A Kettle of Vultures: . . . left beak marks on my forehead

by Sabrina Lamb

Written with humorous abandon by popular satirist, former stand-up comic, and media commentator Sabrina Lamb, A Kettle of Vultures is a fictional romp which exposes the acerbic thoughts of image consultant Iris Chapman, her dysfunctional family, socially maladjusted clients, magical friends, and her adventurous journey toward self-acceptance.

Unbeknownst to Iris Chapman, the Atlanta-based image consultant, a kettle of low-flying vultures convenes overhead as she boards the flight home to Opa Locka on the day of her brother’s controversial wedding. Following their customary bear hugs, Iris’ eccentric family launches into the inquisition, the visual and vocal assessment of Iris’ physical appearance.

Iris is already attacked daily by her own inquisition, questioning her very existence. Self-acceptance is a long journey and it’s unclear whether or not she’ll get there as she attempts to seduce an uninterested man, moves cities, loses clients, and meets a man she’s not sure she can trust. Will Iris survive the onslaught by the vulturous characters in her life? Will her octogenarian grandmother, her superstitious mother who denunciates anything nappy, her hermit-like father, and irritating clients, push Iris over the edge of her own sanity? Will she learn to accept herself?

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 2010

About the author

Sabrina Lamb is the best-selling author of Have You Met Miss Jones?: The Life and Loves of Radio's Most Controversial Diva? (Random House) and "A Kettle of Vultures...left beak marks on my forehead" (Simon & Schuster Oct. 2010). Sabrina has written over 17 cover and feature articles for several national magazines such as Ebony, Essence, Heart & Soul on subjects including Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, The Evolving Black Church, Why Women Love Bad Boys to Surviving The Holidays with Your Family and We Count Black Men, Dont We?, among others. She was a monthly columnist for Black Elegance Magazine's He Say/She Say column. Her column Straight, No Chaser" appeared on http://www.987kissfm.com. She has been an engaging, regular panelist on BETs Meet The Faith and Tonight with Ed Gordon.
One may remember Sabrina, a Miami native, from Lifetime Television's Girl's Night Out, where she wove her comedic skills around issues such as homelessness, foreign policy and spousal abuse. Sabrina got laughs and delivered the message. Other stand-up credits include NBC's "Saturday Night Live", The Original Improv, Comedy Cellar, Stand Up New York, HBO/Toyota Comedy Festival and Black Entertainment Television's Comicview, which nominated her Best Female Comic and Best Impersonator.


Sabrina has been featured on CNNs Nancy Grace, Fox Business Network, WNBC-TV, WCBS-TV, BETs Meet The Faith, Tonight with Ed Gordon, HOT 97s Street Soldiers, Sharp Talk with Rev. Al Sharpton, WABC-TV, FOX-TV, Fox Business Network, UPN-CH9, Playboy Radio, WHAT 1340AM, WBLS-FM, WLIB-AM, WBAI-FM, Philadelphia Tribune, Kansas City Star, Jet Magazine, Urban Buzz, Rolling Out, Daily Challenge, Afro Times, New York Newsday, MJI Programming, BRE Show Prep, Time Out Magazine. She hosted and produced Laughing, Lying and Signifying the history of Black Comedy on WBAI-FM. She was also a political satirist on the America's Talking Network. Sabrina conceived and produced the hairlarious docu-comedy UnBeweavable: Woman, What Did You Do To Your Hair? The film garnered The Audience Choice Award at the Jamerican Film and Music Festival in Montego Bay, Jamaica and was featured on The Queen Latifah and The Jenny Jones Shows.

Sabrina is the Founder of the WorldofMoney.org, which is dedicated to the financial education of underserved youth. When Sabrina hosted a tribute to the Poet Laureate of New Jersey, The National Conference of Artists exclaimed Sabrina Lamb is a master of satirical humor with an emphasis on political current events. Her bites at the current U.S. administration left no one untouched.
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Reviews

[Elaine Tomlin]

It was an interesting book had me laughing. The writer was very creative showing how some families actually are with their idiosyncracies. If you read it you will enjoy it I reccommend this book.