"The Streets Are Talking" with Omar Tyree

"The Streets Are Talking" 
with Omar Tyree!

By Marvin DeBose Sr.
Sept. 26, 2013
http://mrphillylibrarian.blogspot.com/


Philly's own New York Times Best Seller Author, Playwriter & Filmmaker
OMAR TYREE

Hi Brother Omar  

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule for this interview. I remember when you first started writing books and you showed me your self-published copy of “Capital City” with the yellow cover page. It great to see a childhood friend dreams become reality.

Q. What inspired you to become a writer?

 OT. I had some things that I wanted to say and some stories to tell and I was good at writing, so I took advantage of my opportunities to try it. Basically, I stepped up to the plate and didn't back down from the challenge of being the first one to do it. It was pure heart and soul.

Q. What writers influenced your work?

 OT. Walter Mosley, Iceberg Slim, Richard Wright, Terry McMillan, Toni Morrison and Chester Himes all had influence in my style. And from there I created on my own.

Q. What role did The Free Library of Philadelphia play in your development as a writer?

OT. I had my first big author events at the Free Library of Philadelphia at the Main Branch downtown in the park, and my first local event was at the Germantown Branch(Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library). The Philadelphia Libraries gave me much love and were the first national libraries to carry my books. In fact, we need to organize a new big event in the Philadelphia library to discuss the explosion and change of the black book and publishing industries over the past 20 years. A lot has changed.

Q. What part of Philly did you grow up in? How did growing up in Philadelphia influence your writing?

OT. I grew up in West Philly and moved to Mt. Airy and they were two different worlds. So I had the hardened edge and fortitude of a West Philly kid, but then had the optimism and opportunities of a Mt. Airy kid. So I understood what opportunity was all about while not letting anyone or anything stop me. And that Philadelphian fortitude helped me to establish myself as a young entrepreneur when I started publishing my first books. I wasn't afraid of anything. So I took it like a street fight and went at it.

Q. What would you say is distinctive about your work?

OT. It was urban contemporary and about black people RIGHT NOW! Other black books were about black people from 20 and 30 years ago. So my books were the most current. They were also young. I wrote about young black people in crisis. No one else was really doing that at the time.

Q. How would you say the landscape of urban/street literature has changed since you first started?

OT. Well, for one, too many people started writing the same stories about the hood, where I wanted to see more black books in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, international thrillers, satire, paranormal and everything else. We don't all need to write about the hood 5,000 times. So the genre gig word out. And I never called mine "street", it was always "urban" like urban radio, [which a word used to describe] black, inner-city and soulful. But a lot of the new authors lost the soul and complexities of the work. It just got darker and darker without light.

Q. Explain your process of writing urban literature, does it involve research, recording personal experiences, etc.?

OT. All of the above. But I was more of a watcher than a participant in the [experiences of my story's characters], so I wrote more from research. I had a strong family that led me away from [engaging in negative activity]. I was also the oldest brother of three where I had a direction to provide to younger brothers with more weight on my shoulders to lead.

Q: What advice would you offer to a young writer trying to get their book out there?

OT. Write something different and promote the heck out if it. It's much harder to do now. I mean, you can get it out, but how to make it stand out. Since, I was the first to do it, I didn't have to worry about so much competition. But now there's plenty of it.

Q. What are some of your upcoming plans for the future?

OT. E-books are the new name of the game with no publishers in the way to dictate what comes out and how. So I'm down with EbookNationInc.com where they've allowed me to be as versatile as I want to be and expand the subject material to reach more global readers. That's what I'm into now. Let's make the urban more global.

Q: So how has it been for you in terms of book sales?

OT. I had a glorious career for the first ten years from 1992-2002, and after that, the competition grew steeper and steeper, so now I have to rebuild new numbers in the e-book world. And it's all about the social media game now, so I'm @OmarTyree, LinkedIn, Facebook and soon on Instagram to keep pushing my new work.

Q: Do you think the industry is changing in that respect?

OT. Definitely! E-books are taking over. The libraries will feel it too. [The Free Library of Philadelphia] will become more computerized with e-book readers in the libraries in booths. The book stores are closing down, the print costs are still rising, and we no longer have big author events like we used to have. So when the authors are no longer celebrated like they used to be, do they still sell the same numbers? I believe not. So how do we make books and book events cool and crowded and the thing to do again?

Q: Tell me more about your success by publishing books in EBooks format?

OT. As first I didn't believe in e-books. I was old school and all about the physical print. But when I could no longer get published because my interests in new directions, I had no choice but to go to e-books. Now I have a brand new game plan. So get down with EbookNationInc.com!

Q. Talk a little about your new eBook “Psychedelic."

OT. "Psychedelic" is a music comedy film idea that would have never been published as a physical book, because the publishers, particular of black books, don't have anything to compare it to. My "Just Say No!" book would come close, but that was a music drama where "Psychedelic" is a comedy. And folks will enjoy it, laugh out loud, think about the music industry and want the film. And it's just the first of more comedy book ideas to come.

Q. What did you think about the Philadelphia Literary Legacy celebration honoring Philadelphia’s rich literary past and present? Do you think that you earn a spot in the top 50? (I thought you deserve to be recognize base on the body of work that you have written compare to other that was recognized.)

OT. Well, with something like that, it's always about who is voting. If your talking about 50s and up, they might not think of my work. If your thinking about the academics and intellectuals, they may not think of my work either. But if you ask the readers, they will place me in the Top 3. But to have a list of 50 Top Philadelphian writers and Omar Tyree not make that list would be absolutely ridiculous. I would say that those folks who voted either totally forgot about me, or they haven't checked my résumé.

View more of Omar Tyree's work at OmarTyree.com, TheTravelerBooks.com &  EbookNationInc.com 

Follow Marvin DeBose Sr. on Twitter @PhillyLibrarian

Master George's People: George Washington, His Slaves, and His Revolutionary Transformation By Marfe Delano Ferguson

 

 

 

Ferguson, Marfe Delano. (2013) Master George's People: George Washington, His Slaves, and His Revolutionary Transformation. Hardback | National Geographic Children's Books | ISBN-13:978-142630759 | $16.20 | 64 Pages       

 

Book Spotlight: Master George’s People by Marfé Ferguson Delano
(Recommended for middle grade and up – but worth the read for all ages)

I usually review teen and adult literature, but this book came to my attention through a teacher friend—and I believe it deserves a wider audience.

We often learn about George Washington as the revered first President and the brilliant general who led America to independence. But what’s rarely taught is what life looked like behind the scenes at his Virginia estate, Mount Vernon—especially for the hundreds of people who lived and worked there in bondage.

In Master George’s People, Delano brings these individuals out of the shadows. Through vivid portraits of cooks, valets, field workers, and more, we get a deeper understanding of what life was like for the enslaved people Washington legally owned, even as he championed the ideals of liberty and independence.

The book doesn’t flinch from hard truths:

• Washington called them “my people,” but they were also considered his property.
• The same founding fathers who declared “all men are created equal” also upheld and benefited from slavery.

What makes this book powerful is that it doesn’t just It lets us hear the voices of those history nearly erased and invites readers to grapple with the full complexity of America’s origins.

This book will likely spark plenty of questions and conversations. It’s a great resource for classrooms, book clubs, or families ready to talk honestly about freedom, justice, and whose stories get told.

Yes, our founding fathers owned slaves.

Mr. Philly Librarian

.



Players Helping Players Present Free Reading & Basketball Clinic

Philly Basketball Players Come Back to Teach Life Skills

Philly Basketball Players Come Back to Teach Life Skills

By: Marvin DeBose

In Philadelphia, a city with a huge emphasis on athletics, it’s not too often that we see athletic skills and life skills taught in conjunction with one another.

However, on Sunday, June 30th, at Finley Recreation Center, about 20 Mt. Airy kids, ranging from ages 6-15, witnessed an exception to that rule, at the 3rd “Players Helping Players” FREE Reading & Basketball clinic.

The program was largely coordinated by William Logan, a Mt. Airy/West Oak Lane resident who grew up playing basketball at Finley Recreation Center.

Logan played under the tutelage of Mt. Airy basketball coaches, Marvin DeBose Sr. and Bob Pembleton in the early 2000s and went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven University in Sports and Fitness administration and his Master’s from St. Louis University in Concentration Sports Management.

Logan, who is currently the assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, discussed the importance of this program.

“It’s important for people who had success through [the Finley Basketball program] come back and give back,” Logan said. “We to continue to have something positive going on in the community.”

Shooting, passing, defense and other high-energy drills focusing on basketball fundamentals were the main activities in the 2-hour clinic, largely with the assistance of the program’s facilitators Jordan Ingram, a basketball coach at Mercer County Community College in Trenton, NJ. and Kevin Smith, another former Finley player who’s now a mathematics teacher for Universal Companies in South Philadelphia.

Ingram, once a standout basketball player for Archbishop Carroll, as well as a player for Fairleigh Dickinson University, noticed a direct correlation between one’s development as a basketball player and one’s personal development.

“Learning how to work with people, learning that it not all about me,” Jordan stated, are some of the life lessons which basketball helps to reinforce. “In high school I didn’t always have the best relationship with teammates, but the job had to be done.”

Smith, who, like Logan, started playing under DeBose and Pembleton at Finley at the age of 14, also drew parallels between athletics and life skills

“Coaching [both on and off the court] plays a big role, it comes down to teaching young players the right thing and how to be not only better players, but better people,” Smith said.

 The event was culminated with various motivational speeches on the importance of academics and life skills from numerous former players and coaches. Players spoke on the importance of community service, academic excellence, and hard work and dedication both on and off of the court.

“It’s not about finding the most talented players and talking to them about how talented they are.” Ingram said. “No let’s focus on picking up books and your academics.”  

To further emphasize the academic message of the program, players were also given a choice of countless books to take home, sponsored by the Free Library of Philadelphia. 

DeBose Sr., the former Finley Rec coach of Logan and Smith, who now works as a librarian for the Free Library of Philadelphia, helped to distribute the books while explaining the various programs going on at the library while also offering people to sign up for library cards.

The coaches of the “Players Helping Players” clinic hoped that the program was effective in not only linking life skills and basketball but giving the youth a positive, ambitious outlook.

“You’re not gonna win every game, just like you’re not gonna win in life all the time,” Logan said, “But you have to come back working hard and fighting and eventually you’ll get to where you want to be.”

Be sure to come out to our next "Players Helping Players" Free Reading and Basketball Clinic. Boy & Girls age 8 - 15! August 3, 2013 from 12pm until 2:30 pm @ Finley Recreation Center located 1100 E. Hortter St. (Uspal St. & Mansfield Ave.) Phila. Pa. 19150. Spots are filling up Fast! For more information or to Pre-register Email: Playershelphingplayers@gmail.com

Mafia Prince: Inside America's most violent crime family- "The Philly Mob"

                              

 

Leonetti, Phil, Scott Burnstein, and Christopher Graziano.(2012) Mafia Prince: Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family and Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra. Hardback |    Running Press  |  ISBN -13:9780762445831  |  $17.16 USD  |   328 Pages

Philadelphia’s history typically brings to mind the Constitution, the Liberty Bell, and figures like Benjamin Franklin. However, the darker, more sinister side of Philadelphia’s history is unknown to many.

In his gripping true crime book, Mafia Prince, Philip Leonetti recounts his experiences as underboss during his uncle, Philly mob boss Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo’s reign of terror.

At only 31, Leonetti became the youngest mafia family underboss in history. His uncle’s position as head of the Philadelphia mob forces them into the city’s bloodiest gang war. Nicky Scarfo murdered not just his rivals but also friends he suspected of challenging his authority. His family and childhood friends were victims of his psychopathic behavior.

The Philly crime family’s violent stubbornness would be their undoing. After being linked to nine murders, Leonetti chose to cooperate with the prosecution against his own criminal organization. His testimony directly implicated mobsters nationwide, including notorious figures like John Gotti, Vincent Gigante, and his uncle, Nicky Scarfo.

Mafia Prince, a gripping read, offered a detailed look into the intricacies of the Mafia. It’s safe to assume Little Nicky was a very dangerous and feared person.!

A Game of the Thrones

           George R.R. Martin 's Song of Ice and Fire Series

According to the television ratings this season, The Game of Thrones is currently averaging a cumulative total of 13.4 million viewers (and rising fast), but because each season only covers a small percentage of the whole story that's in the books, in the long run, fans are thirsty for more..... So below are reviews for books 1 through 5.

Author George R.R. Martin does an excellent job in writing this series of medieval adventure books. Contrary to typical stories, he kept us in suspense by killing off some of the series the most beloved characters such as the honorable family patriarch, Ned Stark, in the first season, as well the infamous “Red Wedding “ scene that shocked the viewers worldwide (including my wife).

Many of my friends that didn't read the books in this collection, vow to never watch the series again after watching the very graphic scene when  Robb Starks,his mother, his pregnant wife, and many of his men were surprisingly  ambushed and killed at his uncle wedding reception.

Read the book! These books are a must read!

OK! I’m going to give you a sneak peek!

In the book, Robb Starks marries a girl named Jeyne Westerling, daughter of a Lannister banner man (Talisa, his television wife is not in the book). His wife in the book, Jeyne did not attend the “Red Wedding” and was not pregnant therefore lives on after his death("A Storm of Sword" Chapter 51).

  

Martin, George RR. (1997)  A Game of Thrones. Hardback | Bantam Publisher| ISBN -13:978-0553573404 | $17.63 USD | 831 Pages

A Game of Thrones is the first novel in the “A Song of Ice and Fire series of adventurous fantasy novels. The story begins in Winterfell, home of the Starks. The king, Robert Baratheon, is coming to visit his childhood friend Lord Eddard Stark to ask him to be his "hand" who will handle ruling of the seven kingdoms. King Robert was treacherous but not well-respected based on his excessive drinking and womanizing (not noticing his wife's incestuous relationship with her twin brother).

While the king is in Winterfell, someone pushes Bran, one Ned Stark's younger sons out of a window. Then the plot thickens. I can't go into any more of the plot without giving it away but there is mystery, murder, love, lust, intrigue, battle, honor, and treachery. Nobody is safe and everyone has to watch their back. Martin does a great job in this book by keeping the reader in suspense (This book is tie-in to the “Game of Thrones” series first season).




Martin, George RR.(2012) A Clash Kings: A Song of Ice and Fire. Hardback | Bantam Publisher | ISBN - 13 9780345535429 |$ 25.86 USD|1040 Pages

The Seven Kingdoms are torn apart. Joffrey, Queen Cersei's sadistic son, inherits the Throne following the death of (suppose to be father) King Robert. Joffrey does not turn out to be half the man King Robert was who won his crown in battle. Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, leads her father's fight to hold the crown for him.

King Robert's brothers, Stannis and Renly Baratheon also seek the throne.

Robb Stark, declared King in the North, battles against the Lannisters to avenge his father's execution and retrieve his sister from Joffrey's court.

Daenerys, the exiled last heir of the former ruling family, nurtures three dragons and seeks a way home.

Meanwhile the Night's Watch, sworn to protect the realm from dangers north of the Wall, dwindle in numbers, even as barbarian forces gather and being to approach the wall (This book is tie-in to the “Game of Thrones” series second season).

 

  

 Martin, George RR. (2003)  A Storm of Sword. Hardback | Bantam Publisher | ISBN –13: 978-0553573404 | $ 25.58 USD |1216 Pages

The Battle of the Blackwater is over, but the Seven Kingdom is still not at peace. Of the five Kings fighting for power, one is dead, another is hated, and still the wars rage as alliances are made and broken. This story continues after the slaughter outside the walls of King's Landing and the ongoing battle of the kings to lay claim to Westeros.

Tywin Lannister has arrived at King's Landing to take control of the kingdoms through his grandson, King Joffrey . Robb Stark continues his campaign to unite the west and rid his mother's homeland of the Lannisters. Stannis Baratheon sits defeated back in his home of Dragonstone, but plots his next move with the help of the evil Red Priestess.

Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen, mother of the last dragons, plots, navigates and bullies her way through the Free Cities building up her army. All while Jon Snow is contends guarding the after become and member of the honorable Night's Watch.

 

Martin, George RR. (2007) Feast for Crows. Hardback | Bantam Publisher | ISBN- 13: 978-0553582031 | $26.02 USD | 784 Pages

A Feast for Crows picks up the where A Storm of Swords left off and runs into some tragic events  The War of the Five Kings seems to be coming to an end. Robb Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, Renly Baratheon and Balon Greyjoy are dead.

King Stannis Baratheon has fled to the Wall , where Jon Snow has become Lord Commander. King Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's eight-year-old little brother, now rules in King's Landing under the watchful eye of his mother, the Queen Cersei Lannister. The very clever Lord Tywin Lannister is dead, murdered by his son Tyrion in his escape from the city.

Sansa Stark is in hiding, protected by Petyr Baelish who has murdered his wife Lysa Arryn and named himself Protector of the Vale and guardian of eight-year-old Lord Robert Arryn.

Martin, George RR. (2011)  A Dance with Dragons. Hardback | Bantam Publisher | ISBN- 13:978-0553801477 |$ 19.49 USD | 1040 Pages

In the aftermath of a big battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance with threats coming from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the large Wall of ice and stone but the structure is only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge.



June 2013 - Mr. Philly Librarian's Book Recommendation :Play Their Heart Out: A Coach, His Star Recruit and Basketball Machine by George Dohrmann

 
Hi Friends: I highly recommend this book, especially to sports enthusiast. My teen book club @ Overbrook Park Library is reading this book for the month of June. Amazon.com named this the 2010 Sport Book of the Year!

|Dohrmann, George. (2012). Play Their Heart Out: A Coach, His Star Recruit and Basketball Machine. Hardback  | Ballantine Books  | ISBN-13:978-0345508614  | $17.63 USD | 448 pages

 This is a great sports book that details the true story about the scandal and corruption of AAU and College basketball.  The author George Dohrmann, Pulitzer Prize reporter for Sport Illustrated did a great job covering this story by revealing the cutthroat business of exploiting grade school athletes.  Dohrmann follow a 10 years old AAU, boys basketball team for 8 years. He was allow total access to the team after promising their Coach Joe Keller that he would not publish his story until after all this team members, were in college. Dohrmann document the corruption that began with Demetrius Walker who was an innocent 10yrs. old that was manipulated and fed an “Hoop Dream “ of become the next Lebron James.  This story other main character is the insane, money driven Coach Joe Keller who main purpose of coaching this group of elite 10 years older, was on the hope of financial gain in the future, through sneaker company and college coaches trying to get their hands on the next superstar basketball  player AT ALL COST (and yes he is still coaching).

Dohrmann talks about how sorry he felt for these kids and the families who most of the time were poor and very ill-informed and look at basketball as their only way out of their current situation of living in poverty. Even to the point where their parents would put them in harm way with the dream of one day become a millionaire in the N.B.A. I guarantee you that after reading this book you will look at AAU basketball very-very differently.