When did you first start writing?
The first thing I ever wrote was a poem for a contest entry. I was ten years old and in 5th grade. The poem was entitled, "The Moon is Made of Green Cheese" Al I remember about it is the title. It was kind of corny but I won second place.
What's the story behind your latest book?
My latest book is entitled, "Land of Eternally Tranquil Light." It is a memoir that explores my experiences growing up as a black male child in West Tennessee during the 1950s and 1960s. This period saw the gradual dissolution of the "Jim Crow Laws" that segregated white and black socially, economically, and psychologically. This was a time when my self-worth was at its lowest. I came to doubt my own value as a human being.
Later, I was introduced to Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism and began view my life within the context of eternity. I learned that any suffering that I experience in this lifetime is the result of negative causes that I made in the past. Viewing life from this perspective enabled me to accept that every hurt, anger, and frustration that happens t me is my responsibility. My karma caused that to happen.
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