I just received a review copy of LOSING MY COOL. Take a look at the press release below for more information about author Thomas Chatterton Williams and his latest book. Do you like what you’ve read so far? I’ll be running a promotion soon where you can win your own autographed copy of LOSING MY COOL. Stay tuned for details in upcoming posts. The book tour kicks off on May 3, 2010 in New York City. Check out Williams’ website (link above) for the full tour schedule. ~Affrodite
PRESS RELEASE (source: The Penguin Press) — Like many young men in America, Thomas Chatterton Williams grew up in awe of Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, and the parade of bling-bedecked rap stars he saw on Black Entertainment Television and MTV. Williams emulated their lifestyle- sporting chains, diamonds, and expensive designer clothes purchased for him by his girlfriends, who were themselves a little more than accessories for Williams. In public, Williams lived the street life exalted in his favorite rap anthems, yet at the end of the day he returned to a home literally crammed with thousands of books, each carefully studied and underlined by his father, “Pappy,” who revered learning and critical thinking above all else.
In “LOSING MY COOL: How a Father’s Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-Hop Culture” (The Penguin Press; May 3, 2010; $25.95), Williams recounts how he juggled these disparate lifestyles- “keeping it real” in his friends’ eyes while honing an appreciation for literature and learning under his father’s strict tutelage. Pappy grew up in the segregated South, where he hid in closets so he could read Aesop and Plato. He encouraged his own son to read and think deeply, and to embrace the opportunities that had not been available to his own generation.
In Williams’ teen years, the stakes of hip-hop lifestyle escalated and the gap between street life and home life became ever-wider. He was accepted to Georgetown University and as his old friends remained entrenched in the value system of hip-hop- which exalted money, hoes, and clothes- Williams looked beyond it for the first time. His college classmates introduced him to new things like wine, jazz, baguettes, and wanting to be the smartest person in the room. Williams realized he had more to gain from being open to these things, things that his friends from home wouldn’t consider “real,” than all the money his friends dreamed of earning as rap superstars.
Williams is among the first of his generation to measure the seductive power of hip-hop culture against its restrictive worldview, which ultimately leaves those who live it powerless. Like no book has before, LOSING MY COOL examines this culture, its appeal and its limitations, with the insight of a former devotee and the clarity of a scholar. It also recounts, with skill and grace, a burgeoning bond, forged in literature, between father and son.
About the Author
Thomas Chatterton Williams holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree from the Cultural Reporting and Criticism program at New York University. In 2007, he wrote an op-ed piece entitled “Yes, Blame Hip-Hop” for “The Washington Post” which generated a record-breaking number of comments. he writes for the literary magazine “n+1″ and currently lives in Brooklyn.
When I was asked if I would like to speak to Capt. Ann E. Young (Capt. Young) and given her bio, I responded with a resounding yes. Her career has included service in the Juvenile Division (Abused Child Unit), Robbery Homocide Division (Rape Special Section), and Internal Affairs. Outside of her main responsibilities, Capt. Young is very active in the community. Just the day before she she was part of the Los Angeles FOX 11 News “Wednesday’s Child” segment, a series that features older children in foster care, after spending a day with Christopher who is an aspiring police officer. Check out the segment below.
Capt. Young was one of the first African-American female captains to be named to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), in its 131 year history, at the time she was appointed in April 2000. Who knew? Exactly! That’s why I’m excited to bring her story to my blog and Examiner women’s column in a series of posts.
I happened to be in Los Angeles on a visit, back in September, and arranged to meet Capt. Young in person at her office in the LAPD headquarters. Naturally, entering such a building came with some nerves. I don’t believe I’ve ever walked into a police department in my life (a good thing, of course). Fortunately, LAPD headquarters is just offices which made getting in to see her much simpler than if there were any holding facilities.
After being escorted to her department (Office of the Detective Bureau and Vice Squad), I waited patiently for Capt. Ann to complete a phone conversation. When she walked out, we greeted each other with a smile. You may argue whether or not this detail is significant, but I was pleased to see a woman in her position wearing her hair in a nice, neat short afro. I had a “Go ahead, girl!” moment in my mind as I shook her hand.
As she led me to her office, I looked around. I don’t know what I expected to see, lots of hustle and bustle like you see on tv, but it was kind of quiet. She shut the door and came over to a small conference table and sat next to me. In that moment, I began to move past Capt. Young as strictly a woman in a high ranking position and began to see her as an entire woman. She was shy and very soft spoken. While Capt. Young is very active in the community, I do not think that she’s had many opportunities for someone to come and feature just her story. I admired her sense of humility and wished I could have spoken to her all afternoon, but the time I did have with her was well spent as you’ll read in this post and upcoming posts in this series.
Just as I did, you have a lot to learn, so let me just give you an introduction to Capt. Young.
Affrodite: Tell me about yourself.
Capt Young: I’ve been on the department for about 28 years now. Prior to coming on, I was a teacher. I taught five years in Las Vegas and one year in Compton Unified School District which is kind of like a suburb of Los Angeles. Then I came on the department. I always wanted to be a police officer. We grew up in New York, actually, in Brooklyn, and I guess I was interested in becoming a cop back then.
Affrodite: So you do not come from a family history of those who served in the police force?
Capt. Young: Not a history, per se, but while living in New York I had a cousin that was a detective in the NYPD. He has since passed away, but I used to hear his stories when he would come to visit…He used to talk to my dad a lot because he was working undercover narcotics at the time back of[NYPD Detective Frank] Serpico, probably before your time. There was a horrendous scandal in New York…[and my uncle] was working narcotics. He was afraid for his life, and I used to listen between the doors because they didn’t want me to hear, but I thought ‘It sounds exciting.’ Then we moved as a family out to Los Angeles, out to Compton, when I was just about to go into high school. I finished high school in Compton and then went on to college at UC San Diego for two years, and then I went to UCLA and graduated there. Then I got my teaching credential, and then I moved to Las Vegas and then came back home after a few years.
Affrodite: How did you end up joining the police force if you went into teaching first?
Capt. Young: When I was living in Compton and teaching…at Compton college…I was happy with teaching, but I thought this might be a good time to go into law enforcement. When I had [originally] looked into it, before I went into teaching, the height requirement was 5’-9” or taller.
Affrodite: Really?
Capt. Young: Yes, back then.
Affrodite: I never knew there was ever that kind of requirement. That’s interesting.
Capt. Young: So that eliminated a lot of people, not just women. There’s some short men, too! It eliminated a large section of people because everyone’s not 5’-9” or taller, but you have to know the history of LAPD. Twenty, well maybe thirty or fourty years ago, a lot of people left the military and then joined the police department, back in the 1950s and 60s, and those were tall men, so they had that requirement, but times have changed so they…looked at it again and decided 5’-9” was not realistic.
Affrodite: What was your first job as a police officer?
Capt. Young: Well, my first job was trying to get out of that academy. (laughs)
Affrodite: Were you one of only a few women in the academy? I remember reading a statistic, not sure how current it was, but something like 19% of the LAPD is made up of women.
Capt. Young: Well, now it’s 19% women, but it was much lower 20 years ago.
That’s the first snapshot from our interview. Much more to come. Stay tuned!
This was the very first year that I got to attend this parade, and I had a blast! It’s one of those moments that I’m glad to have Guyanese heritage in my veins. The music is intoxicating and I love to see people from all over the Caribbean celebrating their heritage and giving others a glimpse through music, food, and more!
I’ve been going to Caribana in Toronto for years, but I kind of preferred at least the parade portion of this event because you could actually get there about any time of day and find a decent spot to watch the parade along Eastern Parkway. It’s not as large as Caribana, but a nice alternative or addition to your summer festival fun.
I spent the afternoon checking out vendors, munching on a mango, and texting friends trying to figure out where I was in proximity to them. In the end, I spent the afternoon alone, but I didn’t feel alone with all of the energy and music in the air. I took lots of photos and even snuck into the parade to get some better shots at one point.
I was excited to have the opportunity to preview Nelson George‘s latest book “City Kid” a memoir. I’ve recently began following his career more closely after learning about his involvement with Chris Rock‘s documentary “Good Hair” that won an award at Sundance. In this post, I’ve written a review of “City Kid” and am also including an interview between Nelson George and I in podcast format for you. Reading about and speaking to other writers is always a unique experience. It’s almost like turning the camera on the camera man. Nelson gave me a great interview but not without a few surprises and push back to keep me on my toes. “City Kid” is worth adding to your reading list. This post along with my others regarding this book should give you a introduction to Nelson George and what to expect as you read his memoir. I would love to hear from any of you who have picked up the book as well as any of you who have read or watched any of Nelson’s other works.
City Kid- A Review
In “City Kid,” Nelson writes of his life where “family and art intersect” as he describes in the Introduction. Ever present throughout is the influence of music on his life from the early days listening to his mother’s Motorola hi-fi to his writing career. Quick to refer to his family unit through often, and perhaps over, cited statistics on Black American families and broken homes, Nelson was no exception. He grew up in the Tilden projects in Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. His mother Arizona (nicknamed “Doll”) worked hard to make ends meet and his father, Nelson Elmer George was largely absent through Nelson’s life after being lured into the counterculture looming in New York City at the time. Nelson had one sibling, his sister Andrea who was a rebellious soul which extended to their relationship as brother and sister. It took Andrea cheating death when contracting and living with HIV to ultimately lead to a reconciliation amongst the siblings. The reconciliation occurred as a moment of truth as Andrea began to talk about her life with HIV. Nelson wrote and directed a screenplay based on Andrea’s life the was released through HBO Films entitled “Life Support.”
On the surface, I’d say “City Kid” is a “man book,” but there were elements that I was fond of and could identify with as a writer and music lover. Ladies, you can skim the parts about Nelson’s love for comic books, sports, and tales of man adolescence; however, there are still threads integral to his memoir that you’ll enjoy. For example, Nelson’s affection for his mother and longing for male role models are endearing and bring you closer to the man behind the mirror.
For aspiring and established writers, you’ll enjoy and likely identify with Nelson’s lifeblood as a writer. An avid reader from the time of his youth, Nelson shares that he was particularly fond of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Actually, one of the highlights of this memoir is the fantastic library of must read books interwoven throughout. I have generated quite a list in my notebook that maybe I’ll publish at a later time.
Perhaps the most poignant part of this book is the education you get from reading about the evolution of popular black music as it parallels then intersects with Nelson’s life. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in Brooklyn during the rise of hip hop and a bit of a “Harlem Renaissance” that occurred during Nelson’s twenties as the Ft. Greene neighborhood became a mecca for artists like now famous Spike Lee and Chris Rock.
My only criticism of “City Kid” is related to the style. What makes a book a great read for me is being able to get that contact high from just holding the book in your hands, inhaling every word. I had a hard time doing that completely with “City Kid.” I attribute it to Nelson’s largely journalistic style narrative of his own life that left me perched at a safe distance from Nelson’s authentic self. Personally, it’s most exciting to finish a memoir feeling that I really got to connect to the person in a way that would not have happened otherwise. I feel like I could recite Nelson’s life, but I don’t know his life.
If you’re interested in picking up a copy of “City Kid” I would suggest you check out the links I provided for you below the interview.
Interview with Nelson George about “City Kid”
Here’s the interview I conducted with Nelson George on April 9, 2009, a week after the release of “City Kid.” This is my first whirl at editing and posting a podcast, so bear with me and certainly let me know if you have any suggestions, feedback, or are experiencing technical difficulties. For you corporate types, this is my “development opportunity.”
*NOTE* actual interview ends at 19:56 (gotta work out why the dead air on the end, sorry).
Here are a few additional resources that are either mentioned during the interview or would be useful to you.
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I was excited to have the opportunity to preview Nelson George‘s latest book “City Kid” a memoir. I’ve recently began following his career more closely after learning about his involvement with Chris Rock‘s documentary “Good Hair” that won an award at Sundance. In this post, I’ve written a review of “City Kid” and am also including an interview between Nelson George and I in podcast format for you. Reading about and speaking to other writers is always a unique experience. It’s almost like turning the camera on the camera man. Nelson gave me a great interview but not without a few surprises and push back to keep me on my toes. “City Kid” is worth adding to your reading list. This post along with my others regarding this book should give you a introduction to Nelson George and what to expect as you read his memoir. I would love to hear from any of you who have picked up the book as well as any of you who have read or watched any of Nelson’s other works.
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