with Che Parker
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Che Parker
Born
and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Author
Che Parker has a passion for the
story behind the story. What we see on the surface may not
always be as we perceive it to be. In his first novel,
The Tragic Flaw,
Che Parker unravels the dark truths
behind the collages of life and the mysteries of the
underworld in a powerful tale.
Che
Parker attended Grambling State University in Grambling,
LA and later graduated from the University of Missouri –
Kansas City, with a B.A. in Communications Studies.
He
began his professional writing career as a newspaper
reporter for The Call Newspaper covering local crime and
politics in both Kansas and Missouri. He later moved
to Washington, DC, as a staff writer covering national
healthcare issues and Capitol Hill hearings for the
American Hospital Association.
Che is
currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Writing at Johns
Hopkins University. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity, Incorporated and resides in Alexandria, VA
with his family where he works in Public Relations and
Marketing.
Read An Excerpt from The
Tragic Flaw:
Click Here
Author's Official Website: www.CheParker.com
Author's Official Blog:
CheParkertheauthor.blogspot.com
Author's Myspace Page:
www.myspace.com/ciceroday
Order Your Copy Today:
Click Here
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Urban Reviews: Tell us
about your debut novel The Tragic Flaw.
Che Parker:
For me, The Tragic Flaw
is a story I really wanted to tell. In the main character of
Cicero Day, I wanted to create a person who was utterly
ruthless but still likable (I hope I was successful in doing
that). At the same time, I wanted to show there are
consequences for our actions. Overall, I think The Tragic
Flaw is a real look at the gritty side of life and how
the decisions we make can truly affect us now and forever.
Urban Reviews: How
difficult was it to pen this novel? Was the final product
anything like the initial rough draft?
Che Parker:
It was actually really easy for me to
write this because I enjoy writing. I wrote everyday by hand
on my train ride to and from work. Some of the events in the
book are real events that I either saw myself or heard
about. Some of it was definitely stranger than fiction. The
final product, minus a few changes here and there, is pretty
much exactly the same as the initial draft. I made some
minor plot changes to different parts, but that was only to
really emphasize certain characters’ motivations.
Urban Reviews:
Where did you draw your inspiration from in order to write
this novel?
Che Parker:
A lot of the inspiration came from the
current state of American culture, primarily hip and hop and
our fascination with bad guys and the gangster lifestyle. In
addition to that, I wanted to highlight my hometown, Kansas
City, MO. Kansas City isn’t really on the map in terms of
popular culture, so I wanted to take this opportunity to
shine a light on my city. It’s a city I love because of my
family and friends and everything that I learned growing up
there, but one that I don’t love because there’s a lack of
opportunity there and there is an inherent level of racism
that still takes place there. It’s palpable.
Urban Reviews: Can
you give us a sneak peak at your next title?
Che Parker:
My next title is tentatively titled
Closure. It’s about how a seemingly ideal marriage can
end tragically. I guess I have a thing for the dark side of
life.
Urban Reviews: How
did you go about getting your book deal?
Che Parker:
My book deal was made possible pretty
much by part hustle and part good luck. When I finished
The Tragic Flaw, I immediately began shopping it around.
I worked with an agent, and we received numerous rejection
letters. At that point, I started hitting the streets and
attending book signings and working to get an audience with
writers to see if they could offer any tips, advice or
counsel. One day I decided to attend a signing of the
prolific Zane. Best decision I ever made. Her editor was
also at the signing, and I was able to chat with her and
inquire about whether they accepted submissions or not. She
responded in the affirmative, I sent her what I had, and a
few weeks later she responded saying she loved it. The rest
is history.
Urban Reviews: Do
you have any favorite writers? What aspect about their
writing sticks out the most for you?
Che Parker:
I really like just about everything
written by Mario Puzo. He’s descriptive when he needs to be
and conversely leaves things out when the time is right. I
also really like Octavia Butler’s work, as well a book I’m
re-reading now: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.
That’s a true classic that everyone in America, especially
black males, should read. There are other individual works
that stick out for me. I’m actually a big fan of U.S.
history, world history, and biographies. I’m a huge fan of
Carter G. Woodson’s work as well as the writings and
teachings of Dr. John Henrik Clarke. But the thing that
makes most fiction works stand out for me is based on the
context. Has the writer achieved what he or she set out to
do? I’m in a writing program at Johns Hopkins University and
we’re taught to read works critically and analyze what works
and what doesn’t, and why. Given that, I really look forward
to the day when our young black writers began writing
classic literature, and hopefully I will be among them.
Urban Reviews: What
do you like to do outside of writing?
Che Parker:
I love to watch college and NFL
football. I’m a big fan of the Kansas City Chiefs. I used to
watch the Sopranos weekly and I still watch Curb Your
Enthusiasm and Entourage on HBO. But I’ll play just about
any sport. I like racquetball and I enjoy going to the
batting cages to hit a few balls. I like spending time with
my daughter Sophia (she’s hilarious) and my wife Kristal. My
wife and I both have silly senses of humor. One of our
favorite shows was the Wayans Brothers show. Hilarious.
That, and Dave Chappelle. Straight comedy. We also saw John
Witherspoon perform live once in Kansas City. He’s out of
control. But I really like to read magazines, newspapers,
and anything that involves current events. We really have to
stay on top of the changes in our world.
Urban Reviews: What
do you want to accomplish with your novels?
Che Parker:
I really want to make a difference. I
want to make people think. I want my work to live on after
I’m gone. Other than that, if possible, I want to play my
part to help the black community in America achieve
greatness. It’s not a joke that we’re the descendants of
some of the greatest civilizations the world has ever known.
It’s true. We have so many talented people in America’s
ghettos but they are not reaching their potential. Some are
cut down before they can even pee straight. I think we all
have to do our part to help our communities achieve
greatness. We can no longer accept mediocrity or anything
less than greatness. We can no longer accept jail and broken
homes and failing grades for our kids as the norm. That’s
not the norm. We should be great in all that we do.
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Read our review of The Tragic Flaw in the
AA Fiction section.
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