Mel Hopkins

Did you read beyond that sentence, @Troy ? and do you read my responses in context to what you wrote last...and how they correlate to what you've written? And finally do you read or skim? I'm beginning to get the sense that you don't pay attention -not even to your own words. As for Mark Farb it was a dig at your 45 comment...and how 45*s "win" is questionable. Therefore, you may not want to hang your hat on it to validate your argument. AND finally notice I wrote "POSSIBLY" about Mike Farb's analysis too. I do intake, I don't TAKE ANYONE's word as gospel..

Are you alright, @Troy? Where did I say I rejected your data? I suggest you re-read what I wrote. And even if I did. So what? As long as you are happy with your work that's all that matters. Wow. smh.

AND THAT IS EXACTLY HOW HE GOT THERE! All these big whiny babies think he "feels their pain"... This is so on point, THANK YOU @Cynique

LOL! Troy, it's not being stubborn - I need verifiable evidence. Your word isn't good enough. If I'm interviewing you about your personal experience -then it is but another person's experience is just hearsay. I can't go to someone and say "Troy said it's so, so it's so." folks would say who the eff is Troy?... But if I show roster of black authors for big publishing -in 1992 compared to the the roster in 2018 and there's a decline... then I will have to find out what has changed? Did these authors lose their contracts or did they leave on their own? Did the publishing house decide Indian writers were now in vogue - and they kicked off white writers too? Did these authors get imprint deals ... There's a whole host of reasons but we have to start with facts first... So your data is a beginning point. GATEKEEPERS I stated what a gatekeeper was - here it is is again. The "gatekeeper" is one who controls access. That would mean the thing isn't AVAILABLE for consumption. Prior to POD or ebooks it was cost-prohibitive for an author to get his/her work out - that meant they had to go through an intermediary which was controlled by a gatekeeper. That is no longer the case. The fact that you mentioned that some of your writer friends -published their books when they didn't get the advance they wanted is proof the gatekeeper is no longer in play. You actually did a story on publishing company I think it was brown girls publishing? nd I've never heard of them before you - but their release mentioned they have 2 MILLION books in print. Guess what? There's no gatekeeper keeping them from selling even if I never heard of them EVER through any of means than AALBC... Again, algorithms and advertising dollars is NOT a gatekeeper - it never was. By the way, for 45 - have you heard of Mike Farb? There's possible evidence that 45 didn't get those crucial votes needed to secure the electoral college win... and 90 million people didn't vote - so maybe he's not a good foundation for your gatekeeper argument.

@Pioneer1 then by those standards you should know- the sex-drive between the sexes is about equal. And go 'head for you accepting a woman's proposal! Actually you're correct here ...which is why I got snagged when I found I had more male readers initially than women... AND the men had more positive reviews and in-depth analysis than my women readers... It was quite bizarre to me at first but then I realized that it was the subject matter and my approach. Then I started to reach women who were more like me - so then it evened out. So your assumption was correct. I wrote based on my understanding and expectation - but I misjudged my audience so the outcome was surprising.

@Troy , I'm always researching a Black Enterprise/Ebony/ Amsterdam article -...ALWAYS (btw, WSJ is too biased) ...We can't ever be caught slouching! Seriously, it is a thing for me to always have verifiable sources or evidence. I was born under the sign of the virgo the virgin - otherwise known as the anal sign of the zodiac. I don't play fast and loose with information. I must dismiss your anecdotal "evidence" even in the absence of none of my own because the result is the same - No verifiable evidence of loss of book publishing deals for black writers. It could be a good enterprise article though. So, please if you come across proof either way - please share. The black authors who have currently have book deals have an audience i.e., popularity. As I mentioned, some are easy to spot on twitter - they have a blue tick by their name and a released date of their new or upcoming book (s). You don't understand gatekeeping then. Gatekeeping is controlling access and no one is controlling access to books or any other media content - there are too many channels available - too many platforms - and I am for one discovering new ones daily. Now big money promotion of said item even directing someone to something is NOT gatekeeping... Del might be onto something, you are beginning to sound like 45*" (8=| Staying in the media and entertainment industry - box office; books sales; albums sales and video games are proof that no amount of manipulation can buy popularity. We still get flops, show cancellations, direct to video - and what's popular rises and remains on top.

Absolutely you can be self-aware and know if you're being controlled - In fact that is the definition of self-awareness! ... It starts by being honest with yourself - which means you have to go all the way back to your beginning, your earliest memory. The beauty is your dreams have these answers but you must be diligent when recording and then interpreting those dreams. I don't mean consulting dream books either - but looking at your earliest memories; how your caregiver (sometimes parents) impacted you with their practices and so on... Then you look at your world and what drives you to do what you've done. It is then you can tell where you're being controlled by your environment - and what you're deciding to do to remain in the community. It requires a whole lot of honesty but it's doable to find out what is true for you and what is simply your programming.

@Pioneer1 , Troy was pretty specific about saying that he wasn't referring to F-buddies. This question was about finding and building a relationship with a ( life) partner. Have you been able to find a life partner? What has been your experience with a viable relationship with a woman. Have you ever been engaged, left at the altar - married? divorced? And by the way, how is it even possible to measure someone's sex drive?

That part of the conversation is over. Remember, "your work is cut out for you" is how I ended. I actually quoted you for the gatekeeper aspect of the conversation. Now we're talking about gatekeepers no longer keeping people out of the marketplace - instead we're dealing with popularity in the media and entertainment industry. By the way, THE MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT Industry is publishing, gaming, music and film/tv - which is why I talked about the gatekeepers for the entire industry. I shared my sources... deadline, prnewswire I should include variety, I told you can sign up for any of those but PR Newswire you can sign up as an content provider. There are also other media sites you can sign up for that are exclusive to journalists but since you have a website you can sign up too... I've learned about some of the books through the films they're based on. I'm asking you for sources for your claims. I don't have any when it comes to advances. This was your claim. If you only have observations over 20 years and only spoken to a an handful of authors who quit the game or self-published; well that actually doesn't qualify as a verifiable source for the industry. It does serve as first person source - but it doesn't speak to the industry. You wouldn't even be able to get that past a copy editor/fact checker of a reputable newspaper or magazine. This statement just piggybacks on what I wrote earlier - and yes that's how these films are getting made by black people. The studio offers the deals to the black person's production company, gives them the money to make the film and then the studio distributes it. So yes,the most successful black content creators are in that position today. Now you just sound ignorant. While those may be the movies you've heard of ...Those are not the only films slated for production and release this year, 2019 or 2020. BUT I'll leave you to your ignorance and not entertain you with any more of my distractions about movies coming from the production houses owned by black folks. Finally, now you understand why gatekeepers are in the past, @Troy The public decides what they want to see, read, play AND on what platform. None of these platforms can survive without content - and right now black people want to see/read about themselves - so black people content is in demand. The most popular content wins. So while you're focused on when the bubble explodes - these young creators are making deals, creating jobs and making money NOW. -

What's your source on this? @Troy Please provide a source for advances. I've looked for figures and I can only find them listed if there's an auction or if someone mentions it in social media but I can't verify. I'd like to follow up and compare advances for now compared to the 2000s... My point, is these book deals are based on popularity - now. And yes you may be missing out on movies with black casts. When I was writing Issa Rae's article ...I read of quite a few including 3 picture deals with several studios... Issa has one coming out next month based on the The Hate U Give and during the interview she was filming "Little" which is one of the 3 picture-deal production with Universal pictures... Yeah I'd say you were out of the loop in media and entertainment industry. Check out deadline or sign up for PR Newswire as a content provider - One of my favorite exec producer creator Ben Watkins has "Through his recently launched banner Blue Monday Productions, Watkins and his producing partner Eli Dansky, have projects in active development for FX (Trainhoppers) and USA (Roar). Up next, Watkins will executive produce Apple’s anticipated upcoming series Are You Sleeping, starring Octavia Spencer, Lizzy Caplan and Aaron Paul. " And yes, streaming content is hot for black creators... Shonda & Kenya both did 150 and 100 million deals respectively with netflix ...oh and HBO bought 4 shows from Issa Rae including her own... How so? Benefit a few like who? if you follow the trajectory of black shows being produced you'll notice they hire black talent both in front and behind the camera - so what do you mean benefit a few? those who have been working in the entertainment business? This last statement doesn't even make sense. Nah, I stand by what I say - no gatekeepers - if it's popular it will get bought, produced and published.

Amen @Cynique, you continue to fire on all cylinders! I'm single - and will remain that way unless I meet the man of my dreams. Life is too short but can be extremely long to settle for just any ole man. I know you asked @Delano but since I'm a woman I can say, I don't believe it's difficult to find a life partner. It's difficult to settle. We spend so much time as daughters, sisters, that we don't have a clue as to who we are as a woman. Second, we rush into a relationships because we meet the father of our children. Sometimes a father isn't necessarily a husband or lover. Sad part is sometimes we don't even know that until we've had our babies and then we realize - ugh...who is this guy? Or our lover is no one we want to have as father to our children. Some women are super lucky or super disciplined to be with the father of their children who is also their lover too! And their lover is disciplined enough to be a husband and father. And it's not a matter of women don't know what we want. We absolutely know who want but then there's timing. Right time, wrong man; wrong time, right man; wrong man, wrong time and then jackpot - right time; right man.

@Troy I'm not - or these obscure creator-folks wouldn't be getting film/tv/book deals from the conglomerates ... Maybe you don't have the time to track these deals but I have and do. We live in a society that is no longer dictated by the average - but rather the specialization... First it was in music then with POD technology dropped; social media and blogging took off - then more book deals. (well you know because that's how Street Lit went mainstream.) The new rules are now if it's popular it get picked up. Troy you're really going to have to spend more time on twitter/medium /reddit - these young black millennials are getting lit agents and book deals. Anyway once the creator finds the audience then the conglomerate buys up or partners with the creator specialization in said genre. I've been following this media trend in film/tv/video since the mid-2000s... but now the deals are easier to track with the internet. For example, I belong to PR NEWSWIRE and I just saw the press release that Common just got a television production deal with Lionsgate - and Ginuwhine just inked a deal with Bungalow Media to do some reality programs... Bottomline, if you're an influencer -with a large following; you are getting a book/tv/film/music deal. By the way, I meant to tell you, my girls told me that Cardi B started on social media with her straight talk...(I didn't even know my youngest was following her) - so no gatekeepers. The approach is a lot different today.

"the devil in silver" by Victor Lavalle. I just started it so please no spoilers (smile). This is my first title by Lavalle - so I'm just getting to used to his style. We meet the protagonist "Pepper" as he is being escorted to a mental institution in Queens, NY. He allegedly got into a fight with a man who was attacking his neighbor - (the man was his neighbors ex-husband. It appears he has a crush on her.) When the plain clothes cop arrived on the scene he started fighting them too. Now, he is being admitted to the institution for a 72-hour observation. In addition to being locked up with no way to contact an attorney or next of kin - he's already beginning to possibly hallucinate. He thinks he's heard and smelled something snorting that smells like sulfur. One of the cops heard and smelled it too. But the cop left as soon as Pepper was admitted. Looks like this one is going to get under my skin.

Whew, at least they're still going on field trips... but this is extremely sad. And Troy, you're freakin' kidding me!!!... You know what @Troy - this is some bullshyt! How the hell we both go to school in new york city; grow up at the same time and have different experiences in the school system? ..Did ya'll at least go to the Bronx Zoo? This is starting to explain a lot... If you didn't test well for one of the specialized high schools - then there's a chance we probably wouldn't have met. We were on different paths - IN THE SAME STINKIN' city with the same PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM but two different worlds. Troy, do you know, we went on field trips a minimum of twice a year at my public schools ... I was in the top classes throughout my academic career and we did a lot of cool things. Were you in the top classes? And no, my parents never took me to Disney World (thank goodness) but we did travel a lot... my dad was in military and I really did start school in Germany... Do you know I've never been to Disney World and have no desire to go or even take my children... but my oldest daughter did go with her father, step mother and brother and sisters. She thought it was pedestrian. Very american-ish.

@Chevdove definitely, not fine hair but not even Afro-type hair...it just wouldn't behave. Some folks are offended when we say "bad" hair - but there's such a thing. He finally shaved it all off. It's funny that you mentioned, blue eyes. My baby girl had blue eyes and sandy brown hair for her first year. - Her hair turned jet black and her eyes are honey-colored now. (Lighter in the summer). My mom said I also had blue eyes for my first year - I think blue eyes is an african trait...http://afritorial.com/black-people-with-blue-eyes/ but here's the daily mail with their version lol @Cynique Thank you! You know how I feel about your perspective! It has helped me a great deal! Thank you! BTW, I'm looking forward to more of your metaphysical experiences too!

@Troy men don't factor into our lives like that... We, women, dress and style ourselves for ourselves. We look for styles that compliment us that make us feel the best about ourselves. When we feel we look our best then we feel confident and it's the confidence that attract others to us. We seek to attract others for many different reasons -men being the least of those reasons. In fact, women have been known to elicit opinions from a gay men on fashion and will buy clothes they design for us. Heterosexual men have commented on my outfits/hairstyle/haircolor but I've never looked to them for approval. In fact, think who had the most to say about what former first lady Michelle Obama wore - men or women? Think about who reads fashion magazines? Read the copy - it rarely, if ever talks about what men will think about the designs. Think about who styles our hair? I think I've had one heterosexual hairstylist in my life. The others who styled/colored my hair did so, so I could look "fierce"... Fierce translates into confidence, btw. Now, when you see women wear sweats, ponytail, and a baseball cap, even sunglasses that's when we are dressing for men. We specifically don't want attention, but especially a man's attention. But I've learned, as my "sisters" have, sometimes that doesn't even work. As for hair color, "blond" hair is high maintenance especially if your natural color is dark or grey.... In both cases you have to strip the hair color to make it porous enough to accept the blond color. Strip it too much and you wind up bald. (see any youtube video for example) So I doubt very seriously that Mary doesn't know why she colors her hair. She knows why - and has chosen to maintain it for her career that reaches back more than 25 years.

@Troy not sure about all women but me and those I know SPEAK to the men we're attracted to.

@Troy For me, there's still a disconnect. Maybe because I've worked/work as a journalist and also in marketing, my first approach to anything is "why should I/they care" and "what's in it for me/them." - As I've mentioned in Pioneer's original post, and the post I've created; there are many middle-aged black men visible and present in society. Further, there are books written about them, by them and for them. They are also front and center in current events, sociological, physiological, psychological studies, and non-fiction. Those disciplines translate into marker for them in the history books of tomorrow. So, the group is anything but invisible. You've already said that you are not really talking about literary fiction that is NOT plot driven. Middle-aged black men are represented in plot-driven novels written by white men (that's just to my knowledge because that's what I read)... My takeaway from this video is it might be possible middle-aged black men are represented in novels that aren't plot-driven and not publicized. So, maybe the goal is to locate those novels and publicize them. We no longer live in a society where what we read or write is dictated by a gatekeeper. While you may look to PW to find your books many of us read based on word of mouth. I mentioned to you that I got a recommendation from AALBC about a horror book I purchased some time ago. By the way, the author is a 46 year-old black man and the protagonist is a white male... The author, Victor Lavalle, was 40 when his book was published. But I digress. Therefore, if it's your goal to make these novels popular, especially if they are exploring the hopes, dreams and desires of middle-aged black men - I agree, you have your work cut out for you.

@Troy , I saw the video and there's still a disconnect.

I don't know your sources, so you might be telling the truth @Troy about NYC children. However, for those of us who grew up in NYC during the 70s, 80s 90s early 00s this wasn't the case as long as we attended public school. Budget cuts had not taken their toll on NYC Department of Education and we still went on school trips to said places. I went to school in brooklyn and every year we either went to the Hayden Planetarium, rockefeller center , Museum of natural history, NY botanical gardens, etc ...and we weren't alone - there were would be thousands of school children from all over the city that had those name tags flying in the wind - at these sites. I say that to say while there may be self-imposed barriers to these locations - public school provided an opportunity to go to places that would be otherwise off-limits. By the time I got to Wheeling in 1992, these opportunities were opening up for the the disenfranchised children in Wheeling. From my conversations with the children, it appeared these were new opportunities. From these articles, it seems that NYC department of ed still funds school field trips. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/nyregion/new-york-city-tightens-rules-for-school-trips.html , http://www.optnyc.org/schools/FieldTrips.htm , Here's an essay on possible inequity in the school system. @Delano as a black boy /man, you knew not.... I point out that distinction because I learned later in life boys/men (all ethnicity) didn't have freedom of movement. As a black girl/woman, as long as I went in a group or went by myself during the day I/we could go anywhere in New York City and did. Girls/ Women didn't have the same restrictions as boys/men. Girls/Women were only vulnerable to men who sought to harm us sexually - and we are much vulnerable at night or alone.

@Pioneer1 I read that too! I always tease my daughter that's she's an alien because her dad has 0-Negative- blood (he's black with "bad" hair ) When I was pregnant with her - I had this blood disorder called "coombs" but it corrected itself - My blood type is A-Positive - so his blood and my blood was battling it out for supremacy - I guess. Our baby won. @Chevdove This reminds me of the tiki-torch chant "We will not be replaced" ...It makes you wonder who are they actually talking about... "Sorry Caveman, we didn't know you were still around." ~Geico

@Pioneer1 black people in these areas have been carefully taught not to leave their "area". I learned this first hand when I left New York and moved to Wheeling, WV - Wheeling is not even on the mason-dixon line but there are unwritten rules to know your place. In fact, Wheeling, WV never even had slavery but the black people there knew they weren't allowed in certain areas... When I moved there - one of my first jobs was in an area where the city's founders had herded all the black people. Small section of the town on a hill that was almost 70 percent black -the rest of the black people were sprinkled around town - but those folks never left the area and most lived in the town's only housing project. So you can imagine how fascinating I was to them because I lived in a big house on a main thoroughfare where no other black people had ever lived. My closest black neighbor was state senator and his wife...they had left the area and returned so they no longer had that mindset. Anyway, when I would go to work some of the children would wonder how it was to go to those events where "white" people went ... I would ask - "You mean to tell me you've never gone to blah blah" and they'd say, "no ma'am" - as if it was some unwritten rule that they were not allowed out the area - and they never went. It's generations after generation of being subjected to institutional racism - and the parents don't know any better so they pass down the warnings to their children...

@Pioneer1 Thank you...and I ain't never met that man - we're just sharing a page lol

@Pioneer1 LOL! You know I don't believe in race either...but maybe my memory is faulty but I remember Troy saying you give white folks too much credit - so I was confused as to where he was coming from this time. I can't keep up. First it's google is out to get us - then its google keeps this site running - lol But I digress. Of course I don't agree with Jesse Lee Peterson. One - I have no patience for misogyny -and it's rare that a black preacher isn't a misogynist - second I can't believe he doesn't see the shenanigans (institutional racism/classism) that goes on here in America. It was just this week - folks (white and black) had to come out in support of a Georgia county - because the election board was trying to close 7 of the 9 polling places leaving only 2 polling places open in the majority white neighborhoods. That is a straight symptom of racism - - there are too many instances. But by now you should know I don't knock anyone's hustle. Nor am I the arbiter of what will help a community. I've learned in my old age that we humans are motivated by the strangest things. I definitely get a bee in my bonnet when people decide what is right or wrong for the next person. No one person has the answer and to pretend they do is outrageous. We all have our own path to follow. In fact, I even stepped back from judging some of the things you've written. I've noticed that although I don't agree with some of your methods; I've found merit in it. Some of your positions have helped me see past my blindspot and find a solution to some of my own challenges. Now imagine, if you would have kept those thoughts to yourself and just been a lurker... been "invisible" then I may have missed an opportunity to move out of my own little 'world' ... So, no I don't agree with Jesse but why would I fault him for being self-serving? Who isn't self-serving? If you don't help yourself you sure can't help anyone else? Dude is visible AND on the world stage. His being there rattles quite a few cages - - so you never know who is watching and might be inspired enough to rise up and then become the next man or woman on the stage who will challenge the Jesses, hannities of the world - By the way, Hannity is still buying up Georgia ... so, Hannity is "ignorance" seems to be paying off too - - I ain't mad at none of these folks - if you don't have cash in America you might as well be a fart in a blizzard.