Voices with a back story - Upcoming York Public Library Events

March 26, 2008 by Daniel · Leave a Comment

Authors have their own ideas of what makes a good story, but a common goal is to write what they know. Shannon Holmes has known some hard times and it shows in his novels, which are part of a quickly growing genre known as street lit.

These gritty stories feature characters that, on the surface, are seriously flawed, desperate, self-degrading and oftentimes, very violent.

“I like to paint my characters into a tight corner, just to see how they will react,” said Holmes, who lives in The Bronx, New York.
In April, Holmes will be one of several featured artists coming to the Martin Library as part of “Street Lit, Hip-Hop, Reading & Writing.” The week-long program will feature several of America’s most successful black authors, musicians, educators and entrepreneurs.

While the event, which will be held in conjunction with National Library Week, is sponsored by the library, some of the events will be hosted around town at places such as Crispus Attucks and the Yorktowne Hotel.

Since 2001, Holmes has released six books that deal with the harsh realities associated with lives lived on the streets. As in real life, Holmes expects that many will judge his fictitious characters harshly at first glance.

But unlike real life, readers will learn the background stories of the events and circumstances that make his characters the often dangerous and outcast people they are.

For a time, Holmes’ life was as corrupt as some of his characters. From 1995 to 2000, he spent time in jail for distributing drugs.

But in a serendipitous twist of fate, Holmes found his calling as an author behind bars.

“I was always a reader, but it was never my ambition to be a writer,” Holmes said. “But then I met a man in prison who had written three books and it changed my life.”

While Holmes said he doesn’t consider himself anyone’s academic superior, life has made him wise and savvy. And what he says he lacked in schoolbook smarts, he more than made up for in common sense.

So he set his pen to paper. At first, he said, he wrote to kill time. But within six months of his mandatory release, he had half a manuscript written. In a bold move, he asked one of the toughest inmates housed with him to read his work.

Like Holmes, this prisoner was an avid reader.

“Prison is a very negative environment,” Holmes said. “No one cares if you succeed at anything.”

The next morning, Holmes said the man he shared his work with told him he had a good thing going.

“He said, ‘I can see you getting a couple of dollars out of this,’” Holmes said.

That manuscript turned into his first book, “B-More Careful.” After its 2001 release, Holmes said it went on to sell more than 100,000 copies.

“And each book deal keeps getting bigger,” he said.

But Holmes said it is not his intent to tell people to write just for the sake of making lots of money. He said writing is a means for expressing what is in someone’s heart.

On the other hand, Holmes said reading the type of novels he writes is an opportunity to learn.

Readers of street lit get to see what sets in motion the attitudes and actions of those society may only get to know for a moment via some sensational headline in the evening news.

“Society passes judgments on drug dealers and prostitutes without knowing them,” Holmes said. “But for some, they just don’t see any other options.”

Lora-Lynn Rice, who is Martin Library’s director of information service, said over the past couple of years, York City readers cannot get enough of the genre.

“Some people connect to it like nothing else,” she said. “The stories portray an ugly side of life; but many times, they also lead to something very spiritual and uplifting.”

In addition to the library’s featured guests, there will also be educational forums and open mic nights.

“We believe the community is really going to connect with this event,” said Rice. “In the same way many of them are connecting to the genre like nothing else we’ve seen in some time.”

STREET LIT, HIP-HOP WEEK EVENTS

Following are events planned for Street Lit, Hip-Hop, Reading & Writing. All events are at Martin Library, 159 E. Market St., York, unless noted otherwise. Registration is required for all events. Call 840-7435, ext. 222. For details, visit www.yorklibraries.org/urban.htm.

Understanding the Hip-Hop Generation - 7 p.m. April 14, with Marc Lamont Hill, an assistant professor of Urban Education and American Studies at Temple University who has used hip-hop culture to improve literacy among high school students and dropouts.

Hip-Hop Culture and Our Community - 7 p.m. April 15. Local community leaders and students will hold a panel discussion.

Street Fiction: A Renaissance Genre for the Hip-Hop Generation with Vanessa Morris - 8:30 a.m.

April 16.

Your Voice contest - deadline is April 1 for teens to submit poetry, music lyrics or YouTube video. Winners will meet Shannon Holmes for dinner. See www.yorklibraries.org for details.

Open Mic Night - 7 p.m. April 16 at Crispus Attucks, 605 S. Duke St., York. High school artists and entertainers will have a chance to perform. The community choice winner will join winners of the Your Voice contest for dinner with Shannon Holmes at the Yorktowne.

Urban Fiction and Becoming a Writer - 7 p.m. April 17. Shannon Holmes will talk about becoming a writer while he was in prison.

Workshop with Shannon Holmes - 3 to 4:30 p.m. April 17. All high school students are invited to talk with author Shannon Holmes about becoming an author and his life experiences. Register at www.yorklibraries.org.

An evening with Omar Tyree - 7 p.m. April 18. Meet the best-selling author and listen to jazz by the Tim Warfield Trio. Tickets are free, but required.

Talk and book signing - 10 a.m. April 19. Omar Tyree will talk about his work and sign books.

Dwayne Betts, YoungMenRead - 1 p.m. April 19. Dwayne Betts also spent time in prison, but after he got out he started the YoungMenRead book club in Bowie, Md.

Source: York Daily Record