SP Bonita: After you heard the voice of God, how did you set aside your fears, worries of every day life, to listen to His words and follow?
Eddie Speaks: 1. (a). I listened by allowing my spirit to become sensitive to the will of God. 1. (b). When you are in the presence of God it is not possible to experience fear, at least not the worldly fear that we are accustomed to. 1. (c). It was easy to follow the word and will of God; I just expressed my faith in the deepest sense possible. God is a permanently inviting God and equally giving of His love.
SP Bonita: You state that on earth there is a war going on, a war for our souls. Your book “the interview” did you write this in hopes of saving those souls? Or as guide to living righteous?
Eddie: I wrote the book for both those reasons and more. This is the time for all of God’s children to recognize the fact that time running out. I am trying to tap into every spiritual property available to me and share them with everyone I encounter.
SP Bonita: How did you come up with the format of your book, an interview conducted by God with a man?
Eddie: I didn't, God did. Everything that has to do with this book was laid out by the omnipotent power and purpose of God.
To read the complete interview click here.
 interviewed by Bonita Lee Penn
Jewell Parker Rhodes is professor of Creative Writing at Arizona State University. She is also the author of one of my favorite books "Voodoo Dreams". Another little known fact is, she is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. She has also been featured in Essence magazine.
SP Bonita Lee Penn: The "writing" bug: When did you first get bitten? Was writing something you've always
wanted to do?
Jewell Parker Rhodes: I’ve always been a reader and a writer. For this, I have to thank my grandmother who told
stories, on our front steps in the evenings. She filled me with a love for the black oral tradition and really taught
me incredible skills for telling stories. Next October, I have a book coming out called PORCH STORIES: A
GRANDMOTHER'S GUIDE TO HAPPINESS. In this book, I retell and celebrate the storytelling tradition that
Grandmother passed down to me.
SP Bonita: Personally when I’m writing, am at my most happiest. At the end of a long evening of working on my
manuscript, I sit back and read the words, a feeling of great pride, accomplishment and contentment overcomes
me. As though I’m standing on a sandy beach, with nothing but warm breezes surrounding me and not a thing in
the world matters, at this, very moment it’s great! Then, there are times when it’s scary, the words are never right, I rewrite, do more research and check grammar, and rewrite again, guess what? It’s still not good enough. Thank goodness those times are far and in between. Jewell, please share with our readers the scary part of being a writer.
Jewell: The blank page. It scares me to death. I have a great deal of anxiety about my work. I have to hear the voices of the characters inside my head. If I don't hear them, I can't write. It took me six months to get the young black man's voice in MAGIC CITY, my novel about the Tulsa race riot. Women are easier for me and Anna Murray from DOUGLASS' WOMEN was the easiest. Read the first page of that novel—all those words came out in a rush. I knew then that Anna was guiding me.
To read the complete interview click here.
| April 2006 Writer's Spotlight - Talking with Dessie Bey "Snappin Out! . . . in more ways than one"
Dessie Bey interviewed by Bonita Lee Penn, Soul Pitt
To Quote the late great Oba Rob Penny, "To read Dessie Bey's poetry is a journey into eloquence of her images and words. Similar to the music of Billie Holiday and Duke Elligton: to hear Dessie read her poetry is to hear the wonderful voice of a Phyllis Hyman and and a Marvin Gaye. To read and to hear Dessie Bey--I have experienced poetry that has the substance of greatness and the poetics of great black music. The human heart pumps more fully and happier with Dessie Bey in our world of art."
To read Dessie's interview click here.
"Snappin' Out"
Sometimes I cry
All night long
Sometimes I scream
From the bottom
To the top
Of my lung
Sometimes
That makes me feel better.
If you had the chance to attend Soul Pitt’s “Evening with the Authors” event, which was held at Dowe's on Friday, 11, 2005, I’m sure you'll remember
Patrice Wade-Johnson, author of “Wisdom Seeds.”
Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing, Patrice Wade-Johnson. Her smile was welcoming, and I immediately felt as though I was in the presence of a long-time friend. If you are in search of a good friend, pick up her book. I’m sure after you read her novel, which is based on four seeds of wisdom, JOY – LOVE – HAPPINESS AND PEACE, she will also seem like a friend to you.
Patrice: Some of the incidents are based on my own life. My intentions were to create believable characters, people that could be your family and friends. I have read books about women who didn’t have to work and were able to take off and travel around the world without a care or worry. Well, that’s not the experience of my friends and I – we have to go to work. I wanted the characters to be every day, ordinary people that everyone could identify with.
To Read more click here or click on our Author Spotlight page.
Meet local author Sandy Henry, she has published books ranging from a thriller “Something Borrowed, Something Blue” to a children’s book “A Child’s Bedtime Companion”.
Read her comments on how she came about the idea to write a children's book, which I found unique. "I was looking for Christmas gifts for my nieces and nephews, specifically a rhyming prayer book to replace the classic “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” rhyme. Like the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz, the part about “if I should die before I wake” scared me as a child. So I was looking for a kindler, gentler Christian book that rhymed. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I wrote Bedtime Companion."
To read more about Sandy, click here. She will also be one of the featured authors reading from their books at the Soul Pitt’s Evening with the Authors being held at Dowe’s Jazz Club on November 11, 2005; 5-9pm. Please mark this on your calendar.
Mission Statement for the Meeting of the Minds Publication
 to publish novice writers, giving them encouragement and inspiration.
Behind this unique organization is indeed an inspirational young lady, Shaela M. Phillips.
My latest book 7 Breaths in Yearning, the title meaning, seven days of the week you yearn for something new in your life. This book is so exciting to me. Every time I look at the cover, I get excited. It came out so beautiful. The poems included in this book were written during the rough years of my marriage. But writing the book was an inspiration to me, I bared much of myself, including what it meant growing up in Pittsburgh, being involved in a bad marriage at such a young age and being an emerging author.
To read more on her book and Meeting of the Minds Publication click here
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Natasha Munson's Life Lessons gets to the heart of what holds many of us back from our goals and dreams. In the spirit of Iyanla Vanzant, Munson delivers a tell-all meets self-help style drawing from her own experience. Life Lessons leaves you with a renewed focus and direction towards that innermost part of yourself waiting to emerge."
-- Upscale magazine, May 2005
SP Bonita: In the self-publishing world your sales proved to be an exception rather than the rule. What do you contribute to your more than 20,000 book sales?
Natasha: Passion, Persistence and God. I had such an intense desire to live a life I loved that it became my personal mission and my mantra. I would say Live a Life You Love to everyone I knew and it became incorporated into my spirit. Once I truly believed that I could live a life I loved I began spreading the word about this book. I do some form of promotion everyday and that certainly helps.
To read more about Natasha and the success of her book and positive tips on making your life a success click here.
Our Soul Pitt Writer Spotlight this month shines on local Black Store Owner, Granderson Glenn, II
Spirits Embodied Gallery & Literary Café
This month we are breaking away from our interviews with those who write and publish books, to the other end of the literary spectrum, the bookstore owner. I believe the two are one [Writers + Bookstore Owners]. Without the other, neither could survive. Spirits Embodied is no ordinary bookstore, allow me to shout - THIS IS A BLACK OWNED BOOKSTORE, which is located on Pittsburgh's North Side at East Ohio Street. Glenn calls his store a "Flower in the Sand."
As I walked through the doors I felt the overwhelming emotion of the prodigal daughter returning home to the open arms of her parents. Or even more so, it felt as though I crawled out of the desert, dying of thirst and stumbled upon an oasis, with water and fresh fruit every where. If you ever visited a black bookstore you know the feeling. To read the interview please click on the above title.
Our Soul Pitt Writer Spotlight this month shines on local author boice Terrel-Allen
boice-Terrel Allen is the editor of Coloring Book: An Eclectic Anthology of Fiction & Poetry by Multicultural Writers and the self-published author of two novels: Janet Hurst and The Daughters of a Mother. He is currently working on a collection of short stories.
To read Soul Pitt's insightful conversation with this local self-published author click here.
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Read Soul Pitt’s detailed interview with LaMont Jones, Jr. CEO and President
of Pneuma Publishing International, Inc. A local independent publishing house.
Hopefully he will answer some questions you may have on the preparationof your manuscript for publication.
Read more about the exciting new books that are being released this year through Pneuma Publishing,
maybe the next big release will be yours. Please read | |
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Our Writer Spotlight is shining on William "Phate" Feagins, Jr.
With his first Book/ Spoken Word CD titled “Deep Within Us All”
Read a positive feedback on his new book and click on Interview to read more about this talented
and exciting new Author.
“Hi,
I received my copy of "Deep Within Us All" yesterday. I couldn't put it
down. After I had read book, my daughter, 16, began to read it while I
listened to the CD. When she finished the book she passed it on to my son,
12, who fell asleep with it. My daughter left for school today with the CD
in her portable CD player.
Well done Mr. Feagins, well done. I'm happy to be able to share a work,
such as yours, with my children. Thank you.
Jill Morris
And a memory from Phate:
When I worked at the Family Support Center in Homewood a few years ago, I placed
one of my poems on the bulletin board. Later that day when I returned to the office, there
was a young girl crying and I asked why she was crying, she said she read my poem and
it reminded her of her brother.
Read the Interview Click Here |
Local Science-Fiction Writer, Barry Keith Nelson
The Soul Pitt staff prides themselves on offering something of interest for everyone. We know our readers have a variety of taste when it comes to the books they read. In this issue we will introduce you to a local Science-Fiction writer/author, Barry Keith Nelson. He is the author of two Sci-Fi books….
Silencers: 
The United Protectorate. A human empire established in the far quadrant of space. This civilization, once thriving and magnificent is now on the verge of total collapse as the Protectorate is plunged into a war against a powerful alien enemy, The Brelac. What arcane secret do these hostile invaders from deep space hold? More importantly what will it take to stop them from crushing humanity under the treads of their awesome blitzkrieg?
and Dark Nature:
A murder in a small town. For Sergeant Ron Tyler it started as a typical homicide investigation. But with an unseen killer on the loose the series of bizarre events in the town of Milton quickly escalates into a menace that threatens to consume the entire populace. Perhaps the world beyond.
To read the interview with local author Barry Keith Nelson click here.
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COMING SOON........
An interview with local Editor, Carla M. Dean, CEO & Editor of U Can Mark My Word Editorial Services.
Carla has been blessed with a special talent of being able to provide a professional editing service to African American authors of both the published and self-published world of literature.
As for her credentials, she has been blessed with the opportunity to provide editing services to many published, self-published and first-time authors, such as Michelle McGriff, author of The Majestic Series and Temporary Rain, Jessica Tilles, author of Anything Goes, Sabrina McAfee, author of Matters of the Heart, Mr. Carl Weber, CEO & Publisher of UrbanBooks and author of Baby Momma Drama, and a slew of many other notable authors. |
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This champ is out to beat George Bush in November.
Vanessa German, a 28-year-old street poet from Pittsburgh won the first ever Slam Bush National Rhyme Competition, held in Miami the night before the first Presidential debate. Rap legend Chuck D (Public Enemy/Air America Radio) emceed the 3000-person event, along with Malia Lazu (star of Showtime's American Candidate). The contest was followed by a electrifying set from hip hop's greatest live act, The Roots.
The Slam Bush competition brought together 14 of America's hottest underground emcees and poets from around the country to "debate" George Bush in the language of hip hop. Each contestant had three minutes to bust their best anti-Bush rhymes in front of the five celebrity judges (including Black Thought of The Roots and Wordsworth of MTV's Lyricist Lounge). The performances ranged from slam poetry to off-the-dome, anti-Bush freestyling.
After two rounds of fierce competition, the judges awarded the $5000 first prize to Ms. German. Her winning piece, "Thank You George Muthaf@%#king Bush,"had the crowd roaring with laughter, pumping fists in the air and collectively pledging to defeat Bush on November 2.
Besides blowing up the spot in Miami, the Slam Bush Championship was a powerful blow to Bush in the entire state of Florida. Not a soul left the club unregistered, and over 500 young voters joined our election database, allowing us to reach out and re-mobilize them before Nov. 2. Local radio and TV coverage amplified the Slam Bush message throughout Miami's hip hop community.
The Championship competition capped the two-month-long Slam Bush campaign, which consisted of 25 local battles in cities from Portland to Philly to Miami to Albuquerque. By giving local hip hoppers a stage to attack President Bush in front of their inner-city peers (a demographic often ignored by the major campaigns) Slam Bush activated almost 10,000 new hip hop voters — mostly in swing states where a few thousand votes could tip the scales.
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