging father's demand that his daughters publicly declare their love for him triggers a reaction that involves nations and brings suffering and death to his entire family. The play takes ordinary jealousies, demands for love, sibling rivalries, desires for money and power, and petty cruelties to the extreme. In this play, we see ourselves and our small vices magnified to gigantic proportions; also, through the character of Lear, we see the end of our lives, with old age portrayed in all its vulnerability, helplessness, pride, and finally, perhaps, wisdom. THE NEW FOLGER LIBRARY SHAKESPEARE Designed to make Shakespeare's great plays available to all readers, the New Folger Library edition of Shakespeare's plays provides accurate texts in modern spelling and punctuation, as well as scene-by-scene action summaries, full explanatory notes, many pictures clarifying Shakespeare's language, and notes recording all significant departures from the early printed versions. Each play is prefaced by a brief introduction, by a guide to reading Shakespeare's language, and by accounts of his life and theater. Each play is followed by an annotated list of further readings and by a "Modern Perspective" written by an expert on that particular play.

Sondra's only dream in life is to complete college and make her family proud. But when she moves into an apartment she can barely afford near the University of Southern California, her dreams start changing. After paying for school with an academic scholarship and barely surviving with very...  more

Sondra's only dream in life is to complete college and make her family proud. But when she moves into an apartment she can barely afford near the University of Southern California, her dreams start changing. After paying for school with an academic scholarship and barely surviving with very little money, her suspicious and somewhat creepy neighbor Vick shows an interest in her. But Sondra still has her mind set on the goal of completing college. After Vick's many attempts to force his attentions on her, she gives in and starts a relationship with him, a relationship filled with domestic and sexual violence. Sondra thinks that if only she could change Vick, their relationship would work and she could finish her education. Will Sondra be able to change Vick's violent behaviors and settle back down into the life she's always wanted for herself, or will Vick end up changing her forever? Many people don't know that domestic violence crosses all walks of life and affects rich and poor alike, young and old, all languages and cultures, and both women and men. Author Alma Hudson wrote The Trouble With Change to let everyone suffering from domestic violence know that there is hope even when you think things are hopeless. Hudson works as a supervisor for a legal department in Lancaster, California, and was motivated to write this book from her own personal experiences with domestic violence.

When Blanche White, black domestic worker extraordinaire, moved north to Boston, she thought it would be a better place to raise her kids, especially when she managed to get them both into a private school.  But they appear to be getting as much attitude as education, as they start...  more

When Blanche White, black domestic worker extraordinaire, moved north to Boston, she thought it would be a better place to raise her kids, especially when she managed to get them both into a private school.  But they appear to be getting as much attitude as education, as they start correcting Blanche's English and acting snotty about homeless people.  When Blanche and the kids are invited to Amber Cove, an exclusive, all-black resort in Maine, she sese it as the perfect opportunity to observe her children with their wealthy friends and try to figure out how to stop them from becoming people she doesn't want to know.  Along the way, Blanhe gets insider's view of the color and class divisions within the black community.  Blanche stands out against the light-skinned, college-educated residents at Amber Cove, and some of the guest make sure she knows it -- including her own daughter.  But when one of the guest has a fatal accident and the godson of a famous septuagenarian feminist commits suicide, Blanche is enlisted to find out if these events are connected.  What she discovers is a web of secrets that somebody may be willing to kill for, even as she meets a man determined to sweep her off her feet, no matter how much she weights.

Life wasn't easy for Celie. But she knew how to survive, needing little to get by. Then her husband's lover, a flamboyant blues singer, barreled into her world and gave Celie the courage to ask for more - to laugh, to play, and finally - to love.