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!!!