Authors and Artists Magazine August 2017
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Contents Authors………………….…. Pg. 5 AAM in the News ...……… .Pg. 9 Entertainment……………...Pg. 10
Cover Story ……..….….…..Pg. 11 Music ………..….…………..Pg. 15 Television…..………….…….Pg 16 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival……………………...Pg. 18 California African American Museum ……………….….……………Pg. 20
Authors & Artists Magazine Vol.21 Issue 8 Gina Smith Editor & Publisher Advertising Tony Smith Marketing & Sales Chris Smith Enjjoli Hall Amber Smith Richard Hall Authors & Artists Magazine SPMG Media 385 S. Lemon Ave. #E236 Walnut, CA 91789 P - (909) 942-0388
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About the Book By Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Clinton's new book, 'What Happened,' will address the 2016 election
“In the past, for reasons I try to explain, I’ve often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net. Now I’m letting my guard down.” —Hillary Rodham Clinton, from the introduction of What Happened
For the first time, Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history. Now free from the constraints of running, Hillary takes you inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent who broke all the rules. This is her most personal memoir yet. In these pages, she describes what it was like to run against Donald Trump, the mistakes she made, how she has coped with a shocking and devastating loss, and how she found the strength to pick herself back up afterward. With humor and candor, she tells readers what it took to get back on her feet—the rituals, relationships, and reading that got her through, and what the experience has taught her about life. She speaks about the challenges of being a strong woman in the public eye, the criticism over her voice, age, and appearance, and the double standard confronting women in politics. She lays out how the 2016 election was marked by an unprecedented assault on our democracy by a foreign adversary. By analyzing the evidence and connecting the dots, Hillary shows just how dangerous the forces are that shaped the outcome, and why Americans need to understand them to protect our values and our democracy in the future. The election of 2016 was unprecedented and historic. What Happened is the story of that campaign and its aftermath—both a deeply intimate account and a cautionary tale for the nation. Authors and Artists Magazine · 5
Dancing on Broken Legs : Journey of A D.I.V.A. In this book, Dr. Young shares with complete transparency and authenticity of how she struggled and navigated life's teachable moments, learning sometimes by default. She shares her success and spiritual principles learned and how she applied them to find professional and personal success to keep on "dancing." She is creative and innovative in sharing her stylized brand of advice in this book that is a must-read for all ages. Dr. Young guides the readers with her vignettes on how one can both discover and retain the very best of one's self through an intense and intimate soul-searching spiritual approach to live your best life. Dr. Young is highly recognized as a dynamic speaker, radio and TV personality and transformation coach, who has spent over three decades as an educator, motivational speaker, life empowerment coach, consultant, author and entrepreneur. Her high energy, positive and practical approach to life assists her to help her loyal talk show audience and many followers in attaining their personal and professional goals, overcoming barriers to success through education, reflection and self-accountability. She travels extensively nationally and internationally touching the lives of people from all walks of life with her no nonsense practical delivery of vital and life changing perspectives that have been fundamental in transforming and enriching the lives of individuals with whom she educates, guides and mentors.
The book is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and other bookstores. An Dr. Young's mobile app is also available through both the Google Play Store and Apple Store. E-book, Kindle, and the Audio book will be available soon.
Learn more about Dr. Barbara Young at http://www.transformationforsuccess.com/
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I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons By Kevin Hart
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uperstar comedian and Hollywood box office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: the, a, for, above, and even even. Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller.
Kevin Hart is an award-winning actor and comedian. His films, including Central Intelligence, Think Like a Man, Get Hard, Ride Along, The Wedding Ringer, and The Secret Life of Pets have earned over $3.5 billion at the box office. His stand-up comedy tours, including Let Me Explain, Laugh at My Pain, and What Now?, have sold-out arenas and football stadiums, leading Forbes to name him the “king of comedy.” He is also the first comedian with a Nike sneaker line; a television producer, creating the BET show Real Husbands of Hollywood and the Laugh Out Loud Network; and CEO of Hartbeat Productions. Hart currently lives in Los Angeles with his family.
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AAM
'Queen Sugar' renewed for Season 3, Ava DuVernay signs first-look TV deal with Harpo Films
In The Quincy Jones Awarded $9.4 Million From Michael Jackson Estate Following Royalties Dispute
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usic legend Quincy Jones was awarded $9.4 million Wednesday after a long dispute with Michael Jackson‘s estate over unpaid music royalties. The royalties and production fees come from some of Jackson’s biggest hits, such as “Billie Jean” and “Thriller.” Jones, 84, also claimed that he was underpaid for music used in Jackson’s documentary This Is It, as well as two Cirque du Soleil shows, Variety reports. The iconic producer sought $30 million from the lawsuit 9· Authors & Artists Magazine
he filed nearly four years ago, according to the Associated Press, while Jackson’s estate placed the figure at about $392,000. “This lawsuit was never about Michael, it was about protecting the integrity of the work we all did in the recording studio and the legacy of what we created. Although this judgment is not the full amount that I was seeking, I am very grateful that the jury decided in our favor in this matter. I view it not only as a victory for myself personally, but for artists’ rights overall,” he concluded.
In the first major new series order since Viacom announced the 2018 relaunch of Spike as the Paramount Network, the net has picked up Jay Z and The Weinstein Company ‘s Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, based on the life and legacy of Trayvon Martin. The six-part event documentary series is one of two Trayvon Martin projects Jay Z (full name Shawn Carter) and the Weinstein Co. are working on, along with a feature film. Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story is a followup to Spike’s recent collaboration with Carter and The Weinstein Co. Time: The Kalief Browder Story, which premiered March 1 on Spike and concluded last night. “I am thrilled to once again partner with the incredibly talented team of The Weinstein Company and Shawn Carter to take a comprehensive look beyond the headlines at the circumstances that caused Trayvon’s senseless death and the movement born out of this tragedy,” said Kevin Kay, President, Spike TV (soon to be Paramount Network), TV Land, and CMT. READ MORE
ENTERTAINMENT
Once a year, a unique gathering of pundits, elected leaders, campaign strategists, and general political junkies gather for Politicon, a quirky two-day convention that I can best describe as a politics-themed Comic-Con. This year’s event took place July 29-30 at the Pasadena (Calif.) Convention Center. As usual, the panels were provocative and lively.
Cover Story
Issa Rae Talks Insecure, Sex Scenes, and Black Female Friendship By Morgan Jerkins
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is is Issa Rae’s moment, and we’re lucky to be living in it. Ever since she introduced herself as Awkward Black Girl in the eponymous YouTube show in 2011, Rae has been entertaining us with hilarious raps, heartfelt moments between lovers and friends, and an overall honest depiction of how life builds us up and tears us down. When Insecure premiered in 2016, many people, including myself, rejoiced. Immediately, viewers were pulled into the world of Rae's character, also named Issa, who's working a thankless job at a nonprofit (ridiculously known as "We Got Ya'll")
as her five-year relationship with her boyfriend, Lawrence, hangs by a thread. Inevitably, she cheats on him with an old flame, he finds out, they fall apart. It's an utterly ordinary story, extraordinary in its crisp writing and fresh point of view. (Rae is only the second black woman, after Wanda Sykes, to create and star in a TV comedy.)
grappling with her unresolved feelings for Lawrence. Meantime, he's still having vigorous sex with Tasha, the bank teller he was seen with at the end of season one. Will he and Issa ever get back together? The question hangs over the season's early episodes but the only thing that's certain is that letting go is hard.
Now the show has picked up with a newly single Issa thrown deep into the hellfire that is the modern dating landscape: swiping, matching, and enduring monotonous first-date dinner conversations. With the help of her best friend, Molly — who's now begrudgingly in therapy — she’s attempting to play the field while Authors and Artists Magazine·11
what made her [cheat on Lawrence] and how to make sure she doesn’t do that again. Are you rooting for Lawrence and Issa to get back together? Let’s say if they were real-life people. I’d say … yes, if that’s what they both want.
Ahead of Insecure's season two premiere, I sat down with Rae at The Vnyl in Manhattan's East Village to talk about where the show is headed, the power of female friendship, and why her mission is to show the everyday of black lives. What I really appreciate about this season is that we see Issa develop, or perhaps regress, because she’s not with Lawrence anymore. Trying to establish one’s identity outside of a relationship — is that something you intended to explore from the start? It naturally developed. In the pilot and first season, it felt like he was the one holding her back. She was not communicating with him or taking responsibility for her own actions. By the time she made the choice to cheat on him, it was too late. She started to realize what she had in him. Now in season two, with her heart broken, she’s in this vulnerable place with dating and putting herself out there and wanting him back. To a degree, she’s going to start to realize who and what she doesn’t want to be. She’s going to try to figure out
That’s a very diplomatic answer. In the first half of the first season, Lawrence was not emotionally present, and then once Issa cheats, he shows so much of himself. How is he going to handle the hurt going forward? Some men acknowledge the hurt but don’t deal with it. I think Lawrence is trying to deal with the hurt in the best way possible with advice from shitty friends but he’s not dealing with it. In his heart, he’s probably like, “What did I do? Why wasn’t I enough?” Until he asks himself those questions, he’ll be lost for a while. My character was pretty much all he had. But you’ll see the introduction and reintroduction of men who give better advice.
out to me because of our dynamic. I always look up to her because I feel like I constantly have to get it together. She always calls me to the carpet when I’m fucking up but even when I’m fucking up, she has my back. I can say that for a lot of my friends and to not see that [on screen], to constantly see black women fighting and plotting against each other, really gets to me because that’s not what I see to be true of my friends. Let’s talk about sex. Sex is shown so vividly and explicitly on the show. We don’t see scenes in which black people are centered like that often.
In Insecure, black female friendship is so important. The bond between Issa and Molly is stronger than ever this season. How did you go about creating this kind of bond between the characters? It feels like I’m cheating but I tapped into my real-life friendships, you know? I have a lot of best friends and I thought, which of those friends could portray this particular friendship [at the center of the show]? One friend stood Authors and Artists Magazine 12
Were you adamant that, in a technical sense, the camera not pan away from these moments (sex moments) because you wanted viewers to see them? For HBO, we have so much license to show black people loving and fucking. Why wouldn’t we take advantage of that? We don’t get to see black lust in a normalized and natural way that isn’t hypersexualized. Young black people have sex. Sometimes it’s good sex, sometimes it’s bad sex, sometimes it’s revenge sex. There’s so many different facets. It’s such a privilege to show that and it feels so real. The writer in me is always excited to write those scenes. The performer is like, “Oh, shit. Why the fuck did I write this because I got to do it?” Melina Matsoukas, who’s directed music videos for Beyoncé and Rihanna, is a regular director on the show. She centers black women a lot and she shows them in really expansive ways on screen. In terms of getting her, did she come to you or you to her? I came to her. HBO asked me if I had to take a risk with one direc-
tor that’s black, who would it be, and I said, “Melina. She hasn’t done television yet, but visually she’s really dope and I’ve been following her.” She came in and had a take on the pilot that we all really liked. Then our relationship just grew from there. She’s so specific, stylistically. She’s so clear, down to choosing the wallpaper or a pillow. Everything has a specific aesthetic. Watching her is just a marvel because she is very much aware about how things look and feel. For this season, she wanted
“HBO asked me if I had to take a risk with one director that’s black, who would it be, and I said, “Melina. She hasn’t done television yet, but visually she’s really dope and I’ve been following her.”
pened in the premiere. We love to play out these moments where one thing leads into another. The “Broken Pussy” moment [in the first season] seemed like an isolated moment, for example, but that led to my character going to [her ex-boyfriend] Daniel’s and then cheating on Lawrence. We try Insecure also proves that it’s OK to just show the mundaneness of black lives — not everything needs to be about harrowing black suffering, which can be overwhelming. It's important to show the mundaneness because it shows us as human and we don’t get to have those moments of celebrating ourselves. We have a very specific struggle even in the mundane, like with microaggressions. But that doesn’t mean the world stops. We still keep moving. We’re so trained to continue. to show the connectivity of so many of our minute actions.
to elevate how the show looked and I think this entire season looks phenomenal. When you think about Insecure, it looks a specific way, and I love that. What do you hope viewers notice in the second season? There are so many little things that you think might be random but they mean so much more. Pay attention to the fire that hapAuthors and Artists Magazine ·13
Mahershala Ali & Danny Glover Star in JAY-Z's New 'Adnis' Video The 'Moonlight' actor plays a boxer After being teased in one of JAY-Z's sparring with his issues with his father. 4:44 video teasers, "Adnis" was not Oscar-winning Moonlight star Maher- included on the digital version of the shala Ali plays a boxer fighting some album but is included on the physical personal demons in JAY-Z's pensive edition.
"Adnis" video that was released Friday (July 28). The minimal track's new visual by director Mark Romanek shows Ali in black and white preparing himself for training as a quiet father-like trainer played by Danny Glover watches on. The imagery is compelling and fitting, as the song is a letter to JAY-Z's dad (that he never wrote, as he says opening the track). Throughout it, Ali embodies JAY-Z's poetic lyrics, facing himself through his struggles with his father. Authors & Artists Magazine¡ 15
Madam Secretary: Morgan Freeman is back to direct season 4 premiere He’s back! Executive Producer Lori McCreary tweeted a photo stating that Morgan Freeman is back to direct the season 4 premiere episode of Madam Secretary
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hile Madam Secretary is back to work filming, little is still known about what will occur this season. However, if Morgan Freeman is directing the premiere then fans should be in for some exciting storytelling. If fans will recall, Freeman has directed the premiere episodes for Season 2 and 3 and both of them brought the intensity and edge-of-our-seat drama.
prise, but it could hint at something big for the opening episode. As previously mentioned, season 3 set up season 4 for some great storytelling by hinting at a potential romance, another marital challenge for Elizabeth and Henry, and of course, some global issues. And we have no doubt that the show will pull from real-life events to inspire the episodes and the direction of the show, so it will be intriguing to see what global or domestic event could be portrayed in Season 4.
During the Season 2 premiere, Elizabeth was temporarily sworn in as the President when President Dalton’s plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. And during the Season 3 premiere, Elizabeth and Henry’s children are targeted by hackers. So with that type of history, anything is possible for Season 4. So what will Season 4 bring? Well based on the photo tweeted, it appears as though Freeman is on location at a government building. Obviously, this isn’t a total surAuthors & Artists Magazine· 16
Now, if Morgan Freeman is directing an episode, does that mean he could possibly have another cameo? If fans will remember Freeman had a guest role in the past two premieres as the judge who swore Elizabeth. It would be great to see Morgan Freeman again in some compactly. Whether we quickly see his character as Elizabeth is in the Capital or whether he becomes involved in some issue that Elizabeth has to deal with. Again, this would be a great little surprise for die-hard fans of the show. Overall, with Morgan Freeman returning to the director’s chair the Season 4 episode should be on everyone’s radar because it is sure to be a great episode full of amazing performances. For more news related to Madam Secretary, be sure to visit CBS. New season 4 episodes will air starting this fall on CBS at its new time on Sundays at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
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100+ Things: Attend the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival
had a dream. She envisioned a festival of One of them was a writer from the New York City area, Lisa Iannucci. Iannucci, who writes a travel blog called contemporary comedy being held in her name. thevirgintraveler.com, had always both loved Lucy and But the madcap heroine of "I Love Lucy" might not have looked up to her. imagined the scope of the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, held annually since 1996 in Jamestown, where "I always wanted to be a screenwriter, a TV writer," she explained. "I always looked at her paving the way. I'm 52 she was born on Aug. 6, 1911. now, and growing up, it was harder to break into the The festival centers on the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Muse- business than it is now. She was like a role model. um, home to tons of "I Love Lucy" esoterica – including a reproduction of the Tropicana Room, Ricky Ricardo's "When I was watching her, growing up, I always wanted to do what she did," she said. "I would literally pretend I nightclub. But the event takes over the whole town. was doing the Vegameatavitamin commercial. I wanted It features big-name comedians. This year's festival, hap- to go stomp on grapes, thought, it would be awesome to pening August 3-6, has a lineup including Jim Gaffigan, do that! Four, maybe five years ago, I heard about the Robert Klein, Lewis Black and Lisa Lampanelli. festival. I couldn't wait to go, but money – life – kept Even better, you can stomp grapes as Lucy did in one getting in the way." memorable episode. You can wrap chocolates as Lucy Finally, last year, she made it. and Ethel did, putting their own twist on an old vaudeville joke. You can even record a commercial for Ve- "Everything just aligned," she said. "I'm like, that's it! I'm going! I went, and it was so emotional. Because everygameatavitamin. thing I always wanted to do as a child, I got to do." What's not to love? Small wonder that, in 2016, the fesLearn more at CLICK HERE tival welcomed visitors from 41 states.
Lucille Ball
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California African American Museum Move: Dance ’90s with Tatiana Zamir
Sunday, August 13 at 1 PM - 2:30 PM California African American Museum 600 State Drive, Exposition Park Los Angeles, California 90007 Inspired by Trouble Every Day, a music and literature installation presented in conjunction with the exhibition No Justice, No Peace: LA 1992, choreographer Tatiana Zamir takes you back to the 1990s with an action-packed dance workshop. About Tatiana Zamir A graduate of UCLA's renowned World Arts and Cultures Department, Tatiana Zamir has been dancing most of her life. From the moment her grandmother put her in her first tutu at three years old, creativity and movement have been center stage. Trained in various forms of dance from all over the world, Tatiana studied at L’Ecole de Sables, in Senegal, West Africa, and traveled to Alaska, Bulgaria, Argentina, Uruguay, Namibia, Turkey, Mexico, Israel, and Cuba as a member of the One World Dance Company.
She has danced with Contra Tiempo, an urban Latin dance theater company in Los Angeles, the Marshall Dance Company, (honoring the legacy of Katherine Dunham,) Flesh & Blood, a dance theater project exploring issues of HIV/AIDS for the WAC Make Art/STOP AIDS initiative, and Santa Monica College's Folklorico and Synapse, for which she choreographed three dances: Strange Fruit, Hidden Place. and Disconnected Channel. Adding to her credits, she also choreographed and performed at UCLA, Was It You? for the 2005 Student Festival of Works and presented Noble Am I for her senior project and the WAC SMASH concert in 2006. She has trained under such artists as Ron Brown, Robert Gilliam, Liam Clancy, Peter Carpenter, Nzingha Camara, Maria Gillespie, Rennie Harris, Jeffery Paige, Karen McDonald and Babacar N’Diaye. Tatiana has been teaching dance for over ten years at various studios, schools and youth centers. Her genuine love for dance and the desire to create something for all levels led to the creation of her popular Afro-Hip Hop Dance Workout, mainly inspired by Hip Hop and West African dance. Learn more CLICK HERE
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