Hello All,
I read Sister Butler's book in 1998 when I purchased it at the Delta National Convention and I loved it. I agree with the others who criticize Heltah Scheltah in knocking the writer's efforts without reading the entire book. The book might have been on a level not quite there with Maya Angelou or Toni Morrison, both sorors of TAjuana Butler, but with anything we do practice makes perfect.
I commend Tajuana for incorporating SISTERHOOD ( she really made it universal, it could have been AKA, DST, ZPhiB, or SGRho) and the problems that plague BLACK WOMEN while in college. I read a lot and I am always pleased to find parts of my life reflected in an author's work.
Someone else mentioned how E. Lynn Harris, A Phi A, incorporates and/or mentions real life sororities in his works. Yes I know that in IF THIS WORLD WERE MINE, some of the major characters were DELTAS. I have no problem with that because truthfully it is another reflection of our world. Also Eric Jerome Dickey, A Phi A, mentions it in a roundabout way in his books as well. Usually he will say she was wearing a "pink and green sorority shirt" or was carrying her "blue and white sorority umbrella". A lot of our BLACK authors now have GREEK affiliations and it makes perfect sense to me to add that as part of their subject line.
I liked Sorority Sisters as well as Breggie James' two books, SISTER SECRETS and BEYOND OUR MOTHER'S FOOTSTEPS. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND all three books.
One last comment, nowadays our BLACK authors are working hard to get published. Lately there is an overflow of them coming out. I would encourage all of us to read as much as we can and support these authors' endeavors. If we don't particularly like what they have written that is fine. I always try to go to AMAZON and write a review for the books I have read because the authors do read those reviews and sometimes they correspond with you. We need to support one another as much as possible especially those who are working to tell OUR STORY positively.
[This message has been edited by CrimsonTide4 (edited July 15, 2000).]
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