Planes, Trains & Really Expensive Cabs

It started with my wrap. I had gotten my hair done and because I didn't want it to lose its bounce once I slept on the curls, I asked the Dominican stylist to swirl and pin it up into a "doobie" cone on my head. When I got to LaGuardia I knew the pins would set the metal detectors off, but I was prepared to deal with the expected light frisk to keep my hair intact. All I can say is "Wasn't worth it."

After shrugging sheepishly at the security guard, pointing to my head, and explaining, "It's the pins," I was asked to stand in some glass case-looking contraption, then moved to a seated area just off to the side of the X-Ray machine where I was given a full patdown and wanded over with that light saber looking detector. Okay, whatever. A few passengers shot me nervous glances, but once I moved to the boarding gate, my little roll-on carry-on suitcase in tow, it was cool and my precious wrap was still in tact.

Anyway, you know how tickets have designations like "Zone 1" and "Zone 2" etc? Well, make sure yours says "Zone 1", if you can. Mine said "Zone 5" which means I was among the last batch of passengers to board the flight. Usually I don't care when I get on the plane, and actually prefer to board after people have, for the most part, settled themselves and stowed their overhead luggage, but this time, because this plane was such a little clipper, by the time I got to the plane door, an airline rep stopped us to tell us there was no more room in the overhead compartments. We would have to check our things.

I had a bad feeling. I NEVER check my things because I hate waiting for my stuff at Baggage Claim -- I like my travel experience to end as quickly as possible when I get off the aircraft/vehicle. But I forced the negative premonitions of lost luggage away and took my window seat. So when I saw that empty baggage carousel conveyor-belting in circles I was pissed. At the airline lady who'd insisted my carry-on would be checked all the way to Maryland's BWI airport, and at myself for not insisting that I could tuck my bag under the seat (which I prolly could've).

Anyhoo, the baggage complaint lady at the airport was really assuring as I described my situation. She was so cool I almost asked if I could borrow the comb on the counter next to her. Because YES. Along with my emergency copies of Powder Necklace (in case there was a mix-up at the festival and my books didn't show), my Powder Necklace banner which I hoped to hang at the reading I was doing later that night, and my heels and dress for the event, the COMB I had planned to use to unravel my doobie into a bouncing shiny shawl of hair was in the missing bag. GRRRR!

I couldn't fix my mouth to ask for the comb so instead I asked for the cab stand as my panel was in an hour and I was officially cutting it close on time. Another "Wasn't worth it" moment. LOL. That cab from BWI to the Largo, MD Borders where the Capital Book Festival was in full, glorious swing, was $100!

Whatever, I made it to the festival and it was great. Outside the Borders Bookstore, book tables were set up and a good-sized crowd of people were milling between the tables and the events taking place inside the Borders. Even though I felt I looked crazy with my finger-combed hair, and was shorter than I like without my heels on, I went to say hi to the familiar faces I'd met in Harrisburg, greet festival founder Kwame Alexander, and get ready for my panel.

Once I saw that the bookstore had several copies of Powder Necklace on hand, I relaxed a little and wandered over to soap opera actress and activist Victoria Rowell's panel at the front of the store. She was fantastic and inspiring. Promoting her book Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva, she spoke passionately about the racism she experienced working on The Young and the Restless. I couldn't believe some of the things she said my favorite characters had done! Wow.

I sat on a panel with three other authors -- Kea Taylor, Tracye McQuirter, and Kevin Wayne Johnson -- moderated by Miss Ella Curry. Our panel was on "The Writing Life: Stories on Getting Published and Selling Books" and it was a lively and informative discussion for me as well as the attendees I think. We had all published different genres of books so I think we all had something useful to share. Kea's book is called I Still Do: A Celebration of African American Weddings and its a beautiful coffee table book of photographs. Tracye wrote a book called By Any Greens Necessary sharing recipes and other useful tips to transitioning to a healthier plant-based diet. Kevin was the veteran among us. His book Give God the Glory is part of a nine-book series that's been translated into a gazillion languages.

After the reading, and post-reading signing, I did my usual: stalk the shelves and make my sales pitch to customers. I was selling books, and checking my cell furiously for word from the airline about my bag. I was anxious about the the time and cab to DC too! I had a 6PM reading in Georgetown and if the cab from Maryland Point A to Maryland Point B was so expensive, I was freaking out about how much the cab to DC would cost. Anyway, so I was selling books, and around 4:30 I got the good news that my luggage had been delivered. I left Largo shortly after guided by a WONDERFUL angel of a woman who put me on the train from Largo to DC and then got off stops earlier than she needed to, to put me in a cab. The cab was normal-priced (thank God!), but it was like five minutes to 6 when I got to my hotel.

I checked in, changed in lightning speed, and raced to Presse Bookstore for the reading which was thankfully three blocks from my hotel. Turnout was low, but the energy was high. Some great friends I hadn't seen in AGES were sitting patiently waiting for my late ass to show. (It was so good to see them.) The good thing about the intimate setting was I could take a load off and engage on a deeper level. We spoke about everything from the process of getting Powder Necklace published to my second book. One attendee, a Ghanaian textile historian, then gave us an impromptu history lesson on the origin of the kente cloth. It was fascinating!

Anyway, after a long day, we all went out for dinner and yakked it up into the night. The next morning, I got on the plane headed back to LaGuardia and don't you know they made me check my bag again. The good news is my carry-on made it, as did I.

To PA with Love

This past Saturday I went to downtown Harrisburg, PA for the Capital Book Fest held at the State Museum of Pennsylvania. After speaking on a panel with fellow authors including Tinesha Davis and reading a short excerpt from the book, I went to work. I laid my table with my banner and books, then stopped every book lover that passed by with a "Can I tell you a little about my book?"

The college summers I logged as a retail sales assistant came in handy as I stood in my 4 1/2 inch wedge heel platforms for the next six hours pitching passersby. I must have spoken with over 100 people working hard to connect with each person for the few minutes they gave me their attention. By the end of the day, I found that my most successful pitches got to the point quickly (what the book is about); revealed my humanity (why I needed to write it); and made no assumptions about who the story might resonate with based on their look.

Whether they were wearing the modest long sleeved maxi dresses and bonnets of the Mennonite/Amish; tugging children and grandchildren behind them; or boasting tattoo sleeves, I approached every person that passed with my story and they returned the favor. I met a woman who could identify with the "broni" feeling I detail in the book because she had lived in Japan for years; a Finnish man who marveled at the American race problem even as he recounted stories of his school days with a Nigerian mate; an English teacher on the hunt for stories that would boost the self-esteem of her youngsters; a woman wearing impossibly high wedge heels too...

The story was the same on Sunday at my in-store signing at Willow Grove Mall. I spoke at length with a woman who hosted a Ghanaian family and had been in Ghana in August too visiting them. It turns out that her family friends know my Uncle Abeeku (the one I thank at the end of my acknowledgments). I met a man who had traveled across West Africa in the '90s overseeing the maintenance of road works machinery. I signed a book for a professor who teaches a course on chocolate. And I listened as another man shared that he had never thought he would amount to anything -- but he did and he have God the glory for it. I wanted to keep connecting with this generous cross-section of people and ended up staying in Willow Grove two hours longer than I'd planned.

I'm looking forward to my next scheduled Capital Book Fest date in Largo, MD and reading/signing at DC's Presse Bookstore.

Bringing Powder Necklace Home

I just completed a 10-day tour in Ghana promoting Powder Necklace! It was a truly amazing experience. I was on radio, morning television, evening entertainment segments all leading up to the book launch at Silverbird Lifestyle Bookstore in Accra and for each event my mom & I gently discussed what I would wear.

For my first appearance on eTV's "Awake", I wore a Ghanaian print dress with flirty ruffle action on top. That got a nod of approval. But I got a partial side eye when I wore my cigarette pantsuit - also Ghanaian print - to appear on TV Africa's "Daybreak", but my mom let it go, as she did when I wore a Ghanaian print jumpsuit to a radio appearance and an impromptu television interview.

When I wore the woven batakari that once belonged to my Dad as a minidress, my mother was none too pleased. "In Ghana we don't wear it like that," she bemoaned, just as she has in the States when I've worn this same outfit. I probably should have listened to her and just worn something else because I got more than a few looks of confusion, surprise, even irritation in that get-up. My grandmother also gave my parents a talking to for letting me out of the house wearing it. Lol. Oh well, I wore it on the popular TGIF hosted by a tres cool cat who goes by his initials: KSM.

So come launch day at Silverbird I didn't want to show my mom the white buubuu I planned to wear. "In Ghana we don't wear buubuus for things like this," she reminded me when I showed up in the flowing white dress with embroidered collar. To appease her I took the pin out of my hair and let it fall in dolly curls to my shoulders even as I let my mom know a new Ghanaian was in the building.

That ended up being the refrain of this trip for me. In interview after interview I found myself defending/defensive about my Ghanaianness. I published the book in the States versus Ghana because I live in New York. Minus 1. I came to Ghana to launch my book even though I could have left the word to spread online. Plus 1. I attended secondary school in Ghana. Plus 1. I left for the States to go to college. Minus 1...

Wearing the batakari on TGIF KSM

Off camera, it was the same thing. When I tried to negotiate with a cab driver or a seller in the market - forget it. Even when I spoke the Twi or Ewe I could muster it was a mess. I was being charged the broni tax for not understanding that you don't wear a batakari as a dress for example.

That said, there were some things I didn't understand that worked in my favor. Apparently, at book launches in Ghana books are auctioned off. Nice! I was able to raise a good chunk of change for my alma mater Mfantsiman Girls' Secondary. My experience at Mfantsiman was utterly life-changing and in celebrationof its 50th Anniversary it felt great to be able to give back in some small way.

Speaking of Mfantsiman, returning to the school to commemorate its 50 years was a full circle moment for me in pretty much every sense of the word. First of all we stayed in the dorms and for two days I slept on a bunk and fetched water for my bath in the bathhouse. I almost left after day one as the, accommodations were a little too nostalgic for me. But once I reconnected with some old mates, I decided to get into it. Besides the dorms had vastly improved and we were staying in the newly built Yeboah House. An old dormmate remarked, "I'm so glad you wrote the book as none of the current students know what we went through."

Indeed 17 years later the school appears to be in MUCH better shape. There are two more dorms to alleviate the crowding and that well - the hideous well that we fought to fetch from in my day - has been broken down as there is no longer a need for it. Water tanks are all over the place - a few for each dorm. And water even flowed from the taps though water pressure is still an issue on some parts of campus.

The chapel is still the same size as it was when I was there, but they've added adjacent patio seating that seems to work okay for now. The dining hall is still the same size too so the girls eat in shifts. They've built sinks just outside the hall though so girls can wash their flatware and cutlery before heading off to classes or evening prep.

There's still room for improvement though. There are only 40 computers for nearly 2000 students and the computer room which was recently broken into is kept locked up. A student told me they only get in about once a week. How can these girls compete when they don't have regular computer access? Additionally, for all the renovations going on, many of the classrooms are in worse shape than they were when I was a student. As I walked the campus though I silently commended the unseen peeps who made sure those water tanks were put in place for the current students and realized that things don't just get better, we make them better. To that end, I'm committed to doing what I can to help make things better. I don't know how exactly yet, but I'll keep you posted.

On "Day Break" hosted by Esi Arhin

Anyway, my final event in Ghana was a reading that Binyavanga Wainaina helped hook-up for me with the Writers Project of Ghana, an awesome organization of Ghanaian artists that threw their arms open for me. I read a few snippets of the book on their radio show on Ghana's Citi FM, and read more at the Nubuke Foundationa really peaceful outdoor space where I'm told they have open mics and other art events in Accra. It was a highly interactive reading as the audience peppered me with tough and insightful questions. "Why'd you call it 'rural'?" "What did you expect to find in Ghana when you first came?" But not one person in the crowd asked me to prove my Ghanaianness.

Powder Necklace Pierced Amazon's Bestseller List!

For a hot minute, thanks to you, Powder Necklace was on Amazon's Top 100 Bestseller list!! Thanks to every single one of you who Facebooked it, bought it, tweeted it, reviewed it, and recommended it. Please help me keep the momentum going and tell your friends to put it on their summer reading and book club lists, pick it up as a gift, and otherwise support. I'm happy to call or Skype into book club meetings, answer any questions you have about the book/my writing & publishing process, or to sign copies of the book and mail it back to you. Let me know!

And thanks again!

Read Bernice L. McFadden's "Black Writers in a Ghetto of the Publishing Industry's Making"

A few quotes to chew on from Bernice L. McFadden's Washington Post op-ed "Black Writers in a Ghetto of the Publishing Industry's Making":

"the work of many African American authors... has been lumped into one heap known as 'African American literature.' This suggests that our literature is singular and anomalous, not universal. It is as if we American authors who happen to be of African descent are not a people but a genre much like mystery, romance or thriller."

"Walk through your local chain bookstore and you will not see sections tagged British Literature, White American Literature, Korean Literature, Pakistani Literature and so on."

"For various reasons, the average, struggling, non-morbid Negro is the best-kept secret in America."

Leave That 9-5 Up on the Shelf

...And just enjoy yourself!

It's been a CRAZY coupla weeks and I have so much to report! Come out to the Kente Cloth Festival party hosted by KenCar Fashion Magazine tonight and I'll fill you in on all the deets. If you can't make it out, they'll be streaming it live on the internet, so check it out and watch me do my very bad rendition of the adowa.

My sister-scribe, the genius Ayesha Harruna Attah will be in the house autographing her brilliant novel Harmattan Rain which was shortlisted for the prestigious Comonwealth Writers Prize so come support two authors and get your dance on too.

More to report after this weekend which includes:

1) doing a video shoot at Girls Write Now, the awesome org I volunteered with for four years where I had the pleasure of mentoring four sharp and insanely talented young women;
2) playing model and signing books for tomorrow afternoon's Beleza fundraiser for Manhattan's New Design High School
3) and cheering on Ghana's Black Stars in this afternoon's World Cup game!!!!

USA, you know I love you, but I'm rooting for the Black Stars today.

My Mother Just Set Up a Reading For Me!

My mother was at the Borders Express in Green Acres Mall yesterday afternoon and asked for a copy of Powder Necklace. When the manager led her to the book, Mommy proceeded to let her know she didn't like where it was placed in the bookstore; then she suggested I do a reading. Then my mom called me at work and put the manager on the phone with me to firm up the logistics!

I'll be reading on July 10th at 2pm. If you're in the Queens, NY/Valley Stream, Long Island area that day, come through!