Jump to content

Documentary: About black authors and the publishing business


Recommended Posts

Okay...okay...I'm feeling some kind of way and I need to confess.

I dug up the book The Coldest Winter Ever, and I started reading it tonight. And I couldn't get past the first chapter. I tried. I really wanted to finish it if for no other reason than that I said I would. But I guess some things do change. Back in the day, this book grabbed my interest right from the moment Winter describes her own birth...and now...

Well, I'll just say that once I realized that I don't really have to read it again, I opted not to. Moving on.

This was truly an unexpected experience (or maybe I should say non-experience). For those who love the book, I can relate because I once loved it too, even if not enough to dive into heavy discussions about it.

I guess the things that annoy me now weren't factors that I noticed when I was twenty. It hardly seems fair to say that something "annoys" me about this book, seeing as how I didn't make it out of the first chapter. Nevertheless, there were very specific things that jumped out at me immediately and caused distractions to the point where I put the book down. For example, the tense switch-ups really threw me off early on. I couldn't tell if the author was doing that on purpose or if there were editing issues. Further, Winter, the character that I remember so well, seems much more simple-minded now than when I read her story back in the day. She is not likeable enough for me to find out anything else about her. Again - I only made it somewhere in the first chapter. Maybe it gets better. I don't know.

I thought about picking up the book that Cynique mentioned (And it Goes Like This), but I decided not to. I never really became a fan of street lit. The Coldest Winter Ever was the only book I've ever read that had a story line involving the drug game (oh, my bad...and White Lines by Tracy Brown was the other one). So two books. That subject matter didn't hold my interest pasts those two books. So I'll take it for what it is. A phase in the life of me. Ah, my twenties. Loved em, but can't say that I miss em. B)

______________________________PART 2

On a lighter note, I just went to the old thread and read through some of the comments re The Coldest Winter Ever. And guess what? Somebody mentioned a series by Walter Mosley that I'm going to go out and find. The "Socrates Fortlow" books. I'd seen an HBO movie with a Socrates Fortlow. Never knew Walter Mosley wrote the book. Gotta love this site.

I've only read one Walter Mosley Book (Devil in a Blue Dress) but I recall that it was pretty good. (Oh there I go again with what I "remembered was good"... :rolleyes:). Anyway, I always get excited when I get a book suggestion that I think I actually just might go out and read - like, immediately.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

BOOKS SELL WELL WHEN THERE'S AN ENTITY, BRAND, FORCE & A PERSON WITH PERSONALITY BEHIND THE PRODUCT, DRIVING SALES, ALL PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE. BOOKS DON'T JUST FLY OFF OF SHELVES, THEY HAVE TO BE MOVED: REASON WHY I TOUR EVERY WEEKEND: & HAVE BEEN DOING SO SUCCESSFULLY SINCE SEPTEMBER 2003: EVEN WITH SELLING OTHER AUTHORS BOOKS HERE AT GHETTOHEAT®....

HICKSON: CEO of GHETTOHEAT®

Publisher of GHETTOHEAT®, CONVICT’S CANDY, HARDER, AND GOD CREATED WOMAN, LONDON REIGN, SONZ OF DARKNESS, TANTRUM, LOVE DON'T LOVE NOBODY, THICKNESS, GHOST TOWN HUSTLERS, TRUALITY, DIRRRTY, CLUB AVENUE, TOUGH, UGLY/BEAUTIFUL: ME, SOME SEXY, & SKATE ON!

GHETTOHEAT® | P.O. BOX 2746 | NEW YORK, NY 10027 | GHETTOHEAT.COM | @GHETTOHEAT | @HICKSONHOTNESS

GHETTOHEAT®: THE HOTNESS IN THE STREETS!!!™

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hickson I'll try to check you out in city other than New York.

Writegril, I'm not surprised I think it really is an age thing with The Coldest Winter Ever -- and that is cool. In fact I think the NYC city board of education classifies it as young adult -- it was not intended for a 40-something audience. I read the book because of it's iconic nature -- required reading.

Please share your thoughts on Walter Mosley's Socrates Fortlow when you are done.

When I get a few minutes I'm going to re-read Jean Toomer's Novel Cane I discovered that gook here. In fact it was Thumper's choice of the 1st book on our book club's reading list over 14 years ago

Cynique, yep those were the days :-) I still believe/hope they can be revived. Speaking of Iconoclast ever since Christopher Hitchens died last year I've been checking him out on Youtube -- I think you might find him interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...