NUMBER 140
It's still been a few weeks since the “Part Time Job at the Asylum” debacle and the firing of another employee, but all is well. Except one more item. On Saturday I noticed that the young man who talks to damn fast and always, always going to the bathroom, had a sling on his arm. I didn’t ask and did not care. You see when I arrive at work, I say hello to everyone and start working. While working, I can hear the inane conversations about nothing new or exciting. You know, the usual hanging out with friends, being mad at friends, baby mama drama, club drama and looking for money for drugs, nothing out of the ordinary.
While cleaning up, I bumped by accident into the young man who was sitting on the coffee container that I needed to get too. They do have a bad habit of sitting their asses on counters where people eat and you wonder why I clean that place with Clorox. Well, when I bumped into him, I said, “sorry, excuse me.” He walked back towards the store, away from me and said that he was shot over the weekend coming out of a night club and that is why he is wearing a sling. “Oh, I said, sorry about bumping into you and I was not aware that you got shot." How would I know that? He walked away and went out side and said no more.
Later I asked one of the girls, “Did he ever go to the hospital.” According to her he did, but according to everyone else he did not, because he showed his wound like it was a badge of honor and it started bleeding and blistering. Lord!, I was not around when that happened because I would have thrown some Clorox on it. As I’ve stated before, all is well and all is the same.
I am in the process of reading four books, but before I get to those books, probably tomorrow since this blog is so long, let me tell you that I saw my favorite, my absolute (I have many absolutes) author, Carl Weber at Books A Million. I got there two hours early and saved seats for my “BookClubGroupie” members and when he arrived, we all said at the same time, “Didn’t you wear that sweater last year?”
He had seen us before, especially me, and told us, “I’m not a fashion maven, I like my old clothes.” It was one of many funny moments. He did ask if anyone had seen him before and just about all said yes. I had sent out a massive email two or three times early last month to many people at both jobs as well as friends, but many did not come.
Very disappointing especially since the other Books A Million is closing in two weeks. That leaves only one in Charleston and three Barnes and Nobles. Jackie, the woman in charge of bringing authors to the store, was pissed that all of the radio spots she contracted with, not one station aired it, at least that many people there did not hear it. Also, there was less than 50 people there. It was very discouraging to see and the way the current store was looking, they are not going to make it much longer either. We really need to support our black authors more. Not just buying, but demanding that these books stores have more author signing. I know they do a lot in New York, maybe it's just here. Very frustrating indeed! This hit or miss is not enough and definitely not enough to keep Charleston’s black lit going. We have got to figure out a way.
Very disappointing especially since the other Books A Million is closing in two weeks. That leaves only one in Charleston and three Barnes and Nobles. Jackie, the woman in charge of bringing authors to the store, was pissed that all of the radio spots she contracted with, not one station aired it, at least that many people there did not hear it. Also, there was less than 50 people there. It was very discouraging to see and the way the current store was looking, they are not going to make it much longer either. We really need to support our black authors more. Not just buying, but demanding that these books stores have more author signing. I know they do a lot in New York, maybe it's just here. Very frustrating indeed! This hit or miss is not enough and definitely not enough to keep Charleston’s black lit going. We have got to figure out a way.
Carl was funny and he confirmed that “FAMILY BUSINESS 2” arrives September 2013. “TO PARIS WITH LOVE”, the prequel of the character Paris from Family Business” in December 2013 and “CHOIR DIRECTOR 2” in March 2014. Also, he is working on a TV show in 2014 based upon the Family Business saga. If he uses the actors from the YouTube clip on Family Business, it ain’t going to work. They can’t act worth a lick. They are too dry and no aggressiveness, but who am I, just a patron of the arts. You may not be aware, unless you read the book, there’s a connection between the main character in THE MAN IN 3B and Vegas, the character in Family Business (when Carl said his name, all of the women just said “Ahhh, oh lord that man looks good.!" Don’t know what it is about a buffed man in jail, but he does appear to be very smart and sexy. “My, my, my,” reminds me of the guy in the Superbowl commercial with the chisel six pack. "Damn it feels good to be a gangsta!!!
Hey, I got there two hours early and got my book autographed, “my precious, my precious.” Now, I’m damn happy and I'll put it on the shelf to watch and wait, “my precious.”
The Man in 3B
The Man in 3B
I thought I let you read my book club groupie’s comments posted on Face book the day after the signing. The negative comments from Carl got some serious feedback:
Kat - “I'm going to have to disagree with Carl Weber's statement that in the future the only African American authors who will dominate black lit will be Zane, Kimberla, and himself. I like Carl and all but he's a bit on the self-centered side of life. I sat there and thought of 5 or 6 authors who are prolific writers. I'll go so far to say Daniel Black could out write any of those three any day....and there are others who could very well "dominate" black lit. On the other side of the coin is that what good writers want to do? Dominate black lit? I wonder what Toni Morrison and Walter Mosley would say about that? Sound off ladies, what do you think? I'm going to stop rambling and go back to work...Toodles...#thingsonmymind”
Veronica - “Also, I don't like how he snubbed Sister Souljah. I'm hearing good things about her book - “A DEEPER LOVE INSIDE: THE PORSCHE SANTIAGO STORY - $11.04 - - - A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story.” Carl totally railroaded her. It reminded me of when we met RM (RM Johnson - “NO ONE IN THE WORLD: A NOVEL - $9.73 - - - No One in the World: A Novel,” by him and E. Lynn Harris after Harris’s death) and he said Omar Tyree - “FLY GIRL” - - - Flyy Girl," (my favorite!!!) is not writing anymore, like Omar not even relevant when in actuality he had a new novel out. These authors can be so dirty. I'm going to read The Man in 3B and I will probably like it. I doubt it will be my favorite!#dropsthemic”
Me - “The bottom line to me is, I have never cared what one author (black, blue, green, white or whatever), says about another. It's too, too negative and I got better time with my mind then worry about their egos. Every single African American author needs to support every single one of each other. We are losing the way the publishing business is running and they don't have time to dog each other. All of their books are good, great, not so great, but I'm happy to see so many of these authors. I've been around (not that old!!) and I still don't see enough black authors. We need more and more and I'm going to push it like a drug dealer on the street!!!”
I got a lot of “likes” on that comment and I believe in it too!!
Got to get one in for Black History Year
This is a beautiful book inside with pictures of homes from the 18th centuries, large living rooms with stained glass exteriors, Victorian settings, huge bedrooms , apartments, old churches such as the New York Presbyterian, St Philips Church and others.
There's even a copy of the Harlem Magazine from 1912 that costs 15 cents, amazing, just amazingly beautiful!!! Hardcover $51.77 - - - Harlem: Lost and Found
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