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Ten African American Authors Collaborate on WHEN BUTTERFLIES KISS
Novel puts surprising new spin on the search for love,fulfillment, and personal redemption.
When Butterflies Kiss is the first African American collaborative novel, woven sequentially, chapter by chapter, by ten different up-and-coming African American writers: Sékou, Kiini Ibura Salaam, Elizabeth Clara Brown, T'kalla, Natasha Tarpley, Korby Marks, Shange, Kim Green, Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, and Leticia Benson. The chronicle of one man's erotic journey of self-discovery was published by Silver Lion Press of Atlanta, GA.The idea for the project was developed by budding author, songwriter and entrepreneur, Sékou. The first writer created a brother named Dante, whose greatest desire is to lie tangled in the sweetness of a woman. His life is a chaotic mix of testosterone charged competition and romantic fiascoes. He could go on his way, dodging his boys' challenges and running from commitment, but for the enigmatic nightmares that torment him at night.
One by one, the imagination of each ensuing author reveals the depth of Dante's psyche, as he or she details Dante's reckless journey through love and relationships. In the end, Dante is faced with a choice: remain trapped in the baseness of his flesh, or rise to conquer his fears and finally sleep, nightmare free. His decision, so brilliantly described by Sékou in the final chapter, puts a surprising new spin on the search for love, fulfillment and personal redemption.
Sékou was one of the original writers for blackfilm.com. He lives in Brooklyn, where he is currently writing songs and fine-tuning his lifelong project, If Dreams Could Kill, a metaphysically influenced novel of suspense. Sékou is also an avid collector of "bad date" stories, a hobby which, in no small part, contributed to the completion of When Butterflies Kiss.
Ten writers-all rising stars-weave a collective novel, chapter by chapter. The first writer creates a brother named Dante, whose biggest desire is to lie tangled in the sweetness of a woman. His life is a chaotic mix of testosterone-charged competition and romantic fiascoes. He could go on this way, dodging his boys' challenges and running from commitment, but for the enigmatic nightmares that torment him at night.
When Butterflies Kiss defies convention with its multiple authors and fresh insight. One by one, the collective imagination of these ten provocative writers reveals the depths of Dante's psyche as they detail his reckless journey through love and relationships. In the end, Dante is faced with a choice: remain trapped in the baseness of his flesh, or rise to conquer his fears and finally sleep, nightmare free. The conclusion of this challenging and imaginative novel puts a surprising new spin on the search for love, fulfillment and personal redemption.
author bios:
Sékou is a Brooklyn-based writer. He is currently working on If Dreams Could Kill, a metaphysically influenced novel of suspense, as well as gearing up to enter The New School University's MFA program in fiction.
Kiini Ibura Salaam is an artist and world traveler. Her fiction has appeared in Fertile Ground, Dark Eros, and Dark Matter. Her essays have been published in anthologies and magazines nationwide. She lives in Brooklyn.
Elizabeth Clara Brown received her MFA in Fiction from New York University, where she also taught undergraduate creative writing. She now spends her time writing stories with third-graders (who are much more fun than college kids) at a public school in Manhattan.
Brooklyn born T'kalla is one of the dark knights of the Renaissance Soul Movement gripping the planet. He is the Executive Director of Meridian magazine.
Natasha Tarpley is the editor of the anthology, Testimony: Young African Americans on Self-Discovery and Black Identity (Beacon), and a family memoir, Girl in the Mirror: Three Generations of Black Women in Motion (Beacon). She lives in New York City.
Korby Marks is a Los Angeles based filmmaker, screenwriter, poet, and novelist. He has published poetry, had his filmwork featured in film festivals and is currently completing his first novel, The Suicide Pilot.
Previously published in a variety of literary magazines and anthologies, Shange completed an MS in Publishing in 1997 and launched Silver Lion Press in 1999. While handling her business as publisher, she still finds time to write for various publications and provides workshops on a variety of publishing subjects.
Kim Green is a writer currently working on her first novel. She is the author of On A Mission: Selected Poems and A History of the Last Poets. She is also a freelance journalist and the owner of Veritas Communications, a full-service communications firm based in Tucson, Arizona.
Poet, writer, journalist, New Yorker, Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie's work has appeared in publications in the United States and France. She is one of nine poets featured in the anthology Listen Up! (One World/Ballantine).
Leticia Benson, Texas born writer/performer, currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. A New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Recipient in play writing, her verses have been installed at The Aldrich Museum's "NO DOUBT" exhibition.