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?

New 30 Day Song Challenge – Day 24 – Underrated Song – Joi Gilliam – “Fatal Lovesick Journey”

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1994, 30 Day Song Challenge, Atlanta, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Dallas Austin, Dungeon Family, EMI, Goodie Mob Outkast, Joe Gilliam, Joe Gilliam Sr, Joi, Joi Elaine Gilliam, Joi Gilliam, Joilicious Music LLC., Key Yemaya Walker, model, Music I Like, Pookie Records, Producer, R&B, Raphael Saadiq, rock, Rowdy, Singer-songwriter, The Pendulum Vibe, Trends Of Culture, Universal Motown

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.

Foto Fridays – Joi Performing At Creative Loafing Relaunch Party Circa 2010

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Atlanta, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Creative Loafing, Foto Fridays, HotHeavy&Bad, Joi, Joi Gilliam, Key Yemaya Walker, music, Photography, photoshop, Sound Table, Star Kitty’s Revenge, Tennessee Slim Is The Bomb, The Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome, The Pendulum Vibe

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.

This Should Be In Your Playlist:Music I Like – Artist Joi Gilliam & HotHeavy&Bad Download Link

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Aaliyah, Angie Stone, Atlanta, Big Gipp, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Bridgeport, Coko, Connecticut, Da 5 Foota, Dallas Austin, Dawn Robinson, Devon Lee, Dungeon Family, Earwax Records, En Vogue, Erykah Badu, F.Y.E., Freedom, Freedom (Theme From Panther), Freeworld Records, Georgia, Goodie Mob, HotHeavy&Bad, Jefferson Street Joe Gilliam, Jill Scott, Joi, Joi Gilliam, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Kriss Kross, Lisa Lopes, Lucy Pearl, Mario Van Peebles, Mary J. Blige, MC Lyte, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Monica, Music I Like, OutKast, Pal's Lounge, Panther, Pastor Troy, Patra, Pittsburgh Steelers, Queen Latifah, Raphael Sadiq, Rowdy Records, Salt-N-Pepa, Sam Goody's, Star Kitty’s Revenge, Sunshine & The Rain, SWV, Tennessee, Tennessee Slim Is The Bomb, The Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome, The Pendulum Vibe, This Should Be In Your Playlist, TLC, Trumball, xXx, Yin Yang Cafe, Yo Yo

It took quite some time to gather the right thoughts to make this post. Joi Gilliam, Joi…Joi is virtually the best artist that for some reason the masses has not heard of. Now what do I mean by that? You’ve heard her music often, but you may have not known it. Not to compare her, or to say that she created a music movement, but before you (music listening public) had Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, etc., there was Joi.
In 1994, before I left Atlanta and Georgia I first heard the Tennessee born daughter of Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback “Jefferson Street” Joe Gilliam, Joi’s, classic, “Sunshine& The Rain,” on community radio in Atlanta (“urban” radio stations here would not play Hip-Hop, nor anything thing that was not a national R&B standard, therefore Atlanta natives Outkast, and non-MTV songs by TLC, or Kriss Kross (given for effect) would not make it to local radio). As I often discovered with independent radio, I would find a new song, but it was highly unlikely I would find out who the artists was. Armed with this tape recorded song, I pumped this unknown artist all the way from Atlanta to New York and Connecticut.

Luckily, Joi’s work was released and I remember walking into the Sam Goody’s F.Y.E. concept store in Trumbull mall and seeing the new release wall, and Joi had her entire placement of her debut, The Pendulum Vibe, there. Not knowing that this was the artist I had been bumping, I was always inclined to try out new music, even without having heard it (I returned home after my 2 years in Bridgeport with over 1K CD’s of music, all catalogued in a notebook). Well I picked the CD up, and saw the title “Sunshine & The Rain,” I felt like I had won the lottery, first I had a full length album of an incredible artist that I only had previously had a partial taped song, and a real artist was given the opportunity to put her work out. I walked around that store, until our group left clutching the $18.99 compact disc until it was time to check out. I dropped the disc into my Sony Discman on the way back to campus, and had my first true magical experience with her music. My life was changed. I own, 3 copies of the album, and have purchased copies for friends before it went out of print.

Music Mondays – Joi Gilliam “Narcissa Cutie Pie”

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1994, Joi Gilliam, Music Mondays, Narcissa Cutie Pie, The Pendulum Vibe

I wanted to find “Memories,” for you, but this is just as great!!!

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.