Third Annual Up South International Book Festival

Update on UpSouth: All Up South?Festival events scheduled for Minton?s Playhouse have been moved to

George Faison’s Firehouse Theatre

6 Hancock Place/124th

Between Morningside and St. Nicholas

A,B,C,D train to 125th Street.

Minton?s has been temporarily and suddenly closed, having lost their liquor liscense.

This is always a terrific event. Please make your way to Harlem this month to celebrate Black Art:

UpSouth
THE THIRD ANNUAL UP SOUTH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL
SEPTEMBER 27, 2008 – OCTOBER 4, 2008

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN VOICES IN HARMONY WITH THE WORLD

FEATURING:
Faith Adiele, Maya Azucena, Malaika Beckford, Erica Doyle, Thomas Glave, Hattie Gossett, Deborah Gregory, Jacqueline Johnson, Jessica Care Moore, Martha Redbone, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Jacqueline Rhinehart, Lori Tharps, Patti Webster, Bil Wright, 21 Nights by Prince, Randee St. Nicholas and more

VENUES:
Harlem School of the Arts Theatre
Minton’s Playhouse
George Faison’s Firehouse Theatre
Nectar Wine Bar
The Shrine

The Up South International Book Festival family is thrilled to present a third year of Fall programs for all ages in some of Harlem’s most exciting new and established venues, from the venerable Harlem School of the Arts to Nectar Wine Bar, some of the most exciting contemporary work in books, film and music will be on display.

The success of the campaign to make Barack and Michelle Obama our first Family inspires us to feature a roster of awesome talent in words, music and film that represents the best of what American culture truly is: a spectrum of new forms and expressions influenced by the cultures worldwide.

With the support of our generous co-sponsors and contributors, including Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, Hue Man Bookstore, and our sponsoring venues, Up South, Incorporated is proud to promote new work of: Faith Adiele, author of Finding Faith (Norton), Thomas Glave, editor of Our Caribbean: A Gathering of Lesbian and Gay Writing from the Antilles, Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of Yellow Moon, Deborah Gregory, author of Catwalk, Hattie Gossett, author of The Immigrant Suite and so much more.

Our special youth program is the first event of the Festival on September 27th from 3:30pm to 6:00pm and features children’s and YA authors Bil Wright and Deborah Gregory, and Jacqueline Rhinehart who will present her book, My Organic Soul: From Plato to Creflo, Emerson to MLK, Jesus to Jay-Z.

Up South is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting great art in all media-especially for people who loves book–we’re thrilled to present two stars in music Martha Redbone and Maya Azucena, both celebrated vocalist. They will perform on the bill with Jessica Care Moore, a poet, book publisher and rock star in her own right. Jewell Parker Rhodes, Jacqui Johnson and Lori Tharps will read from their work on this same date, September 27th, at Minton’s Playhouse. Dialogues among the artists and audience are incorporated into every event and are a part of what makes the Up South Festival an intimate and inspiring experience for our audiences.

We’re also thrilled to debut a documentary film by memoirist Faith Adiele called My Journey Home as well as her new written work: Twins: Growing up Nigerian/Nordic/American. This event, also presenting is Patti Webster, author of It Happened in Church and Malaika Beckford, poet and emcee.

We’ll celebrate the artist known worldwide as Prince with a listen and look party at Nectar Wine Bar in Harlem Thursday, October 2nd, featuring his first book 21 Nights, including the CD Indigo Nights, a live recording sold exclusively with the book. Show your receipt of purchase of the book from Hue Man Bookstore at the event and drink free!

Another Up South tradition is to celebrate other great cultural organizations and friends of literature and books. This year we are joining with Mosaic Literary Magazine to celebrate their 10th anniversary at Harlem School of the Arts on October 3rd, with readings by the contributors to Our Caribbean, including the editor of the anthology Thomas Glave and contributor Erica Doyle.

Admission prices range from $5 to $25. There is a full festival price of $60 for all events. You can purchase online at www.upsouth.org using major credit cards or at the door. There is no admission fee for the Listen and Look Party for 21 Nights and our closing party at The Shrine. For more information, including the calendar of events, go to www.upsouth.org email bluemedia@aol.com or call 212.926.8090.

EVENT SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Minton’s Playhouse
West 118th Street at Adam C. Powell, Jr. Boulevard, Harlem, New York City
7:00pm – 10:00pm

JESSICA CARE MOORE, author of THE WORDS DON’T FIT IN MY MOUTH
poetry, MAYA AZUCENA
vocalist, MARTHA REDBONE, Singer, songwriter
$25 at the door

6:00pm – 7:30pm
JEWELL PARKER RHODES, author of YELLOW MOON
LORI THARPS, author of KINKY GAZPACHO
Poet JACQUELINE JOHNSON
$10 at the door

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Youth & Family Program
Harlem School of the Arts Theatre
645 St. Nicholas Avenue at 142nd Street, Harlem, New York City
3:30pm – 6:00pm

DEBORAH GREGORY, author of CATWALK and THE CHEETAH GIRLS
BIL WRIGHT, author of WHEN THE BLACK GIRL SINGS
JACQUELINE RHINEHART, Author of MY ORGANIC SOUL
adults $5, under 18 free

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
George Faison’s Firehouse Theater
6 Hancock Place, Harlem, New York City
5:00pm – 7:30pm

PATTI WEBSTER, author of IT HAPPENED IN CHURCH
HATTIE GOSSETT, author of THE IMMIGRANT SUITE
FAITH ADIELE, author of TWINS; GROWING UP NIGERIAN/NORDIC/AMERICAN and filmmaker of MY JOURNEY HOME
$25 at the door

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008
Atria Books and Up South, Inc. Invite you to a look and listen party
Nectar Wine Bar
2235 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, Harlem, New York City
7:00pm – 10:00pm

In celebration of the publication 21 NIGHTS by Prince and Randee St. Nicholas
Atria Books ($50.00)
Admission free — purchase the book and receive free drinks

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3
Harlem School of the Arts (HSA)
6:30pm – 9:00pm

Edited by THOMAS GLAVE
Up South celebrates Mosaic Literary Magazine’s 10th Anniversary
A reading from OUR CARIBBEAN: A Gathering of Lesbian and Gay Writing from the Antilles
including Erica Doyle
$20 suggested donation

Complimentary receptions at events
Books and CDs will be available for purchase courtesy of HueMan Bookstore
$60 Festival Price – Access to all Up South 2008 events

For more information about these and more events: www.UpSouth.org

For media information, please contact:
Malaika Adero, bluemedia@aol.com
Blue Media, 917-447-8332

Gwendolyn Quinn, GwendolynQuinn@aol.com
GQ Media & Public Relations, 212-765-7910

Robyn Ryland-Sanders, gqmediapr@yahoo.com
GQ Media & Public Relations, 212-765-7910