SHARING WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 8

WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 8 I once had a morbid fear of making a mistake – of being wrong. My fear was so intense I would often not try to do or say something for fear of failure. When circumstances forced me to risk, my whole body would shake violently; if I didn’t get to a toilet fast enough I’d pee on myself - I’ve often used paper towels to absorb the wetness from the front of my pants to get rid of the stain. I was and am a physically active person – I had and still have the body of an athlete. As a young person I had an athletic body but not the confidence to compete successfully – I was scared of not making the basket, not jumping high enough, not catching the ball, not hitting the ball, not running fast enough, I was scared of looking like a fool in front of my peers. With my fear I created a self-fulfilling prophecy. I thought I’d fail and I did; I thought I’d look like a fool and I did. The one redeeming quality I had and still have is I NEVER STOPPED TRYING TO MAKE THE SHOT, NEVER STOPPED TRYING TO CATCH THE BALL, NEVER STOPPED GETTING UP, I NEVER STOPPED GETTING BACK IN THE GAME. Along the road to becoming an adult I learned that failure is a part of any success. There is no success without some failure. Along the road to maturity I learned that I had created prophesy to fail – I learned to use that same energy and created prophesy to succeed. This insight didn’t come out of the blue – it came from learning to think, it came from reading many books out of many disciplines. www.adolphusward.net

WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 7

SHARING WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 7 I have lived most of the adult life as a single person – two wives and a number of lovers along the way, but most of the time it’s been just me. I love and trust me so we get along just fine. From time to time, however, I get tired of being with me alone – conversation and sexual manipulation tends to get a little stale. My one bedroom is lovely: furniture, artwork; but once in a while my otherwise spacious place tends to close in on me and I have to get out. Since I love espresso, my get-out place is always a coffee shop with other light eating stuff. I have a couple favorite spots but prefer moving around. I belong to a writers group; we meet once a month – that together with my theatre contacts satisfies my need for interactive social contact. I shared a coffee shop table with a middle age man the other day, interesting individual. He’ll be the model for a character in a future novel. I often attract people who want to tell me something about themselves or something they believe. This table-mate was convinced that all Muslims want to kill all Christians – that Muslims are so evil they even kill each other; that Christians don’t kill each other; that Jesus will soon return to save Christian. As a non-believer I gently disagreed with all of his assertions. I calmly told him that most Muslims and Christians are decent life-loving people trying to treat others as they wish to be treated. I let him know that I had neither trust nor belief in a Savior to come or One to come back. I went on to say there is no prescription for life – humans will either do what is helpful to all humans or they will do what will kill all living things. We are our own savior – if we chose to be- we have a choice. My table-mate promptly excused himself and quietly left me alone. www.adolphusward.net

NO RESPECT NO JUSTICE

NO RESPECT NO JUSTICE A race without respect should not expect justice. America was conceived and born out of racism. The legacy of that bastard-birth is enshrined in all of its institutions – none excluded. Native Americans, and other races, have their own voice so I’ll pass over that consideration and focus on African People and now African American People. African People were enslaved by plunderers and with slave labor America grew and prospered beyond its imagination. African Americans had the flesh and bones of their ancestors torn from memory and themselves sold to rich cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane plantations. Slaves have nurtured their master’s young. They have given their lives to protect the master and his family. African Americans have given their lives in defense of America and have been paid in lynching, no right to vote, no right to a job, no rights that a white man must respect. Tavis Smiley was the host and convener of a television forum, made up of African American leaders. The one leader I most remember is Minister Farrakhan. The discussion came around to the outspoken and vitriol hatred for President Barack Obama by some white Americans. Minister Farrakhan warned against (I’m paraphrasing, with apologies if incorrect) warned against a misstep of security in the personal safety of our president. The Minister, with open sarcasm, pointed to the security missteps in the assassinations of Malcom X and Doctor Martin Luther King JR. The Minister went on to say (I again paraphrase with the same condition) say that the real power behind our government’s doings should not make another misstep when it comes to protecting the life of President Barack Obama and his family. Reparations for the enslavement of a race; for no jobs; for no vote; for no respect; is a must. I’ve never had any confidence in changing the hearts and minds of white people who hate black people or those who stand against affirmative action and reparations. I don’t care if some have the ridiculous noting that affirmative action takes white jobs or that reparations would take from the rich so that everyone has the same level of wealth. Both of those absurd positions don’t deserve a discussion. Reparations must become a reality to raise the standard of Education for African Americans, to prepare African American for jobs in any area where a sustainable income can be earned, to move young African Americans out of prisons and into productive lives, and Reparations must become a reality to purge the American mind of the psychological poisons of Racism. www.adolphusward.net

RACE RESPECT RESULTS

RACE RESPECT RESULTS Just sharing my thoughts about a Race without Respect and the probable outcome. When a Race of people do not have Respect the outcome is that Race being forced to the bottom of employment, education, health, politics, security, and general wellbeing. If a worldwide pole Comparing Race to Respect were to be taken, the outcome would show the Black Race being the least respected. That outcome is true today and will be true tomorrow unless individuals in All Races realize that the outcome is planned; All Races are pawns controlled by a very Rich-Powerful Elite. The Game of the Elite is to Divide and Control – it’s an old axiom. They, the Rich-Powerful Elite, guide nations, with money, by political persuasion or armed force, in the acquisition and or control of land, water ways, natural and human resource which can be turned into commodities and capital. The media and propaganda machine of the Rich-Powerful Elite is godlike - with its invisible hands guiding the conduct of all institutions, whether education, social, political, entertainment, or religious. All institutions, in order to earn favor, are compelled to respond in a manner that pleases the Rich-Powerful Elite. So when one Race is designated to exist without Respect, other Races comply by seeing the designated Race as Undeserving of Respect; allowing for summary executions by law enforcers and private citizens, mass incarceration, unlawful seizure of person and invasion of private property – all of this to please the Rich-Powerful Gods. Change will come only by defying the will of Rich-Powerful Gods. I write Historical Family Fiction – get to know me better at www.adolphusward.net.

WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 6

WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 6 I write Historical Family Fiction. I’ve always loved story. I don’t remember a beginning to this love affair. I’m sure Mother and Daddy had something to do with it since both were story tellers. Mother preferred reading but Daddy always told them. I was and still am curious about what people do and why. Along the way I became even more curious about what I do and why. I began to see little stories in the behavior of people – people themselves gave me little hints as to why they do what they do and I fanaticized the rest. I’m not saying what I created was factual in reality but in my imagination it was supported by what people do – what I do. The stories I remember most are not those read or spoken but those lived. I was and still am fascinated and inspired by people’s experiences. As a fiction writer I will never exhaust the rich treasures of human experience. A side note: I now have Ebooks at Kindle Direct Store; go there, put Adolphus A Ward in Search and get to know me; or visit www.adolphusward.net.

WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 5

SHARING WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 5 I start by asking everyone to READ a BOOK, a NEWPAPER, a MAGAZING, a POSTCARD, a COMIC BOOK, a STREET SIGN – READ SOMETHING! If you like to read, that’s Good. If you don’t like to read, READ ANYWAY! Sunday afternoon I had an opportunity to read from one of my three novels. I’m not sharing this to get applause because I did nothing to arrange the reading – all I did was show up and read. I’m a member of the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) and it was my organization that arranged for thirteen of its members to read; I was fortunate to be one of them. Not only did the leadership of this organization arrange the reading but they did it with the cooperation of Southern California’s Largest Independent bookstore – VROMAN’S of Pasadena, California. Applause to IWOSC and VROMAN’S for allowing me to share my stories with a reading audience. In the life of an independent writer it’s a damn good day when she or he sells a book - I HAD A DAMN GOOD DAY! www.adolphusward.net