Jack$Boi: A Tale of Urban Terror by Darrell King - Great Flash Fiction!

This story was inspired by the song, Stick up kid...

“No, but you will never forget me after today... Any last wishes, brotha?”

“Last wishes? ... you must be trippin--” 

Before he could finish his sentence, Jungle had him by the neck, lucky knife pressed up against his throat. He struggled, but Jungle elbowed his balls, making him double over in pain. He clenched his jaw and stayed still. “Now as I was saying, any last wishes, man? I want you to look at my face and remember me for the rest of eternity.” Before the pimp could make any objections, Jungle slit his throat, cutting his head clean off of his shoulders. He then patted his pockets and took all the money he had. He left his insignia at the scene, a palm tree with the word Jungle on it, and turned to leave. 

He then noticed the hooker still kneeling on the pavement, staring at him in shock. He swaggered over to her, bent over, and whispered in her ear: “You lucky you cute, Mama. Go home and don’t tell nobody what you seen.” He then slapped her ass one good time and walked away from his newest crime scene.

~~~ 

Jack$Boi:

A Tale of Urban Terror

By Darrell King

Jungle is not your average boy from the hood. He was born in Haiti and at the age of 11, he was given a knife by a commander of a youth army, which he called Shakita. He was smaller than most of the other boys who bullied him so Jungle worked hard to become one of the best. His stealth skills won over his lack of size and soon he was a stone-cold assassin. His reward, he showed those bullies that their claims that he would be out before training was over, was...totally...wrong... He had 50 kills thanks to Shakita...

Then the warlord over the group of boys was overtaken by NATO. He was taken to Baltimore, Maryland, and put in child care... We all know he was placed in a situation so alien from where he had been that he wound up being moved from place to place because of his fighting and troublemaking.

Jungle had been sent to therapy due to what was happening  in the various places he temporarily lived...he had never found a home... I noticed almost immediately that the book had not said that his therapy was aimed at what had happened to him in Haiti... Duh...

This is my first reading of Darrell King, but I understand he's "king" of flash fiction. He just might be... I thought there was sufficient content and topical coverage to completely tell the story the writer wanted to share.

Now those of you who have not read urban or street lit should be aware that the language and violence is graphic...but not so much in the flash fiction that it became a problem for this reader.

Especially since the story turned out as it did...

Jungle's night life is a secret so that he's also working daily, but at low paying jobs. He uses his skills to stick up individuals in the evening, for their money...Sometimes, such as when he came upon a pimp beating up his prostitute, he decided Shakita would take care of this bad dude. Sooner or later, readers begin to realize that he is going after the guys who are not good for his neighborhood... Kinda ironic, but soon I was seeing the real Jungle come out in the open... For instance, he didn't do night work on Sunday just in case God was really real, so he'd try to not mess up a possible relationship with Him and keep his sacred day holy...

Then he met a prison guard who seemed to take him under his wing and walked with him as he cleaned...Jungle was feeling like he might have found a friend to share with when the guard started talking about a group of bad cops who were killing or roughing up Black teens...

I loved Janay, a perfect counterpart, as Jungle's sometime girlfriend and loved how their relationship evolved as the story went on... But nothing really had given me any indication of how the story would end. It was perfect, in my opinion...

This story is well written and I believe it is the best street lit short story I've read so far... Darrell just might be the Flash Fiction King, after all...Let me know what you think of the story!

Highly Recommended.

GABixlerReviews

Novelist/Journalist, CEO and Founder at Darrell King Productions, Inc. Earlier, author at American Book Publishing.

Darrel King has been writing ever since the age of eight. His first published work of fiction was penned during the fall of 1976 as a student of Mary Field’s Elementary School on South Carolina’s Daufuskie Island. This effort was an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein’s “The Hobbit,” that he also wrote and illustrated. It was published in the school’s quarterly periodical, “The Daufuskie Kid’s Magazine.”

Darrel King has written stories and numerous poems, several of which were published in the 1995-1996 “Poetry Anthology” by the National Library of Poetry in Owings Mills, Maryland.

During the 90s, Darrell King became inspired by and attracted to the lurid tales of inner city crime. Dramas he read in novels by great writers such as Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim captivated his attention. These tales prompted Mr. King to begin his literary career writing his very own stories of urban crime and inner city drama.

Rhys Flint Takes Readers Deep Into Criminal World in Fast-Action Kross Out!

As usual, the old woman came out at 2: 47 pm. Trey was in, he held the door open for her and entered the building. On his way in, he collided with someone leaving. He bumped into her, and papers flew all over the place. His envelope slid across the floor. 
Trey looked up and was left momentarily speechless. This must have been the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. She had coffee colored skin and looked to be about 5’ 7 tall with jet black hair pulled into a bun. The most striking thing about this woman was her eyes; they looked to be a bluish-green color against her skin. The Chanel suit she was wearing hugged her body to perfection. 
“You idiot!” She quietly yelled while stooping to pick up the papers. “Watch where you’re going. You almost ran me over!”
Trey stumbled clumsily as he helped the woman pick up her papers, which was the least he could do to apologize for not watching where he was going. “I apologize ma’am. I didn’t see you. I’m new, and I didn’t know how the door would open.” Trey answered regaining his composure. 
“See that it doesn’t happen again.” She said standing up. 
Trey caught another quick glance as he reached to pick up his parcel. As he bent down, he noticed her feet. They were beautiful, painted with a pink-tipped French pedicure encased in Gucci open toed alligator pumps. 
“Don’t let it happen again, peon!” She rudely replied. 
Trey thought she was a beautiful woman, but she had a razor sharp tongue, and that was a turnoff for most men. Trey saw it as a sign of strength. As she stood and prepared to leave, Trey was able to get the full view of her amazing body from head to toe. “Damn!” He mumbled as he stood to his full height of 6’3...
~~~

Kross Out

By Rhys Flint

No, I'm not a fan of the criminal life, but I am a fan of action and suspense stories and this one moves fast, even while it's written at a steady pace...Once you meet Devon, you'll understand what I mean by that. You see, he's a paid assassin, and his plans are meticulously planned and carried out. In fact, everything was moving to plan on his latest assignment, when he literally bumped into...her...

She wanted a man with an edge
 and adventure. She wanted to be
 a little reckless with a man that
 could handle her, literally.

And while I'm talking about...her...I might add that she felt quite different about him when she met him the next time. Of course, the setting was changed and his clothes and manner revealed him to be someone "worth her attention" LOL. At least that's the kind of woman she presented. What she was really thinking? Well, readers will find that out. Actually, however, Devon was taking a chance--would she remember him from the first time they met, bumping into each other in a hallway...she in a hurry as the busy executive she was...he on his way to complete his latest assignment.

Portia keeps Devon's interest but she doesn't have much more of a role in this the first book... Soooo, forewarning. This is a cliff hanger and it does leave you hanging. I was disappointed. Still the book is well written, has many exciting action activities and there is a second book coming...if you can wait...LOL... And I think it is worth waiting, especially for those who enjoy Urban Fiction/Street Lit...

All of the characters in the book are involved, in one way or another, as part of the underground. Devon could not help thinking about the fine woman he had just met... He had recognized a spark of interest in her, even if she had thought he was a delivery man, unworthy of her interest... He knew his looks came from his Cuban father and that many women found him

attractive.. Who is my lookalike playing Devin??!

 

Devin Kross was a successful attorney with a thriving practice in Atlanta, Georgia by day. He specialized in criminal law, and he was damn good at what he did. He was also damn good at killing, which is why people paid him so well to take care of their unwanted problems. After returning the rental, Devin headed towards the airport terminal to wait for his plane’s arrival. He thought back on the job and vowed to tighten up. He’d made some crucial errors today, one being bumping into that woman and attracting unwanted attention. That could cause problems later because she could in some way identify him, even through his disguise. He checked his luggage and made his way to the lounge. He changed clothes, and he felt comfortable in his tan Polo slacks, camel hair Polo Red Label sweater and Ferragamo loafers. Looking at Devin now you would never guess he was anything other than a successful attorney...

When he found his seat, he looked next to him and saw the damn woman from the building. She was absorbed in an e-mail and didn’t notice him when he sat down next to her, so it gave him a chance to really look at her. She had a light caramel complexion with a dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her hair was in a high ponytail,
unlike the bun-type do that she was wearing earlier. He could see now that it was soft and wavy. She was a true classic beauty. 

Devin could tell she was either mixed or of Creole heritage. The Chanel suit she wore did little to hide the fact that she had a banging body, even though she was sitting down. As his eyes traveled down her legs, he noticed that she was barefoot and wearing toe rings, one on each middle toe. She had beautiful feet, and they were perfectly pedicured, a sign that let Devin know there was more to her than her Ice Queen image.

~~

So while Devon and Portia play at getting together, Devon is handling an important case for "Flacco" a local drug dealer who has been pulled in for possession, although Devon assured him it was a weak case and he'd be out quickly...  

Readers will discover that Flacco's got more juice than even he realized, when a contact from South America pulls him in for a little surprise. 

I've got to admit that it's a little hard to follow the players and their various connections, so full attention is required as first someone calls for help from Devon and then find out that she has a connection that could cause problems... I knew who was doing what, but you'll have to read it to get the various characters sorted out and then who their local and distant ties are with, especially with a major cartel and a heavy kingpin.

And there is...poor Devin...getting caught in various assignments that are totally unexpected and, for the first time, causing him inner turmoil...

Where does loyalty lie among criminals? Do you stick with who you've known and worked with? Or do you accept what you're now being told...and offered...? Now you can see how Flint did indeed leave us hanging.

Nevertheless, the twists in this book are numerous and the emotional impact becomes heavy when some of the female characters are caught in terrible situations... Then there's the parents who robbed one of the houses that belonged to their son...LOL... Well, you get the idea... Enjoy this one 'cause you'll never know what is coming around the corner...or what weapons they'll be carrying...

GABixlerReviews

Rhys Flint is from Atlanta Georgia. He lives in northern California with his wife and family. His Passion for writing started in college where he wrote short stories mainly as a pastime. His hobbies include ; sports, Mixed martial arts, travel and networking. His latest novels include the highly addictive Kross series and Juug men. CEO at RHYSWORLD PUBLISHING, Rhys And his team are committed to bringing the most exciting novels to readers of all genres.

The Poe Consequence - Where Horror and Street Fiction Collide! By Keith Steinbaum...

The Poe Consequence

                                                                         

Swat rubbed his face and flinched
at the surprising swelling circling
his right eye...his fingers seemed
to touch melted wax...he felt
disturbed by the gauze=like
fuzziness of his vision...
~~~

By Keith Steinbaum

English: Edgar Allan Poe.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia

                                                                                    

Are you a fan of Edgar Allan Poe? Do you enjoy the dark, the macabre? Have you by chance read The Tell Tale Heart? A vid is provided if you'd like it as background. Even if you don't listen to it all, play a little and set the mood... For you are about to learn of a contemporary novel based upon his works... Can you get too involved with Poe? Some have and have learned of the

Consequences...

Read on only if you dare...

They were both there that night... 

All the Diablos were looking for was their enemies...it had been reported that The Lobos would be there. It was time for some payback... Tonight was the night. They saluted Apache and went searching...

Their enemy was worried about something far less than respect for a fallen one...They were out of beer! No money...guess they had to get it the usual way...just where would they go tonight...

In the cool, reflective silence, as the six other Diablos
surrounded the candle's meditative flame, Face turned
to contemplate the ultimate legacy to Apache's artistic
 gift...Carlos had come to represent victory over the
enemy,,,
...But Face sensed the possibility of another spirit. A
different  kind of warrior. An uncommon type of war.
~~~

It happened to be the same store that a certain professor was headed for... for a quick stop that would, unfortunately, end that night!

Warren and Kevin, twins, had bonded early and remained close, although not necessarily with the same interests.

Warren had loved the works of Poe 

Seizing the last can of Bud, King walked through the
darkness to the other side of the park...From his first day
in the gang, two things were made clear: You could die
any day, so every moment you're alive, live it as a Lobo.
And because you could die any day, if you wanted something
bad enough, do whatever the fuck it takes to get it.
Miguel "King" Ruiz had learned his lessons well, and
tonight he wanted to get drunk and party like a Lobo--
no matter what it took...
Either way, man or woman, somebody was gonna be his
bitch tonight.
~~~

and had carried that love and interest in literature into his professional decisions and became a professor. 

While in New Orleans, Warren planned to take advantage of the location and visit a psychic. Kevin enjoyed launching into his usual tirade about con artists. But nothing would dissuade Warren.

Although when he got back, he didn't want to share what he had been told...

In fact he had run out of her place before she had finished the last card in his Tarot spread... 

Can't say I blame him--she was telling him a lot of strange, eerie stuff!

Still, there was no reason for Warren to connect that fortune with stopping at a corner store that night. The Lobos were already there, getting ready to get that beer for the party to come. When the Diablos learned where they would be, they planned a drive-by...

But Warren and his son got in the middle and when one grabbed Warren's son, he ran to get him and was shot in the back. Face had yelled, trying to ensure nobody hit the boy, but they didn't realize that Warren also was an outsider...

Dean had long ago accepted the general populace's ignorance concerning most of the depressing bullshit that cops see every day. Dean just wanted to do whatever he could to keep the lid on the ever-simmering cauldron of violence, but he hadn't been doing a good job of it in recent weeks. There had been a total of seventeen reported deaths between the Lobos and Diablos over the last two and a half months and eight of them were diagnosed as heart failure. Eight massive heart attacks striking young men with no previous history of heart problems...
and why only to those two gangs...
~~~
  

It is amazing to realize that this is a first novel for Steinbaum... He brings the literary horror message from Poe, and in particular The Tell Tale heart, and adds it to Street Lit gang banger activities directly from the LA streets! No wonder the police have no idea how to deal with the deaths that began to happen...There was no physical evidence, no witnesses, no reason for death, at least until the autopsy showed what was inside each body.  Of course each of the eyes were affected as well.

Only when an enterprising police officer started a matrix connection was it clear that once a member of either of these two gangs killed somebody, then that individual would be killed the next day... Kevin who had worked on a set of gang-related articles was even brought in by the police, hoping he could add info from his early meetings...

There are a couple of paranormal issues thrown into that mix that really spices up the adventure for readers. Got to say I loved the concept, the story line and the implementation merge of today's world with the one present during Poe's time.  Whew! The Poe Consequence is scary, eloquent, weird, literary writing at its finest and a story worthy, in my opinion, of being a followup to Poe's classics!

GABixlerReviews

About the Author

As a professional lyricist, Keith Steinbaum has co-written songs that have been heard throughout the world. His poetry has been published in various anthologies, and he received an International Poet of Merit award from the International Society of Poets. This is his first novel.

Anna Klay Takes Readers Deep into the Memorable Raw, Dingy, Dirty Underground "Life" Within A Small Community

Prologue
The devil claimed me. He grabbed my face, holding
my cheeks with his long, knotted fingers, and spit
into my eye. And that nasty, gray phlegm oozed
into my veins and turned the blood black. When it
reached my heart, I doubled over and held my chest,
retching out pieces of black meat. I didn't tell a
soul. No one would've believed me. They would've
said I was crazy, but then, no different than what
they say about me now.

I've been watching the evolution of what is called Contemporary Urban Fiction, or Street Lit... And I believe that ultimately it will encompass much more than what is formally defined today. Take, for instance, this novel, which is set in a small town. It is not so much based upon racial issues but more on the societal parameters that are faced by those within a given community. Thus, for me, I see the small-town community, in which I grew up, just as inclusive as the city environment... These streets are just the opposite of urban, city streets...

Street Lit, to me, is getting raw and deep into the life that we faced when we were young. In my case and in this particular book, it included power and control, sexual abuse. as well as violence, within the community, family and/or the church. These are the issues that have tainted, torn, and/or shaped our lives for the good or the bad. By its nature, street lit confronts readers directly with the specific, individual environment... In this particular book, the setting was certainly a major part of the lives of the community... 

I'd appreciate any comments on what I'm projecting to be a wider definition for Street Lit!

Broken Wing

By Anna Klay

This is a unique book that will speak to readers who will allow it to be just as real as the book cover warns. This is not horror--the crow is just a crow... Someone shot it one day... The boy cried when he killed it...

Who makes a young boy kill a bird? Not for eating--nobody eats crow, do they? No, this kill is purely to be mean, to cruelly kill just because you can. To show the power of the gun owner, the man who owns the gun and wants the boy to know the man has the power of that gun within him. He can kill the bird... Why, he can even kill the boy and his mother with that gun. In fact, he doesn't even need a gun--his large hulking body can be used just as effectively to destroy the body and the mind of those he wishes...

I know nothing about Tarot cards, so I found this interesting Cheat Sheet... I didn't have it during the time I was reading so I would study the picture on the front of each of the cards that began a new chapter, wondering how it related and whether it was illustrative of those who appeared in the chapter. For instance, the first chapter showed the picture of The Magician. Did he represent Ray Long who is the first character introduced

or was he the leader of the town in which he had just arrived?

I'm not sure knowing is totally relevant, except to say that this little town with just around 500 had a shop that sold readings and other metaphysical items...

It also had a whore house... actively visited on weekends... If there were other businesses or even a church, they apparently were not a major addition to the activities of the citizens... Two garages were there...and so was a tattoo shop... and a place to drink and dance.

Ray Long was the newest member of the community, not exactly a welcomed one but then there was not much of a welcome for any new members. Madam Charon, and Cinn, her daughter, were the most recent, coming a year ago, who had come to stay. Madam Charon owned The Spiritual Gate. On the weekends, she used another name to manage the whore house...

A young girl, by the name of Skye is the main character. She's the princess of the town--the daughter of the man who essentially owns the town of Pettington...Actually, her father was not a bad man--he had just had no idea how to raise his daughter after his wife left... He tried but she was now old enough to start living her own life. Had given up her job to work for him and had taken a job at The Spiritual Gate...

But Skye had never understood why her mother had left her and she could not give up her memories of the time she had been there and her need to reestablish contact...

At the same time Ray Long had left his home to get away from his abusive father...

Was it fate that brought these two together? Or was it just the unknown freedom that both had finally escaped and were running their own lives? But they did meet and fell deeply in love...

Until the constant daily gossip, which was essentially the main activity in Pettington, forced Skye to take another look at the man with whom she fell in love--and with whom she now found herself to be pregnant.

Afterward, they both laid still,
letting the cool fall breeze dry the
hot sweat on them both. Skye reached
over and grabbed Ray's shirt and rolled
it up into a ball to put under her head
as a pillow, when she felt something
hard in his pocket.
"What is this?" she asked as she held
onto the pocket of his shirt. "It feels
like a little toy soldier."
Ray laughed. "That's not a soldier,
baby. That's the commander."
~~~

If I was to stop there, you'd have the bare bones of the book. It is only when you add the emotional lives of these individuals that the book comes alive for readers--more alive than you may want to know about... Ray Long, for instance, was a seriously disturbed man, who tried constantly to ensure he didn't become like his father. He carried a little talisman of his mother's teachings and love--a small plastic statue of Jesus, who was almost unrecognizable from being rubbed and held, and prayed with...

They sat down at a table, which
was really a picnic bench, at the
edge of the dance floor. The
country beat filled the room and
bounced off the walls. Ray ordered
a bourbon and Code for himself
and a daiquiri for Skye. And as he'd
promised himself he would, he asked
her about working at The Spiritual
Gate. "Do you believe in that
hocus-pocus shit?" he asked.
"I believe we control our own fate,
but I can see the purpose for
whatever religion or faith people
choose to believe in. I imagine it
gives people hope. What about you?
What do you believe in?"
"I believe in the toughest, most
badass God there is."
Skye laughed. "And what has He
done for you?"
Ray wanted to tell her how his
God was going to keep him out
of hell, but he knew she wouldn't
understand. "Well, he's certainly
taking his time on buying me that
car," he said instead as he laughed.
~~~

On the other hand, Skye's mother had also been heavily into the metaphysical. Bonnie would take Skye out to gather rocks that could also be used as talismans and now she was going to be doing some jewelry designs to use her knowledge of the power each rock could provide.

Skye had never been to JZ's
when Ray asked her to go to get a drink and dance. But he was also interested in talking to her about working at The Spiritual Gate. Her mother's training was so very different than what his had taught him. But did it matter since neither of the fathers had demonstrated any real spiritual life to his children?

Unfortunately, it was in the bar when his flashback activities started to occur. A drunken man had grabbed Skye to dance. "Ray felt the adrenalin as it began pumping through his veins like water. His muscles tensed, and his feet became firmly planted in his place of comfort. And as the snakes inside his head slammed against the cage, he forgot about wanting to be someone else..."

No matter what comes to a child later in life, it is extremely hard to delete everything about childhood abuse from the mind. Both Skye and Ray had a parent who had no desire to show love that was expected by the child.

As these two meet, can love for each other and a child help or further hinder what they want in the future?

Sexually Abused child. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is an amazing, extremely open and raw exploration into the life of a boy who was not only abused but watched as his mother was also. Once he found someone to love, however, and a somewhat routine event occurred, as a drunk approached his beloved, Ray was thrown backward to when his mother was attacked over and over... The cycle had once again begun...

The difference was that Skye was "almost" spiritually strong enough... Watch the tragedy of a young couple drawn together but torn apart by the community, the gossip, the violence and the sexuality that marked the lives of each and everyone in Pennington, a small town that slowly got back to normal when the "outsiders" were...gone...

This is not a novel to sit back and enjoy. It is alive with today's world, whether in a large city, or in a small town... Religion, or some sort of spiritual guidance is looked to for hope, while physical and sexual abuse is rampant and sexual diversions are a routine weekend for most... The question I was left with was whether it was really possible for those who have not given in to today's despair can really escape to find that hope and happiness...Anna Klay has imagined a "story about family relations, the need for love, the devastation of rejection, and the merry-go-round that keeps turning." She writes with the passionate openness of a writer who has something to share and the expertise and, perhaps, the experience, through which she can shape and creatively imagine this ugly world, yet lighten it with glimpses of the love and concern that we find everywhere, even in a town of 500 or so... A fantastic, memorable, and impossible to put down drama! Highly recommended...


GABixlerReviews

Born to a father who was a musician and at one time a member of Elvis Presley's back-up band, and a mother who was just a little different than most, Anna Klay has always been a storyteller of the human condition. She is also a graduate of Naropa University with an MFA in creative writing and so far, her first book, Broken Wing, has received great reviews including one from Pacific Reviews:
http://pacificbookreview.com/Broken-Wing.php

Guest Blogger, Karen E. Dabney Shares Rant (At my Request and With My Total Agreement!)

A recent new book I read and reviewed, was praised by a librarian...

The book closed with a young boy planning to kill his parents...

About that time, Karen sent me her original "Rant" I immediately thought about librarians who refused to take this wonderful book, while praising a book that left readers with the knowledge that a young boy was planning to kill his parents.

I know, I know this is not wide-spread...or is it?

From what I can see prejudice is just as rampant as it ever was.

Why?

Adapted from my Twitter Rant re Libraries

that Won’t Give the Pencil a Chance to Make its Point

by Karen E. Dabney

Author of The Magic Pencil and many other books for youth

July 27, 2013

OK. I have had a few libraries refuse to place my young adult/tween/children's book The Magic Pencil even if I offered to donate a copy. {Here's my thoughts on her book if interested..}

.

My joke is that some librarians act as if I am trying to give them a dead frog instead of a book kids will love and learn from. They can't/won't give me a good reason. One actually stood in front of me as if she expected me to hit her with the book.

I was allowed to submit a copy to a local library for consideration and was promptly called and told to come get the book because it was NOT the kind of book HER library would have for its children! 

Today I checked out THAT library's catalog and found the following non-standard English, read: EBONICS and attempts at Ebonics - as in the true structured language - : The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (great book!), The Coldest Winter Ever (excellent "urban lit" that birthed more, however usually trite and not as well done), Their Eyes Were Watching God (OMG! The best! ALL in colloquial language by the protagonist!) Man Child in the Promised Land (Got me on my way to writing REAL),  Soul on Ice (by ex-Black  Panther – shudder – Eldridge Cleaver), Tales of Uncle Remus (thieved by Joel Chandler Harris), Take the Low Road (by Detroit author Eddie Allen about the nitty gritty writer Donald Goines' life). I tried to trade books but Eddie had his hands full with my former master-teacher Jimmy Santiago Baca's first visit to the Motor City. And Jimmy wanted to hang with me!

I found various novels about children of crack-heads and all with the largest keywords being AFRICAN AMERICAN and URBAN LIT (When did "urban" begin to be code for BLACK?). So, imagine how stunned I was to find a NEW placement entitled BAD B*TCH. 

And I wonder if they have Fifty Shades of Grey, Karen...

But The Magic Pencil has no place at this same library. A story that explains language issues in a way children can understand, is moral, fun, educational, inspiring, triumphant, uplifting and timely, is not the kind of book THAT library would have for its readers.

Well, "children" are reading those books. Children are living those stories. But a book that reaches out and shows ways to overcome to those children who are attracted to what is probably their first/home language by showing that ALL people code-switch and there's no shame in it but you might want to learn the standard in order to "make it" wherever you are, is not the kind of book THAT library would have for its patrons which include many of THOSE type of youth. 

I ran into some of them because they recognized the cover of TMP on my t-shirt and told me a friend had the book and they wanted to read it too. They were all living in the city where THAT library is located so I told them to ask for it at THEIR library. They did and it was "on order" forever! A parent/friend of mine called to find out what was going on with it. Even though we had JUST checked THAT library's catalog and it was STILL "on order", she was told that it wasn't. And, that one could be gotten from another library and delivered for her to get from HER library. WoW! So much for the dead frog offering.

On to dealing with the "soft bigotry" of another librarian who claims the book is too difficult for ‘tweens’ and under. I was allowed in the adult stacks at ten years old and took out whatever my greedy mind could. The librarians of my childhood would see to it that I took out nothing "inappropriate" as they spurred and cheered me on!!!

Harry Potter could work his magic but my magic pencil was shunned? Have you non-teachers SEEN the vocabulary expectations for 2nd graders?

Aren't we supposed to raise the bar a bit? And if a child masters that one, raise it again? One size does NOT fit ALL! This is why gifted black youth drop out and set up shop. No respect and dysteachia = anger and boredom. Helping to feed that machine so many more will have to go to prison for enough "down time" in order to become literate. Is that a way to prove the myth that children DON'T want to learn? To ensure that they are guided toward learning - and mastering - things they shouldn't NEED to learn?

Fortunately, MANY libraries have allowed the Pencil to be available to work its spell. Now we just need for folk to help promote good, non–traditional reads and sneakily keep raising THAT bar! 

~~~

Recently I touched base with a young white man who had written a book... He had been told by a relative that it was "filthy and disgusting." He said he wasn't an author, but liked to write about his PTSD, etc..

I read it and told him to get online and search for Urban Lit or Street Lit and told him his book was quite good, fit in that genre, and did a review. I've since read and reviewed his second book out...

Where does it say that because a book uses "Bad Language" it can only be used in books that are published by regular publishers. This language has been around for years and is heard in every school across the nation. Why wouldn't a young author use that language, appropriately, in his writing... I don't like it either, but that doesn't say that the writer is wrong for doing so...

Karen's book is not even street lit...it is an educational book that helps young children learn how to effectively communicate with children from other cultures. In fact, I've seen a recent advertisement where a number of children are using their cultural language. I've missed a few words, but I enjoy the ad...Maybe you've seen it...

For myself, I DON"T understand how any librarian could refuse a donated educational book, while other books include violence, foul language, sexual abuse, etc., can be praised... Is it the African-American children on the front cover, by chance? Who, like me, disapproves of, for instance, Walmart's African-American section rather than placing all books by genre...???

If you haven't read this book with your children, do us a favor and contact your local library, bookstores, or wherever you shop. Ask for it by name and Author!

I've been speaking out more and more when something is wrong...Please, if you care for our children, do the same!

Karen, thanks for allowing me to add to your ranting...I even created a new blog for some of mine...LOL... 

But I'll just close with...

Just My Personal Opinion, Of Course!

But, Karen, in my opinion, you have a right to argue discrimination to the BOARD of THAT Library...

Related articles

• What is the Librarian's role? Are Librarians Totally Obsolete?
• Perception of the New Librarian

Nocomus Columbus Spits Out New "Food Therapy" for Readers' Consumption!

"The beginning of the dream was a breathtaking image. Corey, able to walk, able to move with no limitations. Just himself, alone, in a room full of pizza boxes.   Such is ecstasy.            
"Corey places both hands on a pizza box located on top of a stack of other pizza boxes. He rubs his hands on the cardboard. Softly.   He draws the aroma into his nostrils. Savoring the smell, the spices. Pure bliss. Slowly, he lifts the lid of the pizza box. Nearly powerless, almost unwilling to contain his excitement.   Is this what God felt like when he created Adam?   Is this what Mary felt like when she looked into her son’s eyes for the first time?            
"The box is empty. How can it be? I can smell it. Tranquility abandoned. The ecstasy. The bliss. No more.   He works his way from box to box each box, each one like the next. Empty.            
"The smell of spice and cardboard persists. Panic. Only one box remains. There must be something in this box. There must. He closes his eyes. He opens the last box..."
~~~

Food Therapy

By Nocomus Columbus

Like Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck, a character in the famous Mr. Monk series, Corey is now condemned to spend his life in bed... His mother his only...supporter. They made due on the money that was provided by his father's company after he was killed on the job. My thought about him was that he was OCD--but you'll have to decide that for yourself. There's a couple of clues!

After his father was killed, it really didn't affect Corey that much since his father had never spent time with him, preferring to use his free time with his LEGGO collection and building models, which of course Corey was not allowed to touch...

Once the money was gone, his mother had to get a job to make more money than her teaching so she learned how to be a massage therapist. Corey's room was changed to one of the first floor since he had reached 800 pounds, so that he was able to set up a system for having pizza delivered. A young delivery girl, overweight, often delivered the pizza and was nice to say hello to him, but she never would come in... 

Corey's mother established her business on the second floor--perhaps doing a little more than advertised. My hint was her "brushing her teeth" after every client but you can decide because of course Corey didn't know... but he knew his mother had some weird customers!

One guy named Jim would stop and talk to him before or even after his appointments... Corey enjoyed spending time with this new friend...

"Jim came by the house once a week.   Corey always looked forward to his time with Jim.   Jim and Corey would talk for a while, and then Corey’s mom would come downstairs and get Jim. After they were finished doing whatever they did upstairs, Jim would come back down and visit with Corey some more.   If Corey’s mother didn’t have a client booked after Jim, he’d sit and talk with Corey even longer.   "Corey found out that Jim had a daughter. Becky was her name.   Jim hadn’t seen Becky in years.   He said he couldn’t. He said Becky’s mother wouldn’t let him see her.   He said Becky’s mother told Becky he was a bad man, and that he was dead, which Corey thought was horrible.   Corey hated Becky’s mother for doing this to Jim.                     Jim also told Corey that he used to be in the Army.   He didn’t talk about that much.   Jim said he was retired now, said he received disability from the military, although he wouldn’t say what the disability was.   He just said that war changes people, and not for the better. 
"Jim also said he wanted to get an RV, and travel to every state except Hawaii.  One afternoon during a visit, Jim asked Corey if he could date his mom.   This pleased Corey, not only because he liked Jim, but because he asked Corey for permission to date his mother.   He respects me.                                   ~~~

Napoli. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)"What do you mean Corey?"
"I mean, I took your advice. Now I have
2 friends...
"At that moment, Corey felt an
irrepressible hunger. He surveyed the
ash-filled room. The Pizza! He looked at
the slices of pizza sitting at room
temperature before him. He focused
on the largest piece. There were pieces
of Sam on it..."
~~~

But one day a preacher man came to meet with his mother, which changed everything. For one, the man carried something like a vase with him and would leave it in Corey's room. Corey was confused when the man told him that it was the remains of his son Sam...

Soon Sam and Corey were having conversations...



Corey is a social networker, having 352 friends until Sam suggested he put his real picture up on Phasebook...

Then Corey accidentally dropped Sam and he flew everywhere. He didn't like preacher man anyway...

Columbus' first novel, 3:53 a.m. was much more graphic and violent in content and language. This time, he presents a subtle, but definite horror fantasy that, once again, forces you to read each and every word to comprehend his story. Not a bad thing in my opinion. Because it forces you to remember his characters and how they were involved...Take the ending for instance...

All I've got to say is that he should have been faster in listening to Sam...

His overall writing style continues as his first novel, however. In many ways, it's merely a copy of the journal he might keep. If his mind wanders you get to start with:

Not long after creation. Not long in terms of the infinite. A single moment of frustration. Abandoning all his senses. HE shattered the first conception. Shattered it in style, of course. An explosion so bright even HE had to look away. Bursting into a billion tiny little particles. Atomic shrapnel. HE watched with a smirk as the particles joined with one another. Joined in a dance. Propelled together by a mutual attraction. Defiance. Later on He watched as THEY limped out of the ocean. Rebellion. Those unintended perversions. Those twisted images of himself. In time THEY became something else. God-like but not quite. These insignificant pieces lost in dissatisfaction. Micro-deities of imperfection. HE watches. Nothing more.

I'm enjoying reading this new writer who claims he's not an author...But I will tell you that his writing continues to improve and he has an excellent grasp of using street lit to share his thoughts with his readers. A little mystery, a little murder, a little spooky, a little humor, a little...sad...

Great combination for those who enjoy the extraordinary, the unusual, the...strange...once in a while, like I do!
Highly recommended!


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