Since the early 2000s, the phenomenon of the “down low”—black men who have sex with men as well as women and do not identify as gay, queer, or bisexual—has exploded in news media and popular culture, from the Oprah Winfrey Show to R & B singer R. Kelly’s hip hopera Trapped in the Closet. Most down-low stories are morality tales in which black men are either predators who risk infecting their unsuspecting female partners with HIV or victims of a pathological black culture that repudiates openly gay identities. In both cases, down-low narratives depict black men as sexually dangerous, duplicitous, promiscuous, and contaminated. In Nobody Is Supposed to Know, C. Riley Snorton traces the emergence and circulation of the down low in contemporary media and popular culture to show how these portrayals reinforce troubling perceptions of black sexuality. Reworking Eve Sedgwick’s notion of the “glass closet,” Snorton advances a new theory of such representations in which black sexuality is marked by hypervisibility and confinement, spectacle and speculation. Through close readings of news, music, movies, television, and gossip blogs, Nobody Is Supposed to Know explores the contemporary genealogy, meaning, and functions of the down low. Snorton examines how the down low links blackness and queerness in the popular imagination and how the down low is just one example of how media and popular culture surveil and police black sexuality. Looking at figures such as Ma Rainey, Bishop Eddie L. Long, J. L. King, and Will Smith, he ultimately contends that down-low narratives reveal the limits of current understandings of black sexuality.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: VOGUE • FORBES • BOOKPAGE • NEW YORK POST • WIRED “I have not been as profoundly moved by a book in years.” —Jodi Picoult Even after she left home for Hollywood, Emmy-nominated TV writer Bess Kalb saved every voicemail her grandmother Bobby Bell ever left her. Bobby was a force—irrepressible, glamorous, unapologetically opinionated. Bobby doted on Bess; Bess adored Bobby. Then, at ninety, Bobby died. But in this debut memoir, Bobby is speaking to Bess once more, in a voice as passionate as it ever was in life. Recounting both family lore and family secrets, Bobby brings us four generations of indomitable women and the men who loved them. There’s Bobby’s mother, who traveled solo from Belarus to America in the 1880s to escape the pogroms, and Bess’s mother, a 1970s rebel who always fought against convention. But it was Bobby and Bess who always had the most powerful bond: Bobby her granddaughter’s fiercest supporter, giving Bess unequivocal love, even if sometimes of the toughest kind. Nobody Will Tell You This But Me marks the creation of a totally new, virtuosic form of memoir: a reconstruction of a beloved grandmother’s words and wisdom to tell her family’s story with equal parts poignancy and hilarity.

“When I read a Tiffany L. Warren novel I know I’m going to get two things—a riveting story and a faith boost!” —ReShonda Tate Billingsley Kimberly. Hahna. Twila. Three successful forty-somethings who broke all their dating rules. They found more straight-up satisfaction—and commitment—than they ever believed possible. But with their bold choices have come unexpected challenges . . . At last, shy Kimberly has the love she’s longed for—complete with a lavish destination wedding. But her fiancé’s past relationships, and her own personal baggage, are about to turn their special dream day into a perfect nightmare. . . . Meanwhile, a shattering business reversal has all-about-the-money Hahna at odds with the young boho writer she loves—and tempted big-time by the man who got away. . . . And Twila is still reeling from a sexual assault—and out for revenge, no matter what the personal cost. Now the trio must push their sisterhood bonds to the breaking point to hold on to their sanity—and their hard-won happiness. Praise for Tiffany L. Warren’s novels “The twists and turns will keep readers engaged. . . . Fans of ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray will find familiar characters and themes, but Warren’s novel will appeal to any reader who enjoys stories about couples in crisis.” —Booklist on The Outside Child “In a fine blend of suspense and inspirational fiction, Warren spins an entertaining tale about folks misbehaving behind the pulpit in a modern African American church.” —Library Journal on The Pastor’s Husband

A bold exposé of the controversial secret that has potentially dire consequences in many African American communities. Delivering the first frank and thorough investigation of life “on the down low” (the DL), J. L. King exposes a closeted culture of sex between black men who lead “straight” lives. King explores his own past as a DL man, and the path that led him to let go of the lies and bring forth a message that can promote emotional healing and open discussions about relationships, sex, sexuality, and health in the black community. Providing a long-overdue wake-up call, J. L. King bravely puts the spotlight on a topic that has until now remained dangerously taboo. Drawn from hundreds of interviews, statistics, and the author’s firsthand knowledge of DL behavior, On the Down Low reveals the warning signs African American women need to know. King also discusses the potential health consequences of having unprotected sex, as African American women represent an alarming 64 percent of new HIV infections. Volatile yet vital, On the Down Low is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year. “A survey by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta found that nearly a quarter of black HIV-positive men who had sex with men consider themselves heterosexual.” —Essence

From master of suspense Jo Gibson comes two chilling novels of irrational fear--two living nightmares with no hope, no mercy, and no end in sight. . . Dance Of Death They were the most gorgeous shoes Donna Burke had ever seen. An exquisite pair of scarlet high heels. And allegedly cursed. According to the old shopkeeper, the shoes endowed their wearers with incredible talent--and horrible misfortune. But that doesn't stop Donna's friends from buying them. One by one, the girls are drawn to the shoes. One by one, the girls suffer grisly fates. And learn a sinister, final truth: One size kills all. The Dead Girl Julie Forrester is a dead ringer for her cousin Vicki. They could pass for twins--except for the fact that Vicki isn't alive anymore. Now, when Julie goes to stay with her aunt and uncle in Colorado, everyone keeps mistaking her for her cousin. Late at night, she even dreams about Vicki. Reaching out from the grave. Trying to come back. With each passing day, Julie fears she's becoming someone else. Someone sick. Someone deranged. Someone dead.

Alison, Molly, TJ, Miranda, Rafe, and Bill have been on Hard Time High for five months—but real life is a lot more complicated than any TV script could make it seem Things are changing on the set of prime time’s new hit series. For starters, the producer’s daughter, bratty twelve-year-old Susie Goldstein, now has a role on the show. Sixteen-year-old Alison Blake, a former Miss Young America, has been wowing audiences since she was three . . . and supporting her family on her looks. Now she wants to be judged on her own merits. She gets a welcome reality check when her high school boyfriend, Seth Lewin, shows up on the set and announces he’s moving to Los Angeles to be near her. Alison has to fight for the right to date Seth while keeping a secret that could get Molly fired from the show. Seasoned TV veteran Bill Douglas is vice president of his junior class. He wants to have it all—success, celebrity, and love. But his longtime girlfriend, Calista Hasbrouck, doesn’t seem to see things his way. They’re all on their way to stardom. But will the limelight translate into lasting fame—or leave them with broken dreams?

Septuagenarian sleuth Julia Clancy investigates murder aboard the luxury ocean liner, Queen Victoria, which is making its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. The victim is a member of a British trade commission. By the author of The Garden Plot.