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Tee C. Royal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 05:31 pm: | 
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Hey hey all...I've been working hard this week and not getting nearly enough reading in, but I have a question to pose to the group. Especially since there are so many authors and reviewers on the boards.
How do you deal with unprofessional people in this industry? This goes for authors, reviewers, editors, the works? It seems as if I keep running into crazies out there and no matter how professional I am, they just don't get it.
One author even attacked me in email because I told him that he didn't have to enter our Short Story contest if he didn't feel the prize was enough for him.
What's going on?
-Tee |
Bayou Lights
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 07:56 pm: |
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Hey, Tee---
That's just the world in general, isn't it? Personally, I don't think a premium is placed on manners, and that spills over into the professional and personal arenas.
I go to a lot of book signings and I've found most authors, face to face, to be incredibly gracious but I'm always surprised by the rudeness/defensiveness in the audience. You know that expression, "There's always one". I watched a man stand in line for twenty minutes at a signing, get to the front of the line and then proceed to tell the author (female) why he wouldn't buy her book. His list included the following, "She was a woman, looked too young to have any life experience, and she wasn't Christian". She smiled and said she wished him the best, and her escort moved him along but I felt sorry for her as he continued to scowl around the edges of the line for quite awhile.
All that to say, that unfortunately, it seems the nature of the beast these days. Also, the internet provides a level of anonymity that makes folks forget all their home training.
As for that author, sounds like he was taking out some personal frustrations. "On to the next" is all you can say. Just keep doing your thing.
Peace
Bayou |
Time Guy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 09:58 pm: |
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Now finally something I can respond to firsthand.
Tee, I would like to speak about "the strangeness of authors" since I'm a former writer who ended up a pretty successful editor.
It must be the nature of many artists to be "eccentric". Notice how Rachel Howzell Hall said that she spoke online with you dressed in sequins! Or who can ignore the oddness of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison both claiming that their greatest works were written by channeling "black slave spirits" from the other side? They really this, Morrison even blamed the burning down of her house on the "dead people" wanting to destroy some notes she kept in handwritten form. Only because they're so talented do we not roll our eyes and suck our teeth. Look at Zane. The woman makes a fortune selling the sex fantasies that SHE and several million other women could never probably have. I must say, I expected her to be a more attractive woman when I laid on hers in person. But what about the historic pettiness of Richard Wright and his insane ego? The man routinely acted like a 12 year old!
Writers are required to spend an immense amount of their lives alone in a corner doing nothing but writing. They tend to develop a batty sensibility. They lose touch sometimes with the real world.
Micheal Jackson is not alone. Many of the most successful authors, of any race, I've noticed are very "eccentric". Weird as hell. Look at this new girl, Kola Boof. She's about to be featured in "Newsweek" magazine (I work at "Time"), but I can't for the life of me figure out what's so newsworthy about Boof. Still, with no book on the shelves and nothing but a bunch of corporate white guys fawning over her overrated looks, Boof's become a master at getting her name in the newspapers. I can't think of another black author who can get press so easy and she's not even a proven seller yet! She's on the cover of two major Belgian magazines this week and people are comparing her "weird ways" to Zora Neal Hurston. A woman who annoyed Fannie Hurst with her over done countrified accent and used to travel the country measuring people's foreheads if you can believe that. I guess the difference with Boof, from what I can see, is that whites get a kick out of being cussed out and called names by a completely ridiculous African woman. I've seen Boof do this to white editors. Called one man a "white hairy-backed monkey" right in a board meeting.
Of course, I know Boof comes here and I'm picking on her on purpose. But this is common with lots of authors.
Truman Capote, Virginia Woolf and Carl Sagan (talk about a weird guy) were all known for obnoxious and temperamental behavior.
What it is Tee is that the readers of books are usually intelligent, regular, everyday normal people and they love being shocked and astounded by the oddballs in life who couldn't cut it as either rock stars or movie idols. These odd people make up fabulous stories, but they're known for being incredibly difficult. Octavia Butler is a virtual hermit afraid to come out of her house, Morrison thinks she's God on the mountaintop and Alice Walker is about the strangest, birth-giving married to a white man lesbian PAGAN that you'd ever want to meet.
Book people are crazy. As for editors, everyone in the business will tell you that the most legally insane eccentric at any house is Judith Regan over at Harper Collins. Now that lady is looney. But hey, she's also one of the most powerful women in the publishing industry. Why she's the reason I won't sign my name to this post.
Check you later.
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Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 10:54 pm: |
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Cornell Griffin at TIME magazine--
Thanks for the plug, but I won't be in NEWSWEEK until Sept.
As for my looks being "overrated" and me being some ridiculous African woman--I really do think that I'm a lot more attractive than that cross eyed Sissy Spacek-lookalike you call a wife.
Tell me, is she really THAT white or does she bleach herself so that you don't mistake her for an African woman in the dark? That trick looks like YENTL.
Just pray, Mr. Griffin, that I don't ever measure YOUR forehead. Zora used tape--I use a nutcracker. And I'd appreciate it if your sorry Sambo ass didn't ever mention my name again.
I'm getting tired of being attacked everytime I come to this board. You have my home number (I don't have yours) if there's anything further.
I, personally, suggest you get a Mother and START OVER.
Now go jerk yourself a soda.
Sincerely, Kola Boof
P.S. Unless you want to hear from my lawyer I think you'll let this drop. Don't mess with me Cornel. So help you god--DO NOT.
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Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 01:28 am: |
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Tee Royal,
NEWSWEEK is feat. me in Sept. as publicity for my book "Politically Inspired" (also in Sept.)--all of the proceeds from that book are being donated to the Unicef Iraqi Children's Fund. It'll be published by McAdam/Cage.
Isreal's former Prime Minister Netanyahu has named me one of the ten women in the world that he most admires--so NEWSWEEK asked for an interview.
I won't be posting anymore, but after Griffin's remarks, I wanted to mention something good about myself.
All my love to you and EVERYONE here, sister.
Kola
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Bayou Lights
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 01:57 am: |
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Kola--
You and I have disagreed but I like to hear what you have to say. Don't let the above post run you off. Stay and talk to us.
Tee Royal posted a great topic question (thanks, Tee). What are you thoughts on that? Congrats on the Newsweek piece.
All the best,
Bayou |
Tee C. Royal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 07:49 am: |
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Bayou...you've hit an important point that I definitely agree with, especially in that I believe the internet gives folks that
extra "space" that sometimes allows them to go a bit far (IMO) and yep, forget their home training. Sad, sad... And no need to worry, I'm a former military officer...I know how to shake things off and keep moving. It just gets disturbing after awhile, especially when all you do is try to help people. Yet, they insist upon trying to get you to act a fool with them.
Now Time Guy, why ya go and pick on Kola and others in this thread? I'm not trying to start a battle (as you probably notice I don't do those). I was serious in asking this question and I thank you for the discussion on the strangeness of those in the literary world. I did laugh at your last line about signing your post, that's too funny, but again thanks for your insight.
Kola, congratulations on being in Newsweek and my apologies that this post pulled you in in this way, but please...try to ignore stuff like this. A friend use to tell me..."never let'em see you sweat even when you're pissed as all get out. Say what you have to say but don't worry about going tit for tat for people. It sometimes backfires and puts you in a light that you don't want to be in. It's hard to ignore, but fairly easy to skip on to the next post. I am interested in your actual take on my question though, so if you're sticking around, feel free to respond.
And Bayou, to your last question, I'm pretty opinionated, but I'll share just a bit on my thoughts. I'm sure that those who provide services to people go through this all the time. A person has a right to not like something and even voice that right, but when it gets to the point that it's catty, unprofessional, or down-right rude, I have a problem with that. I haven't liked some of my experiences with folks in the literary world, but they'll never know it because I always try to be respectful and professional. I love what I do and a few bad apples (and crazies) aren't stopping me. They only result in proving my point that they have issues. So basically, I steer clear of those folks. If in person, I'd probably give them the look you give crazy people or those relatives that act a fool at family functions. <wink>
-Tee
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Sis E
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 08:38 am: |
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Hi Tee,
This is a great topic. We children's book authors seem to have an additional challenge: because we write books for kids some people feel we should be especially submissive, sweet-tempered, always smiling and in other words, "juvenile".
This probably happens with religious writers, too -- people think, therefore, that they should be saints. But I do think it's vital that people conduct themselves in a professional manner. People are increasingly rude everywhere.
I've been insulted by people at readings and conferences many times and I, too, try to shake it off. Some years ago in South Carolina a white woman saw me sitting down waiting to go into the main room where I was to be the keynote speaker. She came over to a white woman sitting beside me and asked this woman to watch her purse while she went to the can because (looking at me) there were so many strange people around. Because I was Black and she didn't recognize who I was (da speaker) she assumed that I'd try to steal her purse! Imagine her look of horror when she saw me sit at the speaker's table.
In the past I've had people come to my autographing table, snatch my brochures and use them to take notes on other authors -- and didn't even ask "May I?"
I've seen many, many authors snub each other when they didn't recognize the face or name, only to be surprised and then "suck up" when the "big name star" and the person they snubbed were one and the same.
So Tee, take heart and take it in stride. With God behind ya, you can move ahead.
Sis E
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Susan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 09:15 am: |
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Hello Tee,
Concerning the writers: they put out work to be judged but it only becomes a problem when the judgment isn't as positive as they would like. Yet they can rant on and on about those writers' work they dislike. It's a case of, I can dish it out but I can't take it.
Concerning the reviewers: they claim to want to be able to discuss books but it only becomes a problem when another person dislike a book they love. Yet they can rant on and on about their dislikes. It's a case of, I can dish it out but I can't take it.
So, this behavior is more about human nature and hasn't nothing do whether one write books, read/review books or do both. These people would still have same negative attitudes if they were accountants, doctors, administrative assistants, computer programmers, teachers, etc. It's a personality trait they've cultivated over the years. They want to respected but aren't respectful to others.
Many of them need to back away from the computer keyboard and go write or read a *good* book. 
Susan
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Tee C. Royal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 09:33 am: |
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Sis E...shame shame. :::shaking head::: But thanks for sharing the experience. Something similar happened to me, but I'll tell ya about it offlist. And thanks for the words of advice. It is indeed what I try to do.
Susan! You hit it right on the head!! (It's a case of, I can dish it out, but I can't take it.) Yep yep yep. (Don't make me get my country voice up in here). ROFL. It's just so hard sometimes... Almost makes me want to pack up my computer and say to hell with the internet. But thank those programmers out there for the ability to auto-delete some of these crazies.
I know sometimes we have a tendency to not believe that everyone didn't love or hate a particular book as we did, but for me, I love to see why a person liked or disliked a book. It sometimes makes me look at the book in a different light or in an area that I hadn't even thought about. It's so cool... It probably won't change my personal opinion, but it's still dialogue and as long as it's respectful, I love it.
Thanks for answering...
-Tee
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Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 11:00 am: |
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Hi Bayou--
Bless you for being so kind. TEE ROYAL, you too. Thanks so much for being your usual sweet self.
Bayou, you asked me to say something about this subject.
I'm probably the biggest Ham in the business, so it would be hilarious for me to act like this thread isn't about people like me. I am, I don't deny, "eccentric" and "culturally mixed". So this makes me "colorful" to a lot of people. I don't know how to change that.
Many people keep saying that I shouldn't post here, because celebrities don't mingle with the regular folk and I talk too much anyway.
First of all, I don't feel like a celebrity, I'm just Kola. Secondly, I live in a constant state of "government protection" that is very similar to house arrest. I NEED in some way to have social contact with other people--so I post here when I'm not writing or tending to my babies. It helps me to feel that I am still normal. Besides,I hate television and most of my closest friends are insanely busy people who also work in this industry.
Late at night, I read books. I cook three meals a day (cooking is my other career). Thomas (my husband and father of my children) comes to live with us on the weekend--I have to cater to him.
So you see how stressful my life is.
I think I'm a very sweet person (I really do). But I am brutally "frank" in character.
BAYOU...at age 7, I witnessed my birth parents being murdered in Sudan. Also at age 7, my Egyptian grandmother put me up for adoption because my skin was too dark for me to live with her. At age 8--I became the youngest person to ever have a "heart attack" in the city of Washington, D.C.
I spent most of my childhood in a psychiatrist office. It took me til I was 14 to speak good English.
I've been the mistress (against my will) of two of the world's most evil and dangerous men--Hassan Turabi (leader of Sudan's National Islamic Front) and Osama Bin Laden.
Gamal Ibrahim (in London) has put out a death order on me, although he continues to deny it to the press.
HOW ON EARTH...can people expect me NOT to be a little bit eccentric?
PUBLISHING:
God expects an awful lot of me and I have a lot of important work to do, so I get impatient with these people sometimes. They put too much bull in the game and EDITORS are very often not the brightest people--and too many of them are racist or sexist. Then I have to deal with the WHITES who have a definite fear about what I am "preaching" to THEIR blacks over here.
And then I have to fight with these blacks over here and still LOVE THEM and be responsible for them at the same time, because I know better than they do--and I know that NOTHING has changed.
They think sleeping with caucasoids and having money makes them FREE...but the revolution is not over--I don't care what they want to believe.
WE HAVE WORK TO DO. Our black babies are no better off than they were 30 years ago. NONE. And these black American men are really and truly a huge disappointment. They're killing the community here. Just killing it! These damn women baby and coddles them, because these stupid women are afraid to be without a man, but I told Jamie Foster Brown--we need to DROWN more of them and give birth to some new ones.
That's our only hope, black women. The men are so busy having fun and being SELFISH that they are providing no leadership and no "emotional" and familial support to the women and children. Whole generations are being lost to ignorance, materialism and self-hate. Our men are too busy doing a cock-stroll for the white world and not taking care of business.
This is a disgrace and we shouldn't tolerate it.
But you see--I'm not supposed to say stuff like that, because it makes people upset. But how can I not?
So TEE...I stopped caring a long time ago whether people liked me or not. I always say--"I would rather be UNDERSTOOD than liked."
As Audre Lord said so correctly---"Our silence will not save us."
I would LOOOOVE to stay in my kitchen all day long, but look around us...look outside. We just don't have that option. Black children have almost NOTHING to look forward to. And back in Sudan, my children are dying and being sold by the Arab Muslim slave trade.
Who is going to save them? So that's why I am so difficult. I have work to do.
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sisgal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 11:06 am: |
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Yeah some people, authors, editors, publishers etc. are just plain rude. I've mentioned in another post about a particular author who walked away from her signing table to smooze with other well-known authors, that pissed me off, but I didn't say anything. When she returned she picked up her pen and signed without a hello. Now I'm a lot like Tee, I just don't deal with these people anymore than I have to. I simply hate confrontations, mainly bc if I cross that river you're not going to like the beast that shows up on shore. Me and the Hulk have a lot of similar qualities. But over the past years I've worked on that and have just managed to steer myself away from unecessary conflict. Now, Time Guy, you were overly opinionated and quite harsh. What does someones looks have to do with what they write? In a lot of ways, you are just as eccentric as those you write about...so I guess that makes you one of us. And Kola, i agree with Tee, i think you're always welcome. You are who you are and who you want to be, what else matters. Tee, welcome to ATL, i'm out in the boondocks, but would love to meet and greet you soon. I've been busy putting the finishing touches on my novel, while shopping it around, so I haven't been out much lately, but just holla when you're ready.
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Time Guy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 08:23 pm: |
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Empress Kola--
My wife (whose race does not matter) could look like Jim Carey and I'd still find her more attractive than you. Why am I not surprised by your Joan Crawford styled response? That was just so predicable.
Get some class, lady. And stop believing your own press. You're way overrated period. You remind me of Zsa Zsa Gabor when she hit that police officer. A frigg'n circus act. Your 15 minutes is just about up so enjoy while you can.
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Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 11:47 pm: |
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Sisgal, thank you.
I always like your posts. |
Tee C. Royal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 09:08 am: |
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Hey now sisgal...thanks for the reply and as far as hanging out, I'm READY! I've been cooped up in the house most of the week trying to stay dry. My husband works for Nextel, so I've been getting NO SLEEP since they've been working night and day through these tornadoes and bad weather trying to keep their systems up. I hope all is well on your end of town. I live in Duluth (for now) and am hoping to stay in this area.
Please hit me off the boards at teecroyal@comcast.net and we can set up a time together. :-) My AOL account acts crazy so I'm not even sure I'll be able to get on it, but I'm loving being out of the BOONIES and using DSL. Can I get a what-what? ROFL. :::giggling:::
Can't wait to meet'cha!
-Tee |
Chris Hayden
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 11:37 am: |
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Time Guy:
Quit pickin' on Miz Kola. We love her and she makes things interesting around here.
I thought overnight about your post. I am a writer but I came up around musicians. It was a truism to them that musicians were crazy, and if one wasn't very crazy it wasn't likely that he or she was very good.
My unscientific observations revealed to me that a person could be so crazy or out there or eccentric or nuerotic that it actually got in the way of their efforts or talent and stymied them, but generally the best musicians did act differently from non musicians. Before I wrote, I hung out with painters, visual artists and the like, and the most creative of them were generally odd personalities, though they usually worked, dressed themselves and did normal things. Some very good painters acted no different from the norm.
Are writers crazy? Certainly if we mean by crazy psychopathic I don't think anyone can be successful at anything if one's perception of reality is so warped. I do think this, though, in order to be a good writer one must be sensitive. Be a good observer, have a good ear and eye, a memory beyond that which is normal. One must be open and perceptive to things and events all around. Problem is, one is then prone to be overwhelmed by stimuli, to become hyper or ultrasenstive. This can lead one to irritability, mild nueroses, and also lead one to seek to numb this hieghtened sensibility through self medication--primarily alchohol with writers.
I am also a poet. Poets do lots of public readings. When I have done a major reading, say 30 or 45 minutes, I will experience a period of excitement for long afterward when it is dangerous to drink because I am so hyped up I can pour down drink after drink and not feel it. Usually I will try to wait at least an hour or so to come down.
I think if you go over your experiences with writers carefully enough, you will come to the conclusion that those you have labled "crazy" are probably hypersensitive, irritable, excitable. A reason for this, in addition to your perceptive note that we writers spend long times alone, staring at blank walls and paper, imagining things (though I try to write around other people sometimes, in restaurants with kids yelling and playing so as to build up my resistance to real world distractions) is that we do spend time worrying about things most people do not (What is the right word? What will I name this character? Why did the character do this)
Finally I will note that you work in the literary world yourself, and you might wonder if you might not be a little hypersensitive--did the "crazy" people assault you, shoot off guns, set fires? Or did they merely look at you strangely or act irritible. When I am in high writing mode I can literally feel the static crackling off a disturbed person, imagine almost I can hear them thinking.
Then it's time to go work in the yard or somethin' |
Chris Hayden
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 11:49 am: |
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Time Guy:
I looked back over your post and noted you are an editor.
I have worked with a few editors and always thought I could spot a good one by his or her harried, sleepless look and irritable manner--no doubt comes with the territory of havin' to cross them t's and dot them eyes and see that every period and comman was in place (real ditch digging work that is never properly appreciated). I also found that they were always criticizing and judging people on their personal appearance and actions(especially the writers, their arch enemies)--in effect, that they were editing people as well as their work. I came to understand this mindset when I read submissions for a local literary mag (Hey! Most of them ARE awful!) and did some proofreading for others (I would close my eyes at night and see pages and pages of print) and edited a poetry anthology (The better and more inventive the poet, the more reason I found to curse him or her while I was trying to make sure we got it right).
I would recommend that all writers do some editing or proofreading work, and all editors should write and submit some pieces.
Relax. Have a beer or two or three. Turn on the football game. |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 11:50 am: |
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Chris Hayden,
After all the work I've done--if you don't check your email I'm going to kill you! It's very urgent stuff I sent you.
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Chris Hayden
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 11:52 am: |
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Kola:
Didn't you get my reply? |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 12:01 pm: |
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Chris:
Nope. |
Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 02:12 pm: |
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Great observations about the writer's life, Chris. Now I know why I'm crazy. |
Chris Hayden
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 04:10 pm: |
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Kola:
I'll send it again. I have been working on a machine that does not like me. I'll try another one. |
Chris Hayden
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 04:21 pm: |
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Kola:
Just sent my reply again. Let me know if you don't get it I'll try from another address.
Chris |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 05:16 pm: |
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Hi Chris,
I havent gotten a thing. Your PC is awful.
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Troy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 05:44 pm: |
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Fascinating. Time Guy sure gave me more than I bargined for from a relatively innocuous post from Tee C. Pulling no punches and leaving no room for misunderstanding I have to admit it was a riveting post. I would have been thoughly impressed if a the author would have volunteered to sign their name to such a post. But I can understand the decision.
Kola, I must say I definitely do not agree with you revealing the author's name. Would you reveal Thumper's name? Or anyone else's who chooses to post anonymously. Besides you could be wrong.
The ironic thing is that Time Guy's post was interesting in much the same you your posts are interesting.
To answer Tee's original question. Of course I've met many authors on-line and in person. The overwhelming majority come across as very nice people, regular people. Sure some nicer, more personable than others at any given moment. I would run out of space if I ran a list of the authors I thought were nice.
Of course, as a book seller it could be that authors recognize thay I can help sell books so it is in their fanancial interest to be nice to me, but I don't get that vibe. Many of the author's I've met don't know me or AALBC.com from boo. It obviously helps to be nice if your are going to be an author. Octavia Butler may be a recluse, but during a book signing attended by less people who posted on this thread in the middle of a card shop, she was completely proffesional and personable.
Far and away the author that has been the most rude to me was Toni Morrison. Time Guy described her as believing "she's God on the mountaintop". Unfortunately, that pretty accurately sums up my experience with Ms. Morrison. I pretty much chalked it up to age and fatigue. But Maya Angelou is close in age and she was the exact opposite when I met her. The same goes for everyone else I've come across in the industry. People are people.
Most of the writers I know better seem no different than non-writers. Poets however do are a different story. (Get ready for a sweeping generalization) Poets just seem to have deeper emotions and have an intersting way seeing the world -- I've always liked poets.
Tee C. I would not sweat the author's reaction to your contest -- you can't. The more people you interact with the more likely you are to meet someone who is rude. But those are, and hopefully will be the exceptions for you.
Peace
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Kola you are not the only one who does not get email from Chris. I honestly think my ISP is filtering his email. |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 07:29 pm: |
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Troy,
It baffles me how you slapped my wrist for revealing Cornell Griffin's name--but didn't say anything about how he ripped me apart in two posts.
In one, he portrayed me as a cussing, mean DIVA in a board meeting with editors. He even had to bring up my looks. In another, he just trashed me basically for talking about his ugly white wife (and YES...the fact that he's been both MEAN to me in the past and is married to the white man's mother makes me despise and disrespect him completely).
I only revealed who he was...because he so viciously attacked me and I knew who he was. He's been heckling me for more than a year!
Haven't I always been sweet and kind to you Troy? Even though I truly believe that Thumper can't stand me (because he rarely EVER responds to my posts when I address him), I've always kissed up to him, because I really do respect his opinion and his love of books. I've been a doll--even to that slag Linda Watkins who got mad simply because I told the truth about "who is Black" from an African standpoint--and not the bougie one her African friends try to use while kissing her spoiled American butt. Then we've got Susan..phew, phew. Not to mention all the nasty emails I received asking me not to post on the board--because "we have a family here and you're not a part of it". Yesterday--Chris, Sisgal, Bayou, Tee and others INVITED me to be a part of the family...so I stayed.
I've always been totally sweet to you Troy (because I really do admire and like what you've created here) and you're far less powerfull than an editor at TIME magazine...so obviously, this man Griffin has been unfairly cynical and nasty towards me for some time or I wouldn't have responded so strongly to his diatribe.
For the record...the reason I cussed out the editor at the meeting...is because he kept saying that my "memoirs" would be more interesting if WHITES had adopted me instead of Black Americans (and then asked me to dig up more "good white folk" who were instrumental in my evolution). I found that racist--especially since they have no problem publishing books by little white girls who've written about living on their daddy's plantations in Africa with their black servants.
I am a very nice, kind woman--but I do have standards and principles. There are two subjects that I have found that Black Americans who are not openminded should never broach with me...RACE and SEX.
What some consider "too much information"...I consider enlightening and stimulating dialogue that helps to get at the heart of much larger questions. Many people here are nearly 50--I don't see why we can bring up sex...and then NOT discuss it.
I don't know how to think and act like "normal black folks" over here...and quite frankly...I would rather be dead than do so.
I love everybody--what more do they want?
Your sister, Kola, Troy. I hope you're not mad at me, but I don't know how to be what people want me to be. My greatest success in life began on the day that I started just being myself--without apology.
I've been rising to the top every since.
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Susan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 08:37 pm: |
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Just so there is no mistake. I have *never*
e-mailed Kola and I *never* will. That you can take to the bank.
It amazes me that some people don't realize that if you (the general you) go around slinging mud, regardless if another slung some at you first, that inevitably that most of what you sling will land back on you.
Once again, a thread started out in general terms, and intentionally or maybe not, it's back to focusing on one person.
Some people will never get it. An eye for eye, just leaves both blind.
Susan |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 09:06 pm: |
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But by making your comments, Susan (which NO ONE are really going to care about)...YOU....not me...keep the attention focused on Kola.
This is what I'm saying. If you feel that I'm a big Ham, etc. Then don't SLICE ME so much.
And you also might notice that I did not respond to Time Guy's last post--which was the most vitriolic and vicious of all--so apparently, it's not MIO who's slinging an eye for an eye.
To be honest, Susan, I don't like to fight, but I also don't like being pushed around, which is what I felt you were trying to do in your posts complaining about my "promoting" myself. As I pointed out--I promote THIS WEB SITE and only this site just as much as I promote myself. WHen NEWSWEEK asked to interview me a few days ago, I told them--please quote my friend Troy Johnson and mention his site. They promised they will. Now how many authors do that?
Trust me...I get no joy from being contentious and rude towards you Susan or anyone else. But after all the hard work I've put in, after all the dues I've paid...after all the money I have GLADLY given to this site...I really thought you had a lot of damn nerve.
Now it's up to you to keep it going, not me.
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Thumper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 08:32 am: |
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Hello Kola,
*yawn* *singing* "Is that all there is..." |
Troy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 05:20 pm: |
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Kola, I only "slapped your wrists" because you revealed the poster's name. It was not a Time Guys v.s Kola thing. If my mother did what you did I would have said the same thing.
While Time Guy was hyper-critical of you; you could have responded by englightening, him and all of us, on how you have garnered so much publicity. Instead you attacked his wife and ridculed him; a lost opportunity (though humorous read; "jerk yourself a soda", that is a new one on me) .
I'm not slapping your wrists here I'm just offering a suggestion. Perhaps some of the other authors on the board could have benefited from your self-promotion techniques.
At the same time I also understand people can say something that just pisses you off and your initial reaction is to just go off in such a fashion that you may come to regret later. I've done it myself on this very board.
This is a one to many, non-realtime discusison board. One of the benefits of a discussion baord is that you can take the time to check you facts, or even think about a post before you post. The other benefit is that you are replying to eveyone who reads the thread. As a result, others may benefit from a reply -- even it the intended recipient never reads it.
Obviously, I can't speak for Thumper. As the moderator, Thumper (as well as I) have the ability to delete any of your posts, and block your IP address. Obviously this has not been done. Whether Thumper likes you or not is illrelavent.
Off the discussion board you have been a wondeful supporter of the site. Anyone who has brought a Kola Boof book directly from AALBC.com knows that you signed the book expressing nothing but strong support for the site. Sure I've sold autographsed books before but none with such a ringing AALBC.com endorsement -- in fact I don't think I've seen any book autographic in such a fashion.
I've also read articles or listened to inteviews where you mentioned AALBC.com. As you know, I truly appreciate that. I know you know this already, but I mention it here so that others know that you do not exaggerate when you say you support the site.
Peace
Now |
Chris Hayden
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 10:15 am: |
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Kola:
Your emails to me come through loud and clear. Yes, Troy couldn't get my posts either. I will try from another address and see how it works. |
K
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 12:59 pm: |
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Somebody light a candle for Kola the martyr. This is beyond ridiculous. I'm begging y'all please stop. |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 01:17 pm: |
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K
I am not a martyr. And I think you should refrain those kind of ignorant judgment calls unless you have all the facts and are willing to present them.
I've lit a candle under many a person's ass but never asked anyone to light one in sympathy for me.
Kola Boof |
Time Guy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 01:41 pm: |
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Kola your 15 minutes are just about up. Your a hasbeen already.
Go write a book about what it ws like to play a prostitute so many times in all those Arab movies you played in.
Get over yourself.
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Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 08:09 pm: |
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Time Guy, you need to chill out with your attacks on Kola. You're going for the overkill and are going to start turning the rest of us females off. |
Bayou Lights
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 09:05 pm: |
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Time Guy ---
ENOUGH!!!
Bayou |
Thumper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 11:43 pm: |
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Hello All,
My, my, how the mighty has fallen. You know what, I ain't going to say it nary nother time. I'm just going to do it. If any of you find that all of a sudden you can't get on the board, it's cause I blocked you. I don't have time for this. I ain't babysitting. Time Guy check yourself. Frankly, I don't believe that Time Guy is a real person. This is not the first time someone made up an alais in order to argue with themselves because they have NO LIFE. That's all I have to say on the matter. We are adults and we will behave as such.
And as a PS, if any of you have any trouble realizing who's discussion board this is, look at the top of the page. If your name ain't up there, then it don't belong to you. This is NOT the Kola Boof discussion board!! And if anybody, Cynique, has a problem with that, we can't take it off the board. The discussion board will not be littered with this nonsense. My email address is thumper@aalbc.com. If anybody is feelin' froggy, leap, I wish you would.
This is the end. Move on!
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Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 11:59 pm: |
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Frankly, Thumper, I think you owe me a BIG apology and I will be emailing you immediately.
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Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 12:14 am: |
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Thumper, I don't understand why I was singled out in your post. I was the one who told Time Guy to "chill". |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 12:40 am: |
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Cynique--
I also advised him to check his IP UP or whatever so that I don't have to be falsely accused of such outlandish B.S. as "making up alias people" to argue with myself.
I also told him where to stick his eyebrows, but I'm sure the bitch won't tell yall about that.
And I hope him and Troy Johnson and this web site all the best.
Remember about "the agent" thing, Cynique. Contact me when you're ready, sister. Love you.
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Anonymous
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 12, 2003 - 09:59 am: |
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KOLA,
Good Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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