Profile of Alexander Book Company in Bay area
Bernard's B-list puts authors, bookstore on A-list
Edward Guthmann, Special to The Chronicle
Monday, March 14, 2011
When authors visit Alexander Book Co. in San Francisco, Bernard Henderson hosts the event like a personal party for his best friends and neighbors.
"Hey, girl!" he says to his best customers, giving them a hug. For actresses Pam Grier and Mo'Nique, singer Jill Scott and attorney Johnnie Cochran, he prepared a feast of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, black-eyed peas and cornbread. For Russell Simmons, he arranged a catered vegan meal.
A Detroit native and Bay Area resident since 1993, Henderson, 45, also produces "Bernard's Bookshelf," a public-access TV show, and occasionally performs stand-up comedy. He's single, has a daughter, 16, and shares a house in Richmond with two roommates.
Mo'Nique was the nicest, the sweetest of all the people who came here. She talked on the cell phone to people, she signed every book.
If someone was standing in line and talking on the phone she'd go, "Who you talkin' to?" They'd say, "I'm talking to so-and-so and waitin' to get my book signed. And they don't believe I'm here." And Mo'Nique would say, "Gimme that phone!"
I have Sister Souljah coming with her new book, "Midnight and the Meaning of Love," on May 5. She's credited with starting the urban lit, or street lit, genre with "The Coldest Winter Ever" (1999), about a young girl named Winter, the daughter of drug lords.
Read the full story at:: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/13/DDSV1I8EMT.DTL#ixzz1GZslRsAa
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