Fiction with a different face - work of the African Heritage Literature Society in promoting books by African American authors

single of the best-kept secrets in Washington, DC has nothing to do with national security; it has to do with the African Heritage Literature Society. In this cudgel the literature of choice is fiction. "Very ofttimes the messages [from] plays and literature are more powerful, more capable of striking the emotions and making an impact than information contained in nonfiction," says AHLS co-founder Terence Cooper "There is power in imagery."

The fictional format of bottoms (Doubleday, 1974), by Alex Haley, who was a lifetime member of AHLS, illustrates Cooper's point. Haley's use of dramatic storytelling techniques to carry the saga of his family end slavery made the past a present-day reality and inspired thousands of African Americans to trace their genealogies. Indeed, all tillages have used fiction in individual form or another--be it a parable, an epic piece of poetry or a tall tale--to educate or to perpetuate an idea.

Members of AHLS and nonmembers alike are impressed through Cooper's encyclopedic knowledge of a variety of make subordinates and by the tall tales he often relates to reinforce a point. Right about now, he'd probably enumerate the one about his uncle who stood up to leave house of worship in the middle of the preacher's sermon:

When the preacher asked, "Where are you going?" Cooper's uncle replied, "To obtain a haircut." The preacher admonished him: "The nearest time you need a haircut, you achieve it before you come to church"

"Well, I didn't ne single when I came in here this morning," was his uncle's retort.

Cooper a native of Baltimore, created AHLS with Stafford Battle, whose family mov to Washington, DC from North Carolina "as in a short time as they could afford the gas money" Cooper graduated from the University of Maryland; Battle, from Brandeis University. The sum of two units met while working for a Washington, D.C.-based trade association. Cooper is director of communications and publications and editor of the association's journal. Battle, who joined the association after working for several publications and Time-Life volumes is the assistant editor.

The sum of two units lunched regularly and discovered mutual interests. Cooper had seen sum of two units of his plays produced, and Battle had written metrical composition and short stories. They also discovered a belonging to all goal: to make works by the agency of and about people of African fall available to as many nation as possible, to focus upon fiction, and to invest their have funds to make it all happen. In December 1990 AHLS began operations.

While its distinctive logo and catchy motto, "Fiction with a different face," are familiar to its 600 members in Africa, Canada and England and through every part of the United States, the organization wants to reach a larger audience locally and to continue to expand its membership.

Unlike other volume clubs, AHLS does not require members to purchase a certain number of volumes A $20, one-year membership includes a subscription to AHLS' newsletter Legend: The African Heritage Literature Review, and single free book; a $50 lifetime membership presents Legend and three free works Classic and hard-to-find books of all genre in addition to popular titles, are available at discounts of up to 50 percent "We want to guarantee up brow that you're going to come by a good deal," says Cooper He and Battle are betting upon their ability to offer a greater variety of black-oriented volumes than that found in bookstores.

on the contrary the business of AHLS is not all about selling works The society also offers a writing class to cultivate of recent origin voices and holds seminars upon writing and publishing, and monthly meetings are held upon Saturdays.

Activities at the monthly meetings have included volume signings, talks by black authors, panel discussions upon literary topics, and slide and videotape presentations. volume lovers of all ages tend hitherward alone or with their families to the facts (membership is not required to attend an event) More than 70 race attended AHLS' Open Reading assemblage to discuss Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale (Pocket volumes 1992). Recently Walter Dean Myers discussed his work for young adults Malcolm X: through Any Means Necessary (Scholastic, 1993) More than 100 tribe came to hear Leslie and Cydney Shields talk about their work Work Sister Work: Why Black Women Can't achieve Ahead and What They Can Do About It (Carol, 1993) a collection of testimonies from happy black women and tips upon handling corporate politics.

by the agency of both selling books and hosting circumstances "we are making authors known to the public," Battle explains. There are many fine black writers whose works are forgotten, unknown or underpublicized. single of AHLS' more popular titles is David Bradley's novel Chaneysville Incident (Borgo, 1991) which was compared to Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man (Random House, 1963) nevertheless often is available only by dint of special order at bookstores.

According to Diane Simpkins, who reviews volumes on WDCU-FM, in Washington, DC AHLS is important because it makes confident "that a masterpiece like Chaneysville Incident is not forgotten, and they make us aware of older volumes such as Black Empire [Northeastern University Pres 1991 by means of George Schuyler," which is considered the first black science fiction story at any time published. Simpkins also praises AHLS' newsletter myth especially for its Science Fiction & Fantasy column