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June 22, 2005 Sometimes I get out on Saturday morning’s and I peruse used record stores for particular r & b albums. I usually come home with a few hidden gems as well. On the book front, I'm a member of two writer’s groups and I often run across undiscovered talent. One such author of note is one-name wonder and New Jersey native, Walee. His first book, “Confession Is Good For The soul,” put the poet/essayist/songwriter on the literary map. The book was a risqué romp through the realm of love, told from a black and unique perspective. His sophomore effort, “What’s On The Menu? All Of Me!” (iUniverse, ISBN 0-595-39041-2) is a full plate of sweet, sordid and sexual servings cooked up by a wordsmith who is funny, poignant, at times religious, reflective and with enough bad-boy thrown in to please every palate. His diversity is best reflected in works like "A Mother’s Lament," "Bigger Is Better, Isn’t It?," and "Jackie’s Jook Joint." The first piece is an all-too familiar ghetto tragedy of mothers who love too much; the second is a funny and poignant essay of male self-discovery, hang-ups and a look at how men sometimes define their manhood. The “Jook Joint” piece is a humorous salute to the membership of his writers group, and places the reader in the midst of the club, so much so you can literally smell the cigar smoke. Walee’s strongest asset is his no-subject-is-taboo perspctives on love and sex. "Menu" isn't for the faint of heart: As the back cover warns, be afraid. Be very afraid.” The best example is”Mmm, Mmm, Good!,” where a bit of light-hearted boasting mingles with strong imagery: “…There is no use in denying you the taste of this double dipped scoop of chocolate deluxe/and there is no use in delaying the spasms caused by multiple orgasms resulting in a luminous flux/so give in to your temptation/taste me, and smack your lips in content/don’t try to act shy now/I’m not R. Kelly and you are way past the age of consent.” In the title poem, Walee makes reference to, “Earth shattering, eruption splattering, leading to an operatic scatting of…Yodel-ay, Yodel-ay-ee-Ooooh!” On the other hand, there is a softer side, including a work where he waxes eloquent on Rosa Parks: “She simply said “NO”/wasn’t loud about it/didn’t have to shout about it/didn’t get all ignorant about it…and a revolution was born/Rest now, Mother of the Revolution.” “A Miranda Warning” is a poem that might give the faint of heart cardiac arrest, where the play on the police admonition is loaded with clever sexual quips and imagery. And there’s a little something for the ladies as well, in particular “I Just Want To Thank You,” and “Whatever You Do, Don’t Look Him In The Eyes.” Walee is part of a new cadre of black poets and novelists focusing on the more explicit aspects of romance and relationships. His work is a definite “must add” to any collection. Sydney Molare’s “The Devil’s Orchestra” (Fishbowl International, Inc. ISBN 0-976-5699-1), is a surreal horror tale centered on three characters: The appropriately named r and b sensation, Deva; popular disc jockey and closet racist, Tab McGrifith and a best-selling alternative lifestyle author, Juan Rodriguez. The lives of the three commingle after old friends request a sudden meeting at a run-down, roadside bar known as The Shoat’s Head . The past relationships of the three are explored and set up the key point in the story: The reason for the coming together. It turns out that each has attained their notoriety by unwittingly selling their souls to the devil. Molare’s characters are well developed, the dialogue crisp; however, it takes a while before we get to the meat of the story. The wait, however, is worth it as Molare creates a morality tale without being preachy (She called the book, “Quasi-Christian fiction”). Rather, “The Devil’s Orchestra” provides food for thought: What price fame? Without giving away the ending, the three are forced to make a choice between the kingdom of Hades and Hell on earth. A nice twist at the end will leave the reader satisfied and salivating with anticipation of her next project. Molare has a hypnotic style, but I thought the chapters were a bit too short. Even though she seems to flit from scene-to-scene, she maintains the continuity of the tale. I wish the book had been longer and furthermore, would work as a movie script. Her narrative is vivid and would translate to film quite easily. Again, urban literature is more than gangsters, guns and gore; but rather, there is undiscovered talent that deserves a broader audience. Molare has authored several other books as well, including “Grandmama’s Mojo Is Still: Working” and “Small Packages.” It is but a matter of time before she finds herself walking the same trail as Nikki Turner, Vicki Stringer and other notable black female authors. ------------ About the author: Timothy N. Stelly, Sr. is a 46-year old poet, novelist and aspiring screenwriter who resides in northern California with his three youngest children--Lawrence, Kimberly and Dante. He is a member of various writer's groups and has three novels in print, his most recent, "Like A Straight-Up Sucka," is available at www.lulu.com. website: http://stellbreadO@tripod.com Email: stellbread@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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