You know Troy,
I'm going to confide something. And this is really true.
To be a "breakout" success in life....you have to take risks & stand for something.
That is what separates the Icons from the merely talented/hard working.
The Black Editors in New York are not very savvy or visionary---or they would have
signed me years ago. On pure writing skill & drive alone (ignoring all public bullshit), they would
have done what Johnny did and said "this person, eccentric & controversial or not, is a gifted writer
and has a point of view."
Instead, they actually held it against me that I was "African" (she's not one of us, even if we did raise
her & give her that mouth)....they operated on PETTY he said/she said to the point where I became haughty
and belligerent, mainly because I was so often being lied on and attacked by their inner circles. None of them,
in my opinion, have the courage or integrity to truly be great. They want to be safe; they want to protect their jobs
and only publish what is familiar or already successful.
Johnny Temple is nothing like them, Troy. He's cunning, open and deep.
There is NO REASON on earth that I should have spent 10 years without a black editor in NYC
at least having lunch with me to discuss **WRITING**. (a) I had a following in both Europe and
America...(B') I was getting A-list Media bookings that their authors on major houses couldn't get
© It was known that people "cried" reading my books & were passionate about my books. All
the signs, Troy.
But Stephen Elliott (a White Man) did approach me to write a short story for "Politically Inspired"
and that led to editors at The New Yorker & Paris Review requesting that I write stories for them.
Neither of those magazines chose to publish the stories I wrote ("Sexy Part" was one). But they
did begin predicting in their circles that I would be a major author.
The award I won in Sweden for "I Am My Own Daughter" continued demonstrating that I had
genuine talent and originality. Being published in "Harper's Magazine" continued my popularity
with a White literary clique.
With all that.....not a single BLACK editor in NY would read my work.
Right now....my books are banned from Eso Won Bookstore in Los Angeles. A black male owned
bookstore. National Book Award nominee Wanda Coleman is also banned from the store (she
criticized Maya Angelou in a bad review she wrote of Maya's work).
The pettiness among Black business & arts people is stupifying Troy. They want to work with
"friends" and banish anyone who is "weird" & not status quo from existence. That's not smart
business.
Your "upstarts" (provided they have talent to back up their quirkiness) are usually the big fish in
any form of entertainment, media.