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No Love Lost - Therone Shellman
No Love Lost
Therone Shellman
Third Eye Publishing
ISBN: 0977100421
Reviewed By Antonia Cruz
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Most of the action in No Love Lost is centered mainly around the young Blaze, nee Jermaine Johnson, as he rises to power in the drug world. Lured into the game by his cousin, Derrik, and mentor, Supreme, Blaze is seduced by the money, freedom, and influence that come along with his increased underworld status - but he is ill-prepared to handle the violence, betrayal, and unpredictability of his newfound trade. As he weaves his way through a tangled web of deals gone bad, police intimidation, and turf wars, a higher consciousness slowly but surely awakens within him, and he ultimately considers making a much-needed life change, prompted by the love of his faithful sweetheart, Rachel.
On the surface, one would think that the gritty depictions of street life in No Love Lost would make it a carbon copy of such predecessors as "New Jack City" or "Juice." Instead, with its realistic reflections on the daily human struggles of urban Black youth, Shellman's narrative falls more along the lines of "Goodfellas": his protagonists are not caricatures, but rather 3-dimensional, flesh-and-blood flawed beings, the likes of which we all see and deal with everyday. True, they have chosen to indulge in a life of danger and uncertainty, but, given the limitations of their immediate environment - not to mention the constrictions of modern society - their ever-dwindling options often leave them with no other recourse. Consider this revealing passage:
"He knew how it felt to be hungry. And as a young man, he learned that money meant the difference between those who ate and those who starved. He'd rather be in jail or dead than starve for anyone. This was verified by the outlaw life that he decided to live. His life, he felt, was like that of a black cowboy in the early frontier. It was all about survival tactics."
In addition, further complicating the boys' lives are the inevitable consequences of the choices they make. It is well known throughout the drug game, that - much like the CIA - once you're in, you never get out. Unsuspectingly swept into an increasingly dangerous life, the boys eventually realize that they'd be in even more danger if they left - which, of course, explains why they stay. The difficulty of this decision is highlighted best in this telling piece of introspection by Blaze himself:
"Yes, he could have chosen a different path because of the opportunities his mother provided, but this was his life and his choice, and he was set on living it the way he wanted to with no remorse for the time being. Maybe things would change later. But for now he was playing by the rules."
A refreshing departure from many of the aimless, sensationalized urban fiction novels currently en vogue, No Love Lost deserves to be lauded for its honest depictions and intelligent handling of contemporary Black youth, particularly the various ways that they choose to navigate the daily quagmire of their lives. One could actually envision Shellman's narrative being required reading in many freshman high school English classrooms across the country.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Therone Shellman (No Love Lost)
Apex Reviews: Therone, thanks for joining us for this interview. Reading your book was a rewarding treat.
How much of your own experiences are reflected in No Love Lost?
Therone Shellman: The story is not about my life, but it does encompass a lot of what I know about the streets, people, and the deeper areas of life like political and social factors, which affect us all but, many are not aware of.
AR: In that same vein, regarding the inspirational talk that the older inmate has with Blaze in prison: did someone do the same for you?
TS: Throughout my life I've been blessed with the opportunity to come across many individuals who have played a part in my growth development. Unfortunately, I did not meet any of these individuals until after I'd gotten incarcerated when I was 17yrs old. Maybe had I met one of them before I would have taken a different path.
AR: In No Love Lost, you go into great detail about the inner workings of the various drug syndicates. What kind of research did you do to gain that insight?
TS: As mentioned earlier the story is fiction. But it is a realistic depiction of many people's lives. The names I utilize for the syndicates are fake, like M.P.R. etc. I refer to the Nation Of Gods & Earths or the 5 Percent Nation in reference to many of the young men. This social organization does exist. They have a valid charter with the United States government to be considered a religious and social organization. The teachings are against drug dealing, and instead focus on self-empowerment, discipline and higher learning. The core following consists of black youths in urban areas within the United States-but followers can be found around the world. This story takes place in the late 80's into the early 90's in Long Island, NY. During this time this movement was very strong in this area-so many of the youths were a part of it. But at the same time they were not truly following the doctrines. It's just like many Christians and Muslims do not follow their faith.
The research utilized to put together the background of how street organizations operate comes from my personal life experience. A lot of people talk the game, rap about it, write about it- but I lived it. I sold drugs as well as stuck up other drug dealers and had the capabilities to organize an organization like M.P.R. Fortunately, parole kept me busy and they constantly stayed on my back. So I was always upon the threshold of trying to do right (educate myself, look for better options) but at the same time make money the fast way. Street syndicates in essence operate no different than the military or corporate America. The only difference is in the way things are handled (the streets combine corporate America and the military into one). There has to be organization, discipline, soldiers, thinkers (management), different departments who act on their own but are a part of the one whole etc. It goes on and on-but I will stop there.
AR: In the book, law enforcement officials remark that gory deaths and high body counts are just "business as usual" for the inner city on a daily basis. Do you think there's now an element of apathy in their approach to fighting drug-related crime, and, if so, how can that be reversed?
TS: My studies of history and politics started about 19yrs ago as a teen. The issues surrounding how law enforcement engages the public has more to do with the county, city and state officials more than anything. They are the ones who have the power to make changes on a community level in regards to what the community needs. This also includes how public servants like the police conduct themselves. Yes! The police are public servants-they are not the law like some of them may assume. The police units who work in theses areas where there is a lot of drug related crimes should undergo special training b/c being in these environments will ware a person down psychologically and spiritually. And this is exactly what happens to the best of them after working a few years and seeing the hardships and dealing with many other factors. Many deal with the situation as if they are in a foreign land like Iraq. They are there just to do a job and have no attachment to the people involved.
Police department liaisons need to be created to build a healthy relationship between the department and the community it serves. This is especially so when it comes to the male youths in the area that view them as an occupying force like U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. These are the individuals the officers deal with day in and day out more than any other group.
Gang intervention centers need to be created who are equipped to provide real lasting services that can help these young men, women change their lives, get an education, go to job core, even change residences. I highlighted change residences because many of these youths need to be rescued from their current situation of coming from dysfunctional families. That's if they are even lucky enough to have a family.
AR: What's your personal take on the high rate of recidivism of African-American males in the prison system?
TS: Social Science teaches us that no social situation/condition is an isolated one. Everything is a result of cause and affect. Meaning what happens today is a result of what happened yesterday so on and so on. There is a book written by Bruce Wright who was a NY Supreme Court Justice called "Black Robes & White Justice". One of the things he mentioned is that if you have a black youth and a white one and they commit the same crime the black youth more often than not is going to get more time than the white youth. For starters most judges are white and can sympathize with the white youths parents as well as the white youth (because he or she could be their child). Secondly, he mentioned that the justice system which survives off of the incarcerated is more than interested in getting the black youth on probation, parole etc. Once you enter either system the chances of one having another brush up with the law is far greater than someone who has a clean record because neither probation nor parole provides the resources one truly needs to reintegrate back into society. This is the beginning of it all. The white male gets a chance to make a mistake, brush his knees off and get on with his life and hopefully wake up. For many black males this opportunity is not provided-and this is heightened by having probation or parole over their heads after they get out.
In the New York State Prison System community college programs were removed from upstate prisons. The same has been done within many prison systems around the country. Statistics show that prisoners who obtain college degrees are far less likely to commit another crime than those who don't.
Furthermore, the communities most of these males live in are prisons themselves-so to many of them its hard for them to see the difference between being in a jail, prison and in their hood. The only thing they may notice is that there are no women.
The prison system in America is a multi-trillion dollar one, which thrives off of fresh bodies (there are even private corporations which have partnerships with the prison systems). The criminal justice system is also another industry that is in the trillions of dollars. Many people's jobs and livelihood depend on the incarcerated. These social conditions, which serve to put African American males more at risk to be incarcerated than white males, even though statistics show that white males use drugs, and commit drug related crimes more than African American males and Hispanics put together. There is no true social equality in America and there are two separate laws in regards to race (as Mr. Wright states in Black Robes & White Justice). African Americans are still many years behind whites socially and economically and because of this they are at a disadvantage when it comes to defending their rights against prosecution.
AR: What real solutions would you suggest as alternatives to keep youth from getting caught up in the drug game?
TS: The public school systems need to create an urban education program and start teaching it at the 6th-7th grade school level and make it part of the school curriculum. At this stage in their lives this when you can have the most influence.
There needs to be more money spent to build community centers, which just do not provide sports-but they also need to be learning centers which will educate the youth about urban education and what they face in their communities.
To do all the above local government officials need to take a more active stance to get the funding from the federal government for their states. This would be more effective than hiring hundreds of more police officers, creating war-like environments and stiffening up the laws every couple of years. They need to help develop the minds of our future generations. And if they do not wish to help the future generations it's because they want them to fail.
AR: Your story is one of great success in the literary world. What advice can you give to others striving to get to your level?
TS: Well, for starters I would like to say that having two successful novels for me is not a success story. I have a lot more work to do and I've just begun traveling down my path. I will tell people to take themselves seriously, your time, thoughts and how you utilize them. Have a plan; study whatever you need to do to bring your plan to life. For writers it means studying the business as well as studying your craft and developing your own voice. This journey never ends b/c its art but it's also a business. Learn to budget your money and make it work for you. Develop a personal relationship with your readers and at first do not overwhelm yourself with thoughts of selling a million copies. From title to title you will grow your audience if you stay true to yourself, them (the readers) and continue to learn how to better your stories. Since this is a business if you are an independent author you will have to be good at budgeting your money-so don't go spending thousands of dollars on marketing etc. Instead focus on guerrilla marketing. Although my titles are in the stores I sell a whole lot more books hand to hand and outside the bookstore market. The payment between distributor payments is too long to invest in other projects and keep the ball rolling. Most of all have the end in mind-well at least a five-year plan. In other words have an estimate as to where you want to be by then.
AR: What's your opinion on the current state of contemporary literature, specifically the African-American market?
TS: I think that a lot of African American contemporary fiction writers are not in tune with the conditions and circumstances of the people they write for. Some of them are too rich and I think it's blinded the vision of their third eye (mind). Plus, the large companies have been pushing some contemporary fiction writers to write more urban, which has done a lot to sort of kill this genre. I write between both genres (urban/contemporary). "Love Don't Live Here" is urban contemporary and "No Love Lost" is urban. My next novel, which is co-authored, by Teresa Alessi and myself titled "Love.com" is releasing late December 2007 (romance/contemporary).
Contemporary fiction is going to make a come back in the African American market-but the stories are going to have to be more personal and have real substance. I have a few stories, which I'm working on that are going to be good for the genre.
AR: Your autobiography will soon be released. Care to give our readers a sneak-peek into what it'll feature?
TS: I had intentions of releasing my autobiography "Survivor" late 2007. But because "Love.com" is releasing in December I've decided to hold off. Plus, I don't want to hold back on anything. A lot of people are anticipating the story to see me life in totality because "No Love Lost" was just straight to the point.
"Survivor" all I can say will be like no other autobiography out there. I don't have to lie or fabricate any stories to make my life seem interesting. I'm lucky for my life, to be walking this planet, breathe and be able to convey these thoughts to you right now. From being separated from my mother with my two sisters and brother, to three different adoption homes. Knowing at the age of 15 I had to take care of myself-I started hustling and selling drugs. At 16 being kicked out of my house. By 17 I was selling drugs, and doing stick ups. I was sentenced to a 4-12 yr. sentence when I was 17yrs old. I served 4 ½ years of the sentence. Out of this time over 2 years were done in total within S.H.U. for different infractions-fights with prisoners and C.O. staff on different occasions. S.H.U. is supposed to be punishment but I was able to read, get my thoughts together, study and get into myself without too much interaction from others so to them it was punishment but for me it was schooling. There is a lot to tell-but you're going to have to wait for "Survivor" to be released to learn the path I've traveled to be the person I am now.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
TS: Keep reading! Get my books! Follow me on this journey because I do not write for any one group of people. I may use black or white characters, but the real story is the situation I'm showing you-one which affects us all directly or indirectly.
Travel safe!
AR: Thanks again, Therone, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors.
Therone Shellman
Third Eye Publishing
ISBN: 0977100421
Reviewed By Antonia Cruz
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Most of the action in No Love Lost is centered mainly around the young Blaze, nee Jermaine Johnson, as he rises to power in the drug world. Lured into the game by his cousin, Derrik, and mentor, Supreme, Blaze is seduced by the money, freedom, and influence that come along with his increased underworld status - but he is ill-prepared to handle the violence, betrayal, and unpredictability of his newfound trade. As he weaves his way through a tangled web of deals gone bad, police intimidation, and turf wars, a higher consciousness slowly but surely awakens within him, and he ultimately considers making a much-needed life change, prompted by the love of his faithful sweetheart, Rachel.
On the surface, one would think that the gritty depictions of street life in No Love Lost would make it a carbon copy of such predecessors as "New Jack City" or "Juice." Instead, with its realistic reflections on the daily human struggles of urban Black youth, Shellman's narrative falls more along the lines of "Goodfellas": his protagonists are not caricatures, but rather 3-dimensional, flesh-and-blood flawed beings, the likes of which we all see and deal with everyday. True, they have chosen to indulge in a life of danger and uncertainty, but, given the limitations of their immediate environment - not to mention the constrictions of modern society - their ever-dwindling options often leave them with no other recourse. Consider this revealing passage:
"He knew how it felt to be hungry. And as a young man, he learned that money meant the difference between those who ate and those who starved. He'd rather be in jail or dead than starve for anyone. This was verified by the outlaw life that he decided to live. His life, he felt, was like that of a black cowboy in the early frontier. It was all about survival tactics."
In addition, further complicating the boys' lives are the inevitable consequences of the choices they make. It is well known throughout the drug game, that - much like the CIA - once you're in, you never get out. Unsuspectingly swept into an increasingly dangerous life, the boys eventually realize that they'd be in even more danger if they left - which, of course, explains why they stay. The difficulty of this decision is highlighted best in this telling piece of introspection by Blaze himself:
"Yes, he could have chosen a different path because of the opportunities his mother provided, but this was his life and his choice, and he was set on living it the way he wanted to with no remorse for the time being. Maybe things would change later. But for now he was playing by the rules."
A refreshing departure from many of the aimless, sensationalized urban fiction novels currently en vogue, No Love Lost deserves to be lauded for its honest depictions and intelligent handling of contemporary Black youth, particularly the various ways that they choose to navigate the daily quagmire of their lives. One could actually envision Shellman's narrative being required reading in many freshman high school English classrooms across the country.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Therone Shellman (No Love Lost)
Apex Reviews: Therone, thanks for joining us for this interview. Reading your book was a rewarding treat.
How much of your own experiences are reflected in No Love Lost?
Therone Shellman: The story is not about my life, but it does encompass a lot of what I know about the streets, people, and the deeper areas of life like political and social factors, which affect us all but, many are not aware of.
AR: In that same vein, regarding the inspirational talk that the older inmate has with Blaze in prison: did someone do the same for you?
TS: Throughout my life I've been blessed with the opportunity to come across many individuals who have played a part in my growth development. Unfortunately, I did not meet any of these individuals until after I'd gotten incarcerated when I was 17yrs old. Maybe had I met one of them before I would have taken a different path.
AR: In No Love Lost, you go into great detail about the inner workings of the various drug syndicates. What kind of research did you do to gain that insight?
TS: As mentioned earlier the story is fiction. But it is a realistic depiction of many people's lives. The names I utilize for the syndicates are fake, like M.P.R. etc. I refer to the Nation Of Gods & Earths or the 5 Percent Nation in reference to many of the young men. This social organization does exist. They have a valid charter with the United States government to be considered a religious and social organization. The teachings are against drug dealing, and instead focus on self-empowerment, discipline and higher learning. The core following consists of black youths in urban areas within the United States-but followers can be found around the world. This story takes place in the late 80's into the early 90's in Long Island, NY. During this time this movement was very strong in this area-so many of the youths were a part of it. But at the same time they were not truly following the doctrines. It's just like many Christians and Muslims do not follow their faith.
The research utilized to put together the background of how street organizations operate comes from my personal life experience. A lot of people talk the game, rap about it, write about it- but I lived it. I sold drugs as well as stuck up other drug dealers and had the capabilities to organize an organization like M.P.R. Fortunately, parole kept me busy and they constantly stayed on my back. So I was always upon the threshold of trying to do right (educate myself, look for better options) but at the same time make money the fast way. Street syndicates in essence operate no different than the military or corporate America. The only difference is in the way things are handled (the streets combine corporate America and the military into one). There has to be organization, discipline, soldiers, thinkers (management), different departments who act on their own but are a part of the one whole etc. It goes on and on-but I will stop there.
AR: In the book, law enforcement officials remark that gory deaths and high body counts are just "business as usual" for the inner city on a daily basis. Do you think there's now an element of apathy in their approach to fighting drug-related crime, and, if so, how can that be reversed?
TS: My studies of history and politics started about 19yrs ago as a teen. The issues surrounding how law enforcement engages the public has more to do with the county, city and state officials more than anything. They are the ones who have the power to make changes on a community level in regards to what the community needs. This also includes how public servants like the police conduct themselves. Yes! The police are public servants-they are not the law like some of them may assume. The police units who work in theses areas where there is a lot of drug related crimes should undergo special training b/c being in these environments will ware a person down psychologically and spiritually. And this is exactly what happens to the best of them after working a few years and seeing the hardships and dealing with many other factors. Many deal with the situation as if they are in a foreign land like Iraq. They are there just to do a job and have no attachment to the people involved.
Police department liaisons need to be created to build a healthy relationship between the department and the community it serves. This is especially so when it comes to the male youths in the area that view them as an occupying force like U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. These are the individuals the officers deal with day in and day out more than any other group.
Gang intervention centers need to be created who are equipped to provide real lasting services that can help these young men, women change their lives, get an education, go to job core, even change residences. I highlighted change residences because many of these youths need to be rescued from their current situation of coming from dysfunctional families. That's if they are even lucky enough to have a family.
AR: What's your personal take on the high rate of recidivism of African-American males in the prison system?
TS: Social Science teaches us that no social situation/condition is an isolated one. Everything is a result of cause and affect. Meaning what happens today is a result of what happened yesterday so on and so on. There is a book written by Bruce Wright who was a NY Supreme Court Justice called "Black Robes & White Justice". One of the things he mentioned is that if you have a black youth and a white one and they commit the same crime the black youth more often than not is going to get more time than the white youth. For starters most judges are white and can sympathize with the white youths parents as well as the white youth (because he or she could be their child). Secondly, he mentioned that the justice system which survives off of the incarcerated is more than interested in getting the black youth on probation, parole etc. Once you enter either system the chances of one having another brush up with the law is far greater than someone who has a clean record because neither probation nor parole provides the resources one truly needs to reintegrate back into society. This is the beginning of it all. The white male gets a chance to make a mistake, brush his knees off and get on with his life and hopefully wake up. For many black males this opportunity is not provided-and this is heightened by having probation or parole over their heads after they get out.
In the New York State Prison System community college programs were removed from upstate prisons. The same has been done within many prison systems around the country. Statistics show that prisoners who obtain college degrees are far less likely to commit another crime than those who don't.
Furthermore, the communities most of these males live in are prisons themselves-so to many of them its hard for them to see the difference between being in a jail, prison and in their hood. The only thing they may notice is that there are no women.
The prison system in America is a multi-trillion dollar one, which thrives off of fresh bodies (there are even private corporations which have partnerships with the prison systems). The criminal justice system is also another industry that is in the trillions of dollars. Many people's jobs and livelihood depend on the incarcerated. These social conditions, which serve to put African American males more at risk to be incarcerated than white males, even though statistics show that white males use drugs, and commit drug related crimes more than African American males and Hispanics put together. There is no true social equality in America and there are two separate laws in regards to race (as Mr. Wright states in Black Robes & White Justice). African Americans are still many years behind whites socially and economically and because of this they are at a disadvantage when it comes to defending their rights against prosecution.
AR: What real solutions would you suggest as alternatives to keep youth from getting caught up in the drug game?
TS: The public school systems need to create an urban education program and start teaching it at the 6th-7th grade school level and make it part of the school curriculum. At this stage in their lives this when you can have the most influence.
There needs to be more money spent to build community centers, which just do not provide sports-but they also need to be learning centers which will educate the youth about urban education and what they face in their communities.
To do all the above local government officials need to take a more active stance to get the funding from the federal government for their states. This would be more effective than hiring hundreds of more police officers, creating war-like environments and stiffening up the laws every couple of years. They need to help develop the minds of our future generations. And if they do not wish to help the future generations it's because they want them to fail.
AR: Your story is one of great success in the literary world. What advice can you give to others striving to get to your level?
TS: Well, for starters I would like to say that having two successful novels for me is not a success story. I have a lot more work to do and I've just begun traveling down my path. I will tell people to take themselves seriously, your time, thoughts and how you utilize them. Have a plan; study whatever you need to do to bring your plan to life. For writers it means studying the business as well as studying your craft and developing your own voice. This journey never ends b/c its art but it's also a business. Learn to budget your money and make it work for you. Develop a personal relationship with your readers and at first do not overwhelm yourself with thoughts of selling a million copies. From title to title you will grow your audience if you stay true to yourself, them (the readers) and continue to learn how to better your stories. Since this is a business if you are an independent author you will have to be good at budgeting your money-so don't go spending thousands of dollars on marketing etc. Instead focus on guerrilla marketing. Although my titles are in the stores I sell a whole lot more books hand to hand and outside the bookstore market. The payment between distributor payments is too long to invest in other projects and keep the ball rolling. Most of all have the end in mind-well at least a five-year plan. In other words have an estimate as to where you want to be by then.
AR: What's your opinion on the current state of contemporary literature, specifically the African-American market?
TS: I think that a lot of African American contemporary fiction writers are not in tune with the conditions and circumstances of the people they write for. Some of them are too rich and I think it's blinded the vision of their third eye (mind). Plus, the large companies have been pushing some contemporary fiction writers to write more urban, which has done a lot to sort of kill this genre. I write between both genres (urban/contemporary). "Love Don't Live Here" is urban contemporary and "No Love Lost" is urban. My next novel, which is co-authored, by Teresa Alessi and myself titled "Love.com" is releasing late December 2007 (romance/contemporary).
Contemporary fiction is going to make a come back in the African American market-but the stories are going to have to be more personal and have real substance. I have a few stories, which I'm working on that are going to be good for the genre.
AR: Your autobiography will soon be released. Care to give our readers a sneak-peek into what it'll feature?
TS: I had intentions of releasing my autobiography "Survivor" late 2007. But because "Love.com" is releasing in December I've decided to hold off. Plus, I don't want to hold back on anything. A lot of people are anticipating the story to see me life in totality because "No Love Lost" was just straight to the point.
"Survivor" all I can say will be like no other autobiography out there. I don't have to lie or fabricate any stories to make my life seem interesting. I'm lucky for my life, to be walking this planet, breathe and be able to convey these thoughts to you right now. From being separated from my mother with my two sisters and brother, to three different adoption homes. Knowing at the age of 15 I had to take care of myself-I started hustling and selling drugs. At 16 being kicked out of my house. By 17 I was selling drugs, and doing stick ups. I was sentenced to a 4-12 yr. sentence when I was 17yrs old. I served 4 ½ years of the sentence. Out of this time over 2 years were done in total within S.H.U. for different infractions-fights with prisoners and C.O. staff on different occasions. S.H.U. is supposed to be punishment but I was able to read, get my thoughts together, study and get into myself without too much interaction from others so to them it was punishment but for me it was schooling. There is a lot to tell-but you're going to have to wait for "Survivor" to be released to learn the path I've traveled to be the person I am now.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
TS: Keep reading! Get my books! Follow me on this journey because I do not write for any one group of people. I may use black or white characters, but the real story is the situation I'm showing you-one which affects us all directly or indirectly.
Travel safe!
AR: Thanks again, Therone, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors.