Like Lucille Clifton before her, Matthews politicizes the magic of hips that are "wide as hell." She let's readers in on the mystery and often the fear of black girl hips hat can 'stop crap games on shady ghetto corners. Wide enough to birth fat black baby boys."She tells us to swing proud, swing wide, swing universal and always swing love. A young, womanist voice, Matthews' poems are not for those who believe in art for art's sake. Matthews is clear about where she stands as a woman today, historically where she has been, and where we need to be going as a people

"Billy Parker will always be one of the greats…I’m proud that he has this autobiography to really show who he was and is." ~ Dolly Parton A lover of country music and broadcasting from his earliest days, Billy Parker took his first tentative steps into both those fields while still in his teens, leading to lasting renown as both a top-rated deejay and country recording artist. Following a stint as the front man for Ernest Tubb’s famed Texas Troubadours, Billy returned to his native Oklahoma, where he originated one of the first nationally known overnight radio shows of the ‘70s. For years, Billy’s voice rode nightly over the mighty airwaves of the original KVOO, a 50,000-watt flamethrower that spread Billy Parker’s Big Rigger show all across the country. Later, as program director for the station, he helped many country performers at all levels, becoming well-known for giving everyone a fair shake, regardless of their stature in the industry. Thanks – Thanks A Lot doesn’t just refer to the famous hit record he cut back in the 1960s; it’s also Billy Parker’s sincere nod to those who helped make him what he is today: a performer with several national hits; a trailblazing, multiple-award-winning deejay; and—as the call letters of the station that brought him stardom indicate —nothing less than the Voice of Oklahoma. "Billy was so important to the Oak Ridge Boys. He helped break all our songs and the Midwest followed. Billy was a trusted voice of radio. I am so blessed that our paths crossed and we became good friends for over five decades." ~ Duane Allen (of the Oak Ridge Boys)

Immediately upon publication in 1998, the Encyclopedia of Country Music became a much-loved reference source, prized for the wealth of information it contained on that most American of musical genres. Countless fans have used it as the source for answers to questions about everything from country's first commercially successful recording, to the genre's pioneering music videos, to what conjunto music is. This thoroughly revised new edition includes more than 1,200 A-Z entries covering nine decades of history and artistry, from the Carter Family recordings of the 1920s to the reign of Taylor Swift in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Compiled by a team of experts at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the encyclopedia has been brought completely up-to-date, with new entries on the artists who have profoundly influenced country music in recent years, such as the Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban. The new edition also explores the latest and most critical trends within the industry, shedding light on such topics as the digital revolution, the shifting politics of country music, and the impact of American Idol (reflected in the stardom of Carrie Underwood). Other essays cover the literature of country music, the importance of Nashville as a music center, and the colorful outfits that have long been a staple of the genre. The volume features hundreds of images, including a photo essay of album covers; a foreword by country music superstar Vince Gill (the winner of twenty Grammy Awards); and twelve fascinating appendices, ranging from lists of awards to the best-selling country albums of all time. Winner of the Best Reference Award from the Popular Culture Association "Any serious country music fan will treasure this authoritative book." --The Seattle Times "A long-awaited, major accomplishment, which educators, historians and students, broadcasters and music writers, artists and fans alike, will welcome and enjoy." --The Nashville Musician "Should prove a valuable resource to those who work in the country music business. But it's also an entertaining read for the music's true fans." --Houston Chronicle "This big, handsome volume spans the history of country music, listing not only artists and groups but also important individuals and institutions." --San Francisco Examiner "Promises to be the definitive historical and biographical work on the past eight decades of country music. Well written and heavily illustratedan unparalleled work, worth its price and highly recommended." --Library Journal

Guaranteeing election outcomes is a very big deal. Big but dodgy. Billions are at stake if the algorithms in the new electronic voting systems can determine the President. After all, someone has to programme them. An elite team from the British Secret Services investigate this latest threat to democracy. This is book one of The Nines series about a new secret unit in UK intelligence. Formed specifically to deal with the more unusual threats facing the modern world as it enters the third decade of the new millennium they tackle hijacking democracy , pandemic viruses , theft in cyberspace and more. Each member has been specially selected for their individual skills but there is also a recurring theme in the recruitment process. All six have exceptionally high IQ's which rank them in the top ninety ninth percentile of the general population. Hence their nickname.They are unarmed and defuse situations and danger with a mix of intellect and humour. Always more effective than guns and bullets.And much more entertaining. Their boss, Commander Harry Shepperton, is Ten. ' We don't do dead bodies in hotels any more,' he likes to remind everyone. 'Hell, people have to sleep in those places' Demos kratos. The people should rule. Only they don't.

Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong was not only jazz's greatest musician and innovator, but also arguably its most famous entertainer and the frontal figure in the development of contemporary popular music. Overcoming social and political obstacles, he created a long and impressive career and an enormous musical output. Now, his ground breaking musical career is amassed and detailed in this discography of all his works, from professionally made commercial releases, to amateur and unissued recordings. All of Me is a comprehensive, chronological discography born out of love and admiration for Louis Armstrong, and devotion to years of collecting his musical accomplishments. Author Jos Willems has meticulously compiled all of Satchmo's known recordings_both studio and live performances_and with assistance from internationally renowned specialists, has assembled an impressively detailed, accurate, and complete listing. This volume is superbly formatted and presented, logically organized, and thoroughly indexed by song title and individual. Researchers, collectors, and enthusiasts can easily look up any detail of a recording: issues and releases of particular songs; publishing companies; producers; catalog numbers; dates, times, and locations of recordings; musicians Armstrong played with; and format, be it 78 or 45 RPM records, LPs, CDs, or media appearances. Every detail of Armstrong's career is listed in this impressive volume, shedding light on the enormity of his impact on jazz and popular culture. This is the ultimate reference guide for the complete works of Louis Armstrong.

Jesse Baker, 16, fights for control of his life and his sanity in Jesses Journey, the second book in the Jesse Baker series. As he leaves his father behind him, he begins a search for his mother. His journey takes him to Somerset, Kentucky where he meets the Palomino mare thats been protection him in his dreams face to face. The Coleman Ranch is a life saver, but as the holiday approach his father begins to invade his dreams. How much can he endure before he goes back to the life he left behind? As he struggles with his faith, mind, and body, the fight of his life, for his life is at hand. Im confident that Jesses Journey will tug at your heart. Youll grow to love him even more in book two as he struggles for freedom, both physically and spiritually while fighting to keep the family hes come to love. Its time he faces the demons that haunt him. The question is, is he strong enough and brave enough to do so?

Strategies for Survival conveys the experience of bondage through former enslaved people's own words. The source of this landmark content is a remarkable series of interviews conducted in Virginia in 1937 by WPA workers. Most of the interviewers were themselves Black; as a result, the subjects spoke with exceptional candor. William Dusinberre explores these interviews to re-create for the modern reader enslaved people's strategies for survival within the severe constrictions bondage imposed upon their lives. Religion and escape were the chief ways of coping with the indignity of family disruption, contempt, and the harsh realities of slavery. We see great creativity and variety in such responses to oppression, but we are forced to acknowledge the dispiriting realties of enslaved existence and the limits of enslaved people's resistance and agency.