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Don’t call it chick-lit!
Topics: Eric Jerome Dickey, Author, African-American, Bakersfield, Bakotopia, in-store, books, russo's, April, 2008
Posted by rubiconreader Tue Apr 1, 2008 12:17:28 PDT
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0 responses 2 comments Location: 9000 Ming Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Don’t call it chick-lit!
Interview with author Eric Jerome Dickey - appearing at Russo’s Books April 16, 2008

By Jason Frost (RubiconReader), Bakotopia.com contributor

Eric Jerome Dickey — say that name to one person and they’ll say, “Ain’t he Pooky’s cousin?”

Say that name to someone else and they’ll say, “Eric, yeah that fool owes me $7”! Say it to a booklover and they smile. They smile because they know something you don’t know.

They know that they are guaranteed to be entertained, pissed off, aroused, worked-up, stimulated, and taken on a ride each and every time he releases a new book.

Say that name to me and I have to use aromatherapy to calm the hell down!

Eric has been a favorite of mine every since I read “The Other Woman” (his best work in my opinion).

Since then I’ve gone through every single one of his books and tell everyone I know about this awesome talent. I recently had the chance to interview Jerome Dickey via e-mail. I wanted to ask some real questions with some “stoopid” ones. You know, have a little fun with it.

Dickey has had numerous books on The New York Times Bestseller list. Some of his titles are “The Other Woman,” “Sleeping with Strangers,” “Chasing Destiny,” and “Genevieve.”

Eric Jerome Dickey will be at Russo’s Books in The Marketplace on Wednesday, April 16, at 7 p.m., and will be signing copies of his new book “Pleasure.”

Do not miss this chance to meet one of the preeminent African-American authors working today!

RubiconReader: Do you listen to music when you write? If so, who? Do you prefer white noise or complete quiet?

Eric Jerome Dickey: Not really, sometimes.  And why does the noise have to be white?  Would Tupac and Biggie Smalls be considered black noise? ROFL! What would Joss Stone and Collie Buddz be?

RR: Who is your favorite author?

EJD: At the moment it’s Lawrence Block. I’m Loving the “Hitman” series.

RR: Why haven’t any of your books been made into movies?

EJD: What is this thing with people always asking about books becoming movies? In that good old voice of Dr. Bones McCoy from Star Trek, “I write novels, Jim, not screenplays.” Ain’t a book enough? People have seemed to forgotten about the joys of a book being … well, a book.

Actors want a lot of money. And from a recent article in the L.A. Times, the studios don’t like paying writers what they are due. (Did ya hear the story about the writer who created the Cheetah Girls, anyone? You better Google that real quick so you can keep it real.)

Maybe if we all hold hands and sing a spiritual we can avoid that pitfall! We can do this! So pass the movie-fund hat in B’field … we need $20 million to get this rolling … and that’s low-budget. (Denzel and Will Smith get more than that just for showing up on the set.)

We’ll set the movie in B’field…have the characters rocking up 99 to White Plains Road, then … their car catches a tumbleweed … that is like man v. nature … then a strong wind hits, car gets dragged to Fresno … I can see it … it will rock!

RR: Any plans for any of your books to be made into plays like “Friends & Lovers”?

EJD: No. That will never happen again. It’s a long story that will never be told.

RR: Do you think an African-American author section hurts or helps an author?

EJD: It depends. If you’re African American, it could help. If you’re Nora Roberts it could be a bit confusing to her fans. I could see her loyal readers out front with picket signs, demanding her books are put in the mainstream section. Alphabetically in the rest of the store, I’m posted up next to James Dickey. Not a bad place to be. I’m just happy to have my books inside the damn store. I’ve seen enough of my books being hawked on the curbs in Harlem - buy one book, get a stick of incense free. Or was it the other way?

RR: Do you have any plans on opening your own bookstore if and when you “retire”?

EJD: Oh hell no - that’s too much work. S**t, I’d read all damn day!



RR: On average, how long does it take you to write a book?

EJD: Better part of a year.

RR: Have you ever thought about writing a novel with another author?

EJD: Thought about it. I would love to do something with Lolita Files. I’d write the female POV and she’d write the male POV. No joke. Check out “Sex.Lies.Murder.Fame.” It would be cool to have a book for charity where all the writers wrote one chapter. Or have a crossover book, where a character (or characters) from one writer’s book had a book with a character (or characters) from another writer’s book. Sort of like DC and Marvel have done in the past - Superman fighting crime with Spiderman in the ‘80s, only in the literary world.

RR: Ever thought about writing any non-fiction?

EJD: Nope. Not my thing. I like to lie and non-fiction books are just like women: they always want the damn truth.

RR: Are you a Harry Potter fan?

EJD: Is he from Memphis? The Potter family from Carver High, down off Riverside Drive near MLK Park? Aw man, they were a bunch of countrified thugs! Especially that Leroy Potter - but Velma Potter was fine as hell.

RR: Where do you find your cover models?

EJD: Sunset Boulevard working the third shift.

RR: Do you talk with/hang out with other black male authors? Omar Tyree? Carl Webber? Brandon Massey? Walter Mosley?

EJD: Nah, I’m not sure if they hang. S**t, we live all over - North Carolina, New Jersey, Atlanta, New York. I’m a loner, with that writer’s personality, always off to places by myself. Writing is a solitary thing, not many are built for it. If you’re hanging with the literary illuminati, you ain’t writing, bro.

RR: Where do your story ideas come from? Experience or imagination?

EJD: Imagination.

RR: In your MySpace.com blogs and MySpace pictures you seem to really love the Caribbean. What it is about the islands that have you so smitten?

EJD: The women look like Stacy Dash, Gabrielle Union, and Megan Good.

RR: If you’ll forgive the comparison - I think part of the reason you and Tyler Perry are so successful in your respective arts is because your stories are so incredibly real and really do strike close to home. What is your secret for this?

EJD: It’s a secret because it’s a secret ... Duh, hello, McFly? If I told you the secret, then it wouldn’t be a secret.

RR: Does it offend you when people refer to your work as “chick-lit” or “romance”?

EJD: Yeah. I’m a man dammit!  And I’ll tell any woman with my book to not call it chick-lit. Unless she’s in line buying the book, then she can call whatever she wants.

RR: Are the reviews on/praise for books real or made up by the publisher? Do you read the books that you give your praises to?

EJD: Nope, nothing’s made up. I have no idea what books give me praise. Well, they don't send me free copies. I keep away from the reviews. I don’t read ‘em online, or search ‘em out with Google.

RR: What made you want to come to Bakersfield?

EJD: My parole officer. One thousand hours of community service left. “They tried to get me to go to rehab, but I said…” Plus gas prices are so damn high I can’t afford to go to Oakland no more.

Official website

Meet author Eric Jerome Dickey
- Wednesday, April 16, 2008
- 7 p.m.
- Russo’s Books in The Marketplace, 9000 Ming Ave.
- 661-665-4686

Interview also printed in Bakotopia magazine, issue 25, 4-3-08

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Comment From: matt

Loved this interview! EJD sounds like a cool dude. the signing is going to be great. Let's get the word out! Comment From: rubiconreader

Yeah, this guy has a REAL writing talent and the people that I have e-mailed this interview to said that he's clever and quick. I really hope that he's as nice in person as he is via e-mail!!