Conversation with an Authentic Author

                      Omar Tyree

                  New York Times

                Best Selling Author

                            by

                     Darrell Reid

 

It’s not every day that you get to talk with one of the greatest authors of our generation. This guy is not only an author but a poet, educator, lecturer and a journalist. He is a New York Times best seller, who has sold over 2 million books worldwide, an NAACP Image Award Winner, a Phyllis Wheatley Literacy Prize Winner and the Founder of the Urban Literacy Project(ULP).

He is the only, and only OMAR TYREE and is as normal as they come. I really mean that.  His enthusiasm and energy made the conversation with him feel like I was hanging out with oneof my good friends at Taco Mac, while watching the game. During the conversation, Mr. Tyree gave me so much information and insight into his world of writing and publishing that I found it impossible to write everything down. Just minutes leading up to our phone conversation I was nervous as hell, and he gave me plenty of time to remain nervous. The conversation started about ten minutes to nine, while originally scheduled for 8pm, while he dealt with a last-minute business call. And as I was watched the time, I kept saying to myself, “I cannot believe in just a few a minutes, I will be interviewing Omar Tyree.” So I went through my questions over and over again.  

I had everything outlined and was thinking about how I would approach the questions, all while watching the time like a countdown to the NFL Draft. And as soon as I said, “Yeah, this is Omar Tyree” on the line, I had to keep my fanatic energy on chill mode and ask the man some major questions.

I had explained to Mr. Tyree that this particular interview would be featured on my cousin’s blog “Bars And Warfare.” Mr. Tyree then informed me that he wasn’t really a big fan of blogs. He stated that it was nothing personal but he found blogs to have shortened articles. He said he was from the old school of extensive articles that could reach 2,000-3,000 words and deep introspection. And he was not satisfied with reading the incomplete meals of short blogs. So he joked with me about the articles and posts being of short content and possibly chopping up his interview into a hundred "Bars and Warfare" blog features.

Our conversation began with how the celebrated author caught the writing bug I the first place. Tyree explained that he caught on to the passion of writing in his freshmen year ofcollege at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was actually studying to become a pharmacist, with dreams of walking on to the football team. He then realized that other students were interested in what he wrote, which was amazing to him.  The young author’s eye for detail would unknowingly become the core of his further career. The University of Pittsburgh conselors even advised him to publish "Diary of a Freshman” in a student news letter, all about the details of college life from the eyes of a student in his first year. 

Those early writings laid the foundation for what was to come. But it wasn’t as a pharmacist. I cannot picture Omar Tyree confined behind a desk, counting prescription medication for patients. With his excitable personality and entrepreneurial spirit, I could not create a visual image of the dynamic writer tied down to one occupation.  And indeed, people questioned his transition from pharmacy to journalism. As Tyree put it, “There is a scientific method to approaching your writing too.”  

When not at speaking engagements or writing new best-sellers, the author says he loves sports and going to movies. He was planning to see the new Captain America film that same weekend as our interview. Tyree also listed Fabulous, Jay-Z and old-school rap artists as his music of choice. He said he loves Jay-Z’s way of reinventing himself professionally and musically.  Tyree even released his own rap and spoken wordalbum, Rising Up as The Urban Griot some years back in 2002.Yeah a rap album!!!

I almost asked him to give us a freestyle over the phone, but I didn’t want to put him a famous author on the spot. I mean, it was a dozen years ago. I could only imagine how many new words and poems he had written since then. But he confessed that he would never do another rap album or music projects, with a lot of time and money lost. He called recording music an addictive process that needs the right support of the people behind you who buy your music in order to succeed. But he also stated that he liked the old school of music business where anyone had a chance to gain a loyal audience with pure skills and diversity, where in the new market, the flavor of the monthis all about social media numbers or old school artists, who already control all methods of publicity.  

I asked Tyree what he would be doing if he was not an accomplished author. Tyree said that he would have always had a business or some sort. In his college years, he even thought of owning a franchise of barbershops or even a limo transportation business. Tyree called himself a natural-born entrepreneur from the hardcore city of Philadelphia, where he learned to work hard and hustle at an early age. And instead of punching in on someone else’s clock, he started MARS Productions and published his own books at age 23 to start making his own money on his own terms. How that for a pharmacist?

But Mr. Tyree explained a catch-22 on ownership. He said, “You can own a hundred percent of your art, but if it’s not being marketed to give a return on your investment, you are just holding onto to it. So you work out a percentage deal with a company that can push it out in the market and make it mean something. But you never want to give anything away for free, that’s the catch-22 of the business/art situation. Tyree added that getting published has definitely become harder because the marketplace is now overly saturated, where publishing companies are now only willing to push those who will bring the most revenue. And Tyree said that social media is definitely the wave of the future to get notice in a growing market of attention-seekers. He said that many Americans will now go to extreme measures to get attention for anything.  “So it’s harder for an author to maintain a large number of followers, including their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.” And he definitely wants to see social media followers embrace authors more for their maturity and intelligence rather than just entertainment and drama issues.

“Bar and Warfare” readers, I was trying to capture everything in our conversation, It really was a (LOL) session too! Y’all know how I feel about education and being entrepreneur. Well, Omar Tyree feels the same way and he spoke about his literacy efforts with the Urban Literacy Project(ULP) which focuses on instructing students, teachers and parents to utilize a clear and repetitious method of strengthening the literacy rates, capabilities, confidence of students from levels K through 12. He said his “5 Key Components of Literacy” are: 

1. Reading to process and consume information.

2. Writing as the process of communication. 

3. Thinking as the process of focused movement, emotions, desire and intellect.

4. Visualization as the process of understanding the past, present and future through words images and ideas.   

 5.  Application as the process of executing learned knowledge.

I then took an opportunity to talk with Mr. Tyree about his latest book series “The Traveler.” Tyree explained that this particular series was all about wanting readers to do more than just read the story. He wants the readers to feel as if they are IN the story. Tyree said his whole purpose is to involve his readers in the political and cultural issues of his stories. The first fullbook in “The Traveler” series takes place in the Middle East in “Welcome to Dubai” and will definitely take you on a journey.  Tyree said that there are plans to for “The Traveler” seriesstories set in Shanghai, Cape Town and Rio de Janiero just to name a few of the next locations.

In conclusion, I asked Mr. Tyree what advice he would give to an aspiring writer.  And one thing I can say about my conversation with Mr. Tyree is that he is straight forward andvery honest. He was just an all-out cool dude. So his advice was for writers is simply to WRITE.  “Don’t be afraid to write your thoughts down.” He said to execute your thoughts with a certain fearlessness, where there is no longer a thing called “writer’s block” of internal fear. “Too many aspiring writers edit themselves before they write, therefore ‘blocking’ their own creativity. But real writers know that it’s all about bravery. So be brave and write what you really think.”

And yes, we are all still waiting on a movie deal based on some of Omar Tyree’s legendary books, including “Flyy Girl,” “Leslie” and Just Say No!”  But Tyree informed me that he and his film partner at Global Renaissance Entertainment are waiting a green light through Lions Gate Films productions and other Hollywood distributors to make it happen very shortly. He said, “It’s just a process that takes patience and the understanding regarding the politics of the film industry.”

So I made it through the full interview and I kept my cool as a huge Omar Tyree fan. And after we were done, I realized that this will definitely go down as one of my most memorable moments I the writing business!!!

** For more information about Urban Literacy Project(ULP) and other Omar Tyree Inc. books and properties go to www.omartyree.com

Little Brown Girls, Dance!

Brown Girls can Shine!

“This is for the little brown girls.”- Misty Copeland, Life In Motion 

From my place in the audience, Misty Copeland is the picture of perfection. As a soloist in the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT), she is a vision en pointe, as she soars to impossible heights. But as with any success story, it takes a journey. In her memoir Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, the ABT soloist shares her Cinderella story, from a timid young girl who was introduced to ballet in a local Boys & Girls Club in San Pedro, CA, to a stunning dynamo gracing billboards as the face of ABT in her career defining performance as “The Firebird.” As a painfully shy child, she strived for perfection to keep her rocky childhood hidden by being a people pleaser with a  standard of perfection that lead to excruciating migraines. Misty found her stride and her steadiness through her love of dance and New York City, where her mixed identity was welcomed outside of the all-white dance studios. Most importantly, the prodigy dances with the dreams of the African American community on her shoulders, from the dancers whose promising careers were cut short by the threat of the Ku Klux Klan, to the little brown girls who dream of following in her footsteps as they tie up their first pair of pointe shoes.

Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina is a must-read for all women, from dancers to the boardroom. If you have young daughters, stash this must-have on your bookshelf until they’re ready to discover it.

Based on dance’s traditional dance counts, here are some lessons from Misty’s inspirational story that will motivate you from any walk of life. In addition, we salute the African-American ballerinas who paved the way for Misty’s masterful reign.

Your past can make you stronger.

Misty opens up about her unstable childhood, when she spent her earliest years living in a motel in San Pedro with her mother and siblings. The constant shuffling and abrupt moves caused her to have debilitating migraines and stomach pains. A worrier by nature, Misty put her focus in hiding her unstable home life at school, by arriving early to class and keeping up excellent grades. Dance would become her escape, as she’d choreograph performances to Mariah Carey’s earliest hits. While the Copeland kids could have used their background as a crutch, they strived even harder to succeed. Excellence runs in the family, with Misty’s siblings ranging from lawyers to artists.

Embrace the criticism, not just the praise.

Although Misty was a latecomer to ballet, her innate ability to mimic choreography earned her the title of “prodigy” within months. The 13 year old had the athletic ability and the ideal frame that made her a choreographer’s dream. As she progressed, it was clear that instructors would not share the opinions of her earliest teachers. Always the fighter, Misty fought back by pushing herself to her limits. Her tenacity earned her a spot as the second African-American soloist in ABT’s history.

Choose a partner who makes you better.

A late bloomer with a fear of repeating her mother’s history of boyfriends coming in and out of her life, Misty focused on perfecting her craft and navigating her childhood, instead of dating. But when she met her boyfriend Olu, she found an anchor and support system. A lawyer, Olu helped Misty find her voice. Misty settled her nerves by rehearsing meetings she’d have with her artistic directors, when she knew she could handle prominent roles at ABT.

When Prince calls, you answer!

Misty has been a bonafide ballet staple for over a decade, but Prince introduced her to music lovers. In his shy and mysterious way, Prince invited Misty to dance in his “Welcome To America” tour. By trusting her expertise as a ballerina, he allowed Misty to step away from the meticulous critiques of her artistic directors, and into her own artistic prowess. The occasional phone call from the Purple One is something this fan can only dream of, so we’ll have to live vicariously through Misty on this one!

Being different is a gift.

As an African American in a world dominated and almost inherently designated for the affluent, Misty was a brown swan in a sea of white ballerinas. As her body matured, her curves made her stick out even more. Some decided to hide her copper complexion with makeup, and others refused to accept her, Misty began to retreat back into her shyness. The Dance Theatre of Harlem seemed a comforting solace, as she’d be able to dance with a community that embraced her. Instead of letting the negative noise extinguish her spotlight, Misty fought back. She stood tall and remembered the words of Dance Theatre Of Harlem artistic director and dance pioneer Arthur Mitchell: “Walk into a room, knowing you are somebody, somebody special. Don’t ever let them smash that or pull you down.”

Make time for your escapes.

Music and journaling served as anchors throughout Life In Motion, and clearly in Misty’s life. Whether dancing to New Edition and Mariah Carey as a young girl, or blasting Eminem and *NSYNC in her earbuds on the streets of New York City, the soundtrack steadied her on and off the stage. Thousands of miles away from home, Misty documented her accomplishments and setbacks in her journal. While pursuing your dreams, it’s important to unplug from the grind to enjoy the journey.

Do it for the little brown girls.

Throughout the memoir, Misty continually revisits her mantra: “Do it for the little brown girls.” The “little brown girls” are of course our daughters, but as women, we carry our “little brown girl” dreams with us every day. Whether we achieved our dreams or we’re still pursuing, or even if they’re now distant hopes we’ve stowed away with childhood toys, Misty brings us on stage with her. Life In Motion is a lift and reminder for us to tap into your greater purpose, and soar to your own heights. 

 

Girls Have the power to overcome every and any obstacle in life. Being a woman is more than what defines you, it sculpts you. Meaning being a dancer, teacher, listener, etc. can be done under any circumstance. Be a Woman, a real woman, which means projecting your gifts in your life's work. Daughter, Wife, Mother, sister, and friend are ways to be the person that your are created to be.

Author Joann Yoon