| "The
Interview with Micheal Stevenson "
THE
ROCK: Who is Micheal Stevenson, tell us something
About you?
Micheal: There is so much that I would
like to tell you about me, but then you will formulate a life long opinion
of me based upon what I've told you. Let's just say that I don't fit
any of your typical urban or Negro molds. I am the person who took it
literally when told that you must ask questions to get to the truth.
I am the person who always let's you know his mind, even when it hurts
us both. I was born and raised in St. Louis, Mo., being the youngest
of eight in a city that is hard on people no matter their color. I have
always been an adventurer in mind body and spirit. I push the envelope
open and turn it inside out.
THE
ROCK: Where are you from, and currently residing?
Micheal: I moved to Atlanta back in 1986,
from my home state of Missouri, I first visited the city with a college
friend of mine who was coming to visit his girlfriend at Spellman College.
When I first saw the city I fell in love. I fell in the love with the
atmosphere and all of the seemingly successful black people. Immediately
after I returned to my college town, I packed up, moved to Atlanta and
enrolled in Morehouse College. With the exception of moving back to
St. Louis from 1992 thru 1995, I've been here since.
THE
ROCK: Are there any other writers in the family?
Micheal: None that I know of, however there
are educators and they don't play when it comes to exceptional communication
skills.
THE ROCK: When did you start writing?
Micheal: It kind of funny, I started writing
when I was about nine years old. I had primarily been into to athletics
until that time. I was told by my fourth grade teacher, that in order
for me to succeed in this society I would have to learn to communicate
in a language that was not my own. Her examples were the dictionary
and all of the words that were in it. She told me that I would have
to learn to write speak and navigate the language like the majority
of society does. So I began to write the story's that would pop in my
head down in a spiral binder. I kept adding to them over the years.
THE
ROCK: What prepared you to become an author?
Micheal: My wife! When my wife and I first
met, she fell in love with me after reading my work. I literally saw
this woman fall in love with the author in me. I have written so many
newsletters, brochures and proposals over my professional career that
made me realize that I had been in training to do this since I was nine
years old. Also I have found it to be the easiest way to stay out of
a verbal debate with someone. Just write it down and let them argue
with themselves.
THE
ROCK: What inspired you to become a writer?
Micheal: W. E. B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey,
Langston Hughes, these and other men like them, thought in many ways
like I do, but they lived in a time before I even existed. They thought
so far outside of the box that the box wasn't even in their visual.
Really, this is the only thing that I seem to be cut out to do. When
growing up and going through school my buddies would get me to write
the letters and talk with the grown ups, they used to say that I had
a way with talking and writing, not white or anything just a way with
talking and writing. I love it! To be able to communicate with everyone
no matter their background or educational level, no matter their language,
no matter what. I believe that as long as they are human, I can communicate
with them, and have a fun time at it. I love it!
THE
ROCK: What inspired you to write your book?
Micheal: Without the risk of sounding redundant,
my wife! It was due to her falling in love with me, that caused me to
open up my old foot locker which held all of the books, plays, screenplays,
short stories, and all of bits of scrap papers and notes that had, to
come up with Jumbled Up, population: 6,681,554,370. My book is so unique
to the market, that I have a hard time trying to explain where it fits
in, as far as genres go. It is simply for the entire population of the
world between the ages of fifteen and ninety-four to enjoy. Jumbled
Up, population: 6,681,554,370, strips away all of your socio-economic
positions (high or low), your race (superior or inferior), religion
(any of them), and any political affiliations (Republican/Democrat/Liberal/Conservative),
ideas that our farcical society has socially constructed, bringing all
of us back to our fundamentally humanistic sense of reality. This roller
coaster epic only begins with you reading it. Jumbled Up, population:
6,681,554,370 ends only when you really understand who you are.
THE
ROCK: Tell us about your newest creation. What is
the premise?
Micheal: It's called, "A Shift in
Balance", the story centers around two young women who develop
a vaccine that eliminates all but 17% of the worlds population of men.
This ticking time bomb of a vaccine is designed to go off on January
1, 2025 at nine o'clock a.m. not leaving a single person on the planet
unaffected. The plot of the story centers on the war to reshape the
balance of men to women ratio. Don't want to give too much away; somebody
may want to write his or her version. Don't do it. I am able to classify
this work as, a thriller with spine tingle of a horror; it will leave
you laughing as if it were a comedy and crying as if it were a romance
novel. I can't write inside of the box, it's too small. Look for it
soon, all of you big time readers.
THE
ROCK: Any publishing contracts in the working?
Micheal: As the new kid on the block it
is a hard row to hoe, I can't say that contracts have been showing up
in the mail or on my doorstep, but who knows, doing this, my first interview,
as a "published author" with your publication, will open up
something new and exciting for me. I know that when I saw your website
"The Rock" and read some of the articles, saw all of the pretty
authors and it's seemingly dynamic owner, I was blown away and quickly
purchased a couple of books to read this weekend, before the NFL kicks
off.
THE
ROCK: Have you ever self-published? Why or why
not?
Micheal: I used POD (print on Demand) publishing
this first book, I'm learning of all sorts of ways to publish in hindsight.
I personally don't have an opinion of which is the best way to publish,
traditional "big house" publishing, or self-publishing the
"little-house" way. I truly just want people to have the opportunity
to read my work. It is designed to help make great things happen in
the lives of mankind.
THE
ROCK: What are "traditional publishers" looking
for?
Micheal: Who knows, maybe you can tell
me. I don't mean that from the standpoint of not knowing my business.
But it's hard to say, the go from trend to trend so fast. With the constant
being, if you are a black writer, write about black things, and if you
are a woman, write about relationships, and make sure you focus on how
bad their going. I don't have that kind of imagination, my mind takes
the blinders and colors off of anything that I think of. I know what
color I am and where I come from, but I have been to so many other places
and have seen and done so many countless other things that make up the
person that I am. So it's hard to know if publishers want the kind of
writing style that I use.
THE
ROCK: If you were a publisher, what would be your
niche? Why?
Micheal: I feel like a publisher now, with
all of the work that I have put in on this current project (Jumbled
Up population: 6,681,554,370). But if I had to narrow it down to my
niche', I would say that I tend to be drawn more to the action-adventure
category. I love the thrill and excitement of adrenalin that a good
adventure can bring. Not much into the love stories, I like to create
that with my wife, so as not to need to fantasize about someone else's.
THE
ROCK: For an author, is having a publishing contract with
a "traditional publisher" important professionally? Why?
Micheal: It gives the writer the credibility
and the reputation of being in the mainstream. I do believe that the
amount of money poured into a contract directly relates to its success
level. If you start at the bottom you will get pennies, maybe a lot
of them, but they are still pennies. But if you start with the "traditional
publisher", you will receive dollars, maybe a lot, or maybe a few,
but they are still dollars. Some say it's selling your work to the highest
bidder, I say if your goal is to have as many people as possible all
over the world get and read your work, then you will have no other choices.
How did you think it would be done, on a grass roots level? That's why
it is called grass roots.
THE
ROCK: What are some of your professional and personal
achievements?
Micheal: What can I consider an achievement;
I am faithfully married with three wonderful daughters, who don't talk
back yet. To date writing and having my book published supersedes any
of the high school sports, and academic titles that I have obtained.
This is special beyond compare, I set a goal, I stayed the course, My
book was complete, those things culminate to this moment where I am
doing my first interview. I have to say that this is and continues to
be my greatest personal achievement, aside from my family.
THE
ROCK: Who are some of your favorite authors?
Micheal: As I mentioned earlier, W. E.
B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey, Langston Hughes, and Paul Robeson. Man, these
guys were so far ahead of their time, that they still would be. I think
like they do.
THE
ROCK: Where do you want to be in 5 years?
Micheal: Speaking with you face to face
on my television or radio show thanking you for giving me my first interview
and for exposing me to the world. I don't mean that in a suck up kind
of way. But I have been known to remember the people and organizations
that help me, I have thus far and am sure that is what will be going
on in five years. Of course my youngest daughter will start her first
year of school and officially cut me off, counting me in the "not
cool group". But aside from that I think that's where I'll be.
"I'm your host, Mic' Speed signing off from WLBS, Power 100"
"Peace in the streets, and don't eat chicken grease"!, that
would be my sign off, crazy I know, but funny.
THE
ROCK: Where can readers find you?
Micheal: What do you mean find me? I unlisted
in the phone book, oh, you mean where they find the book? Well My Publishers
are Authorhouse. You can get the book @ www.authorhouse.com, (ISBN#1-4208-4218-8)
or any of your fine book retailers. It's on www.Amazon.com, www.barnes&nobles.com
it's everywhere. Or you can contact me @ Micspeed4laughs@yahoo.com or
micheal@charter.net I reside in the Atlanta area, but I travel to signings
all over.
THE
ROCK: Thank you, Micheal.
Micheal: Thank you, I hope to blow my mind
by reading this article in an upcoming edition of your "Ezine",
either way thanks for the interview.
http://www.rockpublications.com
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