Written by: Malik Pollard
For Black and Brown book lovers, there is no place more magical than the Essence Bookstore during the festival. Stacks and stacks of books by African American authors are displayed on tables and shelves throughout the area, providing a wide array of books for festival-goers. There are popular mainstream books but the Essence Bookstore, hosted by New Orleans’ Garden District Book Shop, also found it important to provide an opportunity for independent black authors such as LeAndrea Mack, to have the same opportunity. Rayna, bookstore and social media coordinator for Garden District Book Shop said, “We are excited to have independent authors like her in the bookstore.”
The Essence Bookstore stayed shoulder to shoulder as guest discovered new titles, shopped the latest reads and took pictures with celebrity authors like Common, Kym Whitley, Big Freedia, Joy-Ann Reid and more from Friday to Sunday of the festival. While e-books and audiobooks are on the rise, the Essence Bookstore thrived by creating a book buying experience that made the books from their store, part of the Essence Festival experience.
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NAS & NSO: One Love
NAS and the National Symphony Orchestra, as part of the NSO Pops concert series, performed in front of a packed crowd, sending us through a time warp and delivering us to the streets of Queensbridge, NY, circa 1994.
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As The Universe Turns
This is like no other Star Wars review that you will read in the Universe!
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SHENSEEA: TALKS NEW ALBUM
At the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, @MadFlavorTV had an opportunity to catch up with the sexy Jamaican Bombshell and we asked her about new music, what we can expect from the new album. Shenseea also was quick to let us know how Nicki Minaj is one of her musical icons and her excitement to see her at this years’ VMAs.
