Thursday, March 25, 2010
something to say on writing
I ran into a friend I went to high school yesterday and he was talking about how he enjoyed doing his journalism class and how he likes that fact that with journalism it forces him to step out of his box of opinions and write about something maybe he would not have written about before or how it makes him get into that mentality of writing everyday. I agree on that particular part. I'm not sure I would be ok with writing about what someone else tells me to write about because I don't think I would have the same passion I would have if it's my own work, you know? I'm a pretty open minded person so I don't know. But I will say this, I push myself to write every single day. When I made that commitment I was able to take my writing seriously and plus I just enjoy writing period. I could write for free and be content. Oh wait I do! LOL. Anyway I will continue to pull out lovely novels as long as my biggest fan (Mercedes) still enjoys bragging to her teachers and class mates that her mama is going to be a writer.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Seriously, where are all of the african american literary agents????!!!!!!
Thought I should post this little article. I'm glad someone feels the same way. I'm going to have to change this:
by Elaine Watkins
Urban Book Source
January 2006
With major publishers finally turning their heads toward Urban fiction, African American authors are slowly being recognized for their creativity. Every time you flip through Publisher’s Weekly a new author is being signed to St. Martin’s Press or Simon and Schuster among many publishers. But who are the agents behind these major deals? One may assume that because many of the stories are considered “urban” or “street” it would have to be a Black Agent shopping them around, right? Wrong!
The sad truth is that there aren’t many African American literary agents out there. You may wonder why this is so, but I ask you to step back and look at the situation at hand. Most literary agents are between the ages of 40 and 60. If you calculate the time it takes to finish college, land a good editing gig, make a name for yourself in the publishing industry (creating a reliable network to shop future works) and build up the capital it takes to venture out and start your own business as a literary agent; you will see why the average age of literary agents is 50.
Now let’s take a further step back. A person who is 50 years of age would have had to been born in the fifties—right before the civil rights movement—when education for Blacks was still a struggle many were trying to overcome. In the early fifties many schools were still being integrated as a result of Brown vs. the Board of Education, when the Supreme Court ruled that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,” which means that any minority born at that time were still enduring the growing pains of the integration of the American school system. Unfortunately this means their formidable years of education were undoubtedly disproportionate to their White counterparts. By the time anyone born in the fifties would be old enough to go to college we would be in the early seventies, which at that time it was still very much a financial, and social feat for a Black person to not only go to college but graduate and land a successful job in the industry of their choice (It still is today!).
Over the past three decades the number of African American students enrolled in a higher education institution has steadily risen in part due to affirmative action (which oddly enough can be attributed to shutting some Blacks out…but that’s another article,) and the overall realization that the only way to maneuver your way out of poverty is with more education. In 1980 there were 935,140 1 students awarded a bachelor degree; Blacks and Hispanics accounted for only 8% of that total. Fast forward a couple of decades. In 2002 there were 1,291,900 2 bachelor degree candidates of whom 15% were Black or Hispanic. Although our numbers have increased, we still have a ways to go before the corporate playground is leveled.
There are many factors that play a role in the low enrollment of minorities in colleges and universities. The majority of minority college students face struggles their White peers usually don’t have. Most minorities have to work more than part-time to finance their education, or take care of other responsibilities. A lot of Blacks and Hispanics are still first generation college students, meaning that they have grown up in a home with parents who don’t have the same financial freedom as the parents of white college students, who are more likely than not to have been college graduates themselves. In this instance the old saying of it takes money to make money is undeniably true; higher levels of education results in more income, which increases the access to higher education. With Black students often working close to full time to pay their way through college, their studies are often times neglected and in many cases they are forced to attend half-time or completely delay their education until it is financially possible. But the financial breakthrough that many are waiting for will never come without a higher degree.
With this said it is no wonder why there aren’t many black literary agents. I can only hope the authors and editors of today will step up to the plate and grab this publishing game by the horns and take control. But I ask you to help your brothers and sisters up when you reach the top, if we don’t help each other we will never see a change.
by Elaine Watkins
Urban Book Source
January 2006
With major publishers finally turning their heads toward Urban fiction, African American authors are slowly being recognized for their creativity. Every time you flip through Publisher’s Weekly a new author is being signed to St. Martin’s Press or Simon and Schuster among many publishers. But who are the agents behind these major deals? One may assume that because many of the stories are considered “urban” or “street” it would have to be a Black Agent shopping them around, right? Wrong!
The sad truth is that there aren’t many African American literary agents out there. You may wonder why this is so, but I ask you to step back and look at the situation at hand. Most literary agents are between the ages of 40 and 60. If you calculate the time it takes to finish college, land a good editing gig, make a name for yourself in the publishing industry (creating a reliable network to shop future works) and build up the capital it takes to venture out and start your own business as a literary agent; you will see why the average age of literary agents is 50.
Now let’s take a further step back. A person who is 50 years of age would have had to been born in the fifties—right before the civil rights movement—when education for Blacks was still a struggle many were trying to overcome. In the early fifties many schools were still being integrated as a result of Brown vs. the Board of Education, when the Supreme Court ruled that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,” which means that any minority born at that time were still enduring the growing pains of the integration of the American school system. Unfortunately this means their formidable years of education were undoubtedly disproportionate to their White counterparts. By the time anyone born in the fifties would be old enough to go to college we would be in the early seventies, which at that time it was still very much a financial, and social feat for a Black person to not only go to college but graduate and land a successful job in the industry of their choice (It still is today!).
Over the past three decades the number of African American students enrolled in a higher education institution has steadily risen in part due to affirmative action (which oddly enough can be attributed to shutting some Blacks out…but that’s another article,) and the overall realization that the only way to maneuver your way out of poverty is with more education. In 1980 there were 935,140 1 students awarded a bachelor degree; Blacks and Hispanics accounted for only 8% of that total. Fast forward a couple of decades. In 2002 there were 1,291,900 2 bachelor degree candidates of whom 15% were Black or Hispanic. Although our numbers have increased, we still have a ways to go before the corporate playground is leveled.
There are many factors that play a role in the low enrollment of minorities in colleges and universities. The majority of minority college students face struggles their White peers usually don’t have. Most minorities have to work more than part-time to finance their education, or take care of other responsibilities. A lot of Blacks and Hispanics are still first generation college students, meaning that they have grown up in a home with parents who don’t have the same financial freedom as the parents of white college students, who are more likely than not to have been college graduates themselves. In this instance the old saying of it takes money to make money is undeniably true; higher levels of education results in more income, which increases the access to higher education. With Black students often working close to full time to pay their way through college, their studies are often times neglected and in many cases they are forced to attend half-time or completely delay their education until it is financially possible. But the financial breakthrough that many are waiting for will never come without a higher degree.
With this said it is no wonder why there aren’t many black literary agents. I can only hope the authors and editors of today will step up to the plate and grab this publishing game by the horns and take control. But I ask you to help your brothers and sisters up when you reach the top, if we don’t help each other we will never see a change.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Hustlin' hard on his website!
I just want to give a quick shoutout to dreamandhustle.com. He seriously has some advice for us black folks and how to get it! please check the brotha's website out! Hope where ever you're at is as beautiful as where I'm at!
College Papers are no joke!
Let me tell you, writings papers are not joke! I just turned in one paper to my class and thankfully I got a 100% on my first paper last week! Yeeeeeaaaaaaa! Hopefully I get another one. I also have to go home and start on another one that is for the learning team that I'm apart of. Need to stay focused! A bish is doin' big thangs!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
new home possibly?
As I'm looking for ideas to create this ezine that I am trying to start I came across another site specifically for someone like me that has a blog but do not have a a big audience. I might switch blogsites just so I have more variety in the setup. Don't get me wrong I love this one, but since I am a Gemini, we don't tend to stay in one spot long. Anyway, I'm a hustla and anything to step up my game is a plus. But this is just an idea. I will let you know the new URL if I do decide.
Anywho, for anyone who is interested in starting their own blog site below are some websites that are geared for us blogheads. You know I had to give out some info, that's what I do:
eVIPList.com
ReachFolk.com
MoreToBlack.com
BlackBlogWatch.com
TheUrbanBlogger.com
Anywho, for anyone who is interested in starting their own blog site below are some websites that are geared for us blogheads. You know I had to give out some info, that's what I do:
eVIPList.com
ReachFolk.com
MoreToBlack.com
BlackBlogWatch.com
TheUrbanBlogger.com
Monday, March 15, 2010
hustlin'
Tonight I will get back to my novel. This last week I've had to readjust myself since I'm back in school. So I have to split my time with kids, school, writing, creating this magazine. I will get it together by the end of the week. Promise.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Got sumthin' 4 u!
Only a lil' bit cause I don't wanna give away too much! Enjoy!
A loud screeching scream woke Nia up. Her eyelids flickered open bringing her mama into view. Her ashen face was contorted in a horrific expression. Nia’s throat felt too much like sandpaper to ask what was wrong. It did not take her long to follow where her mama was staring. Spread across the olive green blanket was blood, a lot of it.
The door to her room popped open and in rushed two nurses. “Oh my god!” the first one gasped.
“What happened?” the second asked.
“I don’t know, I came in with her like this!”
A cold breeze flew over Nia as the nurse pulled back the blankets. Blood had soaked through the flimsy hospital gown. It covered Nia’s whole bottom half.
The first nurse lifted up the gown. Bloody lines decorated her stomach.
“Oh my god Nia, who did this?”
Nia could only shrug her shoulders.
“Who did this?” her mama kept asking.
“Nia dear, who did this to you?” the first nurse asked. Her sour milk breath covered Nia’s face. She spoke as though Nia was a toddler or a foreigner. How the hell was she suppose to know? The nurse continued questioning her, shaking her slightly as if attempting to wake the answer out of her. “Nia? Can you understand me?”
“I’m not deaf or retarded!” Nia managed to call out. A coughing spell followed. Her mama reached for the water bottle on the side table but once again gasped. Everyone including Nia looked over at the bloody knife lying on the table.
“Susan, call the police, now!” Susan flew out of the room while the first nurse proceeded to clean Nia up.
“Can you help me lift her?”
Mama Johnson stepped up immediately going into mama mode. Both worked together and got Nia cleaned up along with her bed sheets before anyone came back. Susan was followed by Officer Marcus Blaze. Nia rolled her eyes. Not him again. Didn’t her husband warn him enough?
A loud screeching scream woke Nia up. Her eyelids flickered open bringing her mama into view. Her ashen face was contorted in a horrific expression. Nia’s throat felt too much like sandpaper to ask what was wrong. It did not take her long to follow where her mama was staring. Spread across the olive green blanket was blood, a lot of it.
The door to her room popped open and in rushed two nurses. “Oh my god!” the first one gasped.
“What happened?” the second asked.
“I don’t know, I came in with her like this!”
A cold breeze flew over Nia as the nurse pulled back the blankets. Blood had soaked through the flimsy hospital gown. It covered Nia’s whole bottom half.
The first nurse lifted up the gown. Bloody lines decorated her stomach.
“Oh my god Nia, who did this?”
Nia could only shrug her shoulders.
“Who did this?” her mama kept asking.
“Nia dear, who did this to you?” the first nurse asked. Her sour milk breath covered Nia’s face. She spoke as though Nia was a toddler or a foreigner. How the hell was she suppose to know? The nurse continued questioning her, shaking her slightly as if attempting to wake the answer out of her. “Nia? Can you understand me?”
“I’m not deaf or retarded!” Nia managed to call out. A coughing spell followed. Her mama reached for the water bottle on the side table but once again gasped. Everyone including Nia looked over at the bloody knife lying on the table.
“Susan, call the police, now!” Susan flew out of the room while the first nurse proceeded to clean Nia up.
“Can you help me lift her?”
Mama Johnson stepped up immediately going into mama mode. Both worked together and got Nia cleaned up along with her bed sheets before anyone came back. Susan was followed by Officer Marcus Blaze. Nia rolled her eyes. Not him again. Didn’t her husband warn him enough?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
School
Sorry I'm not focused this week. I'm trying to get my financial aid situation dealt with so I can get back to school and finish this last year off real quick. IRS people, gotta luv them cause you can't kill em'. I kid, I kid!
Monday, March 1, 2010
magazine
Last week I have flirted with the idea with starting an ezine. The more I think about it the more I get excited about it. I would like to be able to focus the majority of the magazine on my area in a positive way. I still want to hit up the entertainment news and whatnot but I definitely want to focus on my lovely hood that I love dearly! (no sarcasm) This week I'll get some info on gettin' it together.
Friday, February 26, 2010
oops I did it again! No this is not Britney bish!
I forgot again to bring a snippet. I promise, I got yall next week. Ta-ta for now, and have a save weekend.
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