Even in those days, kids in grade school were slaves to fashion and creatures of habit. One of those creatures of our habit was the infamous raccoon skin cap, a must head covering for a ten-year-old boy. No doubt the clothing fad originated with the popular 1936 movie, Daniel Boone, starring George O'Brien. Author Raymond M. Featherstone Jr. details the experiences of his middle class Indianapolis family during the Great Depression and World War II, offering a lighthearted and humorous look at the 1930s and 1940s through the eyes of a young boy. Journey to the heart of Featherstone's neighborhood as he describes his childhood antics, eccentric neighbors, and family escapades. Featherstone recalls the fads, fashions, and expressions of the era, and includes several thumbnail sketches of people, places, and things in the public eye. Ranging from a brief look at the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair to the history of the yo-yo and to Featherstone's daily trips to the drugstore for Old Lady Schenzel's bottle of Virginia Dare port wine, Naptown Memories: One Boy's Life Growing Up In Indianapolis-1930s & 1940s paints a charming yet realistic portrait of this significant era in America's history.

Naptown's Dirty Little Secrets reveals the dark side of a young man involuntarily forced out of his home at an early age to fend for himself in the dark alleys of the inner city. When one morning, he is befriended by a local (illegal) debt collector whose job it is to pick up weekly protection payments from local merchants by any means necessary.

Gold Nautilus Book Award Winner Leading African American Buddhist teachers offer lessons on racism, resilience, spiritual freedom, and the possibility of a truly representative American Buddhism. With contributions by Acharya Gaylon Ferguson, Cheryl A. Giles, Gyōzan Royce Andrew Johnson, Ruth King, Kamilah Majied, Lama Rod Owens, Lama Dawa Tarchin Phillips, Sebene Selassie, and Pamela Ayo Yetunde. What does it mean to be Black and Buddhist? In this powerful collection of writings, African American teachers from all the major Buddhist traditions tell their stories of how race and Buddhist practice have intersected in their lives. The resulting explorations display not only the promise of Buddhist teachings to empower those facing racial discrimination but also the way that Black Buddhist voices are enriching the Dharma for all practitioners. As the first anthology comprised solely of writings by African-descended Buddhist practitioners, this book is an important contribution to the development of the Dharma in the West.

Ernest J. Tyler aka E., is a die-hard bachelor who works hard and plays harder. This fine, tall glass of caramel latte is a gentleman to the heart that doesn’t take kindly to playing games. He’s easy on the eye, gentle with the pocket, and heavy on the minds of many! No doubt a keeper! But, the hundred thousand dollar question is, does HE wanna be kept?

From Naptown to Tinseltown—legendary stand-up comedian and actor Mike Epps finally tells all in this outrageous, hilarious, no-holds-barred memoir. Before starring in Def Comedy Jam and Showtime at the Apollo—before the sold-out comedy shows, Uncle Buck, and becoming his hero Richard Pryor in a biopic—there was Indianapolis. And not the good part. Mike Epps is one of America’s favorite and funniest people, but the path to fame was paved with opportunities to mess it up. And mess it up he did. Growing up in “Naptown”—what people who live there really call rough-around-the-edges Indianapolis—Epps found himself forced to hustle from an early age. Despite his mother’s best efforts, and the love of his well-behaved brother, “Chaney,” and his beloved sister, Julie, Epps was drawn to a life of crime, but as he quickly discovered, stealing and dealing didn’t really fit his sweet sensibilities. Not to mention he wasn’t very good at it—take, for example, the day he had to call the cops on himself when a dog wouldn’t let him leave a house he was burgling. After several arrests and more than a few months in jail, Epps finally realized that he was an unsuccessful thug, and instead turned to the next most obvious career path: stand-up comedy. Heading first to New York, then all over the country, and finally to Hollywood, Mike Epps carved out a unique place in American comedy, combining hysterical tales of his family and friends with a mordant take on life in the Naptowns of America. Comedy saved Mike Epps, and here he reveals exactly how he finally grew up and got out, barely. And when describing how he survived when so many of his friends didn’t, Epps makes clear what he’s thankful for and sorry about. Unsuccessful Thug is about growing up black in America, facing down racism in Hollywood, and ultimately how it feels to fail at thugdom, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, and end up selling out arenas and starring in movies across the country.

Meet Josephus Hezekiah Carson a born again, spirit filled, Christian man called to sing the gospel. There is something else worthy of note about Josephus. Josephus Carson is a same gender loving man queer, gay, homosexual. Journey with him as he travels the gospel highway, rubbing shoulders with the likes of James Cleveland, Clara Ward, Mahalia Jackson, among others. Journey with him as he explores the wild world of Sex, Alcohol, and Gospel Music. Journey with him as he finds love and success in a world filled with hate and disappointment.