3/15 Reading at Larema Recap

It's been a week now since my most recent reading at Larema Coffee House in Wilson, NC. When I read there last time I made the trek by myself. There was an accident on the road and I feared I would be late, so I messaged Rob, the organizer of the event, from the road, and was worried as I drove and waited for him to respond. This time around I had a beautiful co-pilot. Elisha came with me and we took the highway which was much easier to navigate and much freer of certain political signs that I couldn't help but notice the last time I made the trip through residential areas. It's not lost on me that having Elisha there helped me feel at ease and like I knew where I was going and what I was doing. And it wasn't like I had started out the day feeling that way. 

I decided to read a segment from a short story that was titled "The Bennett Pennant," before I read it and is now titled "Winning." The story talks about what it would be like for Black man to be elected governor in the state of North Carolina. It mentions a youthful indiscretion that occurred in eastern North Carolina and shows a narrative arc of self acceptance that takes place years later. Part of why we're able to forgive the character as he forgives himself is that Eastern NC has historically been a difficult place for Black people. I was nervous about pointing this out in the very place I was criticizing. And I didn't realize how nervous I was until I got to Elisha's house. She was still getting ready in the mirror, but told me she had gotten a deal on a brand new iPhone which was sitting in a box on a table in her kitchen. I picked it up and immediately dropped it on the floor. She reacted accordingly. But soon afterward we laughed about it and she forgave me. Then we left and made the trip. 

I was happy to see Rob, Ashley-Ruth Bernier, and Richard Dansky who I read with the last time I was at Larema. It was great to see Katy Munger there too along with her daughter. Katy read one of the first novels I ever wrote and gave me good and thoughtful feedback on it. It's been fun to be in community with her as I've gotten into doing these Noir at the Bar readings. I met some new writers at this event too. Jes Malitoris, Mikah Meyers, and Loup Gajigianis each brought something unique to the reading with fantastical and poetic stories that took us to new worlds and opened our eyes to metaphors that seemed both sublime and essential. We didn't have a mic stand so we had to hold the mic. I pulled the staple out of my excerpt thinking I would turn the pages by hand and let them land in a pile. I was going to be the second to last person to read, but ended up being the last after a writer named Mur wasn't able to make it. Just as Rob began to read my bio, one of the restaurant staff announced that they were closed and that members of the audience needed to bring their plates and flatware to a bussing station near the back. Rob patiently waited as we all did so. I appreciate this because it would have been difficult to read as everyone was cleaning up. I also appreciate Larema staying open late so that I could read. I got up there and, even though it was a little difficult to turn the pages, I read the excerpt.

Afterward, I got a lot of positive feedback. People told me that they enjoyed it and that it was meaningful. I read the central part of the story because I didn't want to go over the amount of time I'd been allotted. But after the reading and the responses I got, and maybe even a few rejections on other stories, I began to look for books and articles about what makes a good short story. I realized that maybe the parts I'd cut off of the original story weren't essential. After some small edits, I came up with a new version of the story that was essentially, what I'd read at the reading. Then I submitted it to a few places. I'm still waiting to hear back. But it's all a part of the journey I began in 2014 when I took a guided meditation and realized I wanted to write full time. The journey continues with AWP in Los Angeles next week. I’ll be an HBCU Fellowship Program fellow. Two of my colleagues, Dr. Nathan Dixon and Dr. Jonah Mixon-Webster will also be at the conference. We’re planning to convene at the HBCU MFA Think Tank. If you're going to be there and would like to meet up, feel free to shoot me a line using the information on the contact page.