After Hours: A Collection of Erotic Writing by Black Men

Edited by Robert Fleming

Robert has been a professional writer longer than most people have been alive.  I've been fortunate to have been able to utilize his talents as a frequent AALBC.com Book Reviewer.  I rediscovered this book the other day and had the same initial reaction Thumper had over a decade ago who when here viewed it. 

"I flipped the cover to the table of contents, read the list of authors and got excited. The authors are among the finest ever assembled in one book. Instantly After Hours became a must-read."

Check the list of contributors: Charles Johnson, Colin Channer, Cole Riley, Brian Peterson, Kalamu Ya Salaam, Tracy Grant, Earl Sewell, John A. Williams, Kenji Jasper, Eric E. Pete, Alexs D. Pate, Brian Egleston, Clarence Major, Curtis Bunn, Gary Phillips, Brandon Massey, Robert Scott Adams, Jervey Tervalon, Arthur Flowers.

Here is a message from Robert about this book 

From: Robert Fleming

Sent: Thu 3/7/2013 9:38 AM

"Thanks for the re-appraisal of After Hours. Wow, time flies.

I remember taking this idea of all-male anthology of erotic stories to Gary Brozek, then an editor at Penguin. We had worked together under the editorial guidance of Cheryl Woodruff, when she helmed the One World imprint at Ballantine in the 1990s.

When I issued the call for submissions, I was surprised by the response of some of the biggest names in AA literature. I'd always wanted to work with some of these guys, namely Charles Johnson, Kalamu Ya Salaam, Arthur Flowers, Gary Phillips, and Jervey Tervalon.

However, I've remained friends with some of them over the years, including Clarence Major, Colin Channer, Earl Sewell, and Brandon Massey. It was a honor to befriend John A. Williams, one of my favorite writers, to whom I presented an award at one of the earlier Harlem Book Fair ceremonies.  For years, we corresponded until he went into ill health and I miss him terribly.

This book, After Hours, was selected by the Black Expressions book club and published in hardcover. It won several awards as well as it made the Erotic Book Club list, which took it to a larger audience. It has a companion piece, Intimacy, which was a collection of leading black male writers penning tales of love, committment, and marriage. That book was also selected by the Black Expressions book club.

Both of these books are highpoints in my career, which has lasted from the 1970s and continues today. In fact, I have a new novel, Gift of Faith, which has been selected by the Black Expressions book club."

The book is out of print but is still available on Amazon from 3rd party sellers including the hardcover published by Black Expressions.