Tayari Jones is Coming to Town!

Yo, I'd like to dedicate this post to that hater my book club sista/book club president Shunda, 'cause she thinks I jock Tayari so hard!

Yeah Shorty, I do... so get over it!!

*LadyLee brandishing a homemade shank in one hand and with the other hand throws up the hard Celie crooked 2 fanger point at Shunda*

Watch out now, Shunda. Don't make me have to cut you.

I would be remiss...

If I don't jump up and scream and shout that...

Miss Celie is coming to town!!!

Miss CelieTayari Jones is coming to town!

Tayari Jones is coming to town!



*LadyLee doing the happy dance so hard that she slips and falls down on the hard concrete*


Yes, I am a happy black child today!

Yeah, ya'll should know that Tayari Jones is my favorite author in the entire universe.

If you didn't know, go read my first post on Ms. Jones.

Now you know!

And here are the essential details...

Wednesday, February 28, 7pm-- Atlanta, Georgia
Margaret Mitchell House
Crossing The Line: A Conversation with Tayari Jones and Lee Smith
Reception at 6pm, Conversation at 7pm, Booksigning at 8pm

Saturday, March 3, 8:30 pm-- Atlanta, Georgia
AWP Conference
Reading and Signing (with Kaye Gibbons)

Now, the Margaret Mitchell crew likes to charge money for entrance into their events. I try to keep tabs on who is there, since it is only one block from my job. I saw Ernest J. Gaines, the author of A Lesson Before Dying there, last year. My coworkers have gone to see Alice Walker, Blair Underwood, and Tavis Smiley when they were there.

Yeah, they charge a fee, and the talks are always good. But's what's up with this conversation set-up? What the heck are they going to talk about? Listen, for my ten bucks, I want to see a show. Tayari and Ms. Smith better get an electric slide or a Soul Train line going. They better be passing out some tequila shots, hot wings and french fries up in that camp.

Ten bucks, man... come on, now. That's night club prices. That's half a tank of gas for my zoom-zoom. (Well almost half a tank.)

But I have been BEGGING Tayari over email to waive that fee and allow me to be a part of her entourage. I would gladly carry her purse, fetch a little water if she is parched, or even turn pages as she reads. Just waive the 10 dollar fee, man. Sneak me in the back door or something (She says I am on a list. We'll see about that... Don't be joshing me, man... because I will front on you, and you don't want that!! LOL!)

Now what's highly important is that AWP conference reading. She is suppose to read from her novel-in-progress. I have been lobbying HARD for the first 100 pages of it, and she is turning her nose up at me. (Humph. You Diva!) I have seen a very small snippet of it which was EXTREMELY thought-provoking, as to be expected. My praises of it DID NOT get me the requested 100 pages.

HUMPH!!

Oh well. I am just happy that she will be here. I will just have to buy the book the minute it comes out.

Now my brother, Milk and Cookies, Tayari's #1 Groupie, was suppose to drive up from his military base to attend the Saturday reading. He was going to do some old wild craziness, like act like Eva at the Apollo, or cry and scream uncontrollably as she walked by. Enough so people would say...

"Look at that poor hysterical child... He almost passed out when she walked by! What book has that boy been reading? I want that book!"

But the boy couldn't get away. He has to work his second job, and I hate for him to lose his job. ("Tell Tayari I need to make my money, Lee!!" he screeched over the phone.) Yes, he wailed VERY hard to me about this over the phone yesterday, as he'd been planning to drive up.

(Dude calm down! It's gonna be alright in the by-and-by! Geez.)

So I may or may not post about the readings. We'll see!

I'm just happy she is coming to town. She ALWAYS gives a good talk, and it's always like being in a quick writing workshop:

I always learn something new!!