WHAT'S ON MY NIGHTSTAND...

I am a reader. I have been since I was 3 years old. I was reading Tolstoy when I was 9 and Message to a Black Man when I was 11. My Dad had tons of books around and he read a lot. Yep there are good memories about my Dad and I can remember. Anyway, because of this blogging world, I have found writers who have moved me to new heights of passion and intellectualism. Yep, I am smarter, or better still much more well-read and more passionate because of the writers I have found in Blog land. So here is what I am enjoying and I hope you grab a copy for yourself! I will periodically share what's on my nightstand.

Butter Brown
Short Stories
Torrance Stephens, PhD.

Hhmm don't let the cover fool you, she may be Butter Brown, but she ain't the Butter Brown. From the moment I opened the book and got into my first story I was hooked. Dr. Stephens has a way with drawing you in that makes you feel like you are a part of the landscape. That you are almost there. He writes with a real passion that seems to wrap around you and holds you close.

As a New Englander who attended college in the South, I really didn't know the South. Not the south of Torrance Stephens experience. His use of language unique to Memphis, Tennessee is mesmerizing and engaging. I found myself wanting to know more about the circle of friends he writes about and where are they now? I am not sure it's possible to have favorites, but I do have a few that spoke to me. I loved the short story Melinda. He writes so beautifully about a tryst between a man and a photographer, is it him? perhaps. But what I like is the way in which he approached the intimacy. It could have easily been nasty and gratuitous but it was lovingly done with care and you come away with the sense that Dr. Stephens knows something about women and their needs, but more importantly his own needs come through. My other favorite short story was the last one, for which the book is named..Butter Brown. The setting in Dakar, Africa is heady and sensual and colorful. You can almost hear him walking through the village with all it's exotic sounds and people. You can feel his love for Africa, his love for Sabrina Avery...Butter Brown. I loved this collection of short stories very much and I think Torrance Stephens is a very prolific and sensual writer.

Torrance aka All-Mi-T has a blog too, so if you want to get a flavor for his writing style and his take on current and world events check him at Raw Dawg Buffalo

May 2nd is My Birthday

Calling all poets to celebrate with me

with poetry, prose and love missives