Update: "Bitch Is New Black" Book Leads to Public Apology

Interior designer Sheila Bridges recently received an apology from author Helena Andrews regarding a chapter written about her in Andrews' memoir.Over the summer I reviewed Helena Andrews' memoir "Bitch Is the New Black" for The Snob blog and wrote a bit about how the chapter "A Bridge to Nowhere" seemed to be about Harlem-based interior designer Sheila Bridges. While I enjoyed parts of Andrews' book, I was concerned that she didn't quite make her case for why Bridges was such an awful boss. Bridges, who admitted to firing Andrews in 2003, was called a "psycho" and a "sociopath" in the book. While Andrews never confirmed or denied the chapter was about the designer, I recently received the public apology Andrews wrote to Bridges as part of an out-of-court settlement between the designer, Andrews and the publisher Harper Collins.

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"Senseless" Shootings: Another Perspective

In my recent post about a shooting that took place in Washington, D.C.'s U Street Corridor after a funeral, reader E suggested that those interested in gaining a better understanding of the high propensity of violence among young black males should read John A. Rich's "Wrong Place, Wrong Time," which looks into the reasoning behind many of these shootings. The book reveals a web of violence, that often started when the men were young boys, where men get trapped into a world of fear, violence and retaliation.

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Book Review: Sheri Parks Re-examines the "Strong Black Woman" Archetype in "Fierce Angels"

In Sheri Parks' "Fierce Angels" she writes the story of black women, not of one mired in the usual pain and pathology, but one that is proud, hopeful and very accepting of who we are as black Americans and women. It is a book that celebrates how black women being the way we are has enabled our survival through some of the bleakest periods of our history.

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Book Review: Helena Andrews Has A Quarter-Life Crisis In "Bitch Is the New Black"

In a look back at her life so-far, Helena Andrews weaves a tale that is both touching and a little frustrating. For those just looking for a good laugh and drama with a taste of schadenfreude, this book will hit the summer reading spot. But if you desire something deeper about the perils and triumphs of going through life as a self-described "bitch" you may find the book a little hit or miss.

Review after the jump.

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