Planet B-Boy

Title Planet B-Boy (2007)

Runtime 1 hr. 38 min.

Studio Virgil Films

Genres Arts and Culture | News and Information

Description: With compelling characters and vibrant dance sequences, PLANET B-BOY is set in the International world of B-boying – the urban dance more commonly known as “breakdancing.” Weaving between the vivid backdrops of Osaka, Paris, Seoul and Las Vegas, unforgettable images frame the intimate stories of dancers who struggle for their dreams despite being misunderstood by larger society and even their own families.

The Skin Quilt Project

Title The Skin Quilt Project (2010)
Runtime 1 hr. 28 min.
Studio IndieFlix
Genres Arts and Culture

Description: The Skin Quilt Project is a documentary that explores colorism in the African-American community. The film addresses this complex issue through the stories of African-American quilters, and the tradition of an artform that celebrates its culture. The quilters speak of the influence of the African-American quilting tradition as a tool for encouraging an appreciation in the African-American cultural heritage.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Title Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010)
Runtime 1 hr. 33 min.
Studio New Video Group

Genres: Arts and Culture

Description: Jean-Michel Basquiat was a phenomenon. He became notorious for his graffiti art under the moniker Samo in the late 1970s on the Lower East Side scene, sold his first painting to Deborah Harry for $200 and became best friends with Andy Warhol.

Book Review: Our Black Year by Maggie Anderson and Ted Gregory

“Our Black Year” by Maggie Anderson with Ted Gregory
c.2012, PublicAffairs
$25.99 / $29.00 Canada
299 pages, includes notes

Reviewed by Terri S.

The bag might as well be made of gold.
That’s because what’s inside cost you dearly: groceries mostly, a little milk, pasta, spinach, those chocolate bars you like, and two apples. That’ll last you today.

Tomorrow, you’ll have to go get another golden bag and buy some more.
And if you’re author Maggie Anderson, you’ll drive 20 miles to shop even though there’s a grocery store around the corner. For Anderson, it’s not what she bought but where she bought it, and in her new book “Our Black Year,” you’ll see how careful purchasing might change a community.

It started with a five-star restaurant.

As Maggie Anderson and her husband were celebrating their anniversary, they started talking about how blessed they were. The Andersons were both educated, had great jobs, and lived in a better Chicago suburb. On that night, they were the only Black people at the restaurant, which spurred them to talk about “the discouraging status of Blacks in America.”

As usual, they discussed some kind of action. They knew that Black Americans have nearly $1 trillion of buying power, but that each dollar spent in an African American business circulates for only 20 minutes before it ends up outside the community. They knew that just two percent of every dollar spent by Black Americans goes to a Black-owned business.

They were always going to do something, but life got in the way. Then, five years and two daughters later, the time was right: throughout 2009, the Andersons decided they would only buy Black.
It would end up being a long year.

The name they chose for their endeavor conflicted with that of a major magazine which threatened to sue. Publicity and financial support were initially shaky. Black-owned grocery stores were scarce and black-owned clothing stores were few. Finding what the Andersons needed for their growing family often meant long drives or visits to iffy stores in bad neighborhoods. Businesses seemed to close before their eyes.

Then, a surprising thing happened: Anderson began to change some minds. Meanwhile, her experiment changed her.

Gotta be shoppin’ til you’re droppin’? Then you might want to drop a few dollars on “Our Black Year,” but there are some things you should know first…

Author Maggie Anderson is incredibly detailed in her story, so much so that she includes over 80 pages of notes at the end of this book. That’s good, but what’s not-so-good are incessant street-by-street, corner-by-corner descriptions of her search for Black-owned businesses. To know that she’s looking is important. To know exact streets, for most readers, is not.

I also wondered why Anderson felt the need to re-hash the ugliness of critics. I think most readers would easily believe there were haters; to add their comments, verbatim, detracted from the well-meaning goodness of her experiment.

And that goodness is why I ultimately recommend this book: in the end, “Our Black Year” is a (mostly) do-able, interesting challenge for African Americans everywhere. Yes, this book has its bumpiness, but I’d say bag it up soon.

Rise Up

Title Rise Up (2012)
Runtime 1 hr. 27 min.
Studio The Orchard
Genres News and Information

Description: A journey into the heart of Jamaica, the island that gave birth to the global cultural phenomenon of Reggae. In a society where opportunity is scarce, three brave artists fight to rise up from obscurity and write themselves into the pages of history.

Book Review; The man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen

“The Man Who Quit Money” by Mark Sundeen
c.2012, Riverhead Books
$15.00 / $17.50 Canada
272 pages

Just about fifteen cents.

That’s all you ever find between the sofa cushions. It’s never a huge amount of money
but for some silly reason, it makes you inordinately happy.

Same thing when you find a fiver stashed in last winter’s jacket, or a couple Washingtons in an old forgotten purse or wallet. It’s as if you just won the micro-lottery. You feel strangely rich.

Now imagine never finding money. Imagine never wanting it at all. In the new book “The Man Who Quit Money” by Mark Sundeen, you’ll read about the author’s friend, who’s penniless on purpose.
Back in the days before Mark Sundeen had a mortgage and a successful writing career, back when most of his possessions fit in the bed of a pickup, Sundeen lived a carefree life as an itinerant river guide, sleeping in his truck and eking out a living in Moab, Utah.

He wasn’t alone in that unbothered existence. Many people, discouraged by government actions or corporate greed, left the grid to live in Moab.

One of them was Sundeen’s friend, Daniel Suelo.

Born into an ultra-conservative fundamentalist family, Daniel Suelo was a sensitive child who took his faith extremely seriously. Still, during college, he re-examined his beliefs and began to hypothesize about certain aspects of God. After a stint with the Peace Corps, he started questioning the validity of organized religion. He’d noticed the wide chasm between The Haves and The Have-Nots and how money seemed to change everything, which seemed unchristian-like and wrong. Further muddling his deeply introspective thoughts on religion, Suelo realized he was gay.
Finding a community where eccentricity was barely noticed and tolerance is expected was, therefore, a godsend for Suelo. In 2000, after a stay in the Canada wilderness, he left his last $30 in a phone booth and moved to Moab.

There, Sundeen says, Suelo lives with few possessions in whatever shelter he can find. He dines from a Dumpster, volunteers, and enjoys an active social life.
There, he lives “abundantly” with zero money.

Could I do it?

That’s the question you’ll ask yourself over and over as you’re reading “The Man Who Quit Money.” It’s a tantalizing thought, this chuck-it-all life, and author Mark Sundeen lets his readers ponder it as he tells the life story of his friend, Daniel Suelo.

But this isn’t just your run-of-the-mill biography. Sundeen lends his readers a good sense of who Suelo really is, while still preserving the enigmatic aspects. He lets us scoff a little, then he pulls us back into wholeheartedly agreeing with Suelo, almost to the point of wanting to live in a cave, too.

Notice I said “almost.” Sundeen is stingy with romanticism and freely relates hardships while he also examines the morals behind money and why most of us chase it.

I think that if you’ve ever seriously considered your cash and wondered if you could really live without it, here’s your chance to reflect. For you, “The Man Who Quit Money” is a book to take to the sofa.

Four Women by A. Jarrell Hayes

FOUR WOMEN

By A. Jarrell Hayes

She steps into the beauty salon smiling. Her teeth are polished ceramic gems, her fingernails clear as glass, and her hair flows like an ebony ocean. Her pumps clank to a halt. Her hand falls slightly to the side of her whimsical dress, and she smiles. This is her first day at work.
The parlor’s proprietor verbally greets her and tells her to enter. Introductions are made. “This is Sandy. Over here is Maria. You already know Tonya. Everyone, welcome Christy, our new receptionist.”
Christy had met Tonya her first night in the city. They had shared girl talk over drinks at the club. That was how Christy found out about the position.
Everyone says in sing-song voices: “Hi, Christy!”
Idle chatter ensues; the four women gang up on Christy, trying to pry secrets and dirt from her. Christy’s teeth act as a marble barricade, and not one slip–Freudian or other–passes from her lips. She doesn’t tell them about her six-month old child she abandoned at home with her mother. Or that her purpose for moving into town was to search for her father, who had abandoned her and her mother ten years earlier. It’s none of their business.
Christy likes being in control, that’s why she’s a career receptionist. She’s worked at salons, lawyer firms, high-rises; anywhere you can imagine.
A receptionist knows everything that happens in the office: who comes in, who they see, when they leave. Did they carry anything with them? Did they leave with anything? Are they important enough for one of the prime slots, or are they able to be bumped down or rescheduled if a major client needs the time?
A receptionist knows more than the boss about what’s going on in the office.
Christy can gain all this knowledge from sitting at her desk by the front window, writing in the appointment book and answering phones. She does this while filtering in data from the fluttering conversations and gossip. Nothing passes the ears of a receptionist.
Meagan, the owner, tells Christy her duties and how to perform them. In the interim between the departure of the old receptionist up until that day, Meagan had assumed the role of receptionist. She gives Christy the appointment book, along with a sheet of regular clients and their peculiarities.
“I know this is your first day,” Meagan tells Christy, “but just relax. You’ll do fine. Listen to what the other girls say; you’ll pick up a lot of the customers’ nuances from their gossip.” She smiles and waves at everyone, then disappears into her office.
Christy takes her advice. When she isn’t busy greeting a patron or answering the phone, she strains to hear the conversation between the stylists and clients, all while filing her own nails.

“Girl, let you tell you about the man I met last night.” Tonya’s velvety voice rises above the others. She doesn’t have a client yet, so she’s talking to Maria. “I met him at 5 Senses, at last night’s Grown & Sexy party.”
“Aye, why you ain’t tell me you was going, mami?” Maria has a spicy way of speaking; every word a challenge to the English language. Christy suspects she is pretending to be a Latina; the elementary Spanish Maria uses is probably something she learned off television.
“Slipped my mind,” Tonya says nonchalantly. “Anyways, like I was saying, I met this man there. He was tall and sexy chocolate. He had on nice clothes, too. I think his shoes were Gucci.”
“Eww. Gucci shoes are ugly,” says Sandy, jumping into the conversation from the manicure table. She’s with a client, but focuses more on the conversation than the woman’s nails. Luckily the customer is a regular, a favorite of Sandy’s, and is just as intent on hearing about Tonya’s adventure as her manicurist.
“Nikes and Timbs are the best,” Sandy says. “Gotta love a man that looks sexy when comfortable.”
“You need to leave them thugs alone,” says Tonya, her voice teasing. “Or you’ll end up spending all your tip money on bail.” She and Maria laugh.
Sandy sucks her teeth and rolls her eyes. “Whatever, bish.” She remembers she’s with a client, and says to her, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Johnson.”
“Don’t stress it, child,” says the older woman. A grin forms on her lips and she shakes her head.
“Anyways, back to my man.” Tonya begins to go into greater detail of her encounter at the club. At the same time, the salon receives a call that Christy has to take. She can tell by the broad-lipped grins on the faces of the women that she’s missing a juicy tale.
Christy gets off the phone with the customer just as Tonya wraps up her story. “His name is Tyrone or Tyrese or something with a T. And–mmph–is he a T: tall, thick, and talented.” She sticks her tongue out and briefly mimics cunnilingus.
Maria pushes her playfully. “Mami, you are so nasty. Giving up the coochie and not even knowing papi’s name.”
“I like them thugs but at least I ain’t no ho,” says Sandy. Christy can’t tell if Sandy is joking or not, but everyone else in the shop assumes she is.
Christy would have to rethink her employment status if a fight broke out on her first day.
“What you say?” says Tonya. “At least I can get a man. You always wearing them knock off jeans. You need to get you some style.” She glides her hands down her outfit: a pink blouse and yellow skirt. “You got to learn how to dress sexy. No man gonna want you, dressed in sneaks and caps all the time.”
“As a matter of fact,” Sandy retorts, moving her head upon her neck like it is trying to walk on marbles, “I do got a man. And I know his name, too. It’s T-Bone.”
“T-Bone? Like the steak?” Maria bursts into laughter, and out of her fake accent.
Tonya soon joins in the revelry. “Tells us about steak man. Is he well-done or rare?”
Sandy grunts, rolls her eyes, and concentrates on Mrs. Johnson’s nails. “I got nothing to tell you heifers.”
“Chill out, mami. Wes only playing, damn,” says Maria.
Sandy relents easily, because, honestly, she wants to gloat about this man. “Well, I met him at the bus stop. He was driving this silver Caddy, sitting on 24s. Yeah, it was a fresh ride. He a little older than me, but I like ‘em older. They gots more experience. Know how to treat a lady.”
“Then what is he doing with you?” says Tonya. “You ain’t no lady.” She giggles.
“He drove me home,” Sandy snaps back.
“Did he ‘drive it home,’ too,” asks Maria, cutting her eyes at her coworker.
“No, he did not. I don’t give it up on the first day, like some people. But yeah, he coming by after work to pick me up and take me to dinner.” Sandy looks at the hand she holds, moving her head back to get different angles of her handiwork. “Well, Mrs. Johnson, it looks like you’re all set.”
“Thank you, child,” says Mrs. Johnson as she rises. “See you next week.” She takes out her wallet, retrieves a handful of bills, and leaves them on the table.
“Heifer got nothing better to do than to get her nails done every damn week,” says Sandy once Mrs. Johnson is out the door. She sneers as she counts her tip money. “I need a man that’ll let me spend all his money like that.”
“What does T-Bone do, anyways? Don’t tell me he works at Applebee’s; maybe he’s on the menu.”
Sandy turns to Tonya. “I don’t know for sure what he does. I think he sells dope.” She shrugs. “But he don’t seem like one of those low-level hustlers. He gots paper. What about Mr. T?”
Tonya flips her hair. “He said something bout being an executive or something.”
The conversation lulls at this point. More customers enter and, spurned by the show TMZ playing on the shop’s flat screen TV, the subject changes to celebrity gossip; the supposedly cautionary tales of women with fortune, fame, and beauty still falling prey to no good men.
Christy listens half-heartedly to the television. She’s heard all these yarns before. Instead of Rihanna, Kelis, and Fantasia being the heroines in the stories, she’s witnessed the lives of Trisha, Fatima, and Mercedes: her mother, aunt, and sister. Her mother was abandoned by her husband, her aunt raped by a childhood friend, and her sister was in an abusive relationship. The struggle against men from the women in her family had taught her to depend on no man. But still she feels the urge to find the one man that walked out on her. The one she shares blood and DNA with. If only to ask him, Why?

The end of the work day slithers closer, hiding in the shadows of the sinking sun. Meagan finally re-emerges from her office to tidy things up so her employees can go home at a decent hour. The “open” sign dims. The money in the register gets counted.
As she cleans her chair and work area, Tonya says to Maria, “Have you heard from Tajo yet? Or is he still ditching your child support?”
“No, mami, I haven’t seen his old ass. And that punta is still three months behind on payments. You know how these men be.”
“Dogs, every last one of them.” Tonya shakes her head. “That’s why you gotta use them before they use you. We gotta use the power of the pussy to our advantage.”
“I agree,” says Sandy. “That’s why I don’t give it up on the first night. Make him work for it.” A horn honks outside. “Ooo, that must be my ride.” She wiggles her booty.
Before Sandy can gather her purse and jacket, a man appears at the shop’s door and raps upon it. He is nearly as tall as the door, with skin the color of chocolate. He is handsome and built like a man two decades younger. His salt-and-pepper hair, cut low, betrays his age. He wears an emerald suit specifically tailored to match his frame.
Sandy, Tonya, Maria, and Christy all turn to see who is at the door. They simultaneously say:
“T-Bone!”
“Ty–?”
“Tajo!”
“Daddy?”

Author Bio: A. Jarrell Hayes is a poet and fiction writer. “Four Women” is from his short story collection, Popular Television, coming summer 2012. He invites you to visit his website at http://www.ajhayes.com.

Words = Life.

Interview with A Cold Piece Author Ni’cola Mitchell

UM: Introduce yourself to the audience.

Hello, my name is Ni’cola Mitchell, and I am an author and I run an independent publishing house NCM Publishing. Originally from Jamaica, I am a proud mother of two beautiful and talented girls Destani Imani 18 and Diamond Lynn 13. Currently we reside in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

UM: Tell us how your career started as a writer.

My story is actually different from other writers. Unlike most writers, that knew that this was going to be their profession, my dreams were totally opposite. I wanted to be a CEO of a hospital, not my own publishing company. My book career started from a dare. I graduated from college in 2008 and my friends and family dared me to turn my journal entries into a book. That is when I wrote my debut novel, Over and Over Again and then shortly after, The Appetizer, When You’re Not His Main Course. Two months after the release of the Appetizer, my eldest sister (whom raised me) passed away. She was my main cheer leader in my journey as an author. I went through a deep depression and penned out Twisted. Almost three years later from the release of my first novel, my fourth title A Cold Piece will be released March 31, 2012.

UM: Tell us about your upcoming release A Cold Piece.

Well I am really excited about this novel. This one is not like my usual drama filled novel. A Cold Piece is a Suspense Thriller revolving around three main characters: Lisa, Anthony, and Gabrielle. Lisa Oliver was comfortable in her lifestyle. She had everything that one can ask for, anything that money could buy and a husband that treasured her. Everything changed once Anthony found about some horrible secrets that Lisa was hiding and divorced her. Two years go by, and Anthony remarries Gabrielle, they are happy and settled in their life, until everyone around the happy couple either becomes missing, hurt or dead.

UM: How do you balance your writing / publishing with your personal and social life?

It wasn’t until recently that I realized the importance of balance. The only way that I can continue being successful in my career, is if I separate my family life from my career. I have incorporated my team more and began scheduling time for my family. This includes turning my phones off, and not checking my emails.

UM: When you attend an event(book signing/festival), what last impression or message do you want to leave visitors with?

I want the readers to see that I am a real person. Even though I am professional and grind out everyday, that I am also funny and down to earth. I hope that a person can see me pursuing my dreams, and that will in turn motivate them to pursue their own.

UM: Can you give us your contact information:

My websites are as follows: www.nicolacmitchell.com, www.ncmpublishing.com, www.nicolaandtamika.com. You can also find me on facebook and twitter: www.facebook.com/msnicola and www.twitter.com/msnicola

Interview with K’wan by Niccole Simmons

Interview with K’wan by Niccole Simmons

*What are your titles and publication years of your books?

Gangsta (2002), Road Dawgz (2003), Street Dreams (2004), Hoodlum (2005), Eve (2006), Hood Rat (2006), Still Hood (2007), Blow (2007), Gutter (2008), Section 8 (2009), From Harlem With Love (2010), Welfare Wifeys (2010), Gangland (2011), Eviction Notice (2011) and Animal which will be released under Cash Money in 2012.

*Which of the books you have written is your favorite?

I don’t know if I have a favorite. My stories are like my children and I love them all dearly. I think the book that I had the most fun writing was Street Dreams, because I wasn’t necessarily writing it to shop to a publishing house. By this point I had had enough of the publishing biz and convinced myself that I was going to retire. So when I wrote Street Dreams I was writing it for me, because I wanted to prove to myself that I was a great writer. The fact that it ended up being my first major release was a bonus.

*If you have a mentor, who is it and how have they helped/inspired you?

My mother was my inspiration. In the beginning the plan was to help her get published. I had no desire to be a writer, but when she got sick everything changed. When my mother passed I picked up the torch and discovered a talent that I never knew was there. This was her dream, not mine, but when the time came I stepped into her shoes and carried on. I didn’t really have a mentor when I was coming up as a writer. Most people wanted to keep me ignorant to the business and writing non-stop. I was worth more to them dumb than smart, if that makes sense. Shannon Holmes gave me a lot of positive game early in my career, but the person most instrumental in me making the jump to the majors and really realizing what I had was L.A. Banks (RIP). Leslie didn’t know me from a hole in the wall but when I laid my problems at her feet she welcomed me with open arms and directed me to submit to St. Martins. I can honestly say if it wasn’t for her I probably would’ve never come to the attention of St. Martins (at least that early in the game). She told her editor “This kid is gonna be huge one day and you need to check him out.” She helped me in a BIG way but most have never heard this story because she wasn’t the type of person to do something to say she did it. When Leslie helped you it was from the heart.

*What is the best thing to you about being an author?

Freedom. I make my own schedule, have no boss, and do not punch a clock. If I don’t wanna work, I don’t have to work, but I understand that I must “Write 2 Eat” so I go balls in all the time. Becoming a writer provided me with a way to feed my children and not have to worry about the other shoe dropping and being left out in the cold. I write because I MUST. It’s the same thing with people who have to breathe air to live. These stories are my air and my salvation.

*What is the most challenging/difficult thing about being an author?

The most challenging thing is dealing with industry politics. I never got into writing for money or fame, I kept at it because I grew to love it. As my name got bigger I was introduced to the dark side of publishing. This is a shady business and nobody cares about you if caring about you doesn’t create wealth for them. You’re only as good as your last favor and this is something that I had to learn the hard way. I’ve seen quite a bit over the last few years; backdoor deals, cliques, scandals, people hating for nothing and people who you go out of your way to help that don’t even offer so much as a thank you for your time. I have no stomach for the B.S. which is why for the most part I keep myself isolated. You used to see me at all the industry parties flicking it up, and inviting people into my circle who didn’t deserve to be there because their intentions weren’t pure. So I had to cut the cancer before it spread. I’m a good and genuine dude, but that doesn’t mean everybody else is.

*If you could establish 5 Rules of Conduct every author must adhere to, what would they be?

1. More individuality and less ball riding.
2. Be true to yourself and not to what the new trend is.
3. Learn how to take criticism without automatically calling it “hating.”
4. Conduct yourself in a professional manor when you’re at an event or social networking.
5. Probably the most important; educate yourself about this business so you know what you’re getting into before you get into it. So many people are content to take short cuts or ask a bunch of pointless questions instead of taking the time to try and learn.

*How did you acquire your publishing deal with Cash Money Content?

As with all the authors on the roster; Cash Money came to me. When I initially heard that Cash Money was putting together a wish list of authors I said “No.” I had done the G-unit thing a few years back and didn’t want to be a part of another gimmick devised by rappers and publishers. As I watched from a distance I saw that Cash Money was actually taking publishing seriously. The Cash Money situation popped up again this summer. I was a free agent for the first time in 8yrs and of course there were a bunch of publishers who wanted me, including Cash Money. It was a rough summer for me because I wasn’t used to dealing with this kind of pressure. I walked around looking like a homeless person all summer weighing my options. The blessing in it was that I got to see who my real peoples were. Everyone assumed that I had been dropped from my publisher, which was untrue. So thinking that I no longer had value a lot of people backed away from me, which was good because it put a lot of things into perspective. We had narrowed it down to four or five publishers, Cash Money being one of them. I was still hesitant because I wanted to give my current publisher a chance to give me what I was asking for, but they dragged their feet about it. So I did what was best for me and my family and told my agent to pull the trigger on the Cash Money deal. There’s no love lost between my former publisher, in fact I still have several projects that I will be releasing with them but I move the Hood Rat series to Cash Money.

My agent is a genius and structured the deal so I not only was taken care of monetarily but I also had the freedom to do other projects with other houses. Two more big factors in me signing with Cash Money were Ashley and JaQuavis Coleman. They recruited me the heaviest to come over to Cash Money. Those kids are young, but very sharp and they saw the bigger picture. Separate we are all formidable but united we would instantly become a powerhouse. I probably had more conversations about it with JaQuavis then I did with my agent lol. He broke everything down to me as far as the pros and cons of signing with Cash Money and there were more pros than cons, so it was really a no-brainer.

*In your opinion, how is the music industry, specifically the rap game comparable to the literary industry? (This question is relevant because some of the sites I am submitting the article to are heavily music related).

The publishing industry is the same as music because of the common principal of Big Bank take Little Bank. The major houses hold the keys to the kingdom as far as product placement and budgets, but we are the talent and therefore the cash cows. Still, even with being the talent we get the coins while the houses take the dollars. What most people don’t understand is that when you take that advance (which is just borrowing against yourself) it’s not for you to buy jewelry and cars, its to invest in yourself. For the last five years or so I’ve paid for my own book tours, marketing and everything else besides printing the book. That’s because I understand the hustle and I apply the same rules I learned as a starving artists to help keep this major machine going. A major publisher may place you in Walmart but it’s up to you to get the people into Walmart to buy the books. I see a lot of people fall back when they get a major deal thinking the battle is won, but in all truthfulness the battle is just beginning. They’re gonna get their money back regardless, but it’s up to you to get out there and hustle so you can make those coins add up to dollars.

*What are your long-term goals?

My long term goals are to write and direct my own films. Getting a movie option is great, but I need to be more hands on with my stuff. Nobody is gonna see my vision like I do.

*Any highlights or hardships you’ve had during your career?

The hardships of my career would have to be the lessons I learned early on about understanding paperwork. People have no idea how many times I’ve been cheated, exploited and everything else getting to the point where I am today. I put out a lot of material that to date I still have not been paid for. I could gripe about it or I can brush myself off and keep fighting. I chose to do the latter. These publishers will smile in your face to distract you from the knife being driven into your back.
One of my biggest highlights to date was seeing the looks on the faces of the people who thought it was over for me when they found out I was not only going to Cash Money but also had one of the most uniquely structured contracts I’ve ever seen. If you’ve been around me then you should know; I’ve always got a trump card up my sleeve. Lesson learned in this; never count K’wan out because you’ll lose that bet every time.

*What is your personal view on the self-publishing craze?

I think it’s a good and bad thing. Every man/woman has the right to feed themselves but some of these situations are ratchet at best. I’ve seen people who were just so thirsty to say “I wrote a book” that they’ll slap anything between the pages of a half ass cover, put it out and call themselves a bestseller. My generation of authors EARNED that title whereas some of these mofos ain’t even sold a book and are slapping it on their covers. Are you serious? On the flipside of that, you have some self-published authors who I have a great deal of respect for, because they did it the right way. They did the research and actually invested in making their project a good one. Those are the authors who will win in this game and when the time comes will be handed the keys to the city. The rest…..do I really need to finish this statement?

*What do you feel is in store for urban literature in the future?

I see great things in the future of Urban Fiction once the BS is weeded out. Today it’s a lot easier to self publish than it was ten years ago and there are more promotional and publishing outlets like E-books and social networking sights. We didn’t have all that when I came in; we actually had to get in the streets to get our product to the people. The times are changing and some are resistant to the changes, while others are going with the flow. We must change with the times or become obsolete.

Follow K’wan on Twitter @kwan141

Visit the Kwan Foye Website

2nd Annual Baltimore Urban Book Festival Weekend Schedule

Download or view the 2nd Annual Baltimore Urban Book Festival Weekend Schedule here.

http://urbaniamag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/2nd-annual-baltimore-urban-book-festival-weekend.pdf

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