The wonderfully talented third-graders in Ms. Colbert’s class at Burton Elementary recently appointed me their “Class Griot.” Seems they had so much fun during my visit there a couple weeks ago that they wanted to commemorate all that I shared with them by bestowing upon me such a special distinction. I truly appreciate the honor, and it makes my visits to the schools that much more rewarding.

In keeping with this development, I decided it was the perfect time to announce what many have been waiting to hear for quite awhile now: the official publication date of my next book. You heard it first here on MJ’s Spot: on Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 3rd Letter Publishing will officially release All The Black Faces, my highly-anticipated second collection of poetry! (for those who are wondering, 3rd Letter Publishing is the new poetry publishing imprint of Urban Echoes Entertainment).

Just in time to make the perfect holiday gift, All The Black Faces will commemorate the collective history & culture of Africans & African-Americans throughout history, highlighting the past achievements, present milestones, and future aspirations of our incomparable people. Love, pain, racism, discrimination, desperation, survival, innovation, hope, victory - all endured by the greatest of races, reflected all around us in All The Black Faces.

More exciting info regarding the book’s release is soon to come, including when exclusive excerpts will be featured both here on my site and other select places in the weeks and months ahead.

In case you didn’t know, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick made headlines this week for all the wrong reasons: the Detroit Free Press published over 14,000 text messages exchanged between Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty, his Chief of Staff, back in 2002-3, revealing an extended secret affair conducted by the two. Both Kilpatrick and Beatty were married at the time (Kilpatrick still is), and, to make matters worse, the messages were transmitted to and from Beatty’s city-issued pager (…damn…just damn…). If you’ve ever seen the show “Cheaters,” you can imagine what kinds of excuses Kilpatrick & Beatty can possibly come up with to claim that it wasn’t them - but, just like on the show: crystal clear, hard evidence is hard to deny.

The worst part of all this: in sworn testimony last year, Kilpatrick denied that he had engaged in any marital misconduct during a trial in which he was accused of inappropriately using his security team to cover up said affairs (for some reason, the old saying, “What’s done in the dark shall come to light” keeps coming to mind…). As a result of the Free Press’s revelations, he now faces perjury charges, which will likely cost him both his job and his law license.

This is just sad to me. I have nothing but the highest respect for the brother for all that he’s done to revive Detroit’s economy, reduce crime, and raise the overall profile of the city, and it hurts me to see his sterling professional career derailed by personal indiscretions.

However, as any of them will tell you, at the top of the list of Playa’s Creepin’ Commandments is, “Thou Shalt Leave No Fingerprints”…looks like Kilpatrick needs to brush up on his mack game.

What’s the take-home lesson in all this? The next time you get tempted to step out on your spouse, just stay the hell home and play some solitaire.

Have a great weekend - and don’t text me!

I know I’ve been MIA quite a bit lately, and I apologize for the disappearing act. If you haven’t gotten a return email or phone call from me in awhile, please don’t take it personal; Urban Echoes has gotten incredibly busy - which is a good thing - but it also means that I’ve had less and less free time on my hands. Just so everyone knows what I’ve been up to, allow me to tell you about our latest endeavors.

You already know about Voices & Vibes, our new Internet radio show, but before that we launched a couple new businesses under the Urban Echoes umbrella that have now begun to pick up incredible steam:

Apex Reviews - Apex Reviews is quickly becoming the fastest-growing author publicity firm in America (no exaggeration). Offering everything from detailed book reviews, comprehensive author interviews, extensive media coverage, and other promotional assistance, Apex has already made a considerable name for itself throughout the literary world in the few months since its inception. Now getting regular requests for support from authors all over the world, Apex is quietly taking the publishing industry by storm. Check them out at www.apexreviews.net.

Ghostwriter Extraordinaire - A multi-faceted literary service firm offering editing, proofreading, ghostwriting, resume creation, etc., Ghostwriter Extraordinaire is another subsidiary company that we’ve launched under the aegis of Urban Echoes. The hallmark service of GWE has become its creation of book video trailers, promotional items similar to movie trailers - only for books - which are great, innovative ways for authors to spread the word about their writings to readers across the globe. In fact, GWE’s trailers have gotten so popular that they recently entered into an agreement with one of the country’s leading publishers to be the sole creator of trailers for all their authors (which number in the thousands). Learn more about GWE at their website, www.gwextra.com.

Add to all this the fact that I’ve been visiting elementary schools every week (special shout out to Ms. Colbert’s class at Burton Elementary!), and you’ll see just why they call me “The Roving Poet”…

So, needless to say, a brotha’s been pretty busy lately - but rest assured, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can…even if it is three-four weeks late…

Not like you need to be reminded, but I just wanted to make a special mention of today being the day we celebrate the life & legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. More than just a pastor, activist, and entrepreneur, Dr. King was a remarkably altruistic spirit whose first waking thoughts of every day were of how he could live his life to the ultimate benefit of others more than himself. The model of his life should serve as a shining example of how we should all strive to change the world for the better everyday, no matter how great or small our efforts may seem.

My personal motto is “Touch one, reach a thousand”…in honor of Dr. King, touch someone today!

Tune in tonight for the world premiere of Voices & Vibes! Our special first guest: award-winning playwright, actor, director, and entrepreneur Derrell Owens. Join us as Derrell discusses his various endeavors, including his work with Zionward Productions, a newly formed Christian theatre company devoted to presenting quality theatrical productions. Through his thought-provoking, inspirational, and educational writings, Derrell remains committed to creating positive images of African Americans, seeking to break the negative stereotypes often depicted in movies, on television, and in theatre.

Voices & Vibes officially launches tonight, January 10th, at 6 PM. To listen, visit www.BlogTalkRadio.com/VoicesandVibes at showtime. Also, please feel free to call (646) 595-4107 during the show with any questions or to simply join the discussion.

Even if you can’t listen live, you can still enjoy the show later: it can be downloaded in its entirety by visiting www.BlogTalkRadio.com/VoicesandVibes approximately one hour after we sign off at 7PM.

Don’t Miss It!