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Hen81
Regular Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 75
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 12:33 am: | 
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This is an interesting article. Tyree says he through with Urban Lit. The main reason seems to be that the genre is now calling the shots. Retailers even geetting into how gritty the title sounds as it relates to sales. This is the link to his article:
http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2008/06/street-lit-000748.php
Has the black readership been conditioned to expect one type of product that blurs out the talent of the individual author? Is this the first step in a return to a more diverse black literature selection? The answers lies in what our readers will buy.
www.DTPollard.com |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 7075
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 10:18 am: |
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To a degree, it now seems hypocritical for the man who self-published the first gold digger book with Flyy Girl, and the first drug-dealer book with Capital City, to turn around and cry wolf about a readership who-fifteen years later-seem stuck on the subjects.
(That about sums up what I have to say nicely.
Tyree can't cut the mustard and others have stolen his thunder and gone.
He ain't got nothing coming)
Has the black readership been conditioned to expect one type of product that blurs out the talent of the individual author?
(Funny, I never hear white readers excoriated because they only Read Stephen King, or JK Rowling, or Mickey Spillane, or crime fiction.
Black people are supposed to be superhuman, is what this says. They ain't supposed to read anything for enjoyment. They should all be reading Ralph Ellison.
Well, the last time I looked, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison et al were still available.
People don't want them.
And, before the usual self loathing Negro breastbeating kicks in, the MAJORITY of American adults (white, black and polka dot) did not read EVEN ONE BOOK last year.
This is a never ending debate that goes nowhere.
Is this the first step in a return to a more diverse black literature selection?
(The black literature selection is MORE diverse than it has ever been.
I don't know what you want from people.
They can get along just fine without reading ANY sort of fiction which is escapist by its very nature.
George Bush does. And he's the President) |
Ferociouskitty
Veteran Poster
Username: Ferociouskitty
Post Number: 289
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 11:55 am: |
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The black literature selection is MORE diverse than it has ever been.
Right. To the delight of some and to the chagrin of others. Why can't we celebrate that diversity *and* still have our own personal likes and dislikes. It's like some folks can't hold the tension between those two things. |
Carey
Veteran Poster
Username: Carey
Post Number: 870
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 12:08 pm: |
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"It's like some folks can' hold the tension between those two things"
Sweet!
Gonna steal it, gonna use it! |
A_womon
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 2315
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 01:05 pm: |
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Has the black readership been conditioned to expect one type of product that blurs out the talent of the individual author?
(Funny, I never hear white readers excoriated because they only Read Stephen King, or JK Rowling, or Mickey Spillane, or crime fiction.
OMG! Chris, this is the song I have been singing since the debate began!
Black people are supposed to be superhuman, is what this says. They ain't supposed to read anything for enjoyment. They should all be reading Ralph Ellison.
You are absolutely right AGAIN Chris! (Does it scare you that I agree 100 percent with this statement? HA!) I get so sick of black people complaining that white people are going to think this is all we are. PUH LEEZE! I have had so many of my white co-workers buy and LOVE my book and in fact become some of my BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS! It's crazy. I think this myth exists in the MINDS of people more than it being reality. ALL READERS want is a good book that keeps them reading,stimulates their thinking,entertains them or just allows them to escape their circumstances for a space in time. If a writer can do include one or even all of these elements, you can cross the color lines and capture a diverse audience of readers.
Another myth is that black people don't read. Really? Then who is buying all of the street fiction books? Who is buying books (for the most part) by black authors period?
I am constantly decrying statistical data because statistics can be skewed to prove any stance and for the most part do no accurately reflect reality. Statistics are only as good as the study group targeted and then only to the extent/degree that one believes that targeted group reflects the likes, tastes, beliefs,etc. of the many.
Well, the last time I looked, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison et al were still available.
Okay? So what's the beef? |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 12387
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 01:27 pm: |
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Omar Tyree has always taken himself too seriously. He oughta be glad people still want to read his tired ol books and STFU.
It's a myth that black pundits complain about the type of books the black masses read. The suggestion has always been that there be balance in their reading matter. |
Hen81
Regular Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 76
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 01:40 pm: |
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If I wasn't black this would sound like a Jim Crow statement. Given the ills in the black community of crime, imprisonment, low rates of high school and college graduation is it a wonder why Urban literature is so popular. The reading audience has changed with the hip hop culture.
What this does present is a puzzle for black authors that don't write or want to write beyond that genre. I think they have to try to break out of the box and write cross genre material and target beyond their natural base. It's risky because publishers see that Urban and Erotica as money makers in the black community. Outside of nonfiction, it seems to be tougher for black authors to crossover compared to actors and singers. So some of this may be a feeling of being boxed in by genre, available market, limited crossover appeal and publisher expectations of where you fit/sell.
The field of Urban is crowded and almost to the level of Romance where formula almost dominates over individual authors. It's seems similar to the blackploitation movie era. Once someone is in that mode do they become typecast. Do publishers say "You've been successful at Urban, why try something else."
www.DTPollard.com |
Emanuel
Veteran Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 577
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 02:55 pm: |
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Street lit has never been my forte. I've never read a Tyree book nor do I plan to. However, books (like music and movies) are a form of entertainment. If authors want to write about pimps, hos, drug dealers, and golddiggers instead of BEING pimps, hos, drug dealers, and golddiggers more power to them. Books written by African-Americans that are more my forte are still being written. It's my choice.
If street fiction was the only thing being published by African-Americans (which I don't believe for a minute) then AA authors must make a choice. Write what is selling; write what you love keeping in mind that you may not make a living from it; or don't write at all.
Tyree's article confuses me though. Is he frustrated because publishers only want him to write street fiction but he's ready to move on? Does he care that street lit in the wrong hands can negatively influence its readers? If so, why isn't he asking his "friends" in the article to join him in a movement to end it? Why isn't he pledging dollars earned from the biz towards something more positive for readers? Maybe his motives are merely selfish in nature. |
Hen81
Regular Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 77
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 04:45 pm: |
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I think what may be going on here is this is an author trapped in a guilded cage he helped to construct. The only problem is that the cage became an entire jungle and many other moved into the neighborhood doing the same thing. Now that Urban literature is the hot black book form, how do you leave the cage. There are probably more authors out there with the same issue. When they go outside of their expected offering they get trashed by their core readers with "What was that!" reactions. I do think that publisher support for something seen as risky may be an issue.
The problem is that it is a little akin to some that have talked about the degrading nature of certain professions "after" they have tapped out their earning potential in the very same business. I just write what I like and it has elements of everything if that situation is natural in the storyline. Some more mainstream authors are now forcing more explicit sex and urban edge into their writing due to the success of urban literature. I'm reading reviews where loyal readers are bowing out because the authors have drifted too far. I don't think they will pick up the true urban reader and will lose some of their core fans.
www.DTPollard.com |
Emanuel
Veteran Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 578
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 09:22 pm: |
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Now that Urban literature is the hot black book form, how do you leave the cage?
Can you say Geneva Holiday? You get a pseudonym and write what you like. (Of course, there are no guarantees your literary agent or publisher will support you. In those cases, it's like starting from scratch, which means you might even have to (Gulp!) self publish it. Traditional publishing deals are too valuable to backtrack.)
Yes DT, you write what you like but if you want the traditional deal you might have to write what's most popular. Though there aren't many luxuries in non-traditional publishing, as this Blogging in Black post suggests (http://blogginginblack.com/?p=915), writing what you like without worrying about a publisher's acceptance is one of them. |
Thumper
Veteran Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 523
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 10:21 pm: |
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Hello All,
OMG! I'm going to take a minute to go outside and scream while I water my tomato plants. BTW, I got a huge one this year. The damn thing is over 4 feet tall and still growing.
Anyway, I got to scream and settle down in order to separate the chafe from the wheat of Tyree's essay. I'll be back... |
Thumper
Veteran Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 524
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 12:40 am: |
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OK, I'm back.
First I would like to apologize to Troy upfront for any negativity that will come his way because of this post. Although it's been a while...
First, I would like to say to Omar Tyree, my ass is bleedin' for yaw. *eyebrow raised* I mean really, I was ticked off from the start of the post. Contrary to Tyree's belief, he most certainly did NOT create the current trend of urban lit. To my understanding urban lit. was the new code name in the publishing community for BLACK. Not just street lit, but the You-Go-Girl books and damn near everything else that was written by a black author where the story took place in the present time. Now before my buddy Steve died, I read and loved Carl Weber's new novel Something On The Side. The novel isn't what I consider to be urban lit but that's what's it being called, even though the book is a You-Go-Girl throwback.
Second, I love Aretha Franklin. When I as about 12 or 13 I fell in love with Aretha. And there were years that all the music that I listened to was from Aretha. Now, Aretha sang from just about every genre of music. So, the first real country song I heard, I heard from Aretha. The first real blues song I heard, really listened to, was sung by Aretha. But, that does not mean that I believe Aretha created country music. Nor, does it mean that I believe she is the Queen of the Blues. And , if I had the chance to tell her that, I seriously doubt that she would believe it, or even fall head first into the Stupid bucket, and repeat it. *eyebrow raised* Now come on, baby boy's game was not that tight from jump. Let's keep it real or keep it moving. I aint trying to dis him, because I loved Flyy Girl when it came out, but dagnabit it was NOT the start of a revolution. Contrary to Tyree's belief. Now the truth is the light and I'm walking in sunshine, sh_____t.
Apparently, I don't know, and this is just me, but apparently Tyree feels that the audience has turned on him. Well, I don't believe that its the same audience of Flyy Girl days. How many years ago was Flyy Girl, what damn near 20!? People change. Time change. How many of the audience back then were just reading because reading had, in some circles became a fad? How many of the audience back then was reading books simply because their friends were reading and/or talking about those books? So, the audience in which Tyree is bemoaning, aint the Flyy Girl audience. The street lit audience is a younger sect. And quite possibly, the Flyy Girl audience got tired of reading the same sh_t, over and over again. I know I did.
True enough I just got back, but can't nobody tell me that street lit is the only lit that is being published and sold. Right now I'm reading a science fiction novel called the Skull Cage Key written by a black author. So, if Tyree is in a cage, it is ONE of his OWN making, built by his own ego. There are more than a few publishers who still publish black authors who write fiction and its not street lit. The drawback is that these smaller publishing companies don't/can't offer the money many believe the big publishers can nor do they have the "name" or prestige of a Random House or Harper Collins. So, if Tyree wants to be published, he could be, he has to decide on the image he wants to project.
Second, I don't see a gun being held to his head of someone MAKING him write urban lit books. If Tyree got a historical, science fiction, murder mystery book in him to write, then write the damn thing den. Langston Hughes wrote and wrote, and not all of it successful or even good, but that didn't stop him. Walter Mosley writes anything he's big enough to. As Emanuel stated, Tyree could use a pseudonym. Or, he could submit the manuscript to his publisher and if the publisher refuse it, look for another publisher or Tyree can man up and publish it himself. Because the truth of it is Tyree's battle is not the street lit audience or vendors, but convincing the rest of us, who don't read the current street lit to read his stuff. Because when it all comes down to it, like Ma'Dear said, its not what they call you, its what you answer to.
Now, I going to bed. |
Carey
Veteran Poster
Username: Carey
Post Number: 873
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 01:04 am: |
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Thump Thump Thump
When I grow-UP, I want to be just like you, absent the voice of course *LOL* |
Hen81
Regular Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 78
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 11:30 am: |
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(Quote)Now that Urban literature is the hot black book form, how do you leave the cage?
Can you say Geneva Holiday? You get a pseudonym and write what you like. (Of course, there are no guarantees your literary agent or publisher will support you. In those cases, it's like starting from scratch, which means you might even have to (Gulp!) self publish it. Traditional publishing deals are too valuable to backtrack.)
Yes DT, you write what you like but if you want the traditional deal you might have to write what's most popular. Though there aren't many luxuries in non-traditional publishing, as this Blogging in Black post suggests (http://blogginginblack.com/?p=915), writing what you like without worrying about a publisher's acceptance is one of them.(Quote)
Emanuel you are on the money. I was at a book event sitting next to an author that had just finished a two book deal with a publisher. The publisher didn't pick up the third book of the series and it was self-published. One of the things the publisher recommended was more grit and more sex. That didn't get the contract renewed. I asked about the kind of support the publisher gave and the answer was very little. A national tour the author conducted was on the author's dime. This may not be the rule but it seems that little was gained.
It may be easier to get another deal after being traditionally published already. Maybe, maybe not. Most of the time I feel the real memorable work has something that the author does that is unique. Some get on and some don't. I got one unexpected crack in the door with my audio book deal. I'll keep plugging away with my somewhat multi-channel, multi-ethnic, reality inspired fiction approach. Obviously writing is something I enjoy but don't depend on to pay the bills.
www.DTPollard.com |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 10112
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 02:19 pm: |
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I can’t help but look askance at the somewhat self-congratulatory tone of Tyree’s article. But something he said resonate with me:
"This new form of 'street lit' began to remind me of a similar destruction of hip-hop, where the same ghettocentric stories began to take precedence over the creative perspectives and multi-faceted voices and subjects of our urban music. All of a sudden, you could not succeed as a rapper unless you had sold drugs, committed violent crimes, and claimed to be an unruly gangster, who had done hard time in prison. You couldn't rap about the normal joys of life anymore. These new kids on the block rejected how Ice Cube had had a good day, while preferring to hear how dark in hell it was for DMX."
Does Tyree draw a valid parallel here? |
Thumper
Veteran Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 525
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 04:26 pm: |
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Hello All,
Abm: To some Tyree made a valid parallel, but to what level is it accurate. On the surface it may seem that way, but I big to differ when it comes to hip hop and black literature. The point he made is somewhat true on a current, commercial level but is that really the destruction of hip hop OR does Tyree not know where to look for it. Listen hip hop and black lit is suffering from the same common denominator, white folks have now realize that they can make money from it. Note, that I did not say RESPECT it, or LAUDED it, or even care to cultivate it, its all about making money off of it. This is not the first time that this has happen, I dare say that it won't be the last.
I have an older brother who is all about hip hop, the true hip hop. He pointed out to me that the real hip hop is still alive and well, but you will not hear it on the radio, and it is not on the Def Jam or Jive record label. If you want to still hear new, for real hip hop, its still out on the street. And if going to the street of NYC or Detroit is too rough for you, or you don't know where to look, get on the computer - go across the sea and get some real hip hop. England, France, especially France, hip hop is still being produced and it is sounding wonderful! Talk about strange, I can hardly understand the words, but the beats are off the chain! The same with black lit, as I would say to Tyree, just because you don't know where to look to find it, does not mean that its not out there. If you don't know, ask some damn body. |
Hen81
Regular Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 79
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 04:43 pm: |
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I think there some validity to that parallel. His is not the first shot about this issue. Terry McMillian had her say but from the opposite side of the issue. Almost any new black singer that comes along feels obligated to put a guest rapper on their song just to feel safe. Those with an established brand don't have to follow that formula but some do it anyway.
It shows up in literature by established authors trying to become more "raw" and often it does not ring true to their readers. Now there are books from prison, former dealers, pimps, ex-prostittutes, ex-video,porn stars, this, that and the other. If I was in their spot I would write the books and make the money also. This is not saying that some of these writers don't have great talent. It just seems that a climate has been created to promote that as more "real" than if it was coming from someone that has not lived the tale. In turn some of the traditional standards of literature may be relaxed to get the books out and the money in.
In turn I think some of the pillars of the black writing community are somewhat stunned at what is grabbing shelf space and subsequent sales. They may be pondering if they can wait this out or has the landscape changed forever and they can try to adapt or accept that their heyday has passed.
www.DTPollard.com |
Thumper
Veteran Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 526
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 06:44 pm: |
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Hello All,
Hen81: You wrote, "It shows up in literature by established authors trying to become more "raw" and often it does not ring true to their readers. Now there are books from prison, former dealers, pimps, ex-prostittutes, ex-video,porn stars, this, that and the other. If I was in their spot I would write the books and make the money also."
If an author is really chasing the style, or sales, then it is quite clear that the author is in it for the money and not because he/she has that burning yearn to write. Those who write and who has received the calling to write, will write. The author will find his voice and once he has found it, will (or should) stay true to it. I haven't seen John Edgar Wideman come out with a pimp/video ho book yet. I haven't seen Toni Morrison or Alice Walker come out with one. And although Walter Mosley books have pimps and hos in them, that haven't stop him from writing his books. My point being, if Tyree wants to write a book, he'll write it. I think the word for it is Integrity.
It's not that I don't understand what you're saying. Many of us, on this board, has said it for years, YEARS. We knew it was coming. At first it use to get right up beside me. It came to me, one day, that I don't have to read it, or buy those books. If I get to the point where I'm not seeing any new works that looks like books I would read, I'll just start exploring again, finding out what the black folks in England is writing (I came across some excellent books like that - you all remember Trumpet by Jackie Kay). I wonder what the black folks in France or Germany, or South America, even Japan are writing. Hell, that's what the internet is for. The point is there are books, well written, intelligent, grammatically correct written books by black authors and when we find them, we tell each other about them.
I don't know what the pillars of the black writing community think about the urban street lit getting all of the shelf space it does. It would be good to ask. But, I can't help but to think that they survived, in some cases thrived, when the thought of them getting shelf space in Target or the bookstores in the airports was a frustrated dream. Yet, Charles Johnson survived, John Edgar Wideman survived, Maryse Conde survived, Ismael Reed survived. I had no trouble getting my copy of Toni Cade Bambara's Salt Eaters, or discovering J. California Cooper. I discovered all of the above mentioned authors on the shelves of Walden and Doubleday bookstores. I don't know if any of these authors became millionaires or not, but they kept writing anyway. I believe that's what it all boils down to, what did Tyree get into this business for to write or become a millionaire? |
A_womon
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 2316
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 08:07 pm: |
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So, Thumper. Did you read my book or not? |
Hen81
Regular Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 80
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 08:34 pm: |
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I somewhat see it as the changing of the guard along with a change in the avid consumer. When I was a big consumer of music I bought what was hot at the time. Other things have first call on my expendable income now. Those musicians that I used to support with purchases can barely get airplay now yet they see Little Wayne sell 1 million units in one week. Has their game changed or declined, no, the consumer has changed.
The literary side of that is how do you get Little Wayne's consumers to buy a book. To get the attention of some of them it takes something that will speak to some of the same tastes. That is where Urban literature has its appeal. There is a base out there for black literary work, it is just not the front burner fare right now.
A huge black authored breakthrough is needed. I know there are black authors that can turn out a Harry Potter, Davinci Code etc. Doing that will take someone going out on a limb because they will need to break through a lot of barriers, including publisher perceptions, to cross over worldwide.
In reality I think the rest of the literary world sees this as an inside our house fight over a limited piece of the total pie. That is probably the real issue, with work that has few legs beyond the core black audience and more authors piling in given ease of entry today, things get testy.
I belong to another author board that is mostly white and they have very little concept of Urban literature and what it is all about. Sometimes the gulf between the different genres is stunning. Black authors need/have to expand beyond their core and increase the size of the pie everyone is competing for. I always think about how well my work will travel when I do character and story line development. I am often selling to majority non-black audiences when I attend large state/city book festivals or set up in a Barnes and Nobles like I will be in 3 weeks.
www.DTPollard.com |
Thumper
Veteran Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 528
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 10:38 pm: |
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Hello,
A_womon: Don't pressure me. You won't like me when I'm pressured. |
A_womon
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 2317
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 11:40 pm: |
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I didn't think that was pressure. I thougth it was a question, since you were mentioning all the books you read. So forget I asked. I won't be asking again. |
Ferociouskitty
Veteran Poster
Username: Ferociouskitty
Post Number: 293
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 - 09:16 am: |
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And although Walter Mosley books have pimps and hos in them, that haven't stop him from writing his books. My point being, if Tyree wants to write a book, he'll write it. I think the word for it is Integrity.
This caught me. Think about the times that Mosley has "strayed" from the Easy Rawlins series and that ilk. From what I can tell, he did it from a creative, personal perspective, and didn't feel the need to write an article about his decision, the industry, readers, other writers, etc., in the process. Which adds another strike to the "Omar Tyree/self-serving/self-aggrandizing" column.
Speaking of which, I enjoyed "Killing Johnny Fry" as a departure for Mosley. I also found his "This Year You Write Your Novel" book brief but helpful. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 12391
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 - 04:34 pm: |
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Mosley certainly diversifies the genres he writes in. I liked the off-beat "The Man in My Basement" by him. |
Urbanreviews
Regular Poster
Username: Urbanreviews
Post Number: 51
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: 
Votes: 3 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 12:56 pm: |
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We just talked about this same topic in my group. Here's my take on this.
I was an avid Omar Tyree fan. I read A Do Right Man, Single Mom which were excellent reads. But then Omar went downhill with Sweet St. Louis which was a horrible love story. I gave him another chance with For the Love of Money but that was disappointing. I just keep remembering Omar kept mentioning himself all through the book which irritated me. I haven't read anything else by him since then. He's arrogant. I read an article a year or two ago where he called himself the "father of urban fiction"!!!
It's funny how he mentions people like Terri Woods, Vickie Stringer, Shannon Holmes, and K'wan were inspired by his urban writing. I've done online Q&A's or audio interviews with some of these same writers and when you ask them who inspired them to write, Omar's name does not come up. The author's names that do come up is Donald Goines, Iceberg Slim, and even Sister Soulja. This is another sign of his warped mentality. I think he's also upset because he tried to make Fly Girl a brand and to make his books into movies and it didn't work out. It's like he kept shoving the whole Flyy Girl series down people's throats which left a bad taste in the mouths of many.
The bottom line is this: Omar Tyree has pissed off his core fan base for years and he's ignored it. His fans over the years have become more and more upset at his writing. It has nothing to do with his fans wanting more street lit or erotica either. They wanted more of his earlier writing. A good author can and has the right to try new things when they are writing their books. But a good author also recognizes who his core fan base is and gives his fans what they want.
Radiah |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 7094
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 01:48 pm: |
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If authors want to write about pimps, hos, drug dealers, and golddiggers instead of BEING pimps, hos, drug dealers, and golddiggers more power to them
(WORD!
Somebody ought to send this thread to Tyree--it would build some character in him) |
Troy
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 1381
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 11:37 pm: |
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Thumper, please, I don't care about any negativity that might come my way because you expressed your opinion.
I think everyone makes some very valid points here. I agree with much of what was said. Of course, Omar did not start the genre. Of course there are more books and greater variety than a decade ago.
Urbanreviews' post most accurately reflects what I hear from readers. With all due respect to Omar, his latest books are simply not that good relative to his earlier efforts, but more importantly, relative to everything else that is available. Omar is simply "suffering" from stiffer competition.
I've observed Omar's career over the past decade. I first met Omar at an event in Philly 1999, almost 9 years to the day (http://aalbc.com/events/author.htm), and have seen him at many events since. I used to call Omar the hardest working man in publishing -- arguably he was. The day of that Philly event, after doing a reading, Omar got into a car and drove to another event to recite his poetry.
Kwame Alexander, took me along to ride with him and Omar to the poetry venue. During the entire drive Omar talked about his strategic and long term plans: what he was going to do next and how he was going to do it. I was still trying the figure where I was going to eat lunch and this man was laying the plans for his future success. Omar is DRIVEN.
A large part of Omar's success has to do with his drive. If you've ever heard him speak you'd understand. He is opinionated, believes what he says is right to the point of arrogance. However Omar is a compelling and energetic speaker -- even if you find yourself disagreeing with what he says. Omar is also a great self promoter to the point of coming across as egotistical.
In today's environment, many authors have the same drive Omar has, and then some. Authors Like Relentless Aaron, for example, make Omar Tyree look like he is on tranquilizers.
It is interesting how some people can read Omar's piece and applaud it while others find it so egotistical as to be amusing.... or sad.
Much of the discrepancy depends upon one's level of knowledge of the industry.
Chris Omar's valid address may be found on his web site: http://www.omartyree.com/biography.html if you want to forward this conversation to him. If you think this is going to cause him to pause, reflect and potentially change his way of thinking, don't hold you breathe homeboy ain't built that way. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 12394
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 03, 2008 - 02:27 pm: |
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Most writers are ego-driven. The minute they start putting down words on a blank piece of paper, they have convinced themselves that the world is waiting to read what they will write. And they are less inclined to believe that readers are doing them a favor by reading their books and stories and articles.
Somebody should remind Omar Tyree that he would be no where without his readers, and it is not their fault if what he writes or says no longer compels them. |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 3041
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 03, 2008 - 04:18 pm: |
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A good author can and has the right to try new things when they are writing their books. But a good author also recognizes who his core fan base is and gives his fans what they want.
Amen, Urbanreviews. When I think of this phenomenon of authors "branching out" and their fan base not liking it, I am always reminded of Stephen King's "Misery." I may be saying something unpleasant about myself ( ), but I could actually relate to the Annie character for the fantasy she represented for fans everywhere. An author, musician, or any artist has the right to do whatever they want to express their creativity. And the consuming public has the right to pass.
...And the artist has the right to express frustration at this. And the consuming public, in turn, has the right to say "tough tookies."
Now, I have never read any of Omar Tyree's stuff, and have never wanted to. But as a result of this conversation I am very intrigued and just may pick up one of his books on my way out of the library.
So it's all good! LOL |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 7106
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 07, 2008 - 10:09 am: |
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am always reminded of Stephen King's "Misery." I may be saying something unpleasant about myself (), but I could actually relate to the Annie character for the fantasy she represented for fans everywhere
(Misery is one of my favorite Stephen King books--it was a "valentine" to some of his crazed, obsessive fans.
i thought it was funny as hell.
If you can relate to the Annie character you need help--
We knew that, though, didn't we) |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 3049
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 07, 2008 - 12:39 pm: |
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If you can relate to the Annie character you need help
...so says the vampire advocate. Anyway, I already admitted as much. I bet there are others out there, though, who love the fantasy at least of locking up their favorite author or musician and punishing them for indulging in something very different than what fans have come to love them for. (And usually at the same time, lambasting the public for not getting into their New Thing.) |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 3050
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 07, 2008 - 12:42 pm: |
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Misery is one of my favorite Stephen King books
Me too. I also thought it was one of the better movie adaptations. The Shining is my all-time favorite King book--and probably my all-time least favorite movie adaptation. The way they did Scatman's character was just criminal. |
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