Boss of Black Brooklyn presents a riveting and untold story about the struggles and achievements of the first black person to hold public office in Brooklyn. Bertram L. Baker immigrated to the United States from the Caribbean island of Nevis in 1915. Three decades later, he was elected to the New York state legislature, representing the Bedford Stuyvesant section. A pioneer and a giant, Baker has a story that is finally revealed in intimate and honest detail by his grandson Ron Howell. Boss of Black Brooklyn begins with the tale of one man’s rise to prominence in a fascinating era of black American history, a time when thousands of West Indian families began leaving their native islands in the Caribbean and settling in New York City. In 1948, Bert Baker was elected to the New York state assembly, representing the growing central Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant. Baker loved telling his fellow legislators that only one other Nevisian had ever served in the state assembly. That was Alexander Hamilton, the founding father. Making his own mark on modern history, Baker pushed through one of the nation’s first bills outlawing discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. Also, for thirty years, from 1936 to 1966, he led the all-black American Tennis Association, as its executive secretary. In that capacity he successfully negotiated with white tennis administrators, getting them to accept Althea Gibson into their competitions. Gibson then made history as the first black champion of professional tennis. Yet, after all of Baker’s wonderful achievements, little has been written to document his role in black history. Baker represents a remarkable turning point in the evolution of modern New York City. In the 1940s, when he won his seat in the New York state assembly, blacks made up only 4 percent of the population of Brooklyn. Today they make up a third of the population, and there are scores of black elected officials. Yet Brooklyn, often called the capital of the Black Diaspora, is a capital under siege. Developers and realtors seeking to gentrify the borough are all but conspiring to push blacks out of the city. A very important and long-overdue book, Boss of Black Brooklyn not only explores black politics and black organizations but also penetrates Baker’s inner life and reveals themes that resonate today: black fatherhood, relations between black men and black women, faithfulness to place and ancestry. Bertram L. Baker’s story has receded into the shadows of time, but Boss of Black Brooklyn recaptures it and inspires us to learn from it.

A celebration of Brooklyn features more than one hundred original articles that tap into the life of "America's Hometown."

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • A complusively readable riff on the classic detective novel from America's most inventive novelist. "A half-satirical cross between a literary novel and a hard-boiled crime story narrated by an amateur detective with Tourette's syndrome.... The dialogue crackles with caustic hilarity.... Unexpectedly moving." —The Boston Globe Brooklyn's very own self-appointed Human Freakshow, Lionel Essrog is an orphan whose Tourettic impulses drive him to bark, count, and rip apart our language in startling and original ways. Together with three veterans of the St. Vincent's Home for Boys, he works for small-time mobster Frank Minna's limo service cum detective agency. Life without Frank Minna, the charismatic King of Brooklyn, would be unimaginable, so who cares if the tasks he sets them are, well, not exactly legal. But when Frank is fatally stabbed, one of Lionel's colleagues lands in jail, the other two vie for his position, and the victim's widow skips town. Lionel's world is suddenly topsy-turvy, and this outcast who has trouble even conversing attempts to untangle the threads of the case while trying to keep the words straight in his head. Motherless Brooklyn is a brilliantly original, captivating homage to the classic detective novel by one of the most acclaimed writers of his generation.

"In 1959, Bruce Davidson read about the teenage gangs of New York City. Connecting with a social worker to make initial contact with a gang in Brooklyn called The Jokers, Davidson became a daily observer and photographer of this alienated youth culture. The Fifties are often considered passive and pale by our standards of urban reality, but Davidson's photographs prove otherwise. Nearly 70 sheet-fed gravure plates show images of tough people, tough lives, tough lovers, all trying to be cool. They are followed by a short recollection by the photographer and a lengthier interview with Bengie, a surviving gang member, who is now a drug counselor."--Magnum Photo.

Fast Break: Brooklyn Monarchs, Season 1, Book IThe only way to win is to lose control ...It's 24/7 money, fame, and game on-and off-the court. But the real action is behind the scenes in Patricia Sargeant's sizzling pro basketball series, where the stakes are everything and winning means playing for keeps. . .He's a two-time MVP and three-time championship winner. He lives to be the best. And now that he's a first-time coach, DeMarcus Guinn will lead the NBA's worst team to the top his way - or no way at all. But the team's fiery franchise owner, Jaclyn Jones, is fighting him at every turn. And their unexpectedly seductive one-on-one is the kind of game time he can't resist.Turning her family's team into winners is Jaclyn's only hope of saving them and her community. She's used to being in control, but DeMarcus's determination - and the way he makes her feel - are like no moves she's ever seen. And with everything they care about on the line, they'll have to play to win . . . or lose their hearts.Excerpt, Fast Break: Brooklyn Monarchs, Book IDeMarcus's mind spun at Jaclyn's contrasts. Sweet and spicy. Bold and bashful. He wanted to taste her, all of her. He tightened his hold on her thigh and pressed his hips hard into hers.Jaclyn broke their kiss. "Marc. Wait."DeMarcus froze. His left hand pressed her breast; his right hand cupped her thigh. His body ached. "All right."Jaclyn opened her eyes. She pressed her hand against his chest, creating more room between them. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you. What an understatement." Her chuckle was breathless and awkward. "But things are complicated enough for both of us without adding a sexual relationship."DeMarcus made himself release her. He turned away from Jaclyn's scent and breathed deeply to clear his mind. "You're right. You're my boss. This isn't a good idea.""I'm glad we can be sensible about this." She didn't sound glad. Small comfort.DeMarcus collected his jacket from her kitchen chair before facing her again. His palm tingled from the feel of her. His body ached from the taste of her. "Yes, we can be sensible. But for how long?"Reviews for Fast Break: Brooklyn Monarchs, Book I"Sexy, fun, and fast-paced ... a slam dunk!" - Kate Angell, USA Today best-selling author"A fun read ..." - Publishers Weekly

A photographic look into the world of vinyl record collectors—including Questlove—in the most intimate of environments—their record rooms. Compelling photographic essays from photographer Eilon Paz are paired with in-depth and insightful interviews to illustrate what motivates these collectors to keep digging for more records. The reader gets an up close and personal look at a variety of well-known vinyl champions, including Gilles Peterson and King Britt, as well as a glimpse into the collections of known and unknown DJs, producers, record dealers, and everyday enthusiasts. Driven by his love for vinyl records, Paz takes us on a five-year journey unearthing the very soul of the vinyl community.

"Groomed to take over a powerful family organization, a young man harboring a secret wish to be a professional chef replaces his dream with a growing obsession to exact justice on the person responsible for his father's murder."--