MEALS, MUSIC, AND MUSES by Alexander Smalls - Modern Farmer "What Top Chefs Are Making in Self-Isolation"

Modern Farmer | April 3, 2020

“The COVID-19 pandemic has paused a number of life’s simple pleasures: being with friends and family, travelling to new places, dining out.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the need to eat. Staying home will likely encourage some to perfect their culinary skills while those less experienced might attempt to crack open a cookbook for the first time.

To provide you with some kitchen inspiration, Modern Farmer connected with a number of top chefs to check in on what they’ve been cooking since staying isolated.”

Follow the link to see what top chefs are cooking while practicing self-isolation. Alexander Smalls is making bourbon pecan pie!

Victoria Sanders
EXQUISITE: THE POETRY AND LIFE OF GWENDOLYN BROOKS by Suzanne Slade and Cozbi A. Cabrera - PBS Books "Trailblazing Women Children's Book List"

PBS Books | April 2, 2020

“2020 marks an important year for US democracy. This year, America will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, officially granting women the right to vote, and PBS will launch multiplatform programming focused on ‘Trailblazers’ in order to commemorate the fight for women’s suffrage in the US and the stories of modern women, who continue to shatter the glass ceiling and transform modern history. We hope your children (ages 0-12) will enjoy learning about some trailblazing women, who have made a difference throughout the world, but especially in the US.”

Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade and Cozbi A. Cabrera was included on this fabulous list! Follow the link above to read the entire article.

Victoria Sanders
MEALS, MUSIC, AND MUSES by Alexander Smalls - Taste "Melissa Clark’s Most French Pantry Advice"

Taste | March 30, 2020

“Alexander Smalls might be the only person we know who has a Grammy, a Tony, and a James Beard Award, and his new book, Meals, Music, and Muses, tells the story of how music and food interweave throughout Southern culture.”

The newest cookbook from Alexander Smalls, Meals, Music, and Muses, was included in this lovely article. Click the link above to read more.

Victoria Sanders
BOOK OF THE LITTLE AXE by Lauren Francis-Sharma - Library Journal Review

Library Journal | March 25, 2020

“From the farms of Trinidad to the forests of the American West, the tale of Rosa Rendón is hard yet engrossing… The various strands of the story come together to illuminate how power and race can warp a life… A sad, compelling novel about a woman of color who fights against society’s expectation .”

Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma was reviewed by Library Journal. Follow the link above to read the full review!

Victoria Sanders
MY MOTHER'S HOUSE by Francesca Momplaisir and THE WIFE STALKER by Liv Constantine - BiblioLifestyle "Our 15 Most Anticipated Thriller, Suspense + Mystery Novels of Spring 2020"

BiblioLifestyle | March 16, 2020

“If you’re a reader who lives for the thrill and you cant get enough of those plot twists that you’re always trying to predict, this book list is just for you. From bestselling authors you’re already acquainted with, to debut authors making their mark in the genre, we are sure you’ll find something to pique your interest. So make space on your bookshelves, make those library requests, reserve these titles and check out FIFTEEN of our most anticipated thriller, suspense and mystery novels that we will be reading during the Spring 2020 season!”

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir and The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine were included in this beautiful round-up! Follow the link above to see the full list.

Victoria Sanders
Alexander Smalls - The New York Times “How a Harlem Chef Spends His Sundays”

The New York Times | March 13, 2020

“Alexander Smalls, who introduced New Yorkers to Afro-Asian-American cuisine when he opened the Cecil in 2013, has always loved Sunday. ‘I give myself permission to do anything and everything and nothing,‘ he said.

Cooking is a second act for Mr. Smalls. Before he opened Café Beulah, his first restaurant, which featured South Carolina Lowcountry fare, in 1994, he was a professional opera singer. In 1990, after starring in ‘Porgy and Bess‘ at the Houston Grand Opera, Mr. Smalls reluctantly left the stage. ‘An operatic career was my dream,’ he said, ’but I was not able to break that glass ceiling as an African-American male.’

He reinvented himself as a chef and restaurateur and cookbook author, most recently winning a James Beard Award for ’Between Harlem and Heaven‘ in 2018. His latest offering, ’Meals, Music and Muses: Recipes From My African American Kitchen,’ a tribute to his South Carolina heritage and the music that inspired him, was published last month. Mr. Smalls, 67, lives in Harlem.”

Follow the link above to read the full article on The New York Times and learn which markets Alexander Smalls recommends.

Victoria Sanders
BITTERSWEET BROOKLYN by Thelma Adams - Thrive Global "A Bitter Taste For Brooklyn Sweets!"

Thrive Global | March 11, 2020

“If you are an avid reader, there is a time when you come across one of those reads. Those iconic reads, taking you to a place and a world knowing, but unfamiliar. A world that you did not truly know. That you heard of. That you were exposed to. Yet, one that you truly never knew. A prevalent image of your mind for a particular culture of people has been shifted to include other realities of their existence. Reading of that world is initially. . .shocking. The shock is the beauty of it all because it is a shattering of any expectations, that you had. And, because you are surprised, you are compelled to begin an adventure in discovering that world. No matter now uncomfortable it may be.

This is how the journey began in my own, initial readings of Bittersweet Brooklyn, by Thelma Adams. This dynamic world of early 1900’s, Brooklyn, New York Jewish culture is captivating. Not because of the extreme conditions, but because of its complexity. This literary aesthetic conveys the harsh, migration stories of Jewish communities in the urban context of US soiling. Stories in the farcity of Jewish communities having always been united; or having always distributed natural compassion to those who were more unfortunate in their communities highlights this other world of Jewish existence in the United States. Thelma Adams is descriptive and keen in how she leads our reader’s eye into this world.”

Follow the link above to read the full review of Bittersweet Brooklyn by Thelma Adams!

Victoria Sanders
MY MOTHER'S HOUSE by Francesca Momplaisir - The New School "Interview with 2019 NBCC Fiction Finalist Edwidge Danticat"

The New School | March 6, 2020

“Edwidge Danticat’s Everything Inside is a finalist for the NBCC Award for Fiction. This short story collection takes us into the intimate depths of characters grappling to communicate with those they love, to rewrite the stories of their lives and sometimes their deaths. The stories are set in Port-au-Prince, Miami and, in one case, an unnamed Caribbean island. More than anything, there is a spare and resounding musicality that unites these eight resplendent stories.

Ms. Danticat’s light and ever ready laughter set the tone of our conversation, the sense of wonder with which she speaks about the power of stories. Just hours after we talked, she was awarded The Story Prize, making her the first ever two-time winner of the prize.”

During this interview, Ms. Danticat shared that she is currently reading My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir! She described this title as “a very powerful book” and one “we’ll be hearing a lot about.” Follow the link above to read more!

Victoria Sanders
MY MOTHER'S HOUSE by Francesca Momplaisir - Publishers Weekly Review

Publishers Weekly | March 4, 2020

“Momplaisir’s provocative debut unearths the secrets and dark desires of a Haitian immigrant family man living in an anthropomorphic house in Queens, N.Y. […] Momplaisir’s arresting take on the abuse of male power will long haunt the reader.”

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir was reviewed in Publishers Weekly! Follow the link above to read the full review.

Victoria Sanders
PIECES OF HER by Karin Slaughter - Deadline Hollywood "Bella Heathcote To Star In ‘Pieces Of Her’ Netflix Drama Series"

Deadline Hollywood | February 26, 2020

“EXCLUSIVE: Bella Heathcote (Strange Angel, The Man in the High Castle) is set to headline Pieces of Her, Netflix’s dramatic thriller series based on the 2018 book by bestselling crime author Karin Slaughter. Heathcote will star opposite Toni Collette in the eight-episode series, which comes from an all-female creative team led by Charlotte Stoudt, Bruna Papandrea, Lesli Linka Glatter and Minkie Spiro.”

We are so thrilled to announce this new development! Follow the link above to read the full article and learn more at the Netflix adaptation of Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter.

Victoria Sanders
MEALS, MUSIC, AND MUSES by Alexander Smalls - Los Angeles Times "Got a seafood craving? You’ll want these creole crab cakes."

Los Angeles Times | February 24, 2020

“For 30 years, these deviled crab cakes were a fixture at Alexander Smalls’ five restaurants, starting with Café Beulah. The recipe comes from his newest cookbook, Meals, Music and Muses: Recipes From My African American Kitchen, written with Veronica Chambers. (I was lucky enough to work with Smalls writing the book’s recipes.) They’re an ideal appetizer for Mardi Gras or any other party and make a great meal too.”

Genevieve Ko shares Alexander Smalls’ recipe for crab cakes in this Los Angeles Times article! Follow the link above to get all of the details.

Victoria Sanders
THE WIFE STALKER by Liv Constantine - She Reads "15 Necessary thrillers to read in 2020"

She Reads | February 21, 2020

“Oh, hey there. It’s me again and it’s 2020, so you know what that means… another year for some great books! Now, I’m not ‘new year, new me’ kind of guy (no shade if you are). But one thing that always sparks some excitement for me on January 1 is the prospect of another great year of fantastic books and from the looks of it, 2020 is going to be amazing. Look no further because here are my can’t-miss thrillers of the first half of 2020 that is definitely going to keep you occupied until summer.”

She Reads included The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine in this fabulous round-up! Follow the link above to read more.

Victoria Sanders
MEALS, MUSIC, AND MUSES by Alexander Smalls - BookPage Starred Review

BookPage | February 18, 2020

“‘Cooking without a song—in your heart, if nothing else—is like cooking without salt and pepper,’ writes chef Alexander Smalls in Meals, Music, and Muses. Here, recipes grounded in the culinary traditions of the African American South are grouped according to the ‘seven styles of African American music that set the bass line for this medley of meals.’ Fried sweet white corn and a salad of field greens and black-eyed peas are among the ‘green things’ that Smalls associates with gospel music; rice, pasta and grits are the stuff of spirituals. Roast quail, pan-fried rabbit, pork loin roasts? Divas, all. There are biscuits and beans and pie to the tune of jazz, opera, jukebox music and serenades (sweet endings), with the pleasure of Smalls’ storytelling along the way to deepen the flavor.”

Meals, Music, and Muses by Alexander Smalls received a starred review from BookPage! Follow the link above to read more!

Victoria Sanders