What's your name?
Robert
Fleming
How do you think of yourself in
connection to your community? How does community affect your
writing?
I
think I have some responsibility to the community,
politically, morally, and even literary.
That has always informed my work. The community has
always nourished me. It has sustained me through rough
times.
Who has been your writing
influences?
Too
numerous to mention. I have worked through many influences
to get my style. It's
like a jazz trumpeter, who has toiled through several
apprenticeships to get where he is.
What are your working habits?
Write
and read in the am, before noon. Walk about. In the evening,
I read over what I wrote and make adjustments.
Was it important to do the AA
handbook?
At the time, there was nothing out there like that. It was
the first. I wanted to write a writers' handbook
pertaining to black writers. I wanted to give crucial
information, data about writers, agents, publishers,
as well as some of the history of the black writers
past. I had fun researching some of the old school
writers, but you know I found out that some of the
struggles and challenges were shared by us. The fact that
the thin line between commercial and trash was perplexing
to them ... that was
interesting. Langston,
Zora, James Weldon Johnson, even Frank Yerby fought with that
question.
What has been the reception of
the writers and the stores?
Even
when the AA handbook came out, the stores didn't know what
to do with it. They did not know how to promote
the book. I did everything I could to bolster it but it
did only light sales. It's funny. In recent years,
now the book has found a market and sales have picked
up.
Has the book
kept pace with the writers and the current market?
I don't know. The book was not designed to predict trends
or fads. The publishing industry is very fickle. It
goes through turns and twists. And that's ok. The busy writer
has to find a style, a voice, and his own audience. If he
does that, then he's ok and if he doesn't, then he
should take up plumbing or bus driving.
Are you proud of the
book?
Oh yes, I'm very proud. I think it served a purpose and
still does. I know it's quite an impressive
achievement. It has facts and solutions that still stand
the test of time.
Will you be updating
the book?
I don't know. I would love to do that but the publishing
house is owned by another crew. The Europeans. Also,
the book didn't have the numbers that would justify a
tune-up. But still, I would love to update the book with
new facts, new writers, and personalities.
What is the name of your
latest work, and what is the story about? What is the
theme?
I'm
in the process of writing a Cole Riley novel, Guilty As Sin.
It's about a house jacking where five convicts invade a
home and take the family prisoner. It's about the nature of
evil.
Why did you choose this
particular genre?
Maybe
because I was a crime reporter for a New York newspaper.
I've always had a fascination with crime, evildoers,
and redemption. And justice and all it involves.
How did the inspiration
for this book come to you?
From
the stories and experiences I've had in this city.
Why do you love your main
character?
I
hate him and all he conjures up.
What societal or emotional
issues are working against your characters?
Poverty,
sexism, racism, intolerance, sadism, and evil.
Does your book have a
villain?
He embodies the Antichrist. He destroys everything he
touches.
Are you very political?
I reckon so.
How does your spirituality
affect your work?
I know right from wrong. I know the gray areas. I try to
explore those frontiers.
How long did it take you
to finish this book? What spiritual journeys did you have to
work through in order to finish it?
It's taken me about six months. It's made me confront
evil. This is the sixth Cole Riley novel I've written.
But I've never gone over the top like this. It's fun yet
scary.
What do you think is the
power of art in our society? Does art have any drawbacks for
your personally or in society?
Art is a sideshow. Politics is the main course. Even
culture has taken second place. There
is a tyranny of religion and it is affecting everything.
It's intolerant, narrow, all-powerful, and a cousin of
evil. Artists are almost freaks. They really don't matter anymore
because there are so many diversions.
What would you tell other
writers or artists out there?
Keep
your head down and work. Work like your life depends on it.
Write, paint, play music, or art like it is breath
itself. We don't have time to waste.
Where do you see yourself
in the framework of modern writers?
I guess I have made a slight difference. I really can't
see myself in the fog of this modern, hyped-up world.
Have you had any reader
feedback about your book? What have the critics said about
it? Is there anything that has surprised you about the
audience for your book?
My
new book, Fever in the Blood, is just coming out. Criticism
has been good so far. Since my stroke two years
ago, I've written four books. Some good, some so-so.
I'm working away. I want to be a better writer.
God Bless you in your endeavors,
Robert and thanks so much for writing the book.
(c) 2006 by Carole McDonnell
