Food for Thought--Ethnic Thanksgiving

Just a question, Meltingpot readers. What does Thanksgiving taste like at your house? In our Kinky Gazpacho home, our traditional (collard greens, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, apple pie, sweet potato pie, cornbread dressing) meal is now improved with a tortilla de patatas, spanish olives and cool frosty sidra to wash it all down.

I'm just curious how the cultures come together during your holiday meal? I just read about a Mexican-American Thanksgiving meal where the turkey was served with mole sauce and corn tortillas came on the side. I also spoke to a Jamaican friend who told me she once jerked her turkey. Yummy!

So let's hear it, dear readers. Make my mouth water and dazzle me with your kinky, culinary creations.

Peace and Turkey grease!

Identi-Tees

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

Today I am officially announcing the launch of my latest project. It's not a new book or a new blog, it is a clothing and accessories line called ?RU. Yes, I'm going the way of J-Lo and Beyonce and dipping my toes into the fashion industry. But make no mistake, my plan is not to ditch my writing career and try out for Project Runway. I just decided to enter into the clothing arena to further my mission to make the world a more multicultural, meltingpot, Obamalicious kind of place.


I am starting small, debuting tee-shirts and buttons only (socks are coming soon)at my online store www.whatrugear.com. I really wanted to create a line of hip and funky products that would put to rest that annoying question, "What are You?" hurled at ever man, woman and child who doesn't fit nicely into a single identity box. My very talented partner, art director Tesia Barone, has turned my idea into a very stylish reality.


If you have a free moment, take a peek at the site, leave us a message and by all means tell your friends about ?RU. The revolution can start with a tee-shirt!

Thanks!

Peace!

White People, Black Books

Happy Friday Meltingpot Readers,

I just stumbled upon the most hilarious and yet spot on new blog, created by one of my new favorite authors,Carleen Brice. The blog is called White Readers Meet Black Authors and it is Brice's answer to the racial divide between, well duh, Black authors and White readers. In her own words, here's why she started the blog:

" It seems silly, but apparently White people often feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about checking out the African-American section of the bookstore. I’m trying to think of ways to let them know they’re more than welcome to peruse our books. Times are tough for all authors and Black authors can’t afford to have such a significant section of the market ignorant about what we’re offering."

Do you hear that? That's me giving Ms. Brice a round of applause for taking action against such a ridiculous practice of literary segregation. From the booksellers to the book buyers, folks have to know that a story well-written can be enjoyed by anyone. I mean do you have to be Japanese to sob over Memoirs of a Geisha? (Heck, even the author isn't Japanese). No. Must a person hail from San Juan to pick up When I was Puerto Rican by Esmerelda Santiago? Claro que no! So why can't White (or Asian or Latino etc) people read works by Black authors? It is silly, right?

To get the ball rolling and to prod us all along, Brice has declared December, just in time for the holidays, as National Buy a Book by a Black Author and Give it to Somebody Not Black Month. And anything by Toni Morrison doesn't count because White people already read her books.

Check out Brice's new blog for suggestions of books by Black authors that White people might like.

Just wondering if anybody out there is willing to admit why they stay away from Black authors? Or maybe you're not afraid and read them all the time. Do you feel uncomfortable going to the Black section at the bookstore or library? Do you feel that book buying is a segregated business?

Holla back with your thoughts.

Peace!

So There's This Black Woman, Cuban Guy and a Chinese Woman...

I'm back from Miami and oh boy do I miss that nice warm weather. Eighty degrees in November? I loved my little sojourn south. But even better than the weather was the company I kept.

The fantastic organizers of the Miami Book Fair paired me with two wonderful authors on a panel entitled, Family Stories. The other two authors were Helen Tse and Carlos Frias.

Helen Tse calls herself the accidental author but I believe she is too modest. She penned the memoir, Sweet Mandarin which tells the story of five generations of the women in her extraordinary family. Starting life as soybean farmers, the Tse family went from rags to riches and back again so many times, I lost count as she summarized her fascinating story during our discussion. What I couldn't believe is that Helen is the first British-born Chinese author to ever document her story. She's become the overnight Amy Tan sensation in the UK. The book came out in 2007 in the UK and this year in the United States. Stay tuned to the Meltingpot for a review and interview with Helen Tse.

Carlos Frias was the Cuban guy on the panel. His memoir, Take Me With You, was just released and tells the tale of his return to Cuba after only hearing about the country of his ancestors in family stories and secret conversations. A reporter for the Palm Beach Post, Frias was given 12 days to go to Cuba and dig up his own family history. Originally slated to be a feature story in the paper, it developed into this heart-warming and engaging book.

And then I talked about living la vida Kinky. It was great. The three of us made for a really global perspective on family, culture and fitting in in foreign places. I, for one, can't wait to read Sweet Mandarin and Take Me With You over the Christmas break when I have an eight-hour transatlantic flight to look forward to.

What are you going to read this Christmas?

Peace!

It's going to be a Kinky Weekend!

Tonight I'm going to take part in the First Person Arts Festival here in Philadelphia. The festival and the organization is all about celebrating memoirs and documentaries, which is so right up my alley. Rather than doing a straight reading from my book, Kinky Gazpacho:Life, Love & Spain, I think I'm going to use my fifteen minutes of fame to talk about the variations of Black Identity in America, because really that's what I tried to do with my memoir. I wanted to show the world that Black people come in all different flavors and combos and yet, we're all authentically Black.

When I come home after the festival, I'm going to pack my suitcase because tomorrow morning I'm off to Miami to participate in the famous Miami Book Fair. This book fair is purported to be one of the nation's largest and attracts a large international, mostly Hispanic, audience. I am so excited to see how this crowd engages with my story.

One time I gave a reading in New York City and a man from Barcelona was offended because he thought I implied that Spanish men think all Black women are whores. The conversation got a little dicey but I really appreciated hearing his opinion. In Washington, DC a Black woman from Venezuela, married to a Black American man, practically had tears in her eyes when she came up to me to tell me how much my life mirrored her own growing up as a chica de color in Venezuela. I love hearing these stories and hope to hear more when I get to Miami.

Here's to everyone having a very Kinky weekend!

Peace/Paz!

The Obama Effect in Publishing

I've noticed all around the blogosphere that literary folks are starting to ask the question: Will there be an Obama effect in publishing? Meaning, will Barack Obama's historic presidency make the mainstream publishing industry more interested in Black people's stories? I know many African-American authors are hoping this to be true. (And you can count me in as one of those authors.)

What's interesting is that the same question is being bounced around the Mixed Race literati as well. They too are hoping that, considering Obama's mixed heritage, the publishing industry will be only too eager to hear their stories. "Now is our time," I read on one author's site who claims Black and White ancestry.

What do you think? Will Obama's star shine all the way to the publishing industry? Will the American public demand more stories about colored folks now that there will be a whole family of them living in the White House? Will it be only a call for non-fiction titles that dissect that Black and/or Mixed experience in America or dare we hope that even more fiction titles with colorful characters will be requested by a public more used to seeing a colorful man as the leader of their nation.

Let's keep our fingers crossed, because after all, it is a new day!

Peace!

Housekeeping

Hello People,

I don't know about you but I'm still riding my Obama high. This morning my four-year old explained to me why it was important to dry his hands after washing them. In response I told him he was very smart. "That's right, mommy," he said with a very solemn face. "I'm smart like Obama." Don't you just love this man's influence! It's everywhere. If you've lost your Obama high, try listening to Will.i.am's new song,It's A New Day and I guarantee you'll be feeling Obamalicious once again. Don't let the feeling go.

I'm using Obama's amazing journey to become the 44th president of the United States to inspire me to make my dreams come true. No more excuses. One of those dreams is to become a successful novelist. I actually sold my first YA novel to HarperCollins in 2006 but am only now getting a chance to revise it. I've been a bit lax. But now with my Obama fever, I'm forcing myself to get it done by the end of November. That is November 28th to be specific.

The story is about Syrinthia James, a 15-year old girl with a White mother and a Black father. She's grown up however, without ever knowing her father's side of the family. Thanks to circumstances beyond her control, she's being "exiled" to Brooklyn for the summer to live with her father's brother and his family so she can "discover her roots." As it turns out, her uncle's family includes a colorful cast of characters including her Japanese aunt, her little cousin Miko, and an older cousin with a troubled past who helps Syrinthia learn to love her whole self. There's more to it than that, but I don't want to give away all the good stuff.

I'm going public with this book on my, website and charting my progress so if I give up or slack off, I will face public humiliation. Feel free to drop me a line and tell me to stop playing on Facebook and get back to work!

And finally, anyone living in the Philadelphia area should feel free to come to the Painted Bride Arts Center this Friday night, November 14 at 5:30 to hear me tell my Kinky Gazpacho story as part of the First Person Arts Festival. I promise to put on an exciting performance and it's free so what do you have to loose?

Peace!

YES WE DID!

I am so excited I can barely type. I can't even wrap my mind around this amazing moment in time. I cry and laugh and get all giddy at once. I weep for Obama's parents and grandmother who couldn't be here to witness this greatness. I am so excited for the possibilities this presidency brings. I am inspired to do so much more in my own life because of what Barack Obama has done with his. He had the audacity to hope for this, why can't I and the rest of you do the same? Imagine what could happen...

I'll write more later, but right now I can't see through my tears. In the meantime, for some excellent commentary about this historic win, check out some of the articles on The Root. Make sure you read the essay by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

I am for the very first time in my 36 years of life, really proud to be an American right now.

Peace!

Woo-hoo! We're in the Blue!

My (new) great state of Pennsylvania went to That One! I'm starting to sweat. I'm getting excited. I may cry...

No Lines. No Drama

So, I voted. There was a short line. I was in and out in less than 30 minutes. No machines broke down, nobody tried to trick me into voting for McCain and there wasn't a single hanging chad in the joint! If it weren't for the irate lesbian with the fluffy white dog having a hissy fit at top volume because she didn't want to wait in line for even five minutes, I would have to say that the whole voting experience was kind of anti-climactic.

In fact, me and the the 7-year old ended up feeding the poll workers instead of the voters just now because our polling place was practically empty at 5:30pm. Apparently the only time there was a real line wrapping around the block was in the early morning hours before the workday started. At 9:45 am when I voted, it was mostly mommies and old folks. There were donut holes and coffee for everyone! But it felt great to feed the workers who had been there all day long and were so grateful for the snacks. (We took cookies and candy) One voting official said he didn't expect any more long lines before polls close because 70 percent of the district population had already voted. I guess I live in a pretty politically active and responsible hood. Love Mount Airy!

And now we wait...

And So It Begins...

9:30 am

The kids are at school, I'm off to vote! I wanted to bring them with me but I'm trying to beat the after-school/work crowds and didn't want to keep them out of school. Mommy still has to get her other work done. But they're coming with me to hand out cookies this evening.

Stay tuned!

A Little Pre-Election Wisdom from a 7-Year Old

An excerpt from a conversation with my seven-year old after his school's mock presidential election.

My son: Mom, Jackson said he was voting for Obama because he's African-American and he'd be the first African-American president.

Me: And why did you vote for Obama?

My son: Becasue he's smart.

From the mouths of babes, people.

Don't forget to vote tomorrow (like that's really an option this year!) and tune in for the Meltingpot's perspective from life inside a swing state. I'll be posting throughout the day tomorrow. I've refrained from talking politics until now, so I'm going to let loose tomorrow. Did anyone else bake cookies for voters who have to stand in line? What are you doing to celebrate election day?

Peace and Democracy!