#FMSPhotoADay – October – Day 8 – Corner – Text Tuesday – New Prose – “Corner”

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#FMSphotoaday, adidas, Author, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Corner, Day 8, Fat Mum Slim, iPhone, iPhone Post, Key Yemaya Walker, New Prose, October, Photo Challenge, Photography, Poem, poetry, Prose, Text Tuesday, Text Tuesdays

“Corner”
KA 10/8/13

I told you not to,
You chose anyway,
Even through all my words,
You chose to stay,

I walked through that door,
And yes, we turned the corner

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.

Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays – Raekwon feat Method Man & Ghostface Killah – “New Wu”

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2009, actor, Aftermath, Author, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Bobby Digital, Brian Urlacher, Brooklyn, Brownsville, ceo, Clifford Smith, Corey Woods, Daytona 500, Def Jam, Director, Epic, Ghostface, Ghostface Killah, Ghostface Killer, Hempstead, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Quotable, Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays, I've Changed, Key Yemaya Walker, Long Island, Loud, Method Man, music, New Wu, New York, New York City, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, Prince Rakeem, Raekwon, Raekwon the Chef, Rapper, Razor Sharp, record producer, Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, RZA, Rzarector, screenwriter, Shallah Raekwon, Soul Temple, Starks Enterprises, Staten Island, The Abbot, The Magictones, The Scientist, Tony Starks, U.S., United States, Universal, Urlacher, USA, Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang Clan

[Intro: Raekwon]
Uh-huh, what up son? Yeah
Maintaining, maintaining, you know?
You good, right? Everything proper, still, right?
Of course, come on, man, what’s the matter wit you, man?
Ain’t nothing, I just want us to be on

[Chorus: Method Man]
Tell a friend, it’s that symbol again, that W
Coming through, bust a shot on your block, give me a suu
Get it right, all my chicks hold ya t-ts, let’s get it in
All my n—as take a toke off this weed, let it begin
Here we go, yo, ya’ll already know what it do
Brand new, n—a, back from the slums, it be the Wu
Now throw ya W’s up, back from the slums, it be the Wu

[Raekwon]
You know how to dress a lad, get rocked, hundred bags, black doorags
Ski masks is on, g-rags
N—a try to take pictures, relax, still in the grass
You’ll learn respect, burst when I ask
Rhyme master busy, Rizzy on the subject
Love Deck, thug buried, drug vest, snub sets, killing the most
Night time toast, gorillas in boats, three boats
Realers is killa, gangsta feel notes
Hibernation yo, switch up, liver nation, fly information
Vivid vacation, deliberation moments
Move like ’91 Romans, cloning everything
Gents only, the rent’s on the stove, I’m in Rome
Maxed out, Amex style, my team brand bandits
Make a move and get blown off the planet, baby
Hold that cannon, just understand we got the whole s–t
Padlocked down, my n—as won’t have it

Blue Lines Blog – Questions for the Author of Blue Lines Part III (Finale)

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Atlanta, Author, Azul Lewis, Beauty (Remix), Black, Blue, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, California, Capitol, Chapel Hill, Chris Carter, college, Common, Common Sense, Creative Writing, De La Soul, Dru Hill, East Coast, Education, Eric Serra, Final Goodbye, Fox Mulder, Fred Durst, Freeworld Records, Gate E, Georgia Dome, Georgia Tech, Gerald Milson, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Music, iPad, iPad Post, Job, Joi, Kaleidoscope, Kelis, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Limp Bizkit, Love, Lysette, Lysette Titi, manuscript, Memoirs Of A Geisha, Missing You, Monica, Moscone Center, music, Naima, Nas, New York, North Carolina, Notorious B.I.G, Outside, Pearl Jam, Protagonist, Questions, Renee Turner, Sacramento, San Francisco, Sister Souljah, Staind, Starbucks, The Fifth Element, The Pendulum Vibe, The Professional, The The Eyes of A Man Born to Life, The X-Files, UNC Chapel Hill, University, University of North Carolina at Chapel

In recent readings, I read Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever, and chose to answer the questions she offerered at the close of her novel. Over the coming weeks, I will offer my answers to her questions (some tailored to address my manuscript) in respect to work, Blue Lines. These questions were answered some time ago, earlier this year. I am providing them in that form.

1. Why did you choose to focus on your book subject?
2. Is Blue Lines a true story?
3. How did you write the story so authentically?
4. Did you, and if so, why did you decide to include yourself as a character?
5. Where we’re you when you first started writing Blue Lines?
6. Which character did you create first?
7. How did you write the manuscript, what method?
8. Why aren’t all of your characters Black?
9. What were you trying to achieve with the novel Blue Lines?
10. Will there be a sequel novel?

8. Why aren’t all of your characters Black?

Blue Lines Blog – Questions for the Author of Blue Lines Part II

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Aaron Lewis, Arthur Golden, Atlanta, Author, Azul Lewis, Beauty (Remix), Black, Blue, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, California, Capitol, Chapel Hill, Chris Carter, college, Common, Common Sense, Creative Writing, De La Soul, Dru Hill, East Coast, Education, Eric Serra, Fox Mulder, Fred Durst, Freeworld Records, Gate E, Georgia Dome, Georgia Tech, Gerald Milson, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Music, In A Sentimental Mood, iPad, iPad Post, Jay-Z, Job, John Coltrane, Joi, Joi Gilliam, Kaleidoscope, Kelis, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Limp Bizkit, Love, Lysette, Lysette Titi, manuscript, Memoirs Of A Geisha, Missing You, Monica, Moscone Center, music, Naima, Nas, New York, North Carolina, Notorious B.I.G, Outside, Pearl Jam, Protagonist, Questions, Renee Turner, Sacramento, San Francisco, Sister Souljah, Staind, Starbucks, The Fifth Element, The Pendulum Vibe, The Professional, The X-Files, UNC Chapel Hill, University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wu-Tang Clan, X-Files, Young Sad & Blue

In recent readings, I read Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever, and chose to answer the questions she offerered at the close of her novel. Over the coming weeks, I will offer my answers to her questions (some tailored to address my manuscript) in respect to work, Blue Lines. These questions were answered some time ago, earlier this year. I am providing them in that form.

1. Why did you choose to focus on your book subject?
2. Is Blue Lines a true story?
3. How did you write the story so authentically?
4. Did you, and if so, why did you decide to include yourself as a character?
5. Where we’re you when you first started writing Blue Lines?
6. Which character did you create first?
7. How did you write the manuscript, what method?
8. Why aren’t all of your characters Black?
9. What were you trying to achieve with the novel Blue Lines?
10. Will there be a sequel novel?

6. Which character did you create first?

Blue Lines Blog – Questions for the Author of Blue Lines Part I

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A Tribe Called Quest, Arthur Golden, Atlanta, Author, Azul Lewis, Blue, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, California, Capitol, Chapel Hill, college, Common, Common Sense, Creative Writing, De La Soul, East Coast, Education, Gate E, Georgia Dome, Georgia Tech, Gerald Milson, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Music, iPad, iPad Post, Jay-Z, Job, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Yemaya Walker, Love, manuscript, Memoirs Of A Geisha, music, Nas, New York, Notorious B.I.G, Protagonist, Questions, Renee Turner, Sacramento, San Francisco, Sister Souljah, Starbucks, UNC Chapel Hill, University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wu-Tang Clan

In recent readings, I read Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever, and chose to answer the questions she offerered at the close of her novel. Over the coming weeks, I will offer my answers to her questions (some tailored to address my manuscript) in respect to work, Blue Lines. These questions were answered some time ago, earlier this year. I am providing them in that form.

1. Why did you choose to focus on your book subject?
2. Is Blue Lines a true story?
3. How did you write the story so authentically?
4. Did you, and if so, why did you decide to include yourself as a character?
5. Where we’re you when you first started writing Blue Lines?
6. Which character did you create first?
7. How did you write the manuscript, what method?
8. Why aren’t all of your characters Black?
9. What were you trying to achieve with the novel Blue Lines?
10. Will there be a sequel novel?

1. Why did you choose to focus on your book subject?

Around 1995-96 I had wanted to write a work that centered on Hip-Hop music, a love for Hip-Hop and wanted to build that as the backdrop with a love story between a young aspiring artist and the woman he sought and loved, using them as the metaphor of the larger underlying story. With the time periods music ranging from the current Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas and Common, and echoing back to the Golden Age of A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and post artists like Wu-Tang Clan, I wanted to you h the 90’s elements in relation to the story’s timeframe. Over the next few years, I developed only five pages of sparse content with space to fill in a story. Honestly, I did not “feel” or have a connection that compelled me to write. Though I wanted to write a book and loved Hip-Hop culture. I wanted to create a valid and quality narrative that would speak to readers beyond a specific genre and target audience. I wanted a well written project that conveyed a universal story.

Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays – Common Sense – “Soul By The Pound (Thump Mix)”

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"A Chorus Line", "I Like It", "Jazz (We've Got)", "Sneakin' in the Back" Tom Scott, "Tonight's Da Night", 1992, A Tribe Called Quest, actor, Author, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Bruce Lee, Can I Borrow a Dollar?, CB4, Charles Barkley, Chicago, Chris Rock, Chris Webber, Clark Kent, Common, Common Sense, CommonSense, DeBarge, Downtown Julie Brown, Dr. Dre, Ed Lover, Fat Boys, FBI, good music, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Quotable, Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays, Illinois, Immenslope, Instagram, Jolly Green Giant, Key Yemaya Walker, LA Riot, Large Professor, Leroy Brown, Lonnie Lynn, Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., Los Angeles, music, No ID, Omen, Poet, Q-Tip, Rapper, Redman, Relativity Records, Soul by the Pound (Thump Mix), Think Common, Tim Dog, Tim Hardaway, U.S., Ultramagnetic MCs, Warner Bros., YNot

(Chorus)
Boom it and you boom it and you boom it in your jeep
Type of s–t that hit when you pump it in your trunk
Boom it and you boom it and you boom it in your jeep
Babum, babum, make the speakers pop

I’m as bad, bad as Leroy Brown, Brown
I’m a pro p-pro, but not a noun n-noun
If you got beef, beef, you get ground, ground
Cut up in soul, soul by the pound for pound
I’m going downtown like Julie Brown, I’m the brown mound
Not a rebound, but like a hound, I get down
Never wore a leash but I’m a show ya
How loose is my goose, got more soul than combat boots
(I got soul, you got it) That’s why I came
They keep calling me, man, they keep calling me, they call my name
And say, I can’t give it away, give it away now
Or say whiz, say what or say how
Sh, ok, between you and me, man it’s all this white rap
I got the power, hachoo, I’ll just bite snap
Bum ba-bum, bum bum
Think fast, cause I’m the Ramadan
Ahoy-he-hoy-he, I’m Fat Boy
Shibidabibidabee, boom boom, I’ll be the bad boy
Having a party, but I’m not a democrat
Spoiled as a child, but now I’m milk like Similac
Don’t have Cinemax because my cable’s pirated
Bug out with the rhyme, try to swat and I’ll get fly with it
For pest control, I suggest some soul
For a d–k I got it, but I have no breath control
So gimme a T-O, baby like um, Chris Webber
I got myself together
Now I’m straight, are you straight, if you straight, then I’m straight
Rock me tonight, just for old time’s sake

Blue Lines Blog – Ray Bradbury Dies at 91

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AP, Author, California, Douglas Spaulding, dystopian, Fahrenheit 451, fantasy, High School, horror, horror fiction, Illinois, JOHN ROGERS, June, June Deaths, Moby Dick, mystery, mystery (fiction), Quotes, Ray Bradbury, Ray Douglas Bradbury, science fiction, Something Wicked This Way Comes, speculative fiction, The Associated Press, The Illustrated Man, The Martian Chronicles, Waukegan, Writer

One of my favorite authors, and the author of a book I love, “Fahrenheit 451,” passes on. I was disappointed when the planned adaptation in the 90’s never came to fruition.

JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press
Updated 07:59 a.m., Wednesday, June 6, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ray Bradbury, the science fiction-fantasy master who transformed his childhood dreams and Cold War fears into telepathic Martians, lovesick sea monsters, and, in uncanny detail, the high-tech, book-burning future of “Fahrenheit 451,” has died. He was 91.

He died Tuesday night, his daughter said Wednesday. Alexandra Bradbury did not have additional details.

Although slowed in recent years by a stroke that meant he had to use a wheelchair, Bradbury remained active into his 90s, turning out new novels, plays, screenplays and a volume of poetry. He wrote every day in the basement office of his home in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles and appeared from time to time at bookstores, public library fundraisers and other literary events around Los Angeles.

“Libraries raised me. I don’t believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don’t have any money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I couldn’t go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years.”

His writings ranged from horror and mystery to humor and sympathetic stories about the Irish, blacks and Mexican-Americans. Bradbury also scripted John Huston’s 1956 film version of “Moby Dick” and wrote for “The Twilight Zone” and other television programs, including “The Ray Bradbury Theater,” for which he adapted dozens of his works.

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.

30 Day Photo Challenge – Day 23 – Inspirational Creation

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30 Day Photo Challenge, Atlanta, Author, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, book, California, Chapel Hill, Copyright, Cover, Day 23, Inspirational Creation, Key Yemaya Walker, Love, manuscript, North Carolina, photoshop, Sacramento, silhouette, UNC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Woman, writing

A labor of love, blood, sweat, and the proverbial tears. Better explained in previous posts, but a work I wanted to do some years ago, and then gained inspiration and focus to create.

My work, totaling 409 pages, depending on the version you have.

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.

Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays – Common – “Cloth”

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2011, actor, alternative hip hop, Atlanta, Author, Bears, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, California, Chicago, Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Cloth, Common, Common Sense, Cubs, Ernest Wilson, Fauntleroy, good music, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Quotable, Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays, Illinois, Key Yemaya Walker, Lonnie Lynn, Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., Love, Lynn, MW, No I.D., Poet, Rapper, Riddick, Sidibe, The Dreamer/The Believer, Think Common, Think Common Music Inc., United States, Warner Bros., Wilson

Please take a chance on this. Most looking at my Hip-Hop Quotable posts, are touched by the song, and the lyrics, and how they may have spoken to them during said time period. I can’t remember the last time that a song spoke to, and stuck with me like this (I just heard it today), not even Sia’s striking “My Love” from last year. But the words are so poignant, and actually speak to me and my life, thoughts and feelings, that I had to transcribe and share this today. I knew it, when I heard it during my commute.

Common
“Cloth”
We were from different cities on the same block,
Grew up in different circles in the same spot,
Like rain drops, we fall in love, giving our all,
Showing her ring off, like a player at the ball,
I recall,
The walls that I had up,
Attracted to women for things that didn’t matter,
The clow, boom, pop,
The sound of my heart when it dropped,
The night that I met her,
It might be forever,
I hear people saying that they like us together,
I ain’t afraid to gamble,
Life is getting better with you,
I admit, I had issues,
Like ebony or essence,
Your pedigree, your presence,
Is more than clothes can say for you,
When I shop, I gotta spend more than day for you,
I pray for you and us,
That we infuse through lust,
And accrue the trust,
Lets shake off the dust from the cloth

Blue Lines Blog – Book Review – Rosalyn Story’s More Than You Know

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12:34 A Slice Novel, 2008, 2009, Atlanta, Author, Barack, Barack Obama, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, book, Car Accident, Democrat, Election, family, Friend, Inauguration, Jamal Story, Jazz, Kansas City, Key Yemaya Walker, Life, Love, Manhattan, manuscript, More Than You Know, New York, Novel, Obama, President, review, Rosalyn Story, Washington D.C., writing

“Sometimes a good tune is all you got, boy; your best friend, your home…” From Rosalyn Story’s More Than You Know

Although it took longer than the time I had expected in reading it, I have finally finished the well written, and compelling More Than You Know, by Rosalyn Story.

To give back ground, she is my godmother’s cousin, and I had received an autographed copy of her book about three years ago, because of the knowledge of my writing a manuscript. While writing, I have stayed away from reading fiction, while I was in the process of working on and editing Blue Lines. I have always been afraid that someone else’s thoughts could end up in my work, and with the glut of bad “Black Fiction,” I’ve steered away from fiction.

While in D.C. for the inauguration in 2009, I was lucky enough to meet Rosalyn Story, and from our writers Wii night with her cousin/Cher Dancer/Author Jamal Story (12:34 A Slice Novel) to our laborious journey to and back from the Inauguration of Barack Obama (over 10 miles on foot) we had the opportunity to become friends. So when my godmother sent me the copy of Rosalyn’s new novel,  Wading Home I finally had to read the first one.

More Than You Know, is the well written late 1990’s story of a Kansas City couple Olivia and L.J. Tillman, surrounding buried secrets that threaten to destroy the fabric of their relationship. Taking place in the Midwest and New York, the story born in chaos, follows jazzman L.J.’s circuitous journey to return to the love he once knew. And the past secrets that he promised to hold dear to his heart for his entire life.