Sunday, November 14, 2010

fall in full swing...



fall is here and it's a wonderful time of year
to reflect on everything. all of the turmoil and
triumph. and it's also a time to plot out new
paths and strategies. one thing i can guarantee
you with 108 Press, there's no extended breaks.
which is why i've taken the time to write to
you all.

another book IS on deck...and as a matter of
fact, there MIGHT be two. there will be more
details in the near future. the only thing i
can definitively say is, these will not be
poetry books. i figured it would be best to
step back from that for a while. and truth be
told, my writing never has been limited to just
poetry.

thanks for reading and your support as always!!!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

New Web Store!!!

What's happening folks? One of the main questions that
i've been getting is, 'how can i purchase your books?'
before, my response was, 'contact me directly!' now, i
am happy to say, you can make your purchases here:

108 Press Webstore
http://www.freewebstore.org/108-Press

it's a basic webstore, but i wanted you guys to have
less of a hassle in ordering. again, you can order
by PayPal; if you wish to pay by check or money order,
contact me at infinitewords@yahoo.com to make all of
the necessary arrangements!!!

thanks for being patient and supportive, and i'll be
sure to keep you all updated!!!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

i LOVE the feedback so far for 'wife of the heart'...

for folks that have received their copies, the positive
feedback has been tremendous!!! i've had one or two folks
just go speechless and others beam with pride..you gotta
understand that the feeling you get when someone really
appreciates your work is basically like putting a battery
in your back. to those folks, i say again, thank you. and
to those interested in a copy, you know what to do!!! *big
grin*

Thursday, October 21, 2010

the 'EFF IT' moment.

there's something to be said about stepping forward
and getting out one's dreams a la Kanye West. you and
i have probably talked to so many people about what
they'd want to do different. a lot of it is of course,
conditional: it's about having that excess income, or
a great deal of time that's devoid of worry. and that
is what prevents us from doing things we want to do at
times. we get lulled into waiting for that right time
when everything's aligned and how often does that take
place?

when i set out to do the first book, this was after a
number of years and false starts. i fell prey to the
thought process that i needed x amount of dollars and
x amount of time. it got so that i planned my own
obstacles rather than getting by them to the goals.
all of this is to say that all you needed is what i
found i needed. and that is the 'EFF IT' moment for
lack of a better term. the moment where you just say
'i'm GOING to do it, i WILL do it' and don't look back
as things progress. if i hadn't done it, i wouldn't be
able to say i have two books under my belt. and i'd be
on the sidelines checking out other people's work and
finding myself fighting off bitterness because i never
took the initiative. so, hopefully you get your 'EFF IT'
moment soon and do what it is you've wanted to do.

signing off for now, thanks for reading!!!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

keeping it moving.



easier to say, harder to do.

you might have heard this, but sharks need to constantly move
in the water otherwise they sink and risk drowning because
they cannot breathe unless they move. it has to do with their
liver which keeps them afloat rather than the customary gas
filled bladders found in other fish. a lot can be learned
from this and put to use in daily life.

more often than not, people get caught up in the past. they
dwell on their last decision, an old relationship or old
mistakes. and that slows up any progress you might be making
to the point that you'll stop altogether and find yourself
being stagnant when you should be progressive. i've been in
that same mode too many times. and it has hampered me a bit
but not too much. instead, like the shark, i keep moving, i
keep swimming and looking for opportunity. they like to tell
you opportunity comes once in a lifetime. it's all over the
place if you're driven enough to get it and work for it.
keeping it moving is key to your own success. and i've applied
that to my writing and never looked back. and i hope a lot
of you are doing the same or on the verge of doing the same
thing.

until the next time, stay positive!!!

Paulo Coelho on Luck, Coincidence and Faith



Lessons from one of the great literary souls on this planet...

Friday, October 15, 2010

post-birthday reflections.



while the weather is appropriate for this time of
year and seems to put folks in a blah mood, i am
upbeat. my birthday was yesterday and i finally
let loose a little, even with the remnants of a
seasonal cold in my system.

so far, 108 Press has been able to publish two
books of poetry and i'm truly thankful for that.
the key thing though, is that now i feel that it
is time to step things up with the next couple of
releases. there's no reason not to. there's so much
i want to share with the world. and i'm determined
to get it out there. and i hope you'll continue
to be there with me.

enjoy your weekend, whatever it is you choose
to do!!! peace!!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

'wife of the heart'...quiet reflection.



i can't think of too many things that compel
me to stop and just enter a contemplative state
like i am in now. while i've already accomplished
publishing a book, the thrill of seeing that box
on my stoop always remains new. i'll admit, i
almost got misty-eyed opening the box and seeing
all of those fresh books waiting to enter homes
and entertain.

i've dreamed of being a writer since i was eight
years old. most folks give up their dreams for
various reasons when they're younger. i almost
did. it's hard to hold onto what you love due
to life and the need to do certain things to
subsist and all. but i'm thankful that i have a
great family to give me strength to follow and
realize this dream as well as a great group of
friends. with this book, i needed that support
so much due to everything that's happened. now,
i can sit back and enjoy the moment. i've got
a second book published.

and now...on to the next one.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

'wife of the heart' is HERE!!!!



the hour has come!!!

fresh copies of the newest book are here
and available for purchase!! for any orders
and other questions, please email me at
infinitewords@yahoo.com!!! the price of
the book is ten dollars USD excluding
shipping and handling!!!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

delays, delays...




sometimes, we have to come to an understanding
that delays are part of life. when you accept
that, it makes things easier and less stressful.

i've come to that conclusion only after a few
minutes of swearing, pacing back and forth and
punching my pillows. this was after hearing
'wife of the heart' would be shipping late. i
was given a heads up, so on one hand i can be
a bit less stressed but on the other hand, it
is frustrating. being the main person behind
108 Press, i strive to deliver and well, this is
the first time that's not going to happen. the
only thing i can promise you, the public is
that we are pushing forward and you can still
make pre-orders for a copy of 'wife of the heart'
right now!!! and i hope that the next time we
won't encounter this again. i'm too young to
have an advil addiction.

thank you for your understanding and most
importantly, your support.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

quote of the day 9.28.10



“The greater difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.”

- epicurus

Sunday, September 26, 2010

'wife of the heart'...why i wrote it.



i guess the overwhelming question most people
have is, 'why'd you put this book together?'
over time, the strongest reason i can give is
this: i wanted something that would stand tall
throughout time that showed how much i cared
about this woman. i wanted to show how that
changed me, and my writing.

i wanted to celebrate who this person was to
me. i wanted to show that despite how things
might have ended, she had a positive impact
on my life. does it sound corny? maybe. but if
we all chose to look at things this way, i
think we learn and we grow that much wiser.
and so do they. plus, when i looked back at
some of these poems, i was taken aback at the
depth of emotion and clarity in the words. and
i couldn't see them being tucked away in a
desk drawer forever. it wouldn't be right.

that's it in a nutshell. no john hughes plot
arc, no obsessive aspect. until the next post
readers, keep it light!!

Friday, September 24, 2010

how 108 Press came to be.




*cue rising, dramatic, heroic music*

this is the origin story of 108 Press.

okay, let me dial back on the cinematic effects.
when i set out in 2008 to publish my first genuine
book, i wanted a name for my printing brand that
would be simple yet powerful, and full of meaning
without being exclusionary. i had come home from
work one evening, exhausted as usual. i wanted to
lift my spirits up a bit, so i popped in one of my
favorite kung-fu movies, 'The Water Margin'. i had
first seen this movie on TNT after an NBA double
bill and was instantly taken in. that version was
the Westernized, overdubbed take on the story and
a couple of years later i got my hands on the original
Shaw Brothers version, fully re-mastered.



'The Water Margin' is one of the four key classics
of Chinese literature. it's based on real events
and people, specifically the Song dynasty of the 12th
century. the heroes of Liangshan mountain in northern
China decided to fight against the tyranny of the
emperor of that time, their struggle for justice
capturing the hearts and minds of the people. the movie
itself covers only 4 chapters out of the book. it
spawned a sequel by Shaw Brothers and remains a classic
story told over and over again. you know how many of
the Liangshan heroes there were?

108.

at that point, i got inspired. if 108 fighters could
change the destiny of a nation, that means that each
person used their will and their inner strength to
accomplish the impossible. which is what some have felt
about me, from friends to family members. and that
number held so much weight. even with the numerology
of the Five Percenters, a faction of Islam, the number
108 stood out to me. because what i write, what i want
to give to the world, i want to be thought provoking.
i want it to create change for the better. and having
this kind of inspiration would only help me succeed
that much more.

and there you have it...until the next time!!!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

'wife of the heart': at the close of the journey...



nothing like being near the end of a journey
to make appreciate even further why you began
it in the first place...

good people, the books are due to arrive soon
and i'm looking forward to the time when i can
pack one up and send it out to you. working on
this book has had its peaks and valleys and
none so much as in these past couple of weeks.
it's like seeing the flowers you planted slowly
opening themselves up to the world to show off
their brilliance in bloom. and i feel that 'wife
of the heart' will have that same effect not only
on you once you read it, but on me.

until the next time!!!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

the cover of 'wife of the heart'



taken on october 7, 2007...my first trip to T-dot..
and a wonderful weekend.

musical inspiration for the newest book...



when i first heard 'sunshine' from lupe fiasco, i
thought it to be one of the most slept on tracks
he ever created. and in time, when i talked to
the young lady who would be the inspiration for
'wife of the heart', i began to associate this
song with her. and i still do.

*corny moment*whenever this pops up on my iPod,
i like to think she's thinking about me.

okay, enough of that...enjoy the track!! and
support dope hip hop!!!

Monday, September 13, 2010

the understated beauty at the heart of 'wife of the heart'



photo by christoph grant

the woman at the core of this new book, 'wife
of the heart' is from a culture and country that
is heavily publicized and somewhat misunderstood
to a certain extent. Somalia, to me, i knew to be
different from other African nations for a couple
of reasons. One being that my mother worked in
the United Nations and knew a few people from
there and shared that knowledge with me. Another
reason was because I have family from there. In
some respects, i feel 'wife of the heart' is a
tribute to her beauty as well as the beauty of
all Somalian women. it may be an unorthodox
tribute because being outspoken in this way is
not seen that often in their society but i've
always felt that the best appreciation of
someone no matter in what sense is to say it loud
and proud. and hopefully this book will have
accomplished that for you.

delays, delays....

if there's anything more alternatively nail-biting and
tedious, it's waiting on quotes and a sample copy from
your print house. while most of the hard work is done
in terms of writing, layout and editing, i know there's
more to be done in terms of promotion, calculating some
shipping and whatever else might come up. and you start
getting more aggravated waiting, like, 'WHERE IS IT? I
WANNA GET BACK ON THE GRIND!!!'

can you tell i'm anxious?

best thing is, just as i'm finishing up this post, my
quote came in!! now it's all about the printing!!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

quote for 9.7.09




“There is no education like adversity”

- Benjamin Disraeli

Monday, September 6, 2010

moving, moving, keepin' it moving...



'back in the days on the boulevard of linden...'


i hope everyone's enjoyed their labor day
weekend!!

well it's done...'wife of the heart' is an official
draft and now it's a matter of waiting...last week
was NO picnic. but finally i'm back up, and got a
lot accomplished despite the mishaps. look out for
an update soon for those pre-orders(and for those
who have, i've got you covered)for 'wife of the
heart'. i think i'm going to switch things up next
time i speak with you fine folk...until the next
time!!!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

setbacks and steps forward.

ah...technology. a blessing and a curse.

i haven't been keeping up with you guys
for so long because my Powerbook G4 has
been slowly doing a La Boheme and fading
fast on me..literally. The display screen
has glitched out, and so i had to get a
new Powerbook...which has been acting up.
i've cussed, gotten frustrated and found
myself in a low state.

but due to the greatness of daily blessings
that can even be found in the worst moments,
i'm encouraged by a couple of things. one
of them being, i got my first positive
correspondence from a bookstore today!! the
second thing is, i'm now planning out my
trips to DC and philly for performances
over the next two months. and mostly, even
with the PC troubles everything is still on
course with 'wife of the heart'. i'm just
thankful both for options and the fact that
i haven't totally flipped out!!

more news soon!!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

wife of the heart...a little backstory.



(photo taken at topsail island, NC 8/4/10)

i've been working on this book for weeks and i have to
say, there's so much raw emotion every time i look at
these poems about...her. so much so that i've had to
step back at times and regain my composure. when you
are writing and sharing something personal, i don't care
what other folks say, it claws at you in spots you
thought you had protected. in spite of that though, i
think it's coming along real well.

'wife of the heart' is about someone who i've loved. and
in some respects, still do. it's a celebration of what
i shared with her and what she meant to me on all levels.
i actually had another piece with this title and i got to
calling her this from time to time. i was inspired by
kazuo koike's manga series 'samurai executioner' which
had a story that bore this title. i felt it was the best
way to honor what i felt for her while she was a great
part of my life.

i'll share more later on...back to the grind.

'lovestoned' second run now available!!!!



sorry it's been a while since posts but i've been extremely
busy(as a matter of fact i'm currently working outside of
home as i publish this post)but i wanted to share this great
news with you!!

'lovestoned'
is my first real-life, genuine self-published
book. this was a highlight of the summer of 2008 for me, for so
many reasons. i had always wanted to be published, and i've had
many people in my life who(lovingly)pestered me more than bill
collectors on red bull asking, 'so when are you coming out with a
book?' 'when is the book gonna be done?' and when i finally got
'lovestoned' out to the masses, the response was FANTASTIC!!! i
released it in august and by the end of november i essentially
sold out my first run.

being able to make this second run available to you means a lot.
if you already have a copy, that's great and i thank you once
again for your support. if you know anyone who you know will
simply love what 'lovestoned' is, then all you have to do is
give 'em this blog addy and they can order a copy(or three)from
me directly. all copies are $8 USD, with shipping and handling
to be determined depending on your location. email me directly
at infinitewords@yahoo.com and i promise to get back to you
promptly. with regards to payment, i accept checks, money orders,
and PayPal.

so spread the word!! and stay tuned for updates on my next book,
'wife of the heart'!!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Blurbs!!

i hope everyone's enjoying their thursday evening!!!

i wanted to dedicate this post to blurbs; specifically, i'm
looking for a good two or three blurbs to be included on the
back of my newest release,'wife of the heart'. and i'm asking
anyone who has purchased a copy of my first book, 'lovestoned'
to participate. how, you may ask, can i be down with such a great
idea?

all you have to do is this: email me at infinitewords@yahoo.com
with a 5-7 sentence statement on how you felt about 'lovestoned'
along with your name(or nickname)and where you're from. the best
two(or three) will get included in print.

i can't wait to see the responses. until the next time, stay
positive and productive!!

Friday, July 23, 2010

letting go and letting it be good.








i think that one of the hardest tasks to undertake before creating a
book - well, really anything in life - is to let go of any fears and
doubts you may have. as easy as it is to say, it's harder on a daily
basis. you're dealing with your own emotional baggage, bills, errands,
bills, work...and did i mention bills? but there's one or two things i
like to do to make letting go of the stress those situations bring each
day.

1)THINK POSITIVE, BE POSITIVE.


if you wake up feeling down, it's hard to shake that off as the day
progresses. kind of like quicksand, but more subtle. you have to find
a way to believe that you'll succeed and today will be a good day. find
a moment to just breathe. smile at absolutely nothing at all. do a nice
thing for someone just because. when you do that, you start to feel less
heavy, and you get that rush of energy flowing through your body.

2)DREAM.
honestly, this helps a lot. if you dream, and you visualize yourself in a
great situation, you can find yourself carrying that out in real life. after
all, dreams are an extension of our life. and if you dream big, who's to
say you can't live big as well?

point i'm trying to make is, you have to let go of your fears. you can't
eradicate them entirely. but if you make them so inconsequential that you
can't feel them invade your life on a daily basis, you're on your way to
whatever it is you want in life. for me, i had an idea of how liberating
that feeling could be but i never actively realized it until a few years
ago. once you do that, your mind and spirit can do things and create ideas
that can cause change...including within yourself.

Friday, July 16, 2010

new projects, new beginnings.

hey folks, this is the second official entry on the 108 Press
blog. at the moment, i'm hard at work ensuring that the second
print of 'lovestoned' hits the streets as well as getting myself
ready to deliver the newest book, 'wife of the heart' before the
summer ends. if it sounds like a major undertaking, it is. but i
welcome the challenge only because i believe in everything these
books represent. i believe you'll feel the same way. this time
period of creation is a juggling act between feeling like it's
a chore and relishing the fact that i'm sharing something profound
with the world. the key for me is, looking at it as the beginning
of something beautiful.

anyway, that's all for now...more updates to come(without the big
lapse in time, i promise!!)

Monday, May 3, 2010

WELCOME!!!

This is the home for all things and ideas related
to 108 Press. You can find out about my past book
release here as well as upcoming releases. And you
might even get some musings and publishing tips
along the way. So come on in, pull up a chair
and relax!!