Thank you. The seeming contradiction within your title and with your personal stories make the book all the more intriguing to me. Most of all the concept of zuihitsu perfectly describes the manner in which I wrote my accidental memoir “Men as Friends”. It wrote itself though clearly it doesn’t sell itself. You’re wise to invest in follow-up.
As to typos, blame it on AI. A recent bout of flu was treated insistently but unsuccessfully with “anti-biopics”. God help us when Bobby’s in the office.
No worries Jeffrey. I already have one reader I don’t know who gave me quite a nice Amazon review. Two would be fantastic, but I’m soon to be 87 so my aspiration is 88 years. Readers is another story entirely.
I’ll read your first and hope to read your second. It sounds compelling.
You didn't name the author whose quotation you placed above your writing desk!
"In 1933, James Weldon Johnson (writer, activist, and Executive Secretary of the NAACP from 1916-1931) made a stunning observation in his autobiography. Recalling a lynching that he investigated in Memphis in 1917, he wrote, 'I reassembled the picture in my mind: a lone negro in the hands of his accusers, who for the time are no longer human; he is chained to a stake, wood is piled under and around him, and five thousand men and women, women with babies in their arms and women with babies in their wombs, look on with pitiless anticipation, with sadistic satisfaction while he is baptized with gasoline and set afire. The mob disperses, many of them complaining "They burned him too fast." I tried to balance the sufferings of the miserable victim against the moral degradation of Memphis, and the truth flashed over me that in large measure the race question involves the saving of black America’s body and white America’s soul.'"
Hello Jeffrey. I loved reading your author questionnaire. Funny about the typos because there's one in your sentence about typos! I love the earnestness of your replies, your unprepossessing honesty, your fabulous advice for aspiring writers. You are a man I would have loved to have known. Good luck with that toddler. They grow up to be amazing adults--especially yours. Great to know you here. BTW I'm in Sari's queue for author questionnaires, too. Maybe someday you'll read my responses. She is so wonderful to do this for writers, isn't she?
I really love reading these interviews. I want to read this book!
Glad to hear!
Thank you!
Loved this interview! Reckoning with our historical heritage is hard but necessary work…
Excited to read the book! I suggested it for my local library, hoping it comes through soon🤞
Thank you. The seeming contradiction within your title and with your personal stories make the book all the more intriguing to me. Most of all the concept of zuihitsu perfectly describes the manner in which I wrote my accidental memoir “Men as Friends”. It wrote itself though clearly it doesn’t sell itself. You’re wise to invest in follow-up.
As to typos, blame it on AI. A recent bout of flu was treated insistently but unsuccessfully with “anti-biopics”. God help us when Bobby’s in the office.
Your memoir has been on my list since I read your interview. I am very intrigued. Gotta get through my current stack of reading and then it is next.
No worries Jeffrey. I already have one reader I don’t know who gave me quite a nice Amazon review. Two would be fantastic, but I’m soon to be 87 so my aspiration is 88 years. Readers is another story entirely.
I’ll read your first and hope to read your second. It sounds compelling.
I just love the idea of what you wrote. Cant wait
You didn't name the author whose quotation you placed above your writing desk!
"In 1933, James Weldon Johnson (writer, activist, and Executive Secretary of the NAACP from 1916-1931) made a stunning observation in his autobiography. Recalling a lynching that he investigated in Memphis in 1917, he wrote, 'I reassembled the picture in my mind: a lone negro in the hands of his accusers, who for the time are no longer human; he is chained to a stake, wood is piled under and around him, and five thousand men and women, women with babies in their arms and women with babies in their wombs, look on with pitiless anticipation, with sadistic satisfaction while he is baptized with gasoline and set afire. The mob disperses, many of them complaining "They burned him too fast." I tried to balance the sufferings of the miserable victim against the moral degradation of Memphis, and the truth flashed over me that in large measure the race question involves the saving of black America’s body and white America’s soul.'"
Thanks!
P.S. I ordered the book!
Thanks! And I cannot believe I left Johnson's name out! What a blunder! And he is a fellow Floridian.
I'm a copy editor. That's what we do—inadvertently! There are a lot of missing words in Substacks.
Hello Jeffrey. I loved reading your author questionnaire. Funny about the typos because there's one in your sentence about typos! I love the earnestness of your replies, your unprepossessing honesty, your fabulous advice for aspiring writers. You are a man I would have loved to have known. Good luck with that toddler. They grow up to be amazing adults--especially yours. Great to know you here. BTW I'm in Sari's queue for author questionnaires, too. Maybe someday you'll read my responses. She is so wonderful to do this for writers, isn't she?
Ooops. Good catch, Peggy. I've fixed the typo!
Me and typos! Thanks for catching it. I have read almost all of these interviews and I will definitely read yours! Looking forward to it!