Sunday, May 07, 2006
Why the low attendance in Detroit events??
After a much needed meeting with the self-publishing guru , Sylvia Hubbard, I came home and sat down at my computer to start a blog. "What the hell do I put in a blog?" I asked myself. Who has time in today's society to make an online journal? Well I don't know what rock I've been under but millions of people do! Forgive me people, I'm a slave to my writing, my kids and family, my company and my authors - I really didn't think I would have time for this. But here we go.
I attended a Book Expo yesterday here in Michigan and I was astounded by the lack of support and attendance. No I take that back, I wasn't shocked because most events I've attended or participated in here in Detroit have been like this. It brings me back to the days when I thought only white people wrote and read books. But you step over the state lines and it's like you've stepped into a whole different day and time in African American readership and authors alike.
Yes there are many writers and published authors locally but where is the support of these local authors at local literary events? Because don't get me wrong, I can trudge to each and every barber shop or beauty salon and sell out of my books or I'm constantly refilling my inventory at the Truth Bookstore in Northland but why don't people come out to events?
Last year my tour took me to places like New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and Houston. I couldn't believe the attendance and support in these cities. Don't blame it on the size of the city because Detroit is a major city. Indianapolis and Chicago are crazy supportive! They don't need to know what the book is about, they're just happy to see you doing your thing and they want to support any black author they run into. So my question to you is: What do we as local authors in Detroit have to do to rally the interest in attending literary events in here? What can we do to make you come to us instead of us bothering you while you sit under the dryer at the salon?
http://www.2ndtimeonline.net
http://www.ericanmartin.com
I attended a Book Expo yesterday here in Michigan and I was astounded by the lack of support and attendance. No I take that back, I wasn't shocked because most events I've attended or participated in here in Detroit have been like this. It brings me back to the days when I thought only white people wrote and read books. But you step over the state lines and it's like you've stepped into a whole different day and time in African American readership and authors alike.
Yes there are many writers and published authors locally but where is the support of these local authors at local literary events? Because don't get me wrong, I can trudge to each and every barber shop or beauty salon and sell out of my books or I'm constantly refilling my inventory at the Truth Bookstore in Northland but why don't people come out to events?
Last year my tour took me to places like New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and Houston. I couldn't believe the attendance and support in these cities. Don't blame it on the size of the city because Detroit is a major city. Indianapolis and Chicago are crazy supportive! They don't need to know what the book is about, they're just happy to see you doing your thing and they want to support any black author they run into. So my question to you is: What do we as local authors in Detroit have to do to rally the interest in attending literary events in here? What can we do to make you come to us instead of us bothering you while you sit under the dryer at the salon?
http://www.2ndtimeonline.net
http://www.ericanmartin.com
# posted by Erica N. Martin @ 5:00 AM 
Comments:
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Hello Erica, this is Alvin from The Romer Review. Your lament is common relative to the apathy shown by our people in not supporting literary events. This is true in a lot of other urban centers, but the one thing that has helped me and my community stems from several factors that has been instumental in us turning the tables. I live in a diverse melting pot consisting of a tri-county area. The Miami-FT. Lauderdale area draws from an adjunct geographicl region that has helped us fortify the literate template, but has also contributed to the high levels of immigrants that either don't read or those that can't read.
Now here is the punchline and the success mandate here. I feel that in order for any large AA metropolitan area to truly address low attendance and give more interest to all things literary, a grass roots effort need to be applied to family literacy, effective reading mandates in local schools, galvanizing communities to stress the importance of reading for knowledge, and most importantly of all -- the schools of mid and higher educational worth need to form partnerships with local reading enthusiasts to initiate conferences, and to formulated a somewhat national tie-in to literature magnets.
The Miami Book Fair International and the Pan African Bookfest & Cultural Conference are magnets that spur and permeate the need to keep the flow of literacy and literature the forefront of self, family, and community. Once institutions are involved then the wherethal of reading becomes an institution. So in my opinion, people from all walks of life in your communal Diaspora should be linking to the devices that you, your community, and academic stallworths put in place for viability. The reason for low attendance is that people are ignorant of what they can do and be with reading prowess. Yhey just don't care, and THIS has to change!
Alvin C. Romer
www.theromerreview.com
Now here is the punchline and the success mandate here. I feel that in order for any large AA metropolitan area to truly address low attendance and give more interest to all things literary, a grass roots effort need to be applied to family literacy, effective reading mandates in local schools, galvanizing communities to stress the importance of reading for knowledge, and most importantly of all -- the schools of mid and higher educational worth need to form partnerships with local reading enthusiasts to initiate conferences, and to formulated a somewhat national tie-in to literature magnets.
The Miami Book Fair International and the Pan African Bookfest & Cultural Conference are magnets that spur and permeate the need to keep the flow of literacy and literature the forefront of self, family, and community. Once institutions are involved then the wherethal of reading becomes an institution. So in my opinion, people from all walks of life in your communal Diaspora should be linking to the devices that you, your community, and academic stallworths put in place for viability. The reason for low attendance is that people are ignorant of what they can do and be with reading prowess. Yhey just don't care, and THIS has to change!
Alvin C. Romer
www.theromerreview.com
Wow Alvin! I agree wholeheartedly. I jokingly called Sylvia Hubbard a guru earlier but she is one person that I can honestly say makes the effort here in Detroit with networking groups like the Motown Writers Network and putting on the annual Detroit Writers conference. Now the Detroit Public school system and their efforts to promote literacy in the schools and community, well that's another Blog in itself. Detroit, has a long way to go but I have faith in my city. Would you consider relocating? smile - thanks for posting.
Erica, I'll see you in Detroit for the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Boule. There ought to be at least 9,000 formally educated sistahs showing up with a love for reading and a job to finance a few well-written literary purchases. So, get your good books ready... I'm bringing mine.
ya know i feel you gurl!
i'm screaming from the mountain tops and what really upsets me is that the media is slow to react to this.
LOVE THE BLOG! BOUT TIME!
i'm screaming from the mountain tops and what really upsets me is that the media is slow to react to this.
LOVE THE BLOG! BOUT TIME!
Victor, you need to give us more info on that event. You know me, you'll see me walking around with my handcart filled with Serenity Place and Second Time Shame on me!! 9,000 women huh? You'll do very well! Ladies if you don't know Victor, google him. You'll see where I'm coming from. Oh yeah!! And he's a phenomenal writer as well! Smiles.
Hey Erica
I can say when some of the events have occurred in Detroit, I don't recognize the authors. It is sad but I have to admit if I did not know Sylvia or a few other authors I would not be interested at all.
It may be that there are so many unknown authors here or that the events don't have that umpth.
I am not trying to be offensive. Honestly, I wish we had more literary events that had a variety of things to draw folks. Plus, I think marketing could be upped for the events. Just my humble opinion.
I wish I could pinpoint what other things can be done for the literary world to jump off here. Cause a Detroit sista wants to be here and not travel to slamming events.
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I can say when some of the events have occurred in Detroit, I don't recognize the authors. It is sad but I have to admit if I did not know Sylvia or a few other authors I would not be interested at all.
It may be that there are so many unknown authors here or that the events don't have that umpth.
I am not trying to be offensive. Honestly, I wish we had more literary events that had a variety of things to draw folks. Plus, I think marketing could be upped for the events. Just my humble opinion.
I wish I could pinpoint what other things can be done for the literary world to jump off here. Cause a Detroit sista wants to be here and not travel to slamming events.
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