Cynique

Thank you, Waterstar. Yep, better late than never. Where you been? We missed you. 'Thought you had put us down. Welcome back!

Who knows whether it's new? What consenting adults do behind closed doors usually remains behind closed doors. No matter what language it's couched in, this sounds like a variation of the "swinger's" lifestyle. I'd venture to say that a lot of husbands fantasize about somethig like this. Wives might find it a little harder to handle because their sex organ is their brain. It all boils down to having your cake and eating it too....

I find it intriguing that nowadays anybody can rap. Little kids, white people, even foreigners. It used to be a special talent. But a generation later, rapping has become something that comes as natural as singing. Now it is no longer innovative or riveting. It is just another type of performance.

Would it be too far-fetched to declare that Twitter and the latest IPhone go hand-in-hand because they represent the early stages of a cilvilization that is headed for a breakdown in human interaction? These devices provide their owners with total control and facilitate their withdrawing into their own little private universes. Aiding and abetting this is the growing popularity of physical make-overs that allow people to morph into avatars. The way things are going, what will this world be like 25 years from now???

The Bard says "Oh would some power the gift give us, to see ourselves as others see us." We all want to be perceived as we perceive ourselves, Hickson, hoping that by projecting our best image and writing a caption under it, that this will achieve the desired result. BTW, must be nice to rip up a check for a million dollars.

Sorry, Nah sun or shun. You guess wrong. Look elsewhere for a cougar. I didn't even know you were a guy. I thought you were a girl, because your posts were so bitchy.

Yes, I guess I should remember not to joke with sanctimonious people about their religion. I got distracted by HIckson's sudden humble, altruistic facade that replaced the blatant all-caps, self-promoting one which on another occasion inspired him to write a long fiesty dissertation about him not taking any crap when it came to "getting paid" since money was the bottom line when it came to his literary endeavors. Still, I sense that he's a good guy and, in the future, I will keep in mind that he is also "sensitive" and - god-fearing. Nah Shun joking? I think not. Or care not. BTW, if I was really into studying what you post, I would've gotten your name right., Nah Shun.

What was "flawed", Nah Shun, was your irrelevant criticism that had nothing to do with the subject I was discussing, which happened to have been about motivating non readers to not only read but to develop an appreciation for different genres. You, instead, chose to go off on a tangent, treating us to your trivia about griots and Egyptians and hieroglyphics. Spiteful, huh. You don't seem to realize how YOU come across. You have a chip on your shoulder. BTW, I don't anticipate being honored by anything you have to say.

Oh put a sock in it, Nah Shun. You've never displayed anything akin to having a sense of humor. I wished HIckson well. Just teasing him because I think he should thank himself for achieving success. And I personally don't have a problem with his writing in CAPS. You're the one who comes across as bitter around here, alway bellyaching about book stores and publishers and readers who aren't up to your "standards". Puleeze. I've never considered myself a serious writer so I don't have any beefs. Apparently since you do have beefs you take yourself seriously. Why, I don't know. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. HICKSON, I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPY AND I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE A JOKE. I FIND IT FUNNY HOW PEOPLE ALWAYS ATTRIBUTE THEIR SUCCES TO HAVING BEEN SINGLED OUT BY GOD FOR A BLESSING BECAUSE IT IMPLIES THAT GOD PLAYS FAVORITES. TALENT, HARD WORK AND THE ELEMENT OF LUCK SEEM TO ME TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCCESS. Writergirl, you have once again shown uncommon insight.

You lost me with the "god is great" tag line, Hickson. Do you really think god has nothing better to care about than one of your street lit books scoring a movie contract when there are so many more important needs in this world that call for divine intervention???? Just take a bow and revel in the financial gain that mere mortals set their sites on. I'm sure Romney would be proud of the initiative that resulted in your success and Obama dismissive of it, believing you didn't achieve it alone. Meanwhile the rest of us are left to reconsider the good things that may accrue to those who type in all CAPS.

This is what I wrote, Nah Sun: "I'm beginning to think that discriminating readers are people from all walks of life and are, arguably, born, not made. Which is to say that cultural and parental sources may wield some influence, but their input is secondary to the core personality of someone who naturally developes into a well-rounded reader possessing an imagination that stimulates their curiosity about different genres, while others just won’t venture outside the comfort zone of what they are familiar with." Sorry if you can't make sense out of that. You obviously can't process "writergirl's" name either, since you keep calling her "winter girl". Troy, I liked some Rap. I was always appreciative of the cadences of it and how clever the lyrics were and how the rhyme patterns would use 2 words to rhyme with one. I also like the zeigeist of that era, and one of my favorite magazine covers was the Rolling Stone one with Ice-T posing in a cop's uniform and one of my favorite samplings was the inclusion of "it's a hard knock life" from "Annie" in one of Jay-Z's songs. I appreciate Kanye's "haikuesque" verses and also the puns of Little Wayne's who is a genius in his own right. I have always recognized that Rap was an art form and that it would eventually take its place in American music annals. To me, it was comparable to word-jazz because of its improvisational aspects.

Here’s another take on this many-faceted subject. First of all, getting the younger generation to become readers is not a problem that is limited to black parents. We know that young people in general are not that into books because they prefer the instant gratification provided by electronic devices that include games and twitter and texting and any other pass time for which an app exists. Obviously reading books is not a priority of those who are visually-oriented and prefer to watch a screen rather than peruse a page. Bona fide book lovers are a special breed because not only are they able to connect with the printed word, but their minds are wired to comprehend and critique what they read. Like you say, Troy, it’s not about how educated you are or how refined you are. Like you contend, “writergirl”, there are certain individuals who upon discovering reading through street lit, no matter how riveting these books are, will eventually evolve and decide they want to branch out into other types of books and I'm beginning to think that discriminating readers are people from all walks of life and are, arguably, born, not made. Which is to say that cultural and parental sources may wield some influence, but their input is secondary to the core personality of someone who naturally developes into a well-rounded reader possessing an imagination that stimulates their curiosity about different genres, while others just won’t venture outside the comfort zone of what they are familiar with. Hummm. Hip-hop was always explained to me as being a lifestyle whose mantra was “keeping it real”. I didn’t know it ever disappeared. I just thought it was an ongoing vibe that was an alternative to anything that was bougie/preppy. BTW, writergirl, the name of the book you asked about, is “And It Goes Like This” by G. Andi Rhos. Also, I read your book “What You Don’t Know”. You’re a good writer, although your cautionary tale was a tad depressing.

I loved that run-down. And why wouldn't I? I'm almost a conglomeration of all the types mentioned.

I'm sure it's just a problem for me, Troy, but what happens is that I often miss exchanges because when I click on the link to the last comment posted, this takes me directly to it and I have to remember to scroll backwards to see if any conversation preceded that last comment if whoever wrote it doesn't make reference to it, or quote directly from it. And I still haven't figured out how to include just a small segment of a quote from a post when responding to it. FaceBook is frustrating because you can't correct errors or edit comments after you've entered a post. You have to copy the original post before deleting it and then paste and correct it before reposting it. I'm really beginning to have a love/hate affair with FaceBook because of being bombarded with a bunch of sappy "inspirational" graphics and praises to the lord and cheer leading for Obama. And, of course, there are those people to whom it has become a daily journal and picture album, not to mention the deejays posting links to YouTube. Come to think of it, one of the few things I actually like, not even love about FaceBook, is injecting a dissonate note into a thread where people with a herd mentality are all chiming in, agreeing with what has been said by the original poster.

Welllllll, boitumelo, I have a theory that the population explosion detonated by young unmarried mothers has become fair game for the rogue souls floating around up there in the ether. These demonic entities take advantage of the surplus supply of newborns waiting to inhale a persona into their bodies as they draw their first breaths. Moreover, these predator spirits thrive because the unstable negative home environments they are born into nurtures them. As a result, we have a whole breed of callous, amoral creatures roaming around who just as soon kill or harm a person, as to look at him. They, along with the genetically-demented category of people who are psychopaths and sociopaths masquerading as "normal" individuals, are menaces to society and there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done about them.

I'm calling these things to your attention because, as you know, the first impression is very important when plugging a book. And I want your desire to advance the genre you have created to be up to speed because it is an important addition to the world of black publishing. I would also suggest that the term "tomboyish" is not in keeping with the idiom of ancient times because it is a word of recent usage. I think when referring to Esuseeke, the word "athletic" would've been better because this is a word that describes someone of any gender who is fit and agile and skilled in sports. Also, in the 5th line of the blurb, it should be warriors instead of warrior. Little things mean a lot, Milton, and I hope you accept my criticism as constructive.

Milton, I'm curious as to why this "Once Upon A time In Afrika" blurb was not edited for its "errors"? I would expect more attention to detail from someone like you who stresses professionalism.

What occurred to me while watching this video was the repetitive messages excusing the gravitation of young black people to street lit as being a case of them wanting to read about what they can relate to because of its familiarity. But why should this be the case? Why should readers who prefer books that reinforce the negativity in their lives be humored? Why not remind them that books should be doorways to enlightenment wherein you learn about what you DON'T know. Reading should first and foremost be about acquiring knowledge and broadening your mind. Entertainment? What's more entertaining than being introduced to something different and new? Street lit does have its place in the annals of black lit and it should be there for people who don't know about the hood and want reading a book about this life to be a learning experience rather than an inititation into a cult of sordidness. Fans of thuggish books can be compared to addicts and they cannot be defended with rationales about what's "real" and "true" and what "sells". These type of books should be just an option in the specturm of black books. Getting hooked on them can repress curiosity about other genres, and adults who don't emphasize the importance of diversity are enablers to those stuck in the gritty rut of street lit. All that aside, good reading habits have to be established at an early age. Unfortunately, that's wishful thinking. Preaching to people about what they should read is an exercise in futility and may even be a presumptuous gesture. Bottom line: there's a reason the masses are referred to as the "common people". it's because they like common things. And so it goes...

Different people see things differently. Everybody views the world through a set of eyes that are uniquely their own. Some may be more observant than others and perspective may be influenced by personal experiences. Or -sometimes an optical illusion just lives up to its name .

I'm not turned off by your icons, Troy. They are visually attractive and unobtrustive. Most of all, they make anything we want to know about your business empire, just a click away. It's your board and your domain. Good for you, and lucky for us.

What I find rather interesting is that when Hickson made reverence to his sexual orientation, it confirmed rather than surprised what I had always suspected because, to me, his comments had a gay vibe, and were rife with attitude and flair. I think the utilization of all caps is a manifestation of his "inner diva" flaming. My only problem with HIckson's approach is that it overwhelms you. To promote your product is one thing; to blitz your audience is another. Rather than peruse Hickson's plugs, over time my tendency has been to skim over them because they were so predictable. The "Ghetto Heat" buzz word spoke for itself, actually. All of the redundant hype that included an all-caps font could be a turn-off. Furthermore, if street lit is your cup of tea, then seeing that 2-word logo is really all it takes to generate sales. Bottom line, you can't argue with success.

Yes, writergirl gets most of what's going on here. And her input is always thoughtful and well-expressed. I hope she sticks around. She's an asset to this board.

It's hard to attribute anything real to Mitt Romney because he's so phony. This presidential race also comes across like an advertising campaign. Vote for my product because it's guaranteed to bring results. ( Of course there are side effects that can kill you. Or if you read the label's small print, you'll find out that artificial flavoring has been added.) Reality show? Yeah. Keeping up with the Kandidates. Yawwwwwn.

I took the video as a parody. Not a a particularly funny one, but a parody none the less.

In regard to Troy and MIlton's disagreement, I would suggest that aliens come in many variations. They can look unsual, their speech can be strange, their intellect can be advanced or - all of the above. But if they are life forms that have found their way to our world, then establishing an interaction between them and Earthlings should invoke a writer's imagination. That's what creativity is all about! And one advantage is that there are no restrictions in writing about these entities because the author has a built-in explanation for them perfoming the impossible fantastic things that make for exciting reading: They're aliens! As for the subject of slavery, black folks have to be quite restrained when writing about this subject, because it's a no-no to even suggest that all slavers were not miserable. This inhibition makes it difficult for a black writer to portray anything but a slanted view because to do otherwise would risk being ostracized. Living in bondage is not unique to black people. and being unshackled is not unique to white people. Some where between these two states is a truthfulness about how life possiblly was in the distant past. But legacies are more about dramatizing and exulting the events which they preserve. Keying in all caps supposedly denotes loudness and sometimes anger. I assume Hickson is not angry when he comes here, but he certainly wants to call attention to what he is hawking. Does he succeed???