Herndon Davis Reports. Re-cap.

Brent Dorian Carpenter, Trent Jackson and I were guests on the Herndon Davis Reports. We taped on Saturday afternoon. The air date will be in January, specific date not ready yet. We'll keep you posted through our blogs and websites.

We talked about the state of black, gay literature and stories. A subject that we all are comfortable talking about.

But LAWD, why did I start sweating like Whitney like halfway through my first segment? I'm sitting there eyeing Herndon like "let's take a break/go to commercial/don't you see the waters flowing" but we continue discussing. And discussing. And discussing. Luckily, a good HOT seven minutes later, we get a commercial break and I get another powder down. LAWD, I needed my color-coordinated hankie like the gospel divas carry in their performances.

This is the host, Herndon Davis, on the left.

M.F.A. or Not?

Everyday I get one or two brochures or packages in the mail, encouraging me to think about considering applying to Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A) programs in Creative Writing or English. There are all sorts of programs. Full time. Part time. Low residency. Oh my.

Having interacted with authors and writers of all levels of education and experience, I have heard about the benefits and challenges that are associated with pursuing a higher degree and level of study in writing. What I hear is compelling. Very briefly (there's more):

Benefits -- craft develops more than you ever imagined; professional/personal connections; leaving with a completed piece that is considered high quality
Challenges -- uniformity (style and people); cliques; can something creative be taught?

Back when I thought I wanted to pursue education (after the journalism thing), I went to graduate school for it and finished. Now that writing is what I see on the horizon as a long-term career, I'm wondering.

What are your thoughts on M.F.A. or not?
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October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and many organizations, including the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, are planning many programs to address the issue and help people get the assistance they need.

Some quick facts and figures:
Rank of domestic violence among causes of homelessness in 44% of cities surveyed: 1
(source: U.S. Conference of Mayors, A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities: A 25-City Survey, December 2003)

Factor by which children of an abused parent are more likely to be abused themselves: 2
(source: "Domestic Violence". Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 2001)

Percentage of all domestic abuse victims who are men: 15
(source: "Intimate Partner Violence, 1993 - 2001." Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003)

Percentage of mothers under 18 who experience domestic violence within three months of their child's birth: 26
(source: Family Planning Perspectives, Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1999)

Percentage of women treated in emergency rooms for violent injuries who were hurt by a current or former partner: 37
(source: "Violence Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments." U.S. Department of Justice, August 1997)

Percentage of women murdered by an intimate partner who visited an emergency room in the two years prior to their deaths: 44
(source: "Predicting Future Injury Among Women in Abusive Relationships." The Journal of Trauma Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 2004).

Number of women killed by domestic partners each year: 1,200
(source: Bureau of Justice Statistic)

Number of calls to the National Domestic Violence Hotline since 1996: 1,000,000
(source: National Domestic Violence Hotline)

Amount by which federal family violence prevention services programs were underfunded in 2005: $48,000,000
(source: Campaign for Funding to End Violence Against Women. FY 2006 Budget Briefing Book)

Annual health-related costs, lost-productivity costs, and lost earnings due to intimate partner violence: $5,900,000,000
(source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003)

For more information:
Mother Jones (source for statistics listed above)
Family Violence Prevention Fund
National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women
Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act
Fratman1906 blog entries on LGBT domestic violence issues

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Who's Your Daddy?

Imagine if you grew up thinking your dad was one person, but he was actually another.

Imagine if you grew up thinking you were white, but you were black.

Imagine if your dark skin was explained away as a skin disease.

Imagine if your mother kept secret her "dalliances" and "hanging out" from your family.

Now... imagine this is not Dynasty or Young and the Restless, but your real life. True story.

Read the story here.

And how is your family today?

Links: 1st Book Publicity and The Colored Section

Found some interesting sites related to Publicity and the First-Time Author (because it's always nice to hear how other first-timers handled it)... and to The Colored Section in bookstores.

Thought you might find something you can learn and share with others.
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Amen. Dialogue.

This week, Keith Boykin and Jasmyne Cannick are highlighting black ministers and preachers who have used their pulpits for anti-gay and lesbian politics and sermons.

Many of these same ministers are recipients of "faith-based" money, which is government money used to promote church causes and projects. Remember the separation of church and state? Yeah, the concept is like over 200 years old, but it's supposed to be an active concept and "value", right? Hmmm...

Anyway...

The columns are promoting a lot of dialogue and getting people to reflect on their experiences in and out the black church as they relate to the black gay and lesbian community. There are some who agree with the purpose of this week's columns, and there are some who do not.

And I thought you might want to take a look... if you haven't already. To make up your own mind and think about how institutions, such as churches in this instance, but also schools, government, families, media, can make or break the lives of gay and lesbian people in their midst.

Keith and Jasmyne are putting themselves out there in a major way. It's courageous.

And as I often tell my students, being a leader means putting yourself on the line in both popular and unpopular ways. Putting yourself out there can be lonely. And vulnerable. And character-building. But in the end, the goal is to create something better for society at large. For everyone.

At least that's the hope.
Keith Boykin's site.
Jasmyne Cannick's site.
National Black Justice Coalition site.
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Writing Differences.

Differences are cool and make the world interesting. Similarities are cool and make us comfortable. Of course it's not that simple. Life is complex.

A series of questions I get asked often about my novel relate to diversity and differences:

How was I able to write about/create characters who are not like me, in terms of ethnicity, class, whatever? How do people react when they see me, a black guy, and know that I've created some Mexican American characters? Do I think it's possible to write about characters who are not like me?

Of course most of the questioners are asking about ethnicity, which is what most of us immediately think about when it comes to diversity and differences. And it's okay. Though diversity is more than just ethncity.

My responses:
1) I am able to create characters who are not like me because I'd like to think I'm creative, have an appreciation for people and an open mind, believe fiction should reflect the way we live and the people around us, and that I like writing about communties not often reflected in the mainstream of fiction.

2) People usually are happily shocked. They're like, "I can't believe you knew about (blah blah blah)" when it comes to a certain aspect of the novel that resonates with them... one that they assume has nothing to do with me. It's interesting the assumptions people make.

3) Now the third question... is a tricky one. I do think it's possible for writers to write about people who are not like them. I mean, it's physically and creatively possible. However... I think this area should be approached realistically and respectfully. And this is where I'll digress, and explain further...

What I mean is that in order to present realistic characters, who may or may not be different than the writer (but let's focus on writing those that might be different than the writer), I think it's important to know about whom you write. To me, that means being genuine in the learning process. Wanting to learn about people you consider different is not only about the food, fashions, and fiestas of a particular group. It means getting to understand the history of a group, and how that history shapes a perspective. It means getting to understand what isn't spoken, what isn't on the surface. It means going beyond a web search, getting a few pop culture facts, and then presenting a character as authentic. It means understanding communication norms. It might mean getting into a dis-comfort zone, an immersion, with the intention of truly understanding.

At the same time, it doesn't mean that the study of a group means that everyone in that group thinks alike. Or that there is a uniform way of speaking, thinking, and being for every member of a particular population or group. Sure, there are some shared histories and experiences that some may or may not acknowledge in their personal experiences. But there is diversity within groups, but that sometimes gets sidetracked with the whole "tell us about the ______ experience" syndrome, that I know my students often get bombarded with in their classes. (On a side note, it gets annoying to be asked to speak for your group/population ALL the time. Please ask because you really want to know, not because you need a quick, pat answer to satisfy what you think you already know.)

Respectfully writing about people who may be different from you is another important aspect to look at. Stereotypes abound. Most we learn not from personal experience, but from what we see in movies, television, books, news, government, or hear in song, but we somehow make them personal. Because there is diversity within groups, there may be folks whose lives mirror stereotypes and there are also those whose lives do not reflect stereotypes. There is good and bad in all communities. And, to me, it is okay to write about those perceptions of good and bad... as long as... there is a genuine respect and balance presented.

What's not cool is having someone write as if they are "all knowing" about a group of people who are different than the writer. Or writing in a condescing way/manner about a group of people who are different than the writer. Or only presenting stereotypes, because the writer sees those as "the __________ experience." Or writing in a "I'm cool with ______ people because I studied/lived with/dated/worked with ______ people."

I don't know. I'm sure there are numerous perspectives on writing about people you perceive to be different than you. And in no way am I presenting myself as an expert on writing, differences, or human behavior. I'm just one person. One person who had a novel published.

However, the one common denominator we all have. We're human beings.

And we have many of the same desires, dreams, wants, and needs. The approach and the road to achieve those desires, dreams, wants, and needs may or may not be different. But... we all are human. And that simple factor makes us the same in many respects.
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You Had Me At Hello

"Weak first lines greet us like a limp handshake." Donald Maass, Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook

Now we're talking novels, not the first hello from a potential partner... however... I know where your minds go sometimes :-)

A good first line in a novel or short story can draw us in, set a tone, make us feel something that compels us to continue reading the work.

That line draws us in to read the first page, first chapter, and so on. It could be the voice, the grammar (or lack thereof), the descriptors, or the question the first line poses. In my creative writing workshops, I do an exercise on first lines, which proves to be very fun and idea inspiring.

What first lines grabbed you? What books had you at hello? Or if you dare share, what first lines had you the moment you met that special someone?
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