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

Tags

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.

Foto Fridays – Berkeley circa 2006

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Berkeley, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, California, Foto Fridays, Key Yemaya Walker, manuscript, My Manuscript, research, the University of California at Berkeley, travel, UC Berkeley, University, writing

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.

Blue Lines Blog – Some Fiction

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Blue Lines, Dorm, fiction, her, him, Maria, University, writing

Way too many thoughts get stuck in my head, but when I try to write lately, the entire picture of the thought has not translated to paper. Here is something new-ish…to you.

His nose and sinuses were numb. She had told him she was driving back last night, and would not be in town. He was fine with that because he would just spend the night with his friend from college, Joseph, for the night…and what happened would happened, he laughed thinking back.
“I’ll just come by in the morning,” he remembered telling her prior to leaving. Landing in L.A. was a world wind ride through jetlag, drinking, reconnecting and wondering where the night went. All these thoughts ran through his crowded head as he was dropped off by Joseph on the University’s campus draped by the trees providing a beautiful shade that he so needed.
After meeting with the program advisor, he made his way to her dorm building. After a few raps on the door she opened it. Maria, appeared in the portal wearing a shear heathered navy women’s T with no bra since she knew he was her only visitor, and grey sweat pants. Darkness draped her body, as all window shades were drawn. It was clear to see that sleep was her goal.