I Am Not Sidney Poitier is a comic tour de force from the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of The Trees, Dr No and Erasure (adapted into an Oscar-nominated film). The sudden death of Not Sidney Poitier’s mother orphans him at age eleven. He is left with a name no one understands, an uncanny resemblance to an Oscar-winning actor, and serious amount of shares in the Turner Corporation. Percival Everett’s novel follows Not Sidney’s tumultuous life, as the social hierarchy scrambles to balance his skin colour with his fabulous wealth. Maturing under the less than watchful eye of his adopted foster father, Ted Turner, Not Sidney learns to navigate a world that doesn’t know what to do with him. Part of the Picador Collection, a series celebrating fifty years of Picador books and showcasing the best of modern literature. Read Percival's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel James in paperback now.

Picador Collection

I Am Not Sidney Poitier

The most profound and important speeches ever delivered are here collected in this anthology, featuring some of the most influential figures in world history. From ancient times to the American Revolution to as recently as this past century, Fort Raphael Publishing has here collected seven of the most important and iconic speeches of all time. Featuring such disparate historical characters as Cicero, St. Francis of Assisi, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Emmet, Jane Addams, Mohandas K. Gandhi and Nelson Mandela this collection of powerful and moving speeches pays tribute to these great world leaders and the words they used to inspire millions. This is the fourth volume of this series.

History's Greatest Speeches - Vol. IV

This is a SoundCraft Audiobooks production featuring digitally enhanced performances of some of history's greatest speeches - all presented as they might have originally been heard. The immersive audio experience presented here - complete with sound effects, music and atmospherics - allows the listener to feel as if they were in attendance when these speeches were first delivered. The orations are performed by a select group of amazing actors who uniquely capture the essence, power and complexity of these magnificent addresses, universally acknowledged as some of the greatest speeches in world history. Volume II features such disparate historical characters as Alexander the Great, the Prophet Muhammad, Abraham Lincoln and Susan B. Anthony, among others. This collection is part one of a series. Search for "History's Greatest Speeches" to discover more from SoundCraft and Fort Raphael Publishing.

History's Greatest Speeches - Vol. II

William Shakespeare, long hailed as the history's greatest dramatic writer, has been lauded for his mastery of poetic expression, his insight into the human condition and his deep exploration into the psyche and motivations of his characters. These skills are perhaps best exemplified in the monologues he gives his various protagonists, villains and bit players. From King Henry V's inspiring speech to his soldiers on the field of Agincourt to the villainous Merchant of Venice Shylock defending his own cruelty, to the shepherdess Phebe from "As You Like It" grappling with her sudden attraction to a young courtier, to Nick Bottom from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," awaking from the strangest dream in history, Shakespeare's monologues are short distillations of his larger themes - love and loss, fairness and inequity, power and envy, lust and purity. Fort Raphael Publishing is proud to present - in this complete volume - the best of Shakespeare's greatest monologues, each of which captures a shining, brilliant moment from his plays that gives us a deeper understanding of each character, whether flattering, damning or inspiring. Enjoy this collection of monologues from the greatest theatrical writer in the English language - William Shakespeare - performed by some of the finest classical actors in the business.

Shakespeare's Greatest Monologues - The Complete Collection

The most profound and important speeches ever delivered are here collected in this anthology, featuring some of the most influential figures in world history. From ancient times to the American Revolution to as recently as this past century, Fort Raphael Publishing has here collected seven of the most important and iconic speeches of all time. Featuring such disparate historical characters as Moses, Pericles, Maximilien Robespierre, Thomas Jefferson, Chief Speckled Snake, Frederick Douglass and Marie Curie, this collection of powerful and moving speeches pays tribute to these great world leaders and the words they used to inspire millions. This is the third volume of this series.

History's Greatest Speeches - Vol. III

He was born the mixed-race son of a negligent, drug-dealing pimp father and a struggling single mother. He was raised in the slums of Dayton, Ohio, suffered incredible abuse and racism, and had multiple stints in the juvenile justice system. He barely graduated high school and has no college degree. No one expected him to succeed. But succeed he did. Starting out by scrubbing toilets, JT hustled and worked his way into better opportunities, eventually finding incredible success in the mortgage industry. He was on top of the world. And then it all fell apart. He lost his job and his money. But instead of stopping him, this setback became the springboard for him to reach even greater heights--eventually becoming President of a multimillion-dollar software company, and then CEO of a multimillion-dollar book publishing startup. Gripping, heartbreaking, enlightening, and ultimately uplifting, I Got There proves that no obstacle is too difficult to conquer--and that the game can be won by anyone, from anywhere.

I Got There

William Shakespeare, long hailed as the history's greatest dramatic writer, has been lauded for his mastery of poetic expression, his insight into the human condition and his deep exploration into the psyche and motivations of his characters. These skills are perhaps best encapsulated in the monologues he gives his various protagonists, villains and bit players. From the murderous Lady Macbeth, planning to assassinate the king to advance her husband's career, to the droll, melancholy Jacques from "As You Like It" ticking off the Seven Ages of Man, to Edmund the Bastard in "King Lear," bemoaning his second class status as an illegitimate child to the young lover Helena, railing against the seeming cruelty of her bewitched friends in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Shakespeare's monologues are short distillations of his larger themes - love and loss, fairness and inequity, power and envy, lust and purity. Fort Raphael Publishing is proud to present, in this first volume, some of Shakespeare's greatest monologues, each of which captures a shining, brilliant moment from his plays that gives us a deeper understanding of each character, whether flattering, damning or inspiring. Enjoy this collection of monologues - performed by some of the finest classical actors in the world - from the greatest theatrical writer in the English language, William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare's Greatest Monologues

"12 Years a Slave" is the harrowing, true account of a free Black man living in New York during the early 1800's who is kidnaped, transported to Louisiana and forced to work and live as a slave for over a decade. Written by the man who experienced these horrors - Solomon Northup - this book is a powerful and disturbing first-hand account of what it was like to live under the lash and chronicles the torments Northup endured in attempting to escape his captors and return home to his family in New York. Northup's book was an immediate sensation when it was first published and was often singled out by the abolitionist movement as a foundational document in the argument to end the dehumanizing and morally bankrupt practice of human slavery in America. In 2013, it was the basis for the award-winning film of the same name. "12 Years a Slave" is presented here in its original and unabridged format.

12 Years a Slave - Unabridged

You might be the kind of person who stands up to online trolls. Or who marches to protest injustice. Perhaps you are #DisabledAndCute and dancing around your living room, alive and proud. Or perhaps you are the trans mentor that you wish you had when you were younger. Maybe you call out false allies or stand up to loved ones. Maybe you speak your truth and drop the mic, or maybe you take it with you when you leave. This anthology features fictional stories—in poems, prose, and art—that reflect a slice of the varied and limitless ways that listeners like you resist every day. Take the Mic's powerful collection of stories features work by literary luminaries and emerging talent alike, including Newbery-winner Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestseller Samira Ahmed, anthologist and contributor Bethany C. Morrow, Darcie Little Badger, Keah Brown, Laura Silverman, L.D. Lewis, Sofia Quintero, Ray Stoeve, Yamile Mendez, and Connie Sun, with cover and interior art by Richie Pope.

Take the Mic

One of Oprah’s Favorite Things of 2023 Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece The Color Purple—as well as the acclaimed 1985 film from Steven Spielberg, the Tony-winning Broadway musical, and the all-new film adaptation with this gorgeously designed exploration of the novel’s enduring legacy, featuring contributions from Alice Walker, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Colman Domingo, Fantasia Barrino, Danny Glover, and more. Since its publication in 1982, The Color Purple has resonated with generations of readers across the globe. The novel catapulted author Alice Walker to international fame, brought Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg acting acclaim in the 1985 film adaptation, and inspired theatrical productions around the world, including the Tony Award–winning Broadway musical. This cultural touchstone—which so profoundly touches on race, family, survival, spirituality, sisterhood, and love in all forms—continues to beget new iterations, most recently a feature film. Now, an in-depth exploration celebrates The Color Purple’s ever-expanding legacy as never before: Purple Rising features oral histories and fresh anecdotes based on more than fifty original interviews, as well as vibrant, never-before-seen images. It reveals the crucial real-life experiences that inspired the novel, and the transcendent humanity of its themes that continue to connect with audiences, each new adaptation speaking to the changing times and cultural contexts. Creators, actors, producers, activists, cultural critics, and well-known fans comment on the power of Walker’s story and how it has affected their lives and artistic choices, including Whoopi Goldberg, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, Blitz Bazawule, Jon Batiste, H.E.R., Salamishah Tillet, Ricky Dillard, Gabrielle Union, and many more. An insightful and vivid celebration of an enduring classic, Purple Rising is the ultimate gift for fans of all ages and a true celebration of Black joy, storytelling, and achievement.

Purple Rising

Ask someone their thoughts about "democracy" and you'll get many different responses. Some may presume it a thing once established yet now under threat. Others may believe that democracy has always been compromised by the empowered few. In the contemporary United States, marked by constituencies across the political spectrum believing that their voices have gone unheard, "democracy" gets wielded in so many divergent directions as to be rendered nearly incoherent. Democracies in America reminds us that this reality is nothing new. Focusing on the various meanings of "democracy" that circulated in the nineteenth century, the book collects twenty-five essays, each taking up a keyword in the language we use to talk about democracy. The essays consider the relationship between "America" and "democracy" from multiple disciplinary angles and from different moments in a major historical period-amidst the vitality of the revolutionary epoch, in the contentious lead-up to the Civil War, and through the triumphs and failures of Reconstruction and the early reforms of the Progressive Era-while making both forward and backward glances in time. This volume cultivates, for students and teachers in classrooms, as well as citizens in libraries and cafés, a language to deliberate about the possibilities and problems of democracy in America.

Democracies in America

A collection of the year’s top food writing, selected by guest editor Sohla El-Waylly and series editor Silvia Killingsworth. Culinary creator, writer and community advocate, Sohla El-Waylly selects the best twenty articles published in 2021 that celebrate the many innovative, comforting, mouthwatering, and culturally rich culinary offerings of our country. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Best American

The Best American Food Writing 2022

“In the Shark Week of second-chance romances, Chandra Blumberg will have readers hungrily scavenging for every morsel of bait as she tempts with sultry tension and magnetic longing.” —Taj McCoy, award-winning author of Zora Books Her Happy Ever After When two marine biologists with a complicated history are thrown together on a shark study broadcast over social media, it's anything but smooth sailing. This charming and sexy second chance romance is the perfect beach read for fans of Helen Hoang and Ali Hazelwood. At first glance, Hope Evans just landed the perfect job: spending the summer on a shark research boat. Except as every marine biologist knows, it’s what’s going on beneath the surface that counts, and Hope’s new position comes with a big catch—the boat belongs to her ex-boyfriend, Adrian Hollis-Parker. For three years Hope’s been treading water, staying away from anything that reminds her of their past. It’s time to dive back into a job that could springboard her career—and maybe offer much-needed closure. Since their split, Adrian has risen to internet fame as a shark expert with the launch of his YouTube channel to dispel myths and educate viewers about sharks. But success rings hollow without Hope. Embracing this new career trajectory was a risk, but working in cramped quarters with the woman he never stopped loving? That has the potential to backfire in heartbreaking ways. Side by side, weathering storms of every kind, they’ll have to navigate the murky waters of past hurts…and hope it’s not too late to chart a new course… Perfect for fans of:STEM RomanceForced proximityCinnamon Roll HeroSlow BurnClosed Door RomanceDon't miss Chandra Blumberg's next delightful romantic comedy, LOVE IS AN OPEN BOOK, where two best friends embark on a series of fake “dates” to spark their creativity and the line between fiction and reality begins to blur...

Second Tide's the Charm

In 1852, Frederick Douglass, former slave and, by then, a leading figure in the abolitionist movement was asked by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Association to address the group for their July 4th celebration at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. Delivered, in fact, on the 5th of July, the speech caused an immediate sensation and swiftly became a seminal rallying cry of the abolitionist movement in America. The audience in Rochester included none other than President Millard Fillmore (along with a group of politicians from Washington) as well as some of the most important leaders of the abolitionist movement at the time. Through the years, Douglass' powerful words have only grown in stature, resonance and importance. His timeless message and elegant prose have made this speech - here presented in its unabridged, original format - one of the greatest orations in history.

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?

Reparations for slavery have become a reinvigorated topic for public debate over the last decade. Most theorizing about reparations treats it as a social justice project—either rooted in reconciliatory justice focused on making amends in the present; or, they focus on the past, emphasizing restitution for historical wrongs. Olúfémi O. Táíwò argues that neither approach is optimal, and advances a different case for reparations—one rooted in a hopeful future that tackles the issue of climate change head on, with distributive justice at its core. This view, which he calls the "constructive" view of reparations, argues that reparations should be seen as a future-oriented project engaged in building a better social order; and that the costs of building a more equitable world should be distributed more to those who have inherited the moral liabilities of past injustices. This approach to reparations, as Táíwò shows, has deep and surprising roots in the thought of Black political thinkers such as James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr, and Nkechi Taifa, as well as mainstream political philosophers like John Rawls, Charles Mills, and Elizabeth Anderson. Táíwò's project has wide implications for our views of justice, racism, the legacy of colonialism, and climate change policy.

Reconsidering Reparations

In Frontline Bodies, Nicolas Martin-Breteau argues that sports are not—and have never been—purely about entertainment for Black Americans. Instead, beginning in the 1890s during Reconstruction, Black Americans proactively used athletics as a tactic to fight racial oppression. Martin-Breteau considers the work of Edwin B. Henderson, a prominent Black physical educator, civil rights activist, and historian of Black sports. Training Black children as athletes, Henderson felt, would work both to fortify racial pride and to dismantle racial prejudices—two necessary requirements for a successful political liberation struggle. In this way, physical education became political education. By the end of the twentieth century, Martin-Breteau argues, racial uplift through sports had lost its emancipating power. The emphasis on the accumulation of wealth for professional athletes, as well as sports' ability to reinforce anti-Black stereotypes, had become a political problem for true collective liberation. For a marginalized group of people that has been physically excluded from the democratic process, however, sports remain a political resource. By studying the relationship between athletics and politics, Frontline Bodies renews the history of minority bodies and their power of action.

Frontline Bodies

Economic inequality continues to be one of the most hotly debated topics in America, but there has been relatively little discussion of the fact that black-white gaps in joblessness, income, poverty, and other measures were shrinking prior to the pandemic. Why was it happening, and why did this phenomenon go unacknowledged by so much of the media? In The Black Boom, Jason L. Riley—acclaimed Wall Street Journal columnist and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute—digs into the data and concludes that the economic lives of black people improved significantly under policies put into place during the Trump administration. Less inequality is something that everyone wants, but disapproval of Trump's personality and methods too often skewed the media's appraisal of effective policies advocated by his administration. If we want to make real progress in improving the lives of low-income minorities, says Riley, we must look beyond our partisan differences at what works and keep doing it. Unfortunately, many press outlets were unable or unwilling to do that.

The Black Boom

Born to a wealthy family in West Africa around 1770, Omar Ibn Said was abducted and sold into slavery in the United States, where he came to the attention of a prominent North Carolina family after filling "the walls of his room with piteous petitions to be released, all written in the Arabic language," as one local newspaper reported. Ibn Said soon became a local celebrity, and in 1831 he was asked to write his life story, producing the only known surviving American slave narrative written in Arabic. In A Muslim American Slave, Ala Alryyes offers both a definitive translation and an authoritative edition of this singularly important work, lending new insights into the early history of Islam in America and exploring the multiple, shifting interpretations of Ibn Said's narrative by the nineteenth-century missionaries, ethnographers, and intellectuals who championed it. This edition presents the English translation of Ibn Said's Arabic narrative, augmented by Alryyes's comprehensive introduction, contextual essays and historical commentary by leading literary critics and scholars of Islam and the African diaspora and other writings by Omar Ibn Said. The result is an invaluable addition to our understanding of writings by enslaved Americans and a timely reminder that "Islam" and "America" are not mutually exclusive terms.

A Muslim American Slave

Four kids meet at an airport for one unforgettable night in this middle-grade novel by four bestselling and award-winning authors When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he'd rather be writing a poem that's good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the airport—and also on avoiding a conversation with her dad about him possibly remarrying. Sami is struggling with his anxiety and worried that he'll miss the karate tournament that he's trained so hard for. And Nora has to deal with the pressure of being the daughter of a prominent congresswoman, when all she really wants to do is make fun NokNok videos. These kids don't seem to have much in common—yet. Told in alternating points of view, Grounded tells the story of one unexpected night that will change these kids forever.

Grounded

Decolonization has lost its way. Originally a struggle to escape the West's direct political and economic control, it has become a catch-all idea, often for performing "morality" or "authenticity;" it suffocates African thought and denies African agency. Olúfemi Táíwò fiercely rejects the indiscriminate application of 'decolonization' to everything from literature, language and philosophy to sociology, psychology and medicine. He argues that the decolonization industry, obsessed with cataloguing wrongs, is seriously harming scholarship on and in Africa. He finds 'decolonization' of culture intellectually unsound and wholly unrealistic, conflating modernity with coloniality, and groundlessly advocating an open-ended undoing of global society's foundations. Worst of all, today's movement attacks its own cause: "decolorizers" themselves are disregarding, infantilizing and imposing values on contemporary African thinkers. This powerful, much-needed intervention questions whether today's 'decolonization' truly serves African empowerment. Táíwò's is a bold challenge to respect African intellectuals as innovative adaptors, appropriators and synthesizers of ideas they have always seen as universally relevant.

Against Decolonization

In Geneologies of Religion, Talal Asad explores how religion as a historical category emerged in the West and has come to be applied as a universal concept. The idea that religion has undergone a radical change since the Christian Reformation—from totalitarian and socially repressive to private and relatively benign—is a familiar part of the story of secularization. It is often invoked to explain and justify the liberal politics and world view of modernity. And it leads to the view that "politicized religions" threaten both reason and liberty. Asad's essays explore and question all these assumptions. He argues that "religion" is a construction of European modernity, a construction that authorizes—for Westerners and non-Westerners alike—particular forms of "history making."

Genealogies of Religion

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