And the Winner Is...

Melissa!!!! (The last poster)

You won the autographed copy of Carleen Brice's new novel, Children of the Waters!

Please send Carleen an email with your mailing address to Carleen@CarleenBrice.com. Mention the Meltingpot and she'll send you your copy right away.

For the rest of you, thanks for posting your comments, and I should be (fingers crossed) back online tomorrow.

Thank you for your patience.

Peace!

The Meltingpot is Offline--Temporarily

Hi People,

Due to the lameness of my internet service provider, I have no internet service at home for the next several days. (I also have no TV, but that's kind of my fault). I also have a sick child and no child care...

So I know your lives won't be the same without my posts, but might I suggest you use this time to mourn Michael Jackson and think about how incredible his legacy will be. Really, he did so much in the world, touched so many people. I don't even pretend to understand it, but everybody in the world knew Michael Jackson and could probably hum the tune of at least one of his songs. Apparently there is a run on the US embassy in Sri Lanka for visas to come to the United States to attend MJ's funeral!

And for your reading pleasure, check out this article by my friend Jesse Washington, who wrote for the Associated Press about Jackson's own unique color complex.

And remember, I'm starting with the Man in the Mirror. Cha-mon!

Peace!

Healing and a Video

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

Yesterday I had my four wisdom teeth yanked from my skull. I don't remember any of it of course, but today I am in much pain. So instead of a fun filled post chocked full of multicultural enlightenment, would you please take a moment to check out the video my partner and I created for our company ?RU. You know the one where we sell t-shirts and accessories for people who don't fit nicely into a single identity category. Be warned, I cried after watching it.

Please tell me what you think and I'll be back on Friday.

Peace and Painkillers!

p.s. And don't forget to post your comments on Monday's entry about Carleen Brice for your chance to win a free copy of her new novel, Children of the Waters. Thanks to those of you who already have!

The Meltingpot Interview -- And a Giveaway Too!

Tomorrow, June 23rd, award-winning author Carleen Brice's highly anticipated second novel will debut. Her first novel, Orange Mint & Honey won a slew of awards, was optioned by Lifetime Television and is a personal favorite of the Meltingpot.

Because Ms. Brice is a friend and a fan of the Meltingpot, we wanted to ask her for a little preview and background about her new novel, Children of the Waters. So without further ado:

The Meltingpot: Can you tell us what your new book Children of the Waters is about?

Carleen Brice: It's about 2 women, 1 white and 1 who has been adopted and raised by a black family and thinks of herself as black, but finds out she's biracial and is the birth-sister of the white woman.

MP: What I loved about your first novel, Orange Mint & Honey is that your main characters happened to be Black, but the book wasn't about race at all. But race plays a central role in Children of the Waters. In writing the book, did you want to say something about race or did you just come up with this story idea of a family dealing with a secret?

CB:Both. I wanted to explore ideas about race and I wanted to tell a story about family secrets.

MP: As a Black woman, was it difficult to write the character of Trish, the White sister in Children of the Waters? Why or Why not?

CB: No, it wasn't hard to write Trish. I would hope I captured her humanity as well as I tried to do with all the characters, regardless of their race. I wanted to write about a character who didn't see herself as being racist, but finds out she does have some stereotypes and prejudices buried inside her. I think most people do.

I got sort of dinged in a review because the two sisters, Trish & Billie, weren't seen as being different enough from each other. I know difference leads to conflict and that leads to drama. But I didn't want to tell a story about a stereotypical white woman and a stereotypical black woman and place them in the south. I think that's a cop-out--racial issues are more nuanced that that. I was interested in telling a story about 2 well-rounded women and in saying something about people, which is we have more in common than we do differences.

MP: Well said! I know many writers get their fiction ideas from real-life events. I'm wondering if you know someone or ever heard about a family situation like the one you write about in this book? It wouldn't surprise me.

CB: Yes, this is loosely based on a true story that happened to one of my sisters-in-law. In real life she was adopted and raised by a white family so when she met her white birth sister race wasn't really an issue.

MP: I recently sold my first novel and it's written in the alternating voices of a Black woman and a White woman, much like Children of the Waters. Yet and still, the editor who acquired my book had to convince the rest of the house that non-Black people would read the book. You've written a book here with a strong White female protagonist, does your publisher still treat this as a "Black book?" And if so, how do feel about that?

CB: Oh Lori, I hate to hear that! I'm not sure I know how my publisher completely sees my book. It is being published under the One World imprint, which publishes black books. However, it's also part of their Reader's Circle program, which is a general book club program, and my publicist is working on reaching a wide variety of media. I think they do a good job marketing, but, there's always room to grow...which is why I started my blog, White Readers Meet Black Authors. I'm hoping publishing, booksellers and readers get hip to the idea that a good book is a good book, no matter what race the author or characters are.

MP: I hope so too. Now, your first three books were non-fiction titles. What made you switch to fiction?

CB: Fiction is where my heart is, though I went through a time when I was reading more nonfiction and felt that it was an easier transition for me to make. My degree is in journalism, so it wasn't as big of a stretch to try nonfiction first.

MP: So what's next? More fiction or a return to non-fiction? And what can we expect from "White Readers, Meet Black Authors?" I'm hoping for a new video.

CB: Definitely more fiction. I'm hoping actually to try my hand at something new, but I have to stay mum on that for now. The White Readers Meet Black Authors site is still going. I'm hoping to post another video this fall. I printed up some buttons that say "I heart black authors" and I'm passing them around at book events. I plan to continue fighting the good fight.

Thanks Carleen. Good luck with everything!

And you all might want to thank Carleen too because one lucky reader of the Meltingpot will receive an autographed copy of Children of the Waters. You have until Sunday night June 28th to leave a comment stating one random fact you learned by visiting Carleen's website.

Peace!

Burning Questions from the Meltingpot

It's Friday, so that means I have questions. Hopefully some of you have the answers.

1. Does everybody who cares about Meltingpot America and loves good theater and uber talented actors worship Sarah Jones? If you don't, you should start now because she is the real deal. Or as the New Yorker magazine says, she is "a multicultural mynah bird [who] lays our mongrel nation before us with gorgeous, pitch-perfect impersonations of the rarely heard or dramatized." The Meltingpot totally (hearts) Sarah Jones!

2. Can you believe I actually sat through an entire Tyler Perry movie and not once felt the need to yell or throw something at the screen? I honestly enjoyed The Family that Preys and would recommend it for a Wednesday night home alone flick. I give all credit to the stellar cast, including Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard, Sanaa Lathan and Taraji P. Henderson. Yes, the storyline was rather predictable, but I have to give it to Mr. Perry that he did a fair job of portraying some of the subtle nuances of intra-racial relationships between Whites and Blacks in the American south. Anybody else see this movie and have an opinion?

3. Am I the only one who didn't bother to get cable or one of those converter boxes and now is forced to watch Tyler Perry movies from the library every night?

4. Is Fat Juicy Oyster the best name ever for a blog? Don't you want to just read it because of the title? Would you guess that Fat Juicy Oyster is living my dream life? Black woman living fabulously in Spain, dating a Serb, writing about it well. Okay, the Serb boyfriend wasn't really my dream, but still...

5. Does anybody else have mixed feelings about Juneteenth Day, which is today? Does anybody know what Juneteenth Day is? From the Juneteenth website:

"Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance."

So we're supposed to celebrate the fact that the slaves in Texas had to wait an extra two years to be free? I know that's not exactly it, but I'd love someone to tell me how they celebrate this day with pride?

And that's it for now. Enjoy the weekend.

Peace!

Books to Give, Books to Get.

Hi Meltingpot readers,

I'm going to ask for a couple of favors today. All for a worthy cause of course.

First, I want you all to go visit, Color Online today and see what great work they're doing supporting multicultural authors and young girls at risk in their Detroit community. And then when you're feeling like, "Wow, what can I do to support such an amazing organization?" You can send a book to their Summer Book Drive. You can buy one from their Wish List at Powell's online book store, or send a gently used book directly to their library. All the details are on the site. Try adding them to your list of links.

I know I'm going to send ColorOnline a few books that I have that folks who have won here at the Meltingpot never claimed. If that's you, you only have a few days to send me your address at myamericanmeltingpot@gmail.com. Check back to see if you were one of the lucky winners recently.

And speaking of winners. I need some help, so I can be a literary winner. Meaning, I have to get the word out about Kinky Gazpacho being available in paperback or I will never sell another book. It's all about numbers people. And since my publisher has set aside zero dollars for the publicity of the paperback, it all falls on me. This is typical for authors who are not superstars, like Stephanie Meyer or Stephen King. So, I am not surprised, but it still is daunting.

So, faithful readers, I'm trying to go about this Obama style. I'm going to the people and asking for help. Not money, just help. If you have a blog, Facebook or Twitter account, would you please post about Kinky Gazpacho? It doesn't have to be a review. In fact, I don't even care if you've read it. You can just mention that it exists.

For example, you could write: "Hey, there's this new book out in paperback called Kinky Gazpacho. I wonder if it's about hairy soup?"

Or "Anybody hear about this new book out in paperback called Kinky Gazpacho? I wonder if it's about weird sex acts in Spain?"

Or my all time favorite: "Have your heard about this book Kinky Gazpacho? I heard it's just like Eat, Pray Love, only the woman is Black not blond and she goes to Spain instead of Italy. And she gets married not divorced. But other than that, very similar story."

Honestly I don't care. The rule of thumb is that if people hear a name seven times, then it finally sticks. So I want to see if I can at the very least make a lot of people aware that Kinky Gazpacho exists. That way when they wander into a bookstore or library and see the book, they'll go, "Oh there's the book I keep hearing about. I simply must read it." See how this works. Eventually, if it really goes viral, it might make it all the way to Chicago and into the ears of one Ms. Oprah Winfrey and then, my dear readers, we will know that we made something happen! That we changed the course of history. We gave a relatively unknown author who had a story to share a chance to speak to millions of people. I think we can do this. Yes We Can!

Thank you so much for your help and let's get this Kinky revolution started!

Peace!

Am I Still Black if You Call Me Dark, Dark Brown?

This weekend I had the opportunity to check out the new exhibit at the Franklin Institute here in Philly called, Race: Are We So Different?. The exhibit is quite ambitious as it attempts to deconstruct this thing called race from a biological, sociological, political and economic perspective. From the website's description:

"RACE: Are We So Different? represents the work of scientists, artists, and researchers who have come together to explore a seemingly simple question—are we really so different? An immersive exhibit experience, RACE helps us understand the origins and manifestations of race and racism in everyday life through a variety of educational displays, interactive activities, and multimedia presentations."

I have to admit I didn't get to fully engage with the exhibit because I had two squirmy children as companions. (Note: Not an exhibit for the under 10 crowd) Still, one of the parts of the exhibit I found the most fascinating was the list of racial classifications or descriptions that are used in Brazil. In an attempt to show how racial categories vary by country there was a listing of the ninety seven different adjectives used in Brazil to describe the people. Yes 97!

For example, there was a term for somebody who is "bluish black," or "mulatta with kinky red hair and aquiline nose." And of course my all time favorite, "negro with corpulent body." Imagine that type of specificity. What the exhibit didn't get into was WHY there are so many different words to describe one's race in Brazil. There has to be a reason and my guess is that there is probably a hierarchy of terms. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the closer to White one is, the better off one is in society. But I could be wrong. There was a term, "polaca" which meant "having Polish features" whatever that means, but it also meant prostitute. So it may not just be about Black and White.

I'm going to do some investigating, but if you are from Brazil or have an understanding of the racial politics in that country, I'd love to hear it. So please share. And by the way, the RACE exhibit will be traveling on to Los Angeles, St. Louis and New Orleans after it leaves Philly in September. Check the website for tour details.

Thanks.

Peace!

Raise Your Hand if You've Kissed Someone of Another Race Today: It's Loving Day!

Happy Loving Day People. I'm assuming that since you made it to the Meltingpot you already know what Loving Day is all about. But maybe you don't so here's the deal, directly from the Loving Day Project.

"On June 12th, 1967, Richard and Mildred Loving won their nine year legal battle and the Supreme Court granted them the right to be married in the state of Virginia. This victory also legalized interracial relationships nationwide,overturning hundreds of years of racist laws.

We've made progress this year. Interracial marriage was illegal in 22 states when Barack Obama's parents got married, and now he's the President of the United States. The option to identify yourself as multiracial finally appeared on the U.S. Census in 2000, and now multiracial people are the fastest growing demographic in the U.S.

However, racism is not dead. There is still racial prejudice in our daily lives. Loving Day is a great way to fight this prejudice through education, and to build multicultural community. Join thousands of others all over the world in celebrating Loving Day."

You can check out the Loving Day website to see if there are any special Loving Day celebrations happening in your city or you can take the celebration inward.

There are a lot of POCs out there, myself included, who sometimes feel like they need to apologize or explain their choice to love someone of another race. As if we've committed a crime of some sort against our own people. So my goal today is to not just be content in my Kinky Gazpacho romance, but to be proud of it and not apologetic. It's a pretty cool thing to have two cultures, two languages, four colors and four unique heads of hair under one roof. And I wouldn't trade it for the world. So I'm celebrating me today. Me and my Loving Day Family. Make sure you celebrate yours!

Peace!

Who Are You Calling Oriental?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it common knowledge, except for the Archie Bunker types and members of a certain older generation who didn't get the PC memo, that we don't use the word Oriental to describe our Asian friends?

Be that as it may, I've been listening to the BBC lately in my car and have heard the term Oriental used to describe people of the Middle East, today it was the people and culture of Iran.

Of course I did a little digging and found that in the United States we adhere to these guidelines:
"Merriam-Webster describes the term as "sometimes offensive,"[6] Encarta states when the term is used as a noun it is considered "a highly offensive term for somebody from East Asia."

But ... "In British English, the term "Oriental" is now used to describe one of East Asian extraction, especially the ethnic groups of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and any other pertinent and surrounding countries, and has no pejorative connotations. The alternative is usually to use "Far Eastern," or refer to the specific country from which an individual or family may have originated, if this is known."

Isn't that interesting? In England the term Oriental isn't insulting when speaking of Asian people? But still, does that explain why BBC news reporters are using the term Oriental to describe people of the Middle East? I mean Chinese people and Iranian people are a little bit different, right?

So I'm looking for answers here. First and foremost, why is Oriental considered offensive here in the United States but not in the United Kingdom? And who decides if it's offensive or not? Did all of the Asian people in Great Britain get to vote and say they didn't mind the term? My guess is that some British Asians might like to get rid of the term. But I could be wrong.

And second, is the word offensive only when talking about people or does it also apply to objects like, "Oriental rugs or Oriental Art?" There seems to be more debate on that issue. I for one always feel uncomfortable when I hear folks use the word because I just thought it was a no-no. But always the journalist, I'd like to know why.

I'm listening.

Peace!

Blackface vs Whiteface

Happy Monday Meltingpot Readers,

Once again I spent my weekend watching a video that I thought was fairly recent, only to find out it was released in 2006. Oops. It's that library thing again.

Actually, it wasn't a movie I watched, it was a television seriesthat appeared on the FX network. The series was called Black.White. and it featured two families, one Black and one White who were transformed through the magic of make-up to look like the opposite race. The Black family became White and the White family became Black. Oh, and through the course of this five-week racial experiment, the two families were forced to live together in the same house to try to help each other navigate the opposite culture.

I actually enjoyed the first six episodes as the families began to try out their new identities and are placed in different environments to see how the "other half" lives. I have to admit the "special effects" of transforming Black to White and vice versa were pretty cool. But then I got frustrated with the show and actually had to fast forward through several scenes because the family members, both the Black ones and the White ones, seemed so one dimensional and stereotypical themselves, I couldn't take it. Where, I began to wonder, did they find these racial guinea pigs?


My biggest beef with the whole set up is that the producers chose such stereotypical "Black" situations to throw the White people into as if poor Black teens who come from broken homes and Black men smoking weed and playing dominoes are representative of THE Black experience in America. Which of course made the middle class White people conclude that 'Gee, Black people are really different and no wonder they're so angry and I guess we'll never, ever really be able to have find common ground.'

Considering the rapper/actor Ice-Cube was one of the producers, I'm particularly disappointed with the show, because he's a pretty smart and savvy dude with a lot of great ideas and initiatives to tackle racial issues. Of course, as producer he was probably more instead in gripping television drama than true learning, so what are you going to do? (sigh)

Be that as it may, I still enjoyed many parts of the experience and think it could make an excellent teaching tool for high school and college educators who want to dissect race and identity with their students. And the video does come with a discussion guide.

I'm curious if anybody else out there watched this series and what they thought about it. Also, if anyone has heard any follow up about where the families are now, I'd love to hear it. Please share.

*******************

And speaking of sharing. The winners of the two autographed copies of Kinky Gazpacho in paperback are: Arienne and Beth. Ladies please send me your mailing address to myamericanmeltingpot@gmail.com and I'll put those books in the mail. Thanks to everyone who posted. Stay tuned for more giveaways this summer.

Peace!

Obama in Egypt

I don't have anything to say today, because Obama said it better.

These were the last lines from his speech in Egypt.

"The Holy Koran tells us, "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."

The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace."

The Holy Bible tells us, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now, that must be our work here on Earth. Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you."

I (heart) you POTUS. If you'd like to read the entire speech, you can do so, here.

Peace be upon all of you Meltingpot Readers.

Happy Weekend.

Burning Questions from the Meltingpot

I know it's not Friday, but my head is full of these burning questions. Perhaps you can help.

1. Do you think Disney was trying to be progressive when they decided that the love interest (aka Prince Naveen) of their first Black princess should be White (or as they like to say, racially ambiguous)? Or were they afraid mainstream audiences just couldn't get behind a "happily ever after" that involved two Black people? Should we even by debating the issue or should we just be happy there's finally an animated interracial couple in the mix? No pun intended. Here's one woman's perspective on the issue.

2. And while we're on the subject of The Princes and the Frog movie, is it common knowledge that Oprah Winfrey voices the princess's mother or did the publicist I spoke with actually give me some real news?

3. Why is Sonia Sotomayor described as "mean and nasty," on Fox News, but a White man with a similar persona is considered "acerbic?"

4. Doesn't anybody in the national news media watch enough Law & Order to know that Bonnie Sweeten's tall tales -- she claimed two Black men kidnapped her and her daughter when she had really stolen a lot of money and taken her daughter to Disneyland -- were so implausible that they would look like incompetent fools for running the story as headline news? Do you think her blond hair or the pervasive fear of scary Black men influenced them at all?

5. Is this not the most delicious example of a multiracial, multilingual, meltingpot family? And after viewing this snapshot of life don't you just kind of want to live your own life more fully?

And on that happy note, happy hump day and thanks for listening.

Peace!

(p.s. don't forget to comment in yesterday's post for the Kinky Gazpacho book drawing.)

Books Buzz from the Meltingpot (and a Giveaway!)

Happy June Meltingpot Readers.

Sorry I wasn't here last Friday, but I was in New York City at BookExpo 2009, which is the biggest literary trade show in the country. I was lucky enough to speak on a panel called Voices and Visions of a New American Dream, with journalist turned novelist, Farai Chideya and poet Patricia Spears Jones. The panel was sponsored by a wonderful literary organization called, Up South. I highly recommend you check them out and attend some of their events or at least donate to their cause. One of the best questions the moderator asked the three of us on the panel was, "Why do you write?" The three of us, in our own way, all answered, "because we love it."

So with a happy literary buzz, I explored the rest of the expo, looking for interesting books to bring back to the Meltingpot. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to check out even half of the exhibits, but I'll share what I did find.

- In December 2009, riding the all things Obama popularity wave, Duke University Press will be releasing Surviving against the Odds: Village Industry in Indonesia by...wait for it...Barack Obama's mother, S. Ann Dunham. But hasn't she crossed over, you ask? Yes, but this was her doctoral dissertation and one of her former professors and students have since edited it and prepared it for publication. And Dunham's daughter, Maya Soetoro-Ng has written the foreword.
The book is being billed as "an anthropological study by the mother of President Barack Obama," but in its own right, it sounds like a fascinating read about "the rural craftsmen of Java." Who do you think will be buying this book? I probably won't but Duke University Press has many other books about race, culture and religion coming up this fall and winter that sound fantastic.

- Of course I had my eyes open for good multi-culti children's books and was overjoyed to discover Cinco Puntos Press. Their small booth at BookExpo was filled with colorful books in English and Spanish covering topics as diverse as the civil rights movement in America to Haitian folktales. It turns out that Cinco Puntos Press is a family owned and operated publishing house and bookstore based in El Paso, Texas. Texas Monthly magazine wrote this about them, "Since 1985, this family-owned and–operated indie publishing house has been churning out fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books on social justice issues around the world." I totally (heart) them already. You can order books directly from their website or look for their titles at your local bookstore or library. But please, lets support this dedicated publisher and bookstore committed to telling Meltingpot stories.

- And finally, after my rant against the dearth of good multi-culti magazines, I was so happy to meet the people behind Kiki Magazine. Yes, I'm a little bit old for their target demographic of girls age 8-14, but I still love it. It's fresh and smart and pretty to look at. Sample stories include, "Spring Holidays around the world," Eco-friendly fashion" and "The Greenest Cities in the World." It's a quarterly magazine started by a woman with a daughter who was frustrated with the lack of quality publications...hmmm...sounds familiar...

And in personal Lori L. Tharps literary news, Kinky Gazpacho:Life, Love & Spain was just released in paperback by Washington Square Press. The paperback is very cute and portable, perfect for summer reading and comes with a nice Book Group reading guide and an interview with moi. Run, run, run to your local book store for a copy. Or (drum roll) you can wait for another year until my new novel comes out. Yes, dear readers, I have just signed the contract for my first novel. It is called, Substitute Me and is about the relationship between a young White woman and the Black woman she hires to be the nanny for her young child. The two women are the same age and the story explores that very unique friendship/relationship. Look for it summer 2010.

And to celebrate my literary luck, I'm giving away two copies of Kinky Gazpachoin paperback, to two random readers who tell me what they're most looking forward to reading this summer. Entries must be in by Friday, June 5 by midnight.

Peace!
(photo is book cover from Cinco Puntos Press)


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