Persia Walker's Blog, page 4
April 22, 2011
Intimate Turnout at Hue-Man
Had a great turnout at the Hue-Man bookstore yesterday. The setup at the Hue-Man helped create almost living room atmosphere as readers, Bernice and I discussed historical fiction, plotting and character. And the folks who stopped by added their own perspective, sharing experiences and tales that related to what we'd written. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to stopping by the Hue-Man again.
April 20, 2011
Sharing the Stage with Bernice McFadden
Had a wonderful signing at the St. Marks Bookstore on the Lower East Side yesterday. Happily joined in with Nathan Larson, David Unger, Nina Revoyr, and Kevin Holohan, each of us giving a reading from our respective works. It was the first time I'd met David, Nina and Kevin and it was a pleasure. We're all such different writers and yet we're each Akashic writers. Kudoes to Johnny Temple and his team for the diversity of their literary tastes! The crowd was great, too, very enthusiastic and attentive, and the store itself is amazing. Everyone should stop by there. It's got a great selection and fantastic, warm atmosphere.
Tomorrow I have the great pleasure of sharing the podium with Bernice L. McFadden. Yes, that's right: the Bernice L. McFadden, Pulitzer Prize nominee and winner of many prestigious literary awards. The awards are impressive, no? But what's really good to know is that Bernice is one of the warmest, most generous people around. She's not only a great writer, but a great person to boot. So am I happy? Yes, I'm happy.
We'll be appearing at the Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe in Harlem, starting at 6 p.m. I think it's a stroke of genius to have us both on the same program. We both have out books set in the 1920s against the backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance. Her book, Glorious, tells the story of Easter Bartlett as she journeys from the violent Jim Crow South to jazz age New York. My book, Black Orchid Blues, concerns the race to save a kidnapped blues singer and the dark secrets propelling it. Hers is an achingly beautiful literary experience. Mine is pure literary mischief.
If we're lucky, Bernice will also share a word about her new upcoming book, A Gathering of Waters, due out in February 2012. Gathering promises to be an engrossing novel reportedly featuring the spirit of Emmett Till. Till, 14, was murdered in 1955 by three white men in Mississippi. They kidnapped him, took him out and beat him to death. His killers were caught but acquitted and at least one of them went on to publicly admit his guilt, even stating that one of the reasons they ended up killing the boy was because he refused to show fear. Till was a beautiful child and his spirit definitely lives on in tales of courage and innocence. His brutal murder galvanized the civil rights movement. This is powerful material. In the hands of a lesser storyteller, I would be concerned. But given that Bernice is a master, I can only anticipate this book with joy.
If that isn't enough, I'm hoping that Bernice might also share a word or two about Winter People, her work-in-progress. As Bernice describes it on her blog:
"Winter People is a fictionalized account of the real-life African-American pilot Lieutenant Darwin Nichols, who was shot down, captured and imprisoned in the Gestapo prison in Butzbach. My research thus far has revealed a some-what clouded history of Nichols' final days. Some accounts declare that he was shot and killed right before the end of the war; others claim that his body was never found. My fictional version of his life will return him safely to America, where Nichols' will recount his story of his time in Butzbach.
"This story is important because it will give voice to those "forgotten" victims of the Holocaust..
"According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C., "The fate of black people from 1933 to 1945 in Nazi Germany and in German-occupied territories ranged from isolation to persecution, sterilization, medical experimentation, incarceration, brutality, and murder."
"I believe that Winter People will serve to introduce readers to a larger historical text, which will be appreciated by the widest possible audience."
Now, Bernice has been invited to take part in the El Gouna Writer's Residency, in Egypt. It would be the perfect place for her to do research on Winter People. However, there are some financial issues to be dealt with. Toward that end, she's running a donation campaign. Please visit her CAMPAIGN PAGE to read all about this amazing trip and the book it will benefit.
As we know, I have a weakness for history-driven stories, so I'm totally looking forward to reading A Gathering of Water (due out next February) and the eventual Winter People.
Of course, all this chatter about what Bernice is working on begs the question of what I'm working on. Am I working on anything? Yes, I am. Will I share this info? Not at this time. Mum's the word, folks! Mum's the word.
In the meantime, I hope lots of folks will show up tomorrow eveninng. I'm sure everyone will have a good time. With Bernice sharing the stage, I'm sure I will!
April 6, 2011
Book Release Party: A Reunion of Friends
I had a wonderful book release party yesterday. Dozens of some of the most special people I know showed up to give Black Orchid Blues a marvelous launch. Several of my friends traveled significant distances to be there. I saw people I hadn't seen in years and in one case, someone I had never seen at all, but with whom I've shared an email correspondence. They all came through for me. Their generosity, and seeing them all together, meant an awful lot to me.
Then there was my co-signer, Nathan Larson. He's a terrific guy who has written a terrific book, The Dewey Decimal System. He came with his beautiful wife, Nina, and their sweet baby. (This baby is so cute, and smart. He followed his daddy's remarks closely and commented appropriately on each one!) Some of Nathan's friends were kind enough to not only buy his book, but pick up a copy of mine, too.
I didn't take many pictures of the evening and many of the ones I did take came out blurry, but I'll try to fix them and put them up on my Facebook author's page. In the meantime, here are two pictures that tell a lot about what readers did for me. Here's how the front window of the Mysterious Bookshop looked before the party.
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Black Orchid Blues shares window space with the works by Michael Connelly, Mary Higgins Clark, Henning Mankell, Walter Mosley, et. al.
Here's how it looked like afterward. Black Orchid Blues is gone from the window, but that's okay. It's because it's a sell-out!
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Black Orchid Blues is sold out!
The very kind people at the Mysterious Bookshop said they'll be getting more copies soon, so please visit their store. It's a very special, one-of-a-kind place.
Thank you, everyone! Thank you so much!
March 30, 2011
The Other Side of the Map
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The Other Side of the Map
We were twelve days out from Nairobi. Our guides were strong and forging ahead, but I had to admit that we were getting a bit tired.
Mark would go off by himself sometimes. Then he'd come back fortified and I'd wonder what he'd been up to. He wouldn't tell me so one day I followed him.
He went up the hill, off into the bush, and then on to a small clearing. I saw him take out a small scroll. It was torn and wrinkled.
My pulse rose. This must be it, the map to the Golden Kingdom! He'd never let anyone else see it, and I for one, had begun to wonder if it really existed, if he hadn't gotten all of us off on a wild goose chase. But no, there it was and it was real. Very, very real.
He must have heard me gasp, for he turned around. His eyes narrowed.
"Come over here," he said.
"That's it, isn't it?" I said, approaching and pointing toward the map.
He nodded. "Want to see it?"
I was truly surprised now. I stepped forward and he actually handed it to me.
It was dry, but soft and smooth. Not like the usual parchment at all. The one side was full of lines and markings, so many that I saw no recognizable landmarks or guides.
"I can't read it," I said, disappointed, and handed it back to him.
"You're looking for the treasure in the wrong place. It's on the other side," he said.
I turned the map over and found the stunning image of a woman. Beautiful, regal, and wielding two strong swords. "Who is she?"
"Their queen," he said. "The queen. And she's really what this is all about."
Then he told me her story, the story of the One-Thousand-Year Reign. It made my blood boil and my heart chill, one right after the other.
Worse, it made me wonder whether I would ever see home again.
August 16, 2009
Blog Officially Moved
I look forward to seeing you. Ciao!
July 19, 2009
Moving Day
July 15, 2009
Inspiration: Joseph Devon.com
From the little bit I've read, he strikes me as a very good writer. Not only
July 14, 2009
Rant for the Day: Marked-Down & Overpriced Books
June 26, 2009
On the Passing of a Great Man of Mystery
His loss is a stunning blow. Deep in my mind and heart, this man has beena constant companion. His music has accompanied me at every step of mylife. I was a child when he was a child. I was a teenager when he was ateenager, and so on. So many of his songs mark specific memories andrites of pa
My First Time ... Reading an eBook on an iPod Touch
Surely, there must be something more pressing I could write about, right? Well, yes, I'm sure there is. But bear with me on this one. I mean, I've just undergone a certain enlightenment here and well ... I'd like to share it with you.
It was a small enlightenment to be sure. I was one of those folks who said she always,
