Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Love Notes
Love Notes is a collection of poems and short stories concentrating on the elusive and insanity causing thing called love --- of course, from the male perspective.
Click here to find out more about Love Notes, the author and the contest he's holding to promote his new ebook......
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Happy Birth Day Ethan!
In the wee hours of the morning, my sister Misty McFadden-Torres brought forth into the world, my nephew: Ethan Torres!
All hail, Prince Ethan!!!
Bernice L. McFadden
All hail, Prince Ethan!!!
Saturday, February 05, 2011
I always give my ancestors the glory...
..... when I go out to speak about my work. I have always declared that it is "them" who guide my hand - and I am just a catalyst. This belief is confirmed for me time and time again. If you have any doubts about my claim - this story I'm about to share with you, should make you a believer.
A few days ago I wrote a post about the issue I was having with a certain religious institution in Macon, Georgia. Days before that I wrote about some misgivings I was having about my writing career.
There were a lot of questions tossed up to the universe and a lot of doubt clouding my vision - so much so, that I have not been able to enter a single new word to my novel-in-progress which is due to be delivered to my publisher next month.
Anyhoo -
In one day I was flooded with a number of pieces of information (from two sources) which would cast a new light on my family research.
So here is the mystical part of this story...
When I wrote Nowhere is a Place, I was in some way creating the paternal history that I knew very little about. In that novel, there is a paragraph that talks about the family members taking out a policy with The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. They scrape and save, and always just barely make enough money to pay their premium -- but they pay it.
Now this period that I am speaking about is during the 1880's. Blacks are barely thirty years out of slavery.
In Nowhere is a Place, when the head of the family passes away, the wife sends a telegram to the company, with proof that her husband has died. The company never responds. And so the family never collects the insurance.
Now, obviously, me being the fan of history that I am - I know that at some point I stumbled across information which supported me writing that scene. What I did not know until yesterday evening, that my own GG-Grandmother, Louisa Robinson, was dealt the very same hand....
Freaky, right?
Seems Ms. Louisa White Robinson who was born into slavery in South Carolina in the year 1840...was no slouch.....she took Metropolitan Life to court....
I don't know what the out come was, but here are two articles about the case:
PREACHER CARRIED LIFE INSURANCE
The Atlanta Constitution Apr 16, 1897
"Mr. Aleck Smith, the well known Atlanta Lawyer is in the city as attorney for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company which is resisting the payment of a police of $2500 on the life of the late Rev. T. M. Robinson who was a pastor of the Cotton Avenue Baptist Church, colored.
Robinson died some time ago, but the Metropolitan refused to pay the policy on the ground of fraud and the suit was instituted in the United States court for payment.
Plaintiff, Louisa Robinson is represented by attorney A. Proudfit, of Macon.
Sometime before Robinson death he applied for a policy of $5000 in a Connecticut company, but the policy was refused on the statement of the examining physician that Robinson had kidney trouble, Later he applied for a policy of $2500 in the Metropolitan and after due and full examination by one of the leading physicians of Macon, who pronounced Robinson sound the policy was issued him.
In about six weeks after the issuance of the policy Robinson died from alleged kidney trouble. On these grounds the Metropolitan decline to pay the policy of $2500, hence the present suit.
The company alleges that Robinson committed a fraud on the examining physician. The suit excites some interest. Robinson was one of the best known Negro preachers in Macon and was pastor of one of the leading colored churches in the city. His friends and relatives do not believe that he practiced any fraud whatever in obtaining the insurance policy.
The case was taken up in the united states court today.
**
NO VERDICT HAD IN ROBINSON SUIT
The Atlanta Constitution Apr 20, 1897
At 8 O'clock this afternoon the jury in the case of Louisa A. Robinson against the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was discharged after the foreman had sent two messages to Judge Speer that the jury was unable to make a verdict.
When the court opened this morning Judge Speer directed the counsel to proceed with the argument and after the last speech he delivered a charge containing a fair and impartial summing up of the case with law bearing on the law bearing on the different questions involved and the jury retired shortly before 2 o'clock.
In about two hours and a half the foreman informed Marshal Harrell that the jury was unable to agree and a message was sent to Judge Speer to that effect, but he declined to dismiss the jury at that time.
Later a second message was sent and he directed that a mistrial be declared, something very unusual and rare in the federal court in Macon.
It has been learned the jury stood 6 to 6.
The case is a very interesting one the defendants declaring that Robinson who was a minister, deceived the company's physician as to his physical condition, thereby obtaining the obtaining a policy of $2500 and dying soon afterwards. His widow sued for the recovery of the money."
***
The Macon Telegraph
December 23rd, 1898
The evidence in the case of Louisa A. Robinson vs The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was concluded yesterday and Judge Speer will charge the jury today.
Bernice L. McFadden
A few days ago I wrote a post about the issue I was having with a certain religious institution in Macon, Georgia. Days before that I wrote about some misgivings I was having about my writing career.
There were a lot of questions tossed up to the universe and a lot of doubt clouding my vision - so much so, that I have not been able to enter a single new word to my novel-in-progress which is due to be delivered to my publisher next month.
Anyhoo -
In one day I was flooded with a number of pieces of information (from two sources) which would cast a new light on my family research.
So here is the mystical part of this story...
When I wrote Nowhere is a Place, I was in some way creating the paternal history that I knew very little about. In that novel, there is a paragraph that talks about the family members taking out a policy with The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. They scrape and save, and always just barely make enough money to pay their premium -- but they pay it.
Now this period that I am speaking about is during the 1880's. Blacks are barely thirty years out of slavery.
In Nowhere is a Place, when the head of the family passes away, the wife sends a telegram to the company, with proof that her husband has died. The company never responds. And so the family never collects the insurance.
Now, obviously, me being the fan of history that I am - I know that at some point I stumbled across information which supported me writing that scene. What I did not know until yesterday evening, that my own GG-Grandmother, Louisa Robinson, was dealt the very same hand....
Freaky, right?
Seems Ms. Louisa White Robinson who was born into slavery in South Carolina in the year 1840...was no slouch.....she took Metropolitan Life to court....
I don't know what the out come was, but here are two articles about the case:
PREACHER CARRIED LIFE INSURANCE
The Atlanta Constitution Apr 16, 1897
"Mr. Aleck Smith, the well known Atlanta Lawyer is in the city as attorney for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company which is resisting the payment of a police of $2500 on the life of the late Rev. T. M. Robinson who was a pastor of the Cotton Avenue Baptist Church, colored.
Robinson died some time ago, but the Metropolitan refused to pay the policy on the ground of fraud and the suit was instituted in the United States court for payment.
Plaintiff, Louisa Robinson is represented by attorney A. Proudfit, of Macon.
Sometime before Robinson death he applied for a policy of $5000 in a Connecticut company, but the policy was refused on the statement of the examining physician that Robinson had kidney trouble, Later he applied for a policy of $2500 in the Metropolitan and after due and full examination by one of the leading physicians of Macon, who pronounced Robinson sound the policy was issued him.
In about six weeks after the issuance of the policy Robinson died from alleged kidney trouble. On these grounds the Metropolitan decline to pay the policy of $2500, hence the present suit.
The company alleges that Robinson committed a fraud on the examining physician. The suit excites some interest. Robinson was one of the best known Negro preachers in Macon and was pastor of one of the leading colored churches in the city. His friends and relatives do not believe that he practiced any fraud whatever in obtaining the insurance policy.
The case was taken up in the united states court today.
**
NO VERDICT HAD IN ROBINSON SUIT
The Atlanta Constitution Apr 20, 1897
At 8 O'clock this afternoon the jury in the case of Louisa A. Robinson against the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was discharged after the foreman had sent two messages to Judge Speer that the jury was unable to make a verdict.
When the court opened this morning Judge Speer directed the counsel to proceed with the argument and after the last speech he delivered a charge containing a fair and impartial summing up of the case with law bearing on the law bearing on the different questions involved and the jury retired shortly before 2 o'clock.
In about two hours and a half the foreman informed Marshal Harrell that the jury was unable to agree and a message was sent to Judge Speer to that effect, but he declined to dismiss the jury at that time.
Later a second message was sent and he directed that a mistrial be declared, something very unusual and rare in the federal court in Macon.
It has been learned the jury stood 6 to 6.
The case is a very interesting one the defendants declaring that Robinson who was a minister, deceived the company's physician as to his physical condition, thereby obtaining the obtaining a policy of $2500 and dying soon afterwards. His widow sued for the recovery of the money."
***
The Macon Telegraph
December 23rd, 1898
The evidence in the case of Louisa A. Robinson vs The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was concluded yesterday and Judge Speer will charge the jury today.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Run Tell That!
Black History Month has taken off with a bang!
Books by first time novelists, Dolen Perkins-Valdes (Wench) and Heidi Durrow (The Girl Who Fell from the Sky) made the New York Times Bestsellers List...!!
I hope that publishers take notice and begin to acquire more "quality fiction" written by Af-Am writers.
On Thursday, February 10th; Veteran writers, Tina McElroy Ansa and Walter Mosley will present brand-new short stories at the Moth Reading Series
This is sure to be a fun and exciting event! I'll be there, hope to see you!
Last week I read at the Oxon Hill Library. The library owns the largest collection of books about Sojouner Truth. While there, I was thrilled and honored to meet Ms. Juanita Evangeline Moore who is the daughter of Harry T. Moore; America's First Civil Rights Martyr...
Author Ben Green, wrote a book about Harry T. Moore; entitled: Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America's First Civil Rights Martyr
I've added this to my TBR list and I hope you'll do the same!
I am soooo proud of my friend and mentor Elizabeth Nunez, who will be receiving The Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award!!! Established in 1996, the Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award recognizes authors who have given generously to other writers or to the broader literary community.
I received some very sad news the other day. After ten glorious years, Calabash Literary Festival is no more. In an email from festival founders; Colin, Kwame and Justine, they explained: "We made this decision full of pride for the impact this festival has had in Jamaica and beyond, and for the model that the festival presents to others who are interested in creating an important event from the ground up."
I am honored to count myself amongst so many who were blessed to be invited to participate in such an awe-inspiring event. While I will mourn the end of Calabash I will also glean strength and comfort from the Bob Marley quote the founders thoughtfully added to the end of their letter:
"We will certainly be seeking new ways to throw more of these parties with all of you. We remain assured by Bob Marley’s imperative, “Ride on through the storm,/ Ride on through the calm,/ Oh ride, Natty, ride, Go-deh, Dready, go-deh!”
Bernice L. McFadden
Books by first time novelists, Dolen Perkins-Valdes (Wench) and Heidi Durrow (The Girl Who Fell from the Sky) made the New York Times Bestsellers List...!!
I hope that publishers take notice and begin to acquire more "quality fiction" written by Af-Am writers.
On Thursday, February 10th; Veteran writers, Tina McElroy Ansa and Walter Mosley will present brand-new short stories at the Moth Reading Series
This is sure to be a fun and exciting event! I'll be there, hope to see you!
Last week I read at the Oxon Hill Library. The library owns the largest collection of books about Sojouner Truth. While there, I was thrilled and honored to meet Ms. Juanita Evangeline Moore who is the daughter of Harry T. Moore; America's First Civil Rights Martyr...
Author Ben Green, wrote a book about Harry T. Moore; entitled: Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America's First Civil Rights Martyr
I've added this to my TBR list and I hope you'll do the same!
I am soooo proud of my friend and mentor Elizabeth Nunez, who will be receiving The Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award!!! Established in 1996, the Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award recognizes authors who have given generously to other writers or to the broader literary community.
I received some very sad news the other day. After ten glorious years, Calabash Literary Festival is no more. In an email from festival founders; Colin, Kwame and Justine, they explained: "We made this decision full of pride for the impact this festival has had in Jamaica and beyond, and for the model that the festival presents to others who are interested in creating an important event from the ground up."
I am honored to count myself amongst so many who were blessed to be invited to participate in such an awe-inspiring event. While I will mourn the end of Calabash I will also glean strength and comfort from the Bob Marley quote the founders thoughtfully added to the end of their letter:
"We will certainly be seeking new ways to throw more of these parties with all of you. We remain assured by Bob Marley’s imperative, “Ride on through the storm,/ Ride on through the calm,/ Oh ride, Natty, ride, Go-deh, Dready, go-deh!”
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