'Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a library...'Deep in the bowels of a New York Public Library lies a dragon: the monstrous coal furnace that Sharon's father, the live-in custodian, must feed every night.A moving examination of family secrets, forgiveness, and the power of language, Feeding the Dragon explores Sharon's life growing up in the library and the fire she never allowed to fade.

I believe that the Family Safety Net Act could be to raising kids in America what the Civil Rights Movement is to minorities. The legislation will mandate that every fit parent have equal access to their kids—automatic joint custody, co-parenting is insufficient—with the best interests of the child at the heart of the legislation, regardless of the status of the relationship of the parents, with primary custody initially granted to the mother. No more fathers begging to see their kids. It’...

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of modern classics such as My Sister’s Keeper and Small Great Things weaves a “richly textured and engaging” (The Boston Globe) tale that explores what happens when a young woman’s past—a past she didn’t even know she had—catches up to her just in time to threaten her future.How do you recover the past when it was never yours to lose?Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. R...

When your dreams come crashing down, what's next? In Essence bestselling author Grace Octavia's moving new novel, one woman must begin again when betrayal shatters the life she knew. . . Dawn Jones's sorority sisters thought she made a big mistake marrying blue-collar Reginald. But thanks to hard work and belief in each other, Dawn and Reginald left the big city and made their own happiness, complete with a comfortable home and two lively children. Dawn can't wait to show everyone just how...

Award-winning Civil Rights advocate Mary Frances Berry sheds new light on the fight for reparations. Callie House, an ex-slave who led the fight, founded the Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association in 1899. Defying conventions of race, class, and gender, Callie led the organization in an attempt to petition the government for the pension promised them as freedmen. "Callie House and her historic role deserve to be brought out of the shadows, and Berry achieves that superbly....

A columnist who regularly contributes to The Nation and The Village Voice, Patricia J. Williams is also a professor of law at Columbia University and the recipient of a MacArthur "genius" award. In Open House, she shares her unique views on modern American culture and tells stories of her remarkable life. Her voice is powerful, provocative, and utterly charming. "She is the rare writer who can be trusted with both our minds and our hearts."-Gloria Steinem

Contents:Washington Irving. The Legend of Sleepy HollowEdgar Allan Poe. The Gold BugHerman Melville. Bartleby, the ScrivenerBret Harte. The Luck of Roaring CampLeo Tolstoy. The Death of Ivan IlyichFyodor Dostoevsky. The Dream of a Ridiculous ManRudyard Kipling. Rikki-Tikki-TaviCharlotte Perkins Gilman. The Yellow WallpaperAnton Chekhov. The Lady with the DogD.H. Lawrence. The Prussian Of...

With heart-stopping stories by Zane, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, Joy M. Copeland, Robert Fleming, Terence Taylor, Francine Lewis, Brandon Massey, and 12 other established and up-and-coming writers, Dark Dreams is a must-have contemporary anthology of supernatural tales for any collection. ". a volume whose universal human themes will resonate with many readers."-Publishers Weekly

Race and racism have played a divisive and defining role throughout much of America's history. Slavery, Jim Crow laws, segregation, and Ku Klux Klan terrorism have inflicted deep psychic wounds, social disparities, and economic disadvantages that have diminished the promise of equal rights and opportunities for all.While much progress in race relations has been made in recent years-including the election of Barack Obama as President of the United State-it's clear that our journey t...

Award winner and national best-selling author Gwynne Forster has written Beyond Desire and When Twilight Comes. In Blues from Down Deep Forster tells the story of Regina Pearson, a woman searching for the family she has never known. Unfortunately, her quest does not bring her the love and acceptance she expects. But just as the disappointment seems unbearable, Regina meets a man who is willing to show her what family is all about.

Sharon Sochil Washington’s The Blue Is Where God Lives is a mesmerizing, powerful work of Afro-magic realism that reclaims the promise of a family’s destiny through the bending of time.Blue’s daughter, Tsitra, is dying a violent and horrific death while, thousands of miles away, Blue feels time slowing and hears voices, followed by a stillness that befalls her for 18 months.More than a century before, Blue’s grandparents Amanda and Palmer attend a ...

Sonnie Beverly draws on her experiences with African- American church groups to create realistic characters. In this debut novel, three black women from one neighborhood take different paths to better themselves. It's in her small Virginia hometown where Zakia experiences the success she's always wanted-and the change that threatens it. For her friend Nikki, this close-knit village inspires a new life where a younger man and unexpected conflicts test her mettle. And for young LaKishsa-fres...