To listen to recording of the show, click play below:
Grateful to my hosts and friends, Curtis L. Williams and Geraldine West Hudley for this wonderful opportunity to connect with listeners in southwest Georgia and beyond. I was born and raised in Albany, GA and the area is the main setting for my debut novel, Peach Seed Monkey, which was recently acquired by Retha Powers of Holt Publishing for publication spring 2023.
Curtis L. Williams is an author, playwright, director and Professor Emeritus of Speech and Theater at Albany State University. Geraldine West Hudley is a former Dougherty County School System middle school principal, and former adjunct professor at Albany State University. She is in her second term as a member of Dougherty County Board of Education. In addition to acting, she is legendary for her deep community involvement politically and civically.
It was exciting to chat with these two powerhouses about the novel’s genesis and growth in addition to reading a scene. But more exciting was the bonus: we were regaled with a table read of a scene from Chapter 12. Curtis L. read Fletcher Dukes and Geraldine read Olga Dukes (Not to worry: no spoilers!) As an added bonus, reading the part of Narrator, they were joined by local south Georgia actress, Betty Vaughn Sweat, known for roles in The Occultist, Have Plenty, and Law & Order.
This was a first for me — hearing actors read the work with colloquial flavor. I was enraptured and grateful for the collaboration.
During the radio show, I give well-deserved thanks and kudos to my dear friend, A.J. Verdelle, novelist, professor, and revision guru. Over a five year period via Zoom, phone, snail mail and email, A. J. plotted, coached and badgered* me about how a novel works. (*her words)
There was not enough on the air for the story of how A. J. and I met. I want to take the time here to tell it:
In April 2012, another dear friend, storyteller Diane Ferlatte, forwarded an email with this subject line: “You gots to hear this Sistah!” The message included a link to the video at the end of this post: poet Nikky Finney’s astounding acceptance speech when her book, Head Off and Split, won the 2011 National Book Award for Poetry. In her speech, Nikky thanks A.J. Verdelle whose editing prowess shaped the book.
Just so happened that what would become a life-changing email coincided with my search for an editor to help take my fledgling manuscript, Peach Seed Monkey, to the next level. Not long before, I had sent this wish out into the universe: I wanted a Black, female editor with connections to the South so that we could speak a type of shorthand. This was a daunting task considering the predominantly White publishing industry. A search turned up A.J.’s 1998 coming-of-age novel, The Good Negress. I ordered a pristine, autographed copy and devoured it, mesmerized by the writing. Then I stumbled upon this quote from Nikky Finney: “A.J. Verdelle teaches revision as an art.” This left me even more certain that by hook or crook, I had to connect with A.J. I drafted a letter, included my one-page synopsis and sent it to her via her publisher, Algonquin. Four months later, she emailed me and we began working. And now, ten years after we met, I have a two-book deal and A.J.’s new book, Miss Chloe: A Memoir of a Literary Friendship with Toni Morrison, will be in bookstores May 10, 2022. Can’t wait to buy this book!
I’m deeply grateful to A.J. for her faith in the work and her dedication to craft. (IMHO: MasterClass should be knocking down her door!) One thing I learn over and over again along this journey rings true in this quote from James Baldwin:
Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but most of all, endurance.