“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ~ George Orwell

Moonlight, Bluestone, Pearl: What's in a Name?

What’s in a Name? Pt. 4: Moonlight, Rondo, Pearl

My love for Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight and how I came up with the names for my novels Bluestone Rondo and The Weight of a Pearl. I hope Barry Jenkins discovers this blog entry so that he can tell me all the deeper meanings of his amazing story and how it became a personal memoir!

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Native Son - Walker Smith Books

What’s in a Name? Pt. 2: Native Son

Native Son by Richard Wright – Reading a Richard Wright novel is torture. That is why he is one of my favorite authors. He doesn’t just describe what the characters feel; Wright makes you put on their skin, drink their poison, and suffer every hot, jagged stab of their existence.

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What's in a name - walker smith books

What’s in a Name? Pt. 1

What’s in a name? Do you ever wonder what’s behind the title of a book or a film? At a recent book reading, I was asked how I came up with the titles for my novels.

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Gay in America Before “Out” was “In”

The Stonewall Uprising occurred in 1969. Gay-bashing was suddenly all over the news, although it had been going on for decades. The word “pride” was used strictly in the context of “that’s my boy!” — but only if you were a straight boy.

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The Original “La Causa”

In a world split by lies disguised as truth, where do we turn? Why should we stand up for Dreamers and immigrant families divided by manufactured fear? Why should we stand up for families of color ripped apart by street executions with no due process? Why should we vote?

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The Power of Words

We all know the connotations attached to words like “black” and “dark.” And what about Negro? The dictionary tells us

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