Book Expo 2010: Still in the Big Apple, but on a smaller scale.

This was probably my fifth or sixth time at Book Expo of America (BEA) at the Jacob Javits Center. I first heard about Book Expo when I was in college and got the opportunity to volunteer in the autograph area where I met many authors of various genres. It was my first time being exposed to the largest book convention in North America, and I liked it. I volunteered through my Alma matter a couple more times in the autograph area as long as BEA was being hosted in New York City. (It used to change its location every year rotating between New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.) As of 2009 it was announced that Book Expo would remain in NYC until 2012, which made me extremely happy that one of the largest conventions would continue to be in my backyard, so to speak. As of late I've been part of the press attending Book Expo and am glad not to volunteer. While I enjoyed the busy-ness of BEA and being part of the staff and having access to areas many others didn't, I also realized that not working allowed me more time to browse and see what the conference was actually about.

Book Expo has always been about introducing new authors & titles to a wide audience as well as garnering additional press for established/best-selling authors. Sometimes illustrators are also present. Librarians come to Book Expo to learn of the new titles they may want as do booksellers. Educators enjoy Book Expo for the opportunity to find new literature to stimulate students and themselves. Book lovers come to BEA because, well, BOOKS! And the exhibitors of big and small/international and domestic publishers,  typesetters, digital publishers, literary agents, Newspapers, and new writers come for contacts and to bring notice to what it is they do.  Book Expo has always been a great place for those with a strong love of books and realize how much they can inspire and entertain.

This year, Book Expo wasn't as I remembered it. And it made sense that in economic hardship one would notice how much the publishing industry was affected as well as the convention itself. Last year, Book Expo was the way I always experienced it, bustling; filling two floors with most publishers around and hawking as many galleys, ARCs (advance readers' copies), published titles (successful and new); food samples for cookbooks; samplers as intros to their books; beer & popcorn (just cause); and so on and so forth. Yes, we were in a recession, but apparently people hadn't been hit hard, yet.

This year BEA was condensed to one floor; there were less giveaways of books, galleys, and so forth and the giveaways that were available were timed early on. Many co-workers I saw in late morning or early afternoon expressed disappointment at the slim pickins. I informed them that had they been at Jacob Javits at 9:01 am they might have gotten some choice stuff.  The autograph area and in-booth signings have always been a key source of getting some nice titles, but many people aren't keen on spending most of BEA standing in line. The press room last year was bountiful with food (muffins & bagels in the morning, cookies & brownies in the afternoon) all the while having coffee and tea readily available. This year the press room had limited offerings. Only a pitcher of coffee and tea respectively that did not get refilled and also a plate of brownies and cookies and a large serving of lemonade in the afternoon, these "amenities" also did not get refilled once supply dwindled to nothing. In exchange for less treats the press did get internet access and computers to use to constantly update their news wires, but I did miss the snacks to nosh on in the midst of running around from booth to booth, talk to talk, or meeting to meeting.

Some big name publishers, like Scholastic Inc., didn't have booths just meeting rooms and were not giving away galleys or ARCs to the public from a booth and had limited author signings in the autograph area. Last year Macmillan went that route, but this year had a small booth and did a limited number of signings. Many publishers had smaller booths which accounted for the available space on one floor.

The autograph area of about 30 signing tables or so was brought upstairs to the main hall, as was the Children's publishing pavilion (section dedicated to children's publishers solely). Because of the newly condensed conference this made for some heavy traffic throughout. Add on the limited amount of giveaways and people churning for anything they could get their hands on (title, subject matter be damned), in addition to long lines for in-booth or autograph area signings and you had yourself on heck of a traffic jam! The space between the autograph area and booths was smaller, causing the booths closest to the autograph area to be blocked off for their own signings or advertisements and patrons to just be all-around confused as they tried to find their author of choice. For some big ticket items like Melissa Marr, Kate DiCamillo, Sarah Dutchess of York, Mo Willems, Louis Gosset Jr., and so on and so forth lines started early and so you had a growing line behind a line extending to the exhibitor area and blocking who knows how many tables.  I've had the pleasure of working in the autograph area and with Dave Holton who manages this section and it can get pretty hectic when people want to make sure they see James Patterson or Carol Higgins Clark or Teresa Giudice from The Real Housewives of New Jersey or just want a really nice cookbook. Some people get snippy, others full-on irate, some give up and just ask if you can give them a copy of the books sans signature, others may see a friend and skip the line thinking no one the wiser. And you have to be the one to try and keep the peace and maintain order. Not always easy on a summer day in a packed conference hall.

One of the big themes at BEA this year was Going Digital! There were many talks about the future of e-book publishing, how publishers can try and garner more interest in e-books, and authors being more open to the possibility. Some authors, mainly Scott Turow (author of Presumed Innocent and the recently published sequel Innocent) was vocal about worrying about the copyright and safety of the author's work when it came to e-publishing. How safe are e-books anyway? This is kind of the same position musicians first took when their music was available online. How can one monitor where your music is going and if you'll get compensated for it? The truth is no one has a good answer for that one. So it seems this debate may go on and on and on. After reading a review of this talk from Publisher's Weekly daily review of Book Expo it was interesting to learn that publishers wouldn't necessarily make all books they published available in e-book form, mainly high profile authors (aka guaranteed bestsellers) and mid-tier books they have high hopes on. Indie publishers can't even think of going digital right now what with their book lists being small in general as well as their budgets. So knowing that some obscure authors or new authors may not even get a chance at having their books available online kind of hammers home the point of how important print books are as well as libraries and heavy promotion by the author.

The daily review from Publisher's Weekly also noted that international companies were not too fond of the shorter week. Before, the conference was Thursday-Sunday. With Thursday being a day of press events and the keynote address officially marking the beginning of the conference, as well as set-up for exhibitors. The conference would officially be open to all Friday-Sunday for meetings, exhibitions, giveaways, and formal talks to the public about the theme as well as more pavillions dedicated to various genres. Last year had an African-American pavillion which also offered around-the-clock meetings and one awards ceremony in celebration of this specialized genre of literature.  Whereas this year there was no advertised celebration of African-American literature or Spanish literature per se beyond a talk or two on the meeting floor. This year Tuesday was the day for press events, leaving Wednesday and Thursday for meetings and the official opening of the exhibitor floor. International publishers/companies were upset that they lost a day for meetings as not everyone was allowed on the exhibitor floor on Tuesday. Many wanted a refund for the day lost. Some booksellers weren't keen on the new format because Monday-Wednesday tend to be big days for signings in their stores and attending Book Expo took away from their availability as well as authors and, potentially, attendees who may be at BEA and not want to visit bookstores after a full day of books, books, and more books (in addition to achy joints from standing in line for all those tomes.)

While I was disappointed this large conference was on a slightly smaller scale and in the middle of the week rather than on a weekend, I did enjoy my time there. I didn't mind standing in line for books I was really interested in and in the mean time met a lot of nice authors and  patrons. I was big on story collections this year and every author I met was interested in starting a conversation and was glad to hear how excited you were about their book. Some authors like Kathryn Stockett, whose book The Help became a NY Times best seller, basically signed and smiled to keep the long line moving. While waiting in line for her book we did get a nice caramel cake straight from Mississippi where the novel takes place. I got to tell Scott Turow how much my mother loved Presumed Innocent. I got to let the authors of Going Rouge know how intrigued I was by their book after reading about it in Entertainment Weekly and learning that one was on "The Insider" and how much we found the show to be a bit disconcerting. I got to learn more about the background of  Tony O'Neill author Sick City and a genuinely nice guy. In the midst of waiting for autographs I got to meet a woman from the Midwest who loves The Hunger Games series as much as I do and a bookseller from New Jersey who kept referring good books to me by saying: Holy shit that was a good book! I met a teacher who was basically asking every publisher if they needed a lawyer for her daughter a new graduate from law school while collecting as many collectibles as she could. And I met author Lutishia Lovely, who also had a penchant for cookbooks as she and I met in line after line for certain titles.

Next year Book Expo will retain the current format of a shorter conference, mid-week from May 24-26, 2011 in NYC. While I see the ups-and-downs I cannot foresee ever not enjoying a conference that celebrates books so intensely. Each year I feel an immense sense of luck at being exposed to so much in a few days.

Writing groups & workshops can be really helpful…if you find the right one.

Writing groups, workshops, or getting insight from people you trust are all necessary in the artistic process of writing. No matter the genre or the scope it's important to have a critical eye look at you first draft (or drafts) and help you flesh out your novel, story, poem, personal essay, etc. Definition A writing group may be just that: a group that writes together. Or it may be a group that writes together and critiques one another’s work within a session. The basis of a workshop is that the entire session is dedicated to appraising each other’s work. It’s important to differentiate the two in your mind and decide what you may want in terms of help with finished pieces or just a push to write on a consistent basis.

Atmosphere Writing groups and workshops are overly available and not, which is a Catch-22 of sorts. Mind you there are many groups/workshops out there full of "writers" but not necessarily writers with a critical eye. From high school on I've been in workshops and among people that vary from being overly analytical of your work (If you’ve never done that how can you write about it?) to not giving a damn because they aren’t serious (This class was supposed to be an easy A.) or just want to get as much feedback as they can for themselves (Enough about me, what do you think of me?). When you hit the jackpot and find not just one, but several people in a group who are outgoing and help you tackle the problem(s) in your manuscript it can be the best thing ever. When you experience those who just don't know what it is they do and don't like about your work, people who go on to focus on simple things like the overuse of one word, or simply say “I liked it” can make you downtrodden.

I’ve experienced good and bad writing groups/workshops in and outside of the academic environment. Students in my undergraduate and graduate courses were not “in the know” in regards to proper workshop etiquette and would either blatantly bash your work or roll their eyes at the thought of it or remain mute throughout the semester. In a smaller writing group outside of class things may be better or worse. Perhaps you have a thick skin and want to hear every last issue with your piece or maybe you want people to handle you (and your work) with kitten gloves therefore you need to hear the good along with the bad, preferably in that order. In the real world, with no instructor acting as mediary/Yoda there’s even more of a chance that people won’t stick to their guns about attending group regularly or providing feedback as there’s no threat of a bad grade on one’s transcript.

Etiquette For those of you who may not be familiar with the workshop environment here are some tips:

1)    Sharing means caring – Everyone has a story to tell, so try to be polite and professional when attempting to critique another writer’s work. Sharing one’s work isn’t an easy thing to do and to be bashed by people you may or may not know can hurt the ego. So be kind and try to acknowledge the good and bad of a piece to show you care about the work itself and seeing it progress. Example: “I enjoyed the visuals in this piece and how much you made me feel in the moment as a reader in the first few pages. I completely saw the environment I was in in 1920s Mississippi. I did think there was a bit too much description at times and would suggest cutting certain parts. For instance...” 2)    Don’t be afraid to speak up if something doesn’t make sense – Some may gloss over the points they don’t understand and just focus on what made sense to them in a piece. This can hurt the author because they can’t see what you as a, hopefully, objective reader can. After rewrites and plotting the author is so connected to the piece they may not see the glaring holes that you do. So if there’s anything that didn’t strike you as clear make sure to mention it and not worry if you may be the only one that missed something. Example: “I’m not too familiar with The War of 1812 so there were aspects of the battke scenes I couldn’t get into fully. Maybe you could be a bit more descriptive of the lay of the land and the machinery used then or add footnotes to certain things for those who may know to skip and those who don’t to take a look at?” 3)    Multiple reads are a good thing – When writing a formal report sometimes you re-read portions of the work your focusing on to get a clearer sense of what you’d like to say about it. The same goes in a writing group/workshop. What you may have missed the first time around you may suddenly see in the second or third read. Or you may notice elements of the story that don’t work upon an additional read. I’d suggest reading a piece at least twice before providing feedback to the author, more if time and length of piece allow. 4)    Keep an open mind – Many of us have our favorite genres. Some love science fiction and fantasy while others abhor it. Some love chic lit, others prefer literary fiction, some literary non-fiction, some historical books. We all have something we prefer over something else. Yet in a writing group (unless it’s focused towards speculative fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, YA, erotica, etc.) we have to be open to all sorts of genres. Just because you may not read YA doesn’t mean you won’t be able to provide suitable feedback to a member in your group. If character development is off or the setting isn’t clear than these are things that can be helpful whether you’re a fan of the genre or not.    Example: “I was really into this. The narrator is funny and brought me right into the plot with his acerbic wit. Some of the more technical aspects of what makes speculative, speculative and not solely sci-fi I may be not know, but as a story I am entertained and would continue reading after the first few pages because I like the characters and setting.”

Of course, there may be times when you really cannot get into the work because you’re just not too into the genre for specific reasons (language seems too artistic and not focused, reminds you too much of Virginia Woolf and you can’t stand her) this is also a good time to mention you’re not the reader for this person’s particular style and can note the reasons why. Either way you’re helping to provide the author with some feedback as to who their audience should be, in which case this also helps them to know to narrow things down when submitting pieces to magazines or agents. Example: “I’m sorry. I tried reading it and it made me a little uncomfortable because of the heavy religious undertone throughout. I thought it was well written and held the main argument in the piece. But also felt it was kind of biased, so I’m afraid I couldn’t give it a fair read as you may have wanted. I just don’t think I’m the reader you may be reaching out to in this piece.”

The Good and the Bad There are writing groups that are open call and some that tend to interview participants before allowing them to enter the arena. In the case of the latter it may be a payoff because you know that the interview process is routine and that others have been through the same thing. Knowing a group takes applicants and their work seriously can only be a plus. I would warn one to be weary of groups where no meeting is necessary and one just throws their work into the fire. It’d be best to meet with members first, see how they treat one another and critique, then make a firm decision.

Something else to be weary of is writing groups with friends. Like everything in life there can be a good and bad side to this. I became friends with writers I met at an international writing conference. When we returned to our respective homes I got in touch with those in my area and we decided to meet monthly and discuss each other’s work. Since it was established that we were serious enough to pay through the nose to go overseas for a writing conference it turned out to be a positive meeting of the minds locally. On the flip side, I’ve attempted writing groups with friends of mine I knew wrote and these get-togethers were more happy hour hangout sessions than writing/critique sessions. Plus, friends may flake out more than those you don’t know because they expect you to understand. Hell, you saw your friend just last week at karaoke, you know what the deal is! This can make things murky so that the excitement in the beginning drops off slowly then steadily once other things get in the way. In these cases if you have friends who are serious pin them down, now. If it’s easier to just do some e-communication with them to get feedback on your work and vice versa this may be the route to go.

Move Forward Just because you may not have anyone with a critical eye to readily look at your finished draft(s) doesn’t mean you should pump the brakes on your writing completely. Continue to progress and proceed with other work. Heck, it wouldn’t hurt to give a piece a rest for a bit if you’ve been living with it for months or years before taking another crack at it. Let the manuscript marinate!

But in the mean time, be on the look out for writing groups/workshops in your area and see what they’re about. You might even consider going for a graduate or post-graduate degree to focus more on your writing and meet published authors that can give sound advice. Just. Don’t. Stop. Writing.

Here’s a list of places you may be able to give and get feedback on your writing: $ denotes fee

Online Writing Groups/Communities Critique Circle EditRed.com FanStory.com Goodreads Book Excerpts group Gotham Writers Workshop – Offers some free and fee-based courses online or in-person.  ($) Mediabistro – Offers online and in-person classes/workshops. ($) Mike’s Writing Workshop Online Writing Workshop The MuseItUpClub Critique Group Scribophile.com ($) Writer’s Digest University (formerly Writing Workshops Online) ($) The Writers Studio

Workshops/Writing Groups Asian American Writers Workshop Craigslist - Every so often someone may post searching for writers to join a group in the Writing section. East Harlem Writers’ Circle (NYC) - Become a fan on Facebook! Freebird Writing Workshops (NYC) ($) Gotham Writers Workshop (NYC) – Offers some free and fee-based courses online or in-person.  ($) List of Latin focused writing groups Mediabistro – Offers online and in-person classes/workshops. ($) Meetup.com – May list some writing groups/workshops seeking new members to meet regularly in various locations throughout the US. Morningside Writers Group (NYC) - Offers workshops in fiction, memoir, speculative fiction, and screenplays. ($) 92nd Street Y (NYC) Unterberg Poetry Center Writing Program for poetry and fiction workshops. ($) NYC Latinas Writers Group - Become a fan on Facebook or a friend on Myspace! NYC Writing Coach – Editor provides one-on-one help and workshops. ($) New York Writers Coalition New York Writers Workshop ($) The Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop (NYC) ($) The Writer Magazine list of Writing groups (USA) The Writers Studio

Also try:

Local colleges/universities – Beyond workshop classes for degree students colleges/universities may also offer workshops for continuing education students. Alumni may be searching for people interested in starting a group on or off campus. (Here are a few places offering free writing courses online.)

Various writing conferences, residencies, and week-long (or longer/shorter) workshops go on across the country (and world) throughout the year. Poets & Writers has a list of residencies and conferences or you can try ShawGuides or Google ones by genre/location. You can apply for financial aid for many that are connected with colleges/universities or apply for grants you may already have from school or fellowships.

OR you can form your own group/workshop by placing an ad or conferring with friends (serious writers need apply!).

Review: Beautiful Black Hair

At this years Book Expo in New York City I made a point to pass by the Amber Books booth in the African-American pavilion to see what they had. After going to BEA for the past several years in NYC I recall seeing Amber Books booth catering to an African-American demographic with books focused on how to get financial help for school, various beauty books, and biographies on popular African-American entertainers. A book I was particularly interested in, but wasn't available was one on Black Skin Care. But what did catch my eye was Beautiful Black Hair by Shamboosie. As someone who's always looking to improve and learn more about ensuring the health of my hair I was intrigued, and quickly purchased it at a discount. I read the book weeks later and couldn't believe how intuitive it was. At the same time I sighed with indignation at the faulty advice previous hair care "professionals" had given me while at in the same breath being relieved that my current stylist's protocol seems to be very much in line with what Shamboosie preached in Black Hair.

Black hair care is a huge industry, filled (like any business) with good and bad products, as well as people who are knowledgeable and those who aren't.  Beautiful Black Hair reflects the accumulated knowledge of a hair care professional to females--practically calling out to us--to pay attention and take better care of our hair.

After reading Black Hair I couldn't help but think back to previous stylists and the ridiculous information they gave me when I started getting my hair chemically treated as a pre-adolescent.  My last hairstylist went from working in a salon in midtown Manhattan to operating out of her own home, not something unheard of in NYC. She told me to wash my hair every two weeks and that Pink hair care products were wonderful. Instead of saying she wasn't sure she told me to continue doing what I was doing rather than providing step-by-step advice on how not to dry my hair out, get rid of a flaky scalp, or keep my hair silky smooth. I'm lucky that my transition from Curl to Relaxer didn't make me bald in her care. At one point I was combing out large clumps of hair because she refused to do the research or ask advice to get me the right information to take proper care of my hair (stylist pride to the detriment of a client is something Shamboosie touches on in his book as well). As far as my then stylist was concerned Denorex was an excellent product to rid me of dry scalp and maintain a nice luster. She urged me to put Pink setting lotion (an extremely thick and greasy product) into my hair which did not help matters.

The last draw with this stylist came when she overused hairspray on my hair the day prior to my wedding to keep the style in. Rather than showing me how to accurately wrap my hair and brush it out in the morning she sprayed half a can of Ultra Sheen (yes, that big ole red can of chemicals that put a whole in the Ozone). Those who've used this popular product know it is not a lightweight product and makes your hair stiff as a rock. After my shower the next morning as I took my hair out of my scarf I noticed I could barely comb through it. As I did I had limp and stiff strands envelope my face completely negating the work done on my hair the night before. I cried in my fiance's arms and had to pin my hair back. Guests were kind, but I still didn't have the signature look I craved even for my small wedding.

Reading Black Hair may make you want to sigh with relief (as I do now) at having a conscientious hair stylist or wring your hands in anger at those who've provided misguided information to you (like the woman I mentioned above). Everything Shamboosie writes makes sense. And don't fret entirely if you feel the latter, hair can be salvaged if taken care of, conditioned & washed regularly.

First things first, wash regularly! It may seem like common knowledge, but by the information I was given obviously it is not depending on your background. Next, get good conditioners and shampoos that moisturize your hair as well as protect it. Many products out their specialize in retaining color, removing dandruff, neutralizing chemicals, protecting your hair from sun damage, etc. But it is important that not only do these products protect your hair for whatever specific situation you're in, but that they moisturize your hair as well. Shamboosie provides a chemical breakdown as well as a follicle breakdown on what parts of our hair are affected by what products and how base differs from acid. All important things to know as you go through his book and pick up his references. You learn more as he explains and understand the why as well. This makes you the reader more capable to ask specific questions of a future or current stylist to know how much they are working off of what they've been taught or truly understand Black hair care.

CHEMICAL RELAXER

Shamboosie's emphasis, for those of us who get our hair relaxed, is to make sure our stylist is using a Conditioning Lye Relaxer that keeps hair silkier and allows it to absorb the moisture from the conditioners being released. No Lye, apparently, is bad news, capable of damaging your hair and drying it out. Upon some research at my local pharmacies and hair care stores all I could find available for over-the-counter purchase were No Lye relaxers. Not good apparently. He also does not recommend doing relaxers at home unless you are a certified professional. Considering that it seems No Lye relaxers (Dark & Lovely, Silk Elements, Luster's, Motions, Soft Sheen, etc.) are all that is available to customers that aren't certified this builds his argument.

He outlines proper relaxer application techniques so that you know if the chemical is being applied properly to your hair and that neutralizing shampoos are a must unless you want the chemical to continue eating at your hair leaving you bald. I understood why my stylist shampoos my hair with neutralizing shampoo at least three times--to ensure that the chemical is out of my hair.

COLOR

Shamboosie encourages women to do different things with their hair, but to also be careful. In particularly for those who color and chemically treat their hair for curls or relaxer. ONLY get these two treatments done in the same day if you are using a permanent hair color on gray hair that is less than 30% (meaning 30% of your hair has gray hair spread evenly throughout the scalp). Otherwise  space the dye and relaxer treatments out by a decent amount of time so that your hair is not being double, or even worse, triple processed (meaning several chemicals are in your hair at the same time). One of the longest chapters in Black Hair is dedicated to proper coloring and how to go about it.  He again refers to the pH scale, the color wheel (why certain primary and secondary colors promote a nice tone for what you want in your hair), and proper application.

Shamboosie also delves into hot irons, weaves & wigs, and tips on maintaining natural hair while also considering the steps of going from natural to chemical or vice versa. There's even a Q&A section in the back with, what one can assume, are commonly asked questions many of which are answered throughout the book.

The one negative about this book is that it was printed in 2006 and it doesn't look like reprints have updated information in regards to suggestions for new hair products you can find in lieu of ones mentioned by Shamboosie when he first compiled them. But what is important is that the core information still applies.

The amount of information is abundant, but helpful and should be applied as soon as possible. And whether you get all or some of the treatments he mentions done to your hair I suggest reading it from cover to cover to get a full understanding of how treatments can relate to each other and just in case you may have an inkling to branch out and try something new.

Here are some of my favorite products to use where I have seen/felt results:

• Joico's Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner: My current stylist carries many Joico products including KPAX foams to protect from heat and ones to detangle hair. I find that the conditioner does a great job of detangling my hair and afterwards my hair is left feeling soft and clean. You definitely see and feel the difference from using a harsher shampoo & conditioner that may focus purely on cleaning and getting rid of dandruff.

• Keracare's Dry & Itchy Scalp Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner: a medicated shampoo and conditioner that focuses on riding the hair of flakiness, which it does very well. My stylist recommended this to me once I left my previous one and I have used this regularly ever since. Your hair is not as soft as with a full-on moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, but you definitely feel the effects of having a clean scalp. I use this on a rotational basis with moisturizing shampoos/conditioners.
• Jane Carter Solution Wrap & Roll: Again, recommended by my stylist because Jane Carter uses organic materials and little chemicals. Everything from Jane Carter--from her scalp oils to her hair sprays--smells like citrus. Her Wrap and Roll foam is great for wrapping hair right after wash and during the drying phase or after drying and you're turning in for the night. I use it regularly.
• Dudley's Creme Press: This was suggested in Beautiful Black Hair. I went to Dudley's website at Shamboosie's suggestion to see a cornucopia of products for Black hair maintenance. I bought this creme and swear by it. The creme press is to protect hair when you use a curling iron or flat iron. Make sure not to be heavy-handed with this product as it can make your hair/scalp quite greasy thereby making it dirtier faster. It has a hardened gel texture and when you rub it into your hands it becomes more greasy then creamy. But it protects your hair very well from heat also helping to lock in style a bit longer than if you used no product at all. To date my stylist has not yelled at me for overusing the flat iron and breakage is down to a minimum. So buy this if you haven't already!
• Nioxin Defining Pomade: While I was not a fan of the Nioxin Scalp/Hair Care kits (it dried out my hair severly) I do like their light-weight and fragrant pomade. It's strong, holds all day, yet when you wake up the next day to style your hair you don't have to worry about any clumping or hardened hair. Fantastic.

Feel free to let me know of any other suggestions and go out and buy Beautiful Black Hair or request that your local library get it. It's a great reference for women of any age and color.