By chance, I picked up Time Out NY and found that Sapphire, the author of PUSH (the novel that inspired PRECIOUS, the movie) was going to be at the Union Square Barnes & Nobles at 7pm. I loved the book and saw the movie a few times. The book tells the story seen in the movie but what's very different in the book; the reader feels the underbelly in a way that is impossible to translate to the screen. Sapphire is a descriptive, from the gut storyteller and whether or not you want to feel, you feel.
This evening at Barnes & Nobles, she was joined by journalist Katherine Lanpher who prepared an outline of questions; some of which tickled the surface, some which evoked a bit of predictable sarcasm from the author and the deeper, soul reaching questions that prompted seat lifting enthusiasm by Sapphire resonating through the walls and our seats.
The Kid is her second novel and is aptly titled for Precious' son Abdul Jones who we see come into this world in the novel PUSH and movie PRECIOUS joining his sister, Mongo, her fist child from her own father who suffers from Down's Syndrome. The conversation through the hour together takes us through the writing process. Sapphire made it clear this not 'Precious 2' or any type of sequel, rather a story of survival and how her son gets through Precious' death and growing up as a black child and into a man.
Sapphire tells her plight for this novel and references white males, gay white males with money, who are able to survive HIV and AIDS better because of the money and focus driven toward them. She questions whether or not Precious would have had a better chance or may still be alive if she were a white male. There are statistics, I am sure, that back this up and I am relatively certain Sapphire can reference them with little notice.
I was sitting there listening to her and thinking about my friend Shane. White, male, gay, Shane who has been dead for many years. Death has not yet learned to decipher social consciousness nor the struggle between impoverished and wealth, race, gender or sexual preference. When Death's big hand strikes it only tells time.
Sapphire was also joined by Imani Uzuri, a singer/songwriter who recently released her second album fully funded by her fans - that's how terrific she is! Her voice is one that reaches in, wraps around you, pulls back and dances to the heavens! She was with a guitarist who complemented her deep lows, melodic mid notes and her heavenly sopranos and she often made you forget you were on the fourth floor of an old building and brought you to that gentle space above the clouds floating on her joyful falsettos. A rare and wonderful treat.
Toward the end, an extremely talented, dark skinned male dancer from the Dance Theater of Harlem took the stage and with his muscular, willowy fluid movements, he wove the music and made it his own in beautiful motion. The best way to describe his dancing is if you could take poetry and watch it move - it is what he did.
I was third in line for my book signing and I thanked Sapphire for her moving first novel, PUSH and for sharing her poignant and raw honesty with all of us this evening. She thanked me for being with her, for buying her book and I said I am very much looking forward to reading it!
I slowly walked away, looked at the crowd in line awaiting Sapphire's touch and thinking that all of us are survivors in one way or another. Sapphire talked about how some people read her book and others, the ones who could not bear the book, saw the movie.
Precious is real. She is on the subway, in the grocery store, in bed with a man she hopes will take her dream and flick the on switch; she is a student, a teacher, a writer, a parent; the person we may pass on the street and judge and yet, the person who may pass us and judge; she is a song, a dance, a mystery and very much a warrior - an inner Precious in all of us!
Afterward, I went to Blue Water Grill and a lovely woman greeted me at the door. A medium skinned black lady, young, full of life, a smile that made the votives look dull, her hair pulled back in a headband poofed up in the back, a navy blue sun dress splashed with white flowers covered with a soft, white cotton and linen sweater takes a menu and asks me to follow her. She is the person who is at the door and says FUN - an invitation to a magical dinner, maybe just a drink or a coffee - but for whatever reason you are there, she has set the station to high energy!
As we walked to the table, she saw the book in my hand and told me how lucky I was. To have a book, a table, a night to myself to read and enjoy. She declined, but I did offer the other chair at my table. I told her about my time with Sapphire, the dancer, the singer and she said that I was living her dream.
What she didn't know was how much she influenced my night simply by reminding me of the simple gift of gratitude. I was most grateful for her and the tremendous artists who paint the landscape of our imaginations every day.
I read the first chapter of The Kid and without pause - I highly recommend it! Be a warrior!
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