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Crowns
Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats
Doubleday
"Don't let people touch the hat.
Don't let people knock the hat.
Dont' let people hug too close.
Those are the hat-queen rules. Don't Break 'em."
Crowns by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry, with a foreword by Maya Angelou, is a unique and stunning gift book which celebrates the style, pride and verve of African-American women and their church hats.
Countless black women would rather attend church naked than hatless. For a flamboyant church hat is more than a fashion statement - it is a reflection of a treasured tradition and a woman's own inimitable style. In fifty gorgeous black-and-white photographs, Michael Cunningham has captured the self-expressions of women of all ages - from mischievous young girls to serene grandmothers - who understand the secret of keeping the Sabbath both holy and glamorous. Accompanying each photograph is an equally enchanting interview by Craig Marberry that provides an intimate look at the woman and her life.
"When Daddy caught sight of me in this hat, he burst into the biggest smile" - Velma Fields
"If a woman wears a hat all the time, she's going to look naked in the casket without one." - Carmen Bonham
Photos by Michael Cunningham from Crowns - Portraits of Black Women In Church Hats. |
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Building bridges to the new world...
The American Family Albums:
History from the Lives of Those Who Lived It
Oxford University Press
In their groundbreaking ten-volume series, The American Family Albums, now published in paperback by Oxford University Press, Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler have created a rounded picture of our pluralistic, multicultural society by allowing those who lived in the past to speak for themselves. Each book tells the story of one particular ethnic or racial group from its earliest arrival to the present day.
By stitching together first-person accounts, photographs, drawings, cartoons, and documents, the Hooblers have created a patchwork quilt of American society that comes alive with the passions, joys, suffering, hopes, and hard work of the people who made the society in which we live.
Topics such as the building of the transcontinental railroad, the establishment of settlement houses, the growth of suburbs, and the urbanization of America come to life through the words of people who were there, not as observers but as participants.
There are ten albums in all. Each focuses on the history of a distinct ethnic group: African, Chinese, Cuban, German, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jewish, Mexican, Scandinavian. Each begins with a pictorial and written record of the “old country” left behind, then follows the immigrants as they travel to America, find work, form communities, and over generations, take their place in American life. Each book ends with an extensive interview with a person or group who can look back over several generations of family life.
The introduction to each book is written by a well-known public figure. These include politicians such as Governor Mario Cuomo (Italian American), U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II (Irish American), and Hubert H. Humphrey III (Scandinavian American), and cultural figure such as writer Oscar Hijuelos (Cuban American), and Phylicia Rashad (African American).
...and everyday words for the real world.
   
Success With Words Series
Kaplan/Simon & Schuster
In today’s world, strong English skills are critical to academic and professional success. Native English speakers have a competitive edge because they know the jargon and understand the idioms, but now non-native speakers have an easy way to close the communication gap. Kaplan's new Success With Words series published by Kaplan/Simon & Schuster, features five titles to help international professionals tackle unfamiliar English words and phrases, and manage everyday situations.
Success with American Idioms, Success with Business Words, Success with Legal Words, and Success with Medical Words were developed by the creator of Kaplan's Access AmericaTM program, which uses a unique approach to English instruction that emphasizes building a large, functional vocabulary in the same way that individuals learn their native languages. Each pocket-sized guide features 450 common vocabulary words grouped by a theme or topic, and includes a series of exercises to help readers master spoken and written English. •
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