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The Blues For Annie Mae - D.J. Parhams
The Blues For Annie Mae
D.J. Parhams
ISBN: 1600471056
Wasteland Press
Reviewed By Mary Hallows
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Zora Neale Hurston wrote in her autobiography, Dust Tracks On A Road, "I have been in Sorrow's kitchen and licked out all the pots"...she could just as well have been describing Annie Mae Jenkins's life to a T...
Born into a rough time and an even rougher family, the odds are stacked against Annie Mae from the start: her father barely claims her, her sister has no time for her, and her mother seems hell-bent on beating her spirit into permanent submission. No matter how hard she tries, nothing in her life ever seems to go right - until one day she discovers music. Not just any particular kind of music, either, but real, timeless music: everything from Chopin and Bach to Aretha Franklin and the Temptations. There's a special void that occupies each one of our lives, and in music Annie finds just what she needs to fill hers forever. Soon, she's not only a music fan, but a practitioner of the art as well: one day she opens her mouth and starts singing for her mother, and the path to her becoming a famous professional singer is set that very day.
Like all of life's paths, though, Annie Mae's is far from smooth. In fact, on her way to performing arts high school, Julliard, and ultimately a profession as a blues singer, she has to endure beatings, betrayal, and a crippling drug addiction - and she barely survives each new obstacle as it comes.
Most difficult for Annie to overcome, though, are all the buried secrets from her past that her mother and so many others seem determined to keep her from discovering. When she inadvertently learns the truth surrounding her own paternity, though, she suddenly gains a greater understanding of exactly why her mother has been so hard on her for so long, and so many other pieces of the puzzle of her life finally start to come together.
The Blues For Annie Mae is a wonderful read, even if at times painstakingly tough to swallow. The dialogue is crisp and acerbically witty, reminiscent of Hurston in her prime. Also, the action flows smoothly from scene to scene, making it easy to see the story transitioning to the big screen in the near future.
As hard as it is to read about the abuse, drug use, and emotional turmoil of her characters, Parhams's tale unapologetically brings you face-to-face with the darkest demons humanity has to bear, and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit makes the arduous journey that much more rewarding to take.
Brava to D.J. Parhams for crafting such an urgent, aching tale of perseverance through adversity. This story is sure to serve as personal witness to many a soul currently just as lost as Annie found herself - eventually guiding them to the same redemptive light.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: D.J. Parhams (The Blues For Annie Mae)
AR: D.J., thanks for joining us for this interview. We truly appreciate it, and we're looking forward to learning more about The Blues For Annie Mae.
Annie Mae's story is so realistic that it can serve as a reflection of so many people's lives, past and present. Where did you get the inspiration for it?
DP: Well, it's the craziest thing, but one morning I was on my way to the j-o-b. I curled up in a corner seat, feeling sleepy, just about to nod off and in my mind's eye I see this adorable little girl jumping rope, with her braided pig tails flapping to the beat of the rope..wrump..wrump..wrump.. "My name is Annie Mae"..wrump..wrump...wrump" and you're going to write about me." wrump..wrump..wrump. With time I knew how to nurture her and layer her..crazy isn't it?
AR: Are there any parts of the book that are autobiographical - no matter how slight?
DP: Well, I think every daughter at sometime or another locks horns with their mother and this can be a very fragile and hurtful relationship because there is so much love there. My mom and I never had the battles that Annie Mae and Selma endured, but there was a great deal of turmoil.
AR: Our reviewer commented that the dialogue in the book is incredibly impressive and effective in conveying the characters' true feelings.Was it difficult for you to capture that so realistically?
DP: Actually, I didn't have any problems with the dialogue. I love drama and plays, as a matter of fact I studied acting. So for me it's almost second nature.
AR: When Annie Mae's mother begins systematically abusing her husband in the rest home, why is it so hard for Annie Mae to stop her?
DP: Because like mother, like daughter, like Selma, she too was vindictive. Annie Mae comments he was never there for her..so why should she come to his rescue. The chapter prior to the nursing home scene, Annie Mae finds her Dad in a bar and she just wants a hug ..that's all, just a little affection and do you know that he refuses to hug this little twelve-year-old child? I'm sure if he had reached out to her in that one instance that the entire scene would have taken a different turn.
AR: The scene in which Annie Mae finally realizes why her mother has always been so hard on her is heart-breakingly bittersweet; yet, it doesn't spell the end of all the hostility in their relationship. Why not?
DP: It was still that after taste of remorse and let's face it, sometimes forgiveness is one of the hardest human endeavors. How could Annie Mae forgive anyone when she wasn't yet able to forgive herself?
AR: How hard was it for you to write the scenes involving abuse and outright cruelty?
DP: Oh I cried and I cried..so many times I cried while writing Annie Mae. I think my husband must have thought I was riding the crazy train.
AR: What do you think it will take for real healing to begin in order to cure the African-American community of such ills as domestic violence and undiagnosed mental illness?
DP: You know we as a people are a strong lot, we have endured so much over the centuries. Many times we scoff off mental illness. I've actually heard some people label it a white person's disease. We consider ourselves too strong to succumb to mental frailties. As far as domestic violence, again we are people of discretion. I've often heard, "What goes on in MY house stays in MY house. I'll handle my own business." Unfortunately, with these prevalent attitudes I can't see any changes as of yet.
AR: What kinds of reactions have you gotten from readers?
DP: They laugh, they cry and it makes them stop and think about life's choices and many readers have said that Selma Louise Jenkins is their favorite character in the entire book.
AR: What's next for you?
DP: Well, I'm waiting on my muse/inspiration. It's coming slowly. I would love to write a sequel, focusing more on Selma and Gloria.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
DP: Well, I want to thank you for this opportunity it means a great deal to me and I hope people will pick-up a copy of The Blues for Annie Mae.
AR: Thanks again, D.J., and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
D.J. Parhams
ISBN: 1600471056
Wasteland Press
Reviewed By Mary Hallows
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Zora Neale Hurston wrote in her autobiography, Dust Tracks On A Road, "I have been in Sorrow's kitchen and licked out all the pots"...she could just as well have been describing Annie Mae Jenkins's life to a T...
Born into a rough time and an even rougher family, the odds are stacked against Annie Mae from the start: her father barely claims her, her sister has no time for her, and her mother seems hell-bent on beating her spirit into permanent submission. No matter how hard she tries, nothing in her life ever seems to go right - until one day she discovers music. Not just any particular kind of music, either, but real, timeless music: everything from Chopin and Bach to Aretha Franklin and the Temptations. There's a special void that occupies each one of our lives, and in music Annie finds just what she needs to fill hers forever. Soon, she's not only a music fan, but a practitioner of the art as well: one day she opens her mouth and starts singing for her mother, and the path to her becoming a famous professional singer is set that very day.
Like all of life's paths, though, Annie Mae's is far from smooth. In fact, on her way to performing arts high school, Julliard, and ultimately a profession as a blues singer, she has to endure beatings, betrayal, and a crippling drug addiction - and she barely survives each new obstacle as it comes.
Most difficult for Annie to overcome, though, are all the buried secrets from her past that her mother and so many others seem determined to keep her from discovering. When she inadvertently learns the truth surrounding her own paternity, though, she suddenly gains a greater understanding of exactly why her mother has been so hard on her for so long, and so many other pieces of the puzzle of her life finally start to come together.
The Blues For Annie Mae is a wonderful read, even if at times painstakingly tough to swallow. The dialogue is crisp and acerbically witty, reminiscent of Hurston in her prime. Also, the action flows smoothly from scene to scene, making it easy to see the story transitioning to the big screen in the near future.
As hard as it is to read about the abuse, drug use, and emotional turmoil of her characters, Parhams's tale unapologetically brings you face-to-face with the darkest demons humanity has to bear, and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit makes the arduous journey that much more rewarding to take.
Brava to D.J. Parhams for crafting such an urgent, aching tale of perseverance through adversity. This story is sure to serve as personal witness to many a soul currently just as lost as Annie found herself - eventually guiding them to the same redemptive light.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: D.J. Parhams (The Blues For Annie Mae)
AR: D.J., thanks for joining us for this interview. We truly appreciate it, and we're looking forward to learning more about The Blues For Annie Mae.
Annie Mae's story is so realistic that it can serve as a reflection of so many people's lives, past and present. Where did you get the inspiration for it?
DP: Well, it's the craziest thing, but one morning I was on my way to the j-o-b. I curled up in a corner seat, feeling sleepy, just about to nod off and in my mind's eye I see this adorable little girl jumping rope, with her braided pig tails flapping to the beat of the rope..wrump..wrump..wrump.. "My name is Annie Mae"..wrump..wrump...wrump" and you're going to write about me." wrump..wrump..wrump. With time I knew how to nurture her and layer her..crazy isn't it?
AR: Are there any parts of the book that are autobiographical - no matter how slight?
DP: Well, I think every daughter at sometime or another locks horns with their mother and this can be a very fragile and hurtful relationship because there is so much love there. My mom and I never had the battles that Annie Mae and Selma endured, but there was a great deal of turmoil.
AR: Our reviewer commented that the dialogue in the book is incredibly impressive and effective in conveying the characters' true feelings.Was it difficult for you to capture that so realistically?
DP: Actually, I didn't have any problems with the dialogue. I love drama and plays, as a matter of fact I studied acting. So for me it's almost second nature.
AR: When Annie Mae's mother begins systematically abusing her husband in the rest home, why is it so hard for Annie Mae to stop her?
DP: Because like mother, like daughter, like Selma, she too was vindictive. Annie Mae comments he was never there for her..so why should she come to his rescue. The chapter prior to the nursing home scene, Annie Mae finds her Dad in a bar and she just wants a hug ..that's all, just a little affection and do you know that he refuses to hug this little twelve-year-old child? I'm sure if he had reached out to her in that one instance that the entire scene would have taken a different turn.
AR: The scene in which Annie Mae finally realizes why her mother has always been so hard on her is heart-breakingly bittersweet; yet, it doesn't spell the end of all the hostility in their relationship. Why not?
DP: It was still that after taste of remorse and let's face it, sometimes forgiveness is one of the hardest human endeavors. How could Annie Mae forgive anyone when she wasn't yet able to forgive herself?
AR: How hard was it for you to write the scenes involving abuse and outright cruelty?
DP: Oh I cried and I cried..so many times I cried while writing Annie Mae. I think my husband must have thought I was riding the crazy train.
AR: What do you think it will take for real healing to begin in order to cure the African-American community of such ills as domestic violence and undiagnosed mental illness?
DP: You know we as a people are a strong lot, we have endured so much over the centuries. Many times we scoff off mental illness. I've actually heard some people label it a white person's disease. We consider ourselves too strong to succumb to mental frailties. As far as domestic violence, again we are people of discretion. I've often heard, "What goes on in MY house stays in MY house. I'll handle my own business." Unfortunately, with these prevalent attitudes I can't see any changes as of yet.
AR: What kinds of reactions have you gotten from readers?
DP: They laugh, they cry and it makes them stop and think about life's choices and many readers have said that Selma Louise Jenkins is their favorite character in the entire book.
AR: What's next for you?
DP: Well, I'm waiting on my muse/inspiration. It's coming slowly. I would love to write a sequel, focusing more on Selma and Gloria.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
DP: Well, I want to thank you for this opportunity it means a great deal to me and I hope people will pick-up a copy of The Blues for Annie Mae.
AR: Thanks again, D.J., and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!