Sanchito Sanchez is on a mission. For years, he has lived his life as the head of a lucrative drug cartel. Now, Sanchito isn’t happy with the life he once led. He wants to make changes and find more legitimate ways to make money. Throughout the whole process, he is finding that there are others who may not agree with his new plans. Will he succeed? Will there be blood bath and carnage to follow? Remember... Only The Strong Go To The Top. (Also includes, From The Darkened Room, author Weston L. Stewart’s first collection of poetry.)
"... Butler's recollections of the racially segregated 'chitlin circuit, ' the early days of the civil rights movement and fellow performers like Dinah Washington, Little Willie John and Dionne Warwick are fascinating and insightful.... Only the Strong Survive makes one wish it came with a soundtrack." --The New York Times Book Review " Only the Strong Survive] presents a portrait of a remarkable performer, as well as an up-close and personal look at the world of rhythm and blues from the perspective of an insider.... A moving chronicle of one of America's music pioneers." --Chicago Tribune "More than an autobiography, Only the Strong Survive is also a glimpse at the political and social climate of the times which shaped the life of one man." --Ebony
Part sports star, part antihero, part hip-hop icon, Allen Iverson has managed to cross over into the mainstream of American culture -- without compromise. Defiantly tattooed, with his hair in cornrows, the six-foot Philadelphia 76ers point guard is one of the most recognizable and controversial stars of the sports world. His meteoric rise from a troubled childhood in the ghetto to NBA superstardom has been marked by five straight playoff appearances, including a finals berth in 2001 and an MVP award. From his rap sheet to his rap album, fans and journalists alike hound his every move. But never before has a biographer presented a full portrait of this complicated and intensely private star -- a man whose loyalty to his family, the streets, and his friends trumps any other concern. Filled with exclusive interview material and unprecedented access to many of Iverson's inner circle, Only the Strong Survive is the first in-depth look at the truth behind this newly minted legend.
“Asim has given us a book that is at once entertaining and evocative of a moment that truly was a turning point in black and American history.” —Chicago Tribune Jabari Asim’s debut novel returns readers to Gateway City, the fictional Midwestern city first explored in his acclaimed short story collection, Taste of Honey. Against a 1970s backdrop of rapid social and political change, Only the Strong portrays the challenges and rewards of love in a quintessential American community where heartbreak and violence are seldom far away. Moved by the death of Martin Luther King Jr., Lorenzo “Guts” Tolliver decides to abandon his career as a professional leg-breaker and pursue a life of quiet moments and generous helpings of banana pudding in the company of his new, sensuous lover. His erstwhile boss, local kingpin Ananias Goode, is also thinking about slowing down—but his tempestuous affair with Dr. Artinces Noel, a prominent pediatrician, complicates his retirement plans. Meanwhile, Charlotte Divine, the doctor’s headstrong protégée, struggles with trials of her own. With prose that’s sharp, humorous, and poetic, Asim skillfully renders a compelling portrait of urban life in the wake of the last major civil-rights bill. Massive change is afoot in America, and these characters have front-row seats. “[A] heartfelt, polyphonic ode to 1970s black America.” —The Wall Street Journal “Captivating.” —Jane Ciabattari, NPR Book Concierge: Best Books of 2015 “Incomparable charisma and verve.” —The Root, Best Fiction of 2015 “Lean, mean, and moving.” —Kirkus Reviews, Kirkus Prize nominee “Thoroughly entertaining and stylish . . . deserves favorable comparison to the works of Chester Himes and Walter Mosley.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
For many of us, the dream of starting a family is the hope we hold most dear. Sometimes, though, things don’t go as easy as we planned. There are few who will admit the hardship this brings—from struggling with infertility to the daunting process of adoption—and we end up suffering in silence and solitude. In this candid and thoughtful memoir, author Ashley Biddiscombe takes an unflinching look at the struggle she and her wife faced in starting their family—something that might be especially familiar to LGBTQ couples like them—and their eventual decision to adopt children with special needs. Biddiscombe’s story gives voice to countless difficulties that often go unspoken along journeys like hers. Beginning with the secret traumas of fertility treatments and the heartbreak of having the “baby door” close, she examines the strain this can put on one’s relationship both to one’s partner and to one’s very self. Moving into the intimidating world of adoption, she probes the difficulties of raising children with unique and difficult traumas of their own, of establishing and maintaining a relationship with birth parents, and of the isolation one can feel as a LGBTQ couple in a world generally catered toward the straight. Finally, she relays the unique and often very private struggles of raising children with disabilities—from the social alienation one might feel from the “outside” world to the difficult process of finding the right diagnosis and support system. Ultimately, Only the Strong Survive is a story of resilience in the face of great pain and the indomitable power of unconditional love. No matter where you are in starting or raising a family, you are sure to find compassion and understanding herein.
What makes me able to write this book? At nine years old I was sexually abused and forced to live my life as if nothing ever happened. I was afraid, ashamed, and confused. I thought a mother's job was to protect her children, but my mother took part in the abuse. Through it I learned how to pray. I asked God for help. Then I began writing about the abuse and I promised myself that when I became a mother that my children would never know such sickness. I vowed to make a difference in every life that I came in contact with. Personal statement: Four years ago I took a look at myself. I wanted to be a better person, I was known as being mean. I had no patience for much of anything. I know now that it was due to all that I went through as a child. I wasn't happy. I was use to doing what needed to be done like a mother taking care of her children, homework, cooking, keeping the kids safe and showing them that life has many things to offer. Never allowing Sabrina to be Sabrina. I was lost I didn't know who Sabrina was. I took care of my three younger siblings as if I was their mother, then at sixteen years old I had my own child the first of my five children. I just wanted to be whole and true to myself and be able to help anyone I could. I knew I had something to give but I needed to be complete from within and I've reached that point. Writing Only the Strong Survive has helped me in many ways and I want to help as many people as I can to understand that they are not alone.
My military career would be from February 28, 1956 to March 31, 1976. My Air Force specialty code was 65170-Procurment Supervisor, secondary specialty was 64570, Inventory Management Supervisor, which was a political correct name for the Supply Sergeant or NCOIC. I worked in about every field in the service part of Air Force from Physical Ed. Instructor to teaching warfare technique. I always had a great group people and we were successful, because I was able to always teach respect for one another, which led to a good outfit. Great leaders are born and I was a damn good leader of human beings! I would have been great in the military or civilian life, but the military was able to give me my discipline and organizational skills to accomplish any task given, because with my faith, prayer and the knowledge that I am who I am, I knew I could do anything that I was able to do to completion! I was top of my NCO leadership school, and top of the NCO Academy. I was one of the first to enter a one year school in N.Y. called the Blue Suiter Program Military Group for the first computer system to be operated by military personnel, the UNIVAC 1050 computer system for the Air Force (1964). My job was NCOIC of 100, 000 line items (spare parts) for the complete system. Procurement school, Lowry AFB, Denver Colorado, I held a GPA of 4.0 and was class president. There was a college ECI course through the University of Maryland. I completed 71 courses in other career fields as an Airman that I was in charge of. I knew as much about other missions as other folks did. I also completed all the other 27 courses and related jobs of my career field, which gave me enough credits for a BA college degree! Some of my accomplishments were EOC NCOIC, Commissioner of the 5 BX Program, Exercise and Diet base level, Base schools and all squadron activity to operate a Base. My Masonic Order and my involvement as a captain of the semi-pro football team gave a platform to involve the Base and the city in football, flag football, softball, baseball, bowling, little and pony leagues (8-14 yr old boys after school football program) for training if there grade point average were up to a 3.0, a Thanksgiving Program for the needy every November, a program for the disadvantage kids, which included seven Masonic brothers as big brother and role models. If they had a problem they would call their best troubleshooter and I was always successful, because I treated each person as a human being and with respect, not as cattle. Decorations and Awards: VSM w/2 BSS, RVSM, AFOVA, AFGCM w/3 OLC, AFLSA w/4 OLC, AFM 900-3. There would have been other medals if I had showed up for the award ceremonies. I would not accept the damn medals if I was not accepted as human being or as a patriot in this racist system. I was never promoted passed the rank of Technical Sgt/ E-6, because I could not in good conscience stay out of the movement for the rights of all humans, not just my Black Pride, which was also on display, so the Air Force has labeled me as a Communist Agitator.
Citizenship in a Republic is the title of a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt, former President of the United States, at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, on April 23, 1910. One notable passage from the speech is referred to as "The Man in the Arena": It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
