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http://www.thechariottepost.com tijie Charlotte ^ost THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2006 D Section A novelist’s idea E. Lynn Harris parlays dream into lucrative career By Cheris F. Hodges Chens hodgesl'fhechorfoMeposl. com June is here and some of the hottest African American fiction writers are coming to Charlotte Things get started with a visit fi-om best selling author E. Lynn Harris Sunday at Joseph-Beth Bookseller in the SouthPark area. Harris is touring in support of his new novel, “I Say A Little Prayer.” It’s been four years between Harris novds. He’s been busy teaching. “I teach creative writing and African American literature at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville,” his Rlma mater. When asked which he Hkes best, Harris said he doesn’t have to choose. “I’m fortunate to have two things that I’m passionate about,” he said. Harris said he’s also lucky to have fans who come out and support his writir^ no matter the subject. “I don’t take that for granted,” he said. Fourteen years ago, Harris said he just wanted to write one book and see where that would take him. Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and AT&T for 13 years while living in Dallas, Washing ton, D.C. and Atlanta. He finally quit his sales job to write his first novel, “Invisible Life”, and, failing to find a publisher, he published it himself in 1991 and sold it mostly at black- owned bookstores, beauty salons, and book dubs before he was “discovered” by Anchor Books. Anchor pubHdied “Divisible Life” as a trade paperback in 1994 and thus his career as an author was “offidally” laundied. With all the talk about men on the down low, Harris said, it’s nothing new. ‘It wasn’t new 14 years ago and it isn’t new now,” he said. ■ But what is new is ‘T Say A little Prayer?” Chauncey Greer is the owner of The Cute Boy Card Company, a thriving company in Atlanta. As a teenager, he was a member of a popular boy band, but left in disgrace when word got out that. he and his bandmate D had become much more than good friends. A fi^e spirit now on die brink , of 40, Chauncey has always hooked up with both men and women. Wth the age of the “down low” making women more cautious, however, Chauncey has been focusing on the guys. After one too many bad dates, Chauncey finds himself in church, where the minister’s message inspires him to follow his dream of a musical career once again Although he’s lost touch with D, as he starts writing songs his thou^ts inevitably turn to his former lover. Chaimcey’s smash ing performance at the church earns him a standing ovation and an invita tion to participate in an upcoming revival. But Chauncey soon discovers that an ambitious fundamentalist preach er plans to use the revival to speak out against gays and gay marriage. Feel- ir^ angry and betrayed, Chaimcey , and other gay members of the church dedde to take a stand against the church’s homophobia by staging a Please see HARRIS/2D Author posits stereotypes to expose raeial divisions By Aisha Lide FOR THE CHARLOTTE post Can blacks really be identi fied by the five senses? According to Mark Smith PhD., an English instructor at the University of South Carolina, the answer is no. “The southern race rela: tions and the construction of racial difference on which that history is built cannot be imderstood fully on the basis of sight alone,” he said “We must ejqilore the sensory dynamics undeipinning the GALLERY REVIEW deeply emotional construc tion of race.” Smith, an En^shman and author of “How Race is Made: Slavery, Segregation, and the Senses,” lectured last Thurs day at the Charlotte Museum of History. His time was spent dealing with the politi cally inccorect thinking his research found in the South. Stereotypes were blatantly public back in the day: black people smelled; the ddn was especially thick and insensi tive. People of African descent were also purported to have poor taste both aesthetically and literally - their tongues could not appreciate good food and were prone to noisy out bursts. Even when meant as com pliments, the stereotypes were backhanded. Blacks were also believed to have more heightened senses, could see and hear better and pick up scents that whites couldn’t. In other words, blades’ senses were portrayed as like those of animals. “These sensory stereot3q3es were used to justify slavery and segregation,” said Smith. Throughout the lecture Smith quoted fi-om letters written by whites showing the thinking of the time. “I promised ybu an impolite topic,” he said “This is not a nice thing to research.” The examples he gave in the lecture were definitely degradir^. “This is a tough conversa tion,” said Thomas Moore PhD., a member of the audi ence. “\frsion can be blinding sometimes, espedaUy when it comes to history,” Smith said. “For various reasons, histori ans have been accustomed to see the past, always search ing for perspective. My effort is simple, if ambitious; I want to restore the importance of the non-visual senses-smeli, taste, touch, and hearing to our rmderstanding of the past.” Smith is the author or edi tor of six previous books. “These sensory stereotypes were used to justify slavery and segregation,” said Smith. Lazzarini’s ‘Seen/Unseen’ worth a look at Mint Museum By Sandy Seawright FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST "Robert Lazzarini Seen/Unseen" Through July 16 Mini Museum of Art 2730 Randolph Road Art is subjective and every one’s opinion counts. Now, sculptor Robert Laz- zarini challenges the comfort zone of our own subjectivity Drop your idea of what a desk telephone looks like as you surrender to Lazarrini’s imagination at look at his work, “phone,” 2000 made of plastic, metal, rubber and paper. This desk phone looks like it has been run over by a steam roller - but not totally! Though the sprii^ phone cord between the base and the receiver is as flat as a metal watchband the base still has enoL^h dimension to connect us to what we know a phone to look like. All of his sculptures are projected out fix>m the wall into empty, neg ative space, on clear rods which give them a fi-eedom fix)m association with any thing else. Lazarrini is a teacher lead ing us to new perspectives, “table, notebook and pencil,” created in 2004, and owned by Charlotte area collectors, shows us why Lazarririi’s work is art and not just spe cial effects like something you would see in an action movie or animated cartoon The “S” shape of the wooden table which has the sweep of a roller coaster is so thou^tful- ly created. This isn’t art about impact - it’s art for contem plation. The table is so graceful, the pink notebook’and the stan dard yellow penal with eras er look like they’re fi:-esh firom Office Depot and should have already slid to the floor. “skulls,” 200b, made of resin, bone, and pigment fi-om the collection of the famous art collector Peter Norton of Santa Monica, Cal ifornia allow us to see an object fiTpm four different per spectives. One skull is flat tened vertically while anoth er is flattened horizontally. As we look at these works fi:Y)m the side we see even more of the sculptor’s thor- ov^mess and richness. ‘hammers,” 2000, made of oak, steel and pigment show us how Lazarrini makes the ordinary interesting. Black organ donation latest message in novelist’s sequel By Cheris F. Hodges cheris.hoOges@IhecOQrtotteposl.com Author Parry “EbonySatin” Brown takes her responsibili ty as writer seriously. While her books may be fun to read, there is always a message in them. In her latest novd, ‘What Goes Around,” Brown tackles the issue of organ donation. An extremely personal issue to her because she’s had fami ly members who died fium kidney disease. ‘We as Afi-ican American writers have a responsibility to eflighten as we entertain,” she said. “If this book causes one person to save a life or register and tell their family that they are an organ donor I then I have I served my pur- ; • pose.” i Brown, • who : is in the middle : of planning her 1 wedding, has n’t put the pen down. She’s hard at work on her next release as she tours on the west, coast. ‘WTiat Goes Aroimd” is a sequel to her wildly popular debut, “The Shirt Off His Back.” However, the book Brown almost didn’t happen. “I was really done (with those characters),” she said. ‘T had written the first book twice and I was sick of those folk. As fans asked what hap pened to the twins, I won dered what would they be like all grown up.” Since she’d written “Shirt” seven years ago, the progres sion of girls in the book fixjm adolescence to the cusp of adulthood was natural. “When I started writii^ it was like goir:^ to a family reunion,” she said. Some may consider Brown’s stories Christian fiction, but it isn’t as preachy as some oth ers in the genre. “That qjeaks to my personality,” said Brown. “I’ve been a Christian all my life and we have to live to people.” She said her spirituality comes across in the way she treats people in day to day Hy ing. “I bring across the same thing in my writing,” Brown said. Though she doesn’t have any immediate plans to come to Charlotte, you know she is getting married in about 45 days. Brown said ^e loves the CaroHnas and plans to visit the area in the fall. She’s also working on “Never on Sunday” a story about a preadi^’s wife who goes bad. “That’s what has happened at my church,” she said. “The pastor and his first wife were divorced and she didn’t leave the church.” Tliou^ many of her books are based on people in her life, which adds to the real ism of the novels. Brown said the subjects never know it and she doesn’t tell them. ‘Tt’s really funny because they take the good character istics and identify with them,” she said. Perry’s strong on the elassics Phil Perry Classic Love Songs Chris Davis, producer Shanachie Records Phil Perry’s soaring tenor can be polarizing. You either love the way Perry can sir^ as high as a woman or you find it annoying. There does n’t seem to be much middle ground. Either Perry took heed to some of his critics or he can’t hit those high notes any more. Not once does He go for one of those stratospheric notes that make you pick up the CD cover and ask ‘was that a man?’ Instead, Peny has found a comfortable middle groimd. His tenor sounds as strong as ever but he’s more smoky jazz cafe than blaring disco dub. “Classic Love Songs” is a heartfelt tribute to songs that shaped Perry as an artist. He does a masterful job of making these soi^ fi-esh and appealing in a Hght but full-bodied soul style. Perry’s new approach is gracefully elegant. He’s cho sen a bunch of sor^s that have been done, redone and even butchered at times. Yet, his tenor is so intoxicatin^y sweet every song seems fi-esh. Some of the credit must go to producer Chris “Big Dog” Davis. He keeps Perry’s vocals as the centerpiece of each song. The arrange ments are sparse and often aren’t evm in the same ball park as the original song. On ‘I’ll Be Around,” Perry is breezy and jazzy instead of taking the R&B dance route of the original. Lionel Richie’s “Hello” is also given a j azzy treatment that’s way different fi-om the original. The flute solo takes this song to another level. Even when Perry sticks dose to the original, he shines. “Just My Imagina tion,” “Hey There Lonely Girl” and ‘La La Means I • Love You” are done with such meticulous care that you’re ^ad he doesn’t devi ate much from the original. I would have Hked for Peny to be more adventur ous at times. One of those high notes would have been welcomed. But the gorgeous treatment he’s given these timeless soi^s is most appredated. Ratings Good Fair Why? No stars-Amess mmo
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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June 1, 2006, edition 1
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