![Last week, while being interviewed by the lovely ladies of Hip-Hop is For Lovers, I was asked if I was okay with the term “urban lit” being used in regard to my novel Guestlist.
At the time, I said that I didn’t have a problem with it. After all, self-published urban lit pioneers like Vickie Stringer, Nikki Turner, and Teri Woods were massive influences on how I put Guestlist together and readied it for he masses.
But not necessarily on the story or how it was written.
And so, after thinking on it a bit more, I have to say that I don’t believe Guestlist is urban lit at all.
I question why it would even be classified as such? Is it because the protagonists are young people of color? So are the main characters in Colson Whitehead’s Sag Harbor, but you wouldn’t peg that as urban lit, would you? Further, while some of the characters in Guestlist are rappers, athletes, and other assorted entertainment industry personalities, there’s no real focus on criminality or violence, which seem to be staples of what we generally classify as or associate with “urban lit.”
I have often aligned Guestlist more with the works of Candace Bushnell, Amy Sohn, and Lauren Wesiberger. Stories about young, professional women trying to find love and meaning in the big city. Or, in other words, chick lit. (Why else do you think I’m reading Cathy Yardley’s Will Write For Shoes? I think chick lit is definitely in my wheelhouse.)
I won’t lie, though, I was worried that Guestlist wouldn’t find an audience. Would literary readers look at it and immediately think it was “urban lit” and thus not give it a chance? Would those more into those streetcentric tales think Guestlist too bourgie and, as a result, reject it? One friend refused to attend my book release party because, after reading the synopsis on the back of the book, she instantly knew Guestlist was “not [her] type of fiction.” But what does that mean?
Interestingly enough, BEAUTIFUL, the novel I’m currently working on, delves wholeheartedly into the urban lit genre, with its cast of drug dealers, boosters, crooked cops, and other assorted ne’er-do-wells and its setting of Orange Mound, Memphis, Tennessee. Of course, it’s being written with a heavy dose of irreverence and subversion, so it isn’t going to be your usual street tale. At least, I’m hoping it isn’t.
For those of you who’ve read Guestlist, what are your thoughts? Would you deem it “urban lit”? For those who haven’t read it but are interested in doing so, what were your initial impressions of the story? Don’t leave me hanging, people – leave some thoughts in comments below!
Original Article](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m29wkr0PRg1qz8ul7o1_1280.gif)
Last week, while being interviewed by the lovely ladies of Hip-Hop is For Lovers, I was asked if I was okay with the term “urban lit” being used in regard to my novel Guestlist.
At the time, I said that I didn’t have a problem with it. After all, self-published urban lit pioneers like Vickie Stringer, Nikki Turner, and Teri Woods were massive influences on how I put Guestlist together and readied it for he masses.
But not necessarily on the story or how it was written.
And so, after thinking on it a bit more, I have to say that I don’t believe Guestlist is urban lit at all.
I question why it would even be classified as such? Is it because the protagonists are young people of color? So are the main characters in Colson Whitehead’s Sag Harbor, but you wouldn’t peg that as urban lit, would you? Further, while some of the characters in Guestlist are rappers, athletes, and other assorted entertainment industry personalities, there’s no real focus on criminality or violence, which seem to be staples of what we generally classify as or associate with “urban lit.”
I have often aligned Guestlist more with the works of Candace Bushnell, Amy Sohn, and Lauren Wesiberger. Stories about young, professional women trying to find love and meaning in the big city. Or, in other words, chick lit. (Why else do you think I’m reading Cathy Yardley’s Will Write For Shoes? I think chick lit is definitely in my wheelhouse.)
I won’t lie, though, I was worried that Guestlist wouldn’t find an audience. Would literary readers look at it and immediately think it was “urban lit” and thus not give it a chance? Would those more into those streetcentric tales think Guestlist too bourgie and, as a result, reject it? One friend refused to attend my book release party because, after reading the synopsis on the back of the book, she instantly knew Guestlist was “not [her] type of fiction.” But what does that mean?
Interestingly enough, BEAUTIFUL, the novel I’m currently working on, delves wholeheartedly into the urban lit genre, with its cast of drug dealers, boosters, crooked cops, and other assorted ne’er-do-wells and its setting of Orange Mound, Memphis, Tennessee. Of course, it’s being written with a heavy dose of irreverence and subversion, so it isn’t going to be your usual street tale. At least, I’m hoping it isn’t.
For those of you who’ve read Guestlist, what are your thoughts? Would you deem it “urban lit”? For those who haven’t read it but are interested in doing so, what were your initial impressions of the story? Don’t leave me hanging, people – leave some thoughts in comments below!
This year. More than once. Hometown. #Memphis (Taken with instagram)
I remember way back when … #memphis #throwbackthursday (Taken with instagram)
Koopsta Knicca and I … this is one goofy ass picture … #memphis #throwbackthursday (Taken with instagram)
Once again I have been fortunate enough to spend Christmas with Mama Fingers and to see some of my family and friends. The holiday season has become increasingly important to me as the years have gone by. I don’t know what you want to ascribe this feeling to: nostalgia, sentimentality, old age. The only thing I wish were different is the amount of time I have to spend with family during the holidays.
The pic above shows the mantle above Mama Fingers’s fireplace. Festive, no?
Whatever you celebrate, whatever you’re doing, whomever you’re spending time with, I hope you’re enjoying the holidays this year. I wish you all nothing but love, life, and happiness!
Cheers,
Jay
The other day I walked around my old Memphis, Tennessee neighborhood of Orange Mound to take in sights both familiar and foreign, get a sense of the nabe’s current vibe, and do a teeny tiny bit of research on my second novel, tentatively titled BEAUTIFUL.
Second novel? you say. But the first one hasn’t even been released yet!
I know, Dear Readers, I know. GUESTLIST isn’t even out yet and I’m already talking about what I’m doing next. But hey, that’s how you stay ahead of the game. Gotta be forward thinking. Can’t be stagnant. Can’t rest on one’s laurels.
(By the way, GUESTLIST is my debut novel and it releases February 28, 2012.)
Anyway, back to BEAUTIFUL. The story revolves drug dealers, crooked cops, and the unsavory criminal underground of Memphis, and it’s mostly set in Orange Mound. Though I grew up in the area, I’ve been gone for so long, I no longer have my finger on the pulse of my neighborhood or hometown. So, in my brief visits home, I have to observe and absorb as much as I can. One thing I try to achieve in all my writing is a sense of authenticity.
Just so you know, BEAUTIFUL is coming along quite nicely. In fact, the first draft is already done. It needs a bit of restructuring, revising, and character development, but so far I’m pleased with where I am on the project. If all goes well, BEAUTIFUL should be available by early 2013.
In the meantime, I will keep working on it, and hopefully I’ll be making more trips to Memphis in 2012 to conduct more research. Although it’s taken me a few years to truly realize or even see it, my hometown of Memphis is, indeed, BEAUTIFUL.
Every time I visit Memphis, it is a must that I stop by the Memphis Pizza Café. They’ve several locations in the city, but I prefer the location on Park Avenue in East Memphis.
The Café Supreme is my favorite pie: we’re talkin’ a thin crust topped with mozzarella, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, beef, sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Nom! Pair it with a local brew from Ghost River or a bottle of Texas’s finest Shiner Bock and you’re about to have one hell of a party in your mouth.
Memphis Pizza Café also boasts an impressive selection of salads and sandwiches. Try the chef’s salad or the blackened chicken sandwich if you’re looking for an alternative to MPC’s usual fare.
The staff is seemingly comprised of University of Memphis seniors; they’re a rowdy, frat-house bunch and they’re a whole lot of fun. Make sure to tip these guys when you see them.
It’s unfortunate that I’m only able to hit up Memphis Pizza Café once a year (or twice, if I’m lucky). It’s a great establishment with a killer vibe, awesome staff, and the best pizza in Memphis.
Memphis Pizza Café
5061 Park Ave.
Memphis, TN
901-684-1306
www.memphispizzacafe.com
Da Volunteers featuring MJG - “What’s Yo Favorite Color?”
Two fingers round, three fingers down.
Ode to my old nabe in the Bluff City.
Sooooooooo, my hometown of Memphis is flooding.
And idiots like the woman pictured above think it’s a good idea to wade in the nasty river water.
![Last night, Candace Bushnell made an appearance at Barnes and Noble in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The author is currently on a book signing tour to promote her latest novel, Summer and The City, the sequel to her teen-centric The Carrie Diaries, which released on April 26.
Bushnell will also be appearing at Books and Books in Miami on May 3 and will make her way back to New York on May 18 for a reading and signing at Barnes and Noble Union Square. Will I see you there?
[Candace Bushnell @ Facebook]
Original Article](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkh09eCLzW1qz8ul7o1_500.jpg)
Last night, Candace Bushnell made an appearance at Barnes and Noble in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The author is currently on a book signing tour to promote her latest novel, Summer and The City, the sequel to her teen-centric The Carrie Diaries, which released on April 26.
Bushnell will also be appearing at Books and Books in Miami on May 3 and will make her way back to New York on May 18 for a reading and signing at Barnes and Noble Union Square. Will I see you there?
My name is peaches and I’m the best all the djs want 2 feel my breast *dougies* #TeamBrownSkin #TeamLAkers&Cowboys. #TeamFOLLOWBACK
Haha, you gotta love the Coming to America quote in Joi’s bio. It’s that sense of humor, plus our Virgo and Orange Mound connections, that helped us click. I haven’t been following her for too long, but in the small amount of time we’ve connected, I’ve found Joi to be a very interesting and hilarious person.
Make sure to hit the link below to follow Joi on Teh Twitters.
What in the world?
Ah, Kimberly. One of my hometown homies. I’ll be real with you, I don’t remember when I started following Kimberly, or how I even became introduced to her, but in the short time we’ve become acquainted, we’ve bonded over some things that only true Memphians would know about.
From chatting about places to eat to gettin’ buck to YouTube videos Denim & Diamonds style, Kimberly helps remind me of what makes the Big M-Town such an awesome place.
Kimberly’s a very cool person, so please make sure to show my hometown some love. Follow her at the link below.
