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SEASON 2 DA CREW PODCAST_BONUS SHOW_HOST BLAQUE DIAMOND · DA CREW Podcast

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Dallas, Fort Worth, AA L A C. The Chance of Your Dream
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Book Tour in Expo is coming to your area. Mark your calendars May eighteen,
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We have some workshop facilitators that's going to be coming out. They're going to
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be teaching on branding, marketing, and network I want you to plan to
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be in the building, to be educated and power in and courage come out.
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Support the book. A Song for Zulpora, written by David Harris,
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is a powerful historical fiction centering around the life and character of Moses' future wife
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Suppora before they met. Book author David Harris brings the reader into the relationship
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between Moses and Zappora, which was gradual and lush. The story unfolds beautifully
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when Moses finally acts Suppora to marry him. Purchase your copy of the book
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detailing this authentic story A Song for Zappora by David Harris today. It's available
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online at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Hello, Hello, Hello, and
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welcome to the Crew Podcast. I am the Visionary Queen Angela and Welcome to
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season two. I want to thank you for tuning in and for all of
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your support throughout season one. We're back them Devas of the Airways, So
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thank you for joining us tonight. Share this with someone in your circle.
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Basic Black after Dawn, the all new podcast show with your host Black Diamond.
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Hey everybody, this is Black Diamond from the Crew Network podcast and you're
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listening to Basic Black after Dark to show that meets you where you are and
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gives you what you ask for. You know, some people don't find their
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niche until late in life, meaning that they don't know what they want to
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do. They're still undecided even until they get into college. Some of them
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don't know what they do. But then there's these teenagers that know exactly what
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they want to do. Nowadays, you ask a teenager what they're gonna do,
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and later on a night, they'll tell you I'm gonna be an astronaut,
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I'm gonna work in robotics, I'm gonna be a lawyer, a chemist.
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These kids are quick and they know exactly what they want. But tonight
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I have something special for you. We have the incredible award winning author pat
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Johnson Harris joining us along with the Youth Writers Rock Youth Camille Dream, Kayler
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Kendall, and Preston Pat is the founder of Youth Writers Rock and has penned
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several bestsellers. The book Mixed Past is the latest in the Youth Writers Challenge
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series, Volume three. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to
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Basic Black after Dark. Hey, Pat, I was young, good evening.
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I am great. Thank you so much for having me today. Is
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always a pleasure to be on here talking with you. So I'm excited.
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You don't know how excited am. I want to share something with everybody.
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We started the my podcast last year and my very first guest was Pat and
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it's almost to the day and I was looking at it. I said,
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wow, it's almost to the day. It's just a little bit past one
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year. But here we go again. So I know that means I'm gonna
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have a wonderful year. Congratulations. Yes, I'm just so happy and so
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proud of this network, you know, the Crew podcast network. They've just
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been wonderful to me and Basic Black after Dark. So thank you so much.
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Can you share your journey as the founder of Youth Writers Rock. Yeah,
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absolutely, Youth Writers Rock really falls under the parent company Youth Writers Challenge,
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which is the five oh one C three. And we started Youth Writers
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Challenge to really give students a platform, you know, to express their thoughts
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and my ideas, to get creative, you know, to really put down
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on paper what they're thinking about, you know, just going deep into their
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imagination because they're so talented, you know, and we have to give them
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a place where they can tap into that creativity part of them because I think
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all of them have it, you know, all all of them have it,
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and it's just a matter of giving them that foundation or that platform to
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really express themselves. And so that's what we do with Youth Writers Rock.
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We started out just doing challenges in different locations like malls or different events.
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You know. We would do them every year. When we did the African
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American Authors and Empowerment Expo, we would make sure we had a stage so
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that we can put students on that stage and let them do poetry or short
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stories or if they wanted to sing or rap. They still wrote those lyrics
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to those songs, right, they still had to be creative about what they
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wanted to sing in their songs and then their rap, so we would give
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them that platform, and we called it a challenge, not to compete against
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one another, but challenge them to think, you know, to use their
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mind, you know, to be creative, you know, to think outside
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the box, you know. And so in doing that and taking this Youth
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Writer's Challenge to different locations, it was you know, clear to me that
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we needed to give them more, a bigger platform, you know, and
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so we started Youth Writers' Rock, which is a six month writing program.
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Wow. And it's not just that we're teaching them writing, you know,
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the ultimate goal is to get them to come up, what you know,
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the best thoughts and ideas that they possibly can. And we take those thoughts
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and ideas that they put on paper and we turn them into a book,
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right all created by them, all designed by them, down to the characters,
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to the location of the book, the book cover, the design of
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the book. They have input on, so their hands on, their hands
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on all the way. It is amazing that you are able to get you
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to read and to write outside of school. You know, once three o'clock
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comes, these kids have just throwing them books on the sofa and heading out
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the door. But you're able to bring them together into one location and just
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get them to start thinking, you know, start just their imagination, which
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I know I can just imagine that they have a big imagination because I'm trying
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to thumb through what I can of this book. How has your passion evolved
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throughout your career? You know, my trade is accounting, right, so
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I'm a singor calls analyst, and in my profession, you know, I
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do a lot of analyzing, right, I have to break a lot of
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things down with it, and that also requires me to speak with a lot
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of different people and a lot of different departments. You know. So just
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understanding that communication, that collaboration, you know, helps me when getting a
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group of kids together, you know, and walking them through what it's like
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to kind of buddy off of somebody else, you know, communicate with someone
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else, collaborate with someone else. And so when they get into this environment
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and it's five, six, sevent ten students in one class, it becomes
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a lot easier when they cambudy with some of the students within their class.
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You know. So a lot of even though I'm doing accounting and youth writers
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is more reading and writing. You know, they're still connected, you know,
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They're still connected in even some things that I'm getting from these students,
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because it's not just we're teaching them, they're teaching us as well. Right,
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it's a whole Yeah, it's a whole new generation. And so they're
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they're enlightening us, you know, from class to class. I walk out
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of there amazed every Saturday, you know, because I'm learning from them as
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well, you know, and so and then taking some of that and then
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being able to utilize some of those skill sets, some of them people's skills
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and things like that, you know, in my professional life as well.
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So so even though they may seem separate, they're definitely blended and in a
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lot of different ways. Yeah, you know, people when they when they
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see teenagers. You know, there's things that's in the news that some teens
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are doing, but things like this, you don't hate about it in the
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news that these children are creating and using their God giving skills to do this
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because they want to do this, They want to give to others and just
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to open you know the minds of other youth their own age, you know.
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And this is the thing about it. You don't capture things like this.
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You're always capturing those who are doing god knows what, I'll say it
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that way, I understand. So how do you approach the stories? You
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develop? The students really developed those, you know, we give them the
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floor to say, hey, if if you went to the to the library
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or to a bookstore and picked up a book, what what what type of
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book you know excites you? You know what what is it that would make
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you say, I'm going to stop everything I'm doing and I am going to
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read this book. And so we kind of get that information from them because
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in the end it'll be someone like them that'll be reading the book. So
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chances so if they're interested in the book, then when it's in the library
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or in you know, the public library or the school library, that same
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student will find this book very interesting. So the concepts of the books come
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from the students. You know. We kind of get each of them to
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incorporate their idea of a good read, you know, and we kind of
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blend them together. And that's how we come up with the concept of the
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book with the title Mixed Paths. I at first were just looking at the
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title. I didn't think it was something that a youth that wrote hope bunch
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of other forgive me everybody, but a whole bunch of other things was coming
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through my mind when I'm seeing Mixed Paths. I said, this is a
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children's book, you know. I said, well, no, teens,
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they have ways of thinking and whatnot. But I'm definitely dying to dive into
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this, and I'm going to have some of my children, my twelve year
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old, I'm going to have him reading and see what he's getting out of
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it. So what message do you aim to convey through this book or what
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message did they aim to convey through this book? Mixed Paths is it's uh,
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it's a story about two best friends you know, that are having challenges,
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that are both having challenges, different challenges, but both having challenges,
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you know, and through it all they remain friends, and they decide to
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throw their hands up and be deal with the things that they're going through and
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kind of leave where they are together. But in the end, even though
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they're going through different things, in the end, they find out that they're
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really in the same place, you know, They end up in the exact
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same place. So it seems like they're mixed in the beginning, like they're
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going through different things, but at the end of the book, they kind
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of realize that they're actually dealing with the same thing, you know, the
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very doing this while writing different books, and that I know about some of
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your other books that you have written with that was youth. What are your
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goals for the youth to participate in your program. I'd like to see it
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be more than just a book. And that's our goal right now, right
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is when they're writing a book, is that we're going to take that book
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and see how far we can take it. Right, So, just like
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when the students wrote the book The Tormentors, right, which is a book
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about bullying and conflict resolution, we know that that was an important book to
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write, an important topic. You know, even today it's still one of
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those things that are continually happened, right, We still have to be very
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conscious about bullying, and so the importance of that book said, just the
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book is not enough, right, we need to do a little more with
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it. And that's when we decided to turn it into a short film so
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that we can show that book to different schools, you know, to different
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youth organizations, to churches and different things like that. So moving forward,
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that's what we're doing with youth writers' rock books. Right, every time we
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write a book, we're going to write it in a way that we can
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take that book and neither turn it into a play, which is what's happening
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with Mixed Paths. We are actually spotting the we are starting the process of
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writing the scripts from place, yes, and so the goal is to take
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the book and take it to another level, you know, or have another
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outlet from the book, whether it's a play or a short film, you
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know, or documentary or something like that. So just giving them again not
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just the title of author, but now they're playwrights and they're screenwriters, you
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know, they they will have a lot more to go with that title of
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author. And that's the goal with the books that we're writing now. So
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I see it is to see, yes, somewhere your name of that Mixed
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path It sounds like something that would be coming on every week weekly that I
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can see it being something weekly with those same characters you was talking about,
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because I feel as though that I'm waiting to see what's gonna happen next,
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you know, because of mixed past, so many different things can occur,
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you know, and it just takes them so many different places. Sometimes together
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and sometimes separate. That's what I'm seeing and feeling. So yeah, what
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times mixed pasts come on eight o'clock? I got that. That's what I'm
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feeling and seeing. Anybody hear us out there, you know, we're talking
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about mixed So yeah, that's what I'm feeling with it, you know.
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Right now. And again, I saw your your movie Tormenteds, and if
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mixed Past is gonna be anything like that, you know, start calling in
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to get your tickets because that was that was great, you know, or
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just it was amazing. Tormentors was simply amazing. What's one of the funniest
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things that happened while your youth was writing this book? It's many funny things.
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It's because you know, they have such great sense of humans, you
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know, and it's like, you know, once once start laughing at joking,
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it becomes contagious, right, and we almost have to just sit down
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and let it play out. Like it's hard to just stop it when it
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happens, and it's like, all right, you know, us coaches,
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we just got to sit back and let them get it out with the system,
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you know. And and and that's what makes you know, that's what
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makes the program. So, you know, special is that it's just not
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us coming and they're sitting down and there writing like they're actually having fun while
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they're doing it. You know. It's yeah, it's it's fun. It's
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it's not like sitting in a classroom or I don't want to go, I
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don't want to write, and a lot of time it's it's just talking like
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we're working it out, just talking it out, you know, and getting
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it out. So it's they make every day funny. We really don't know
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what we're walking into when we come in that classroom, you know. And
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you know, the idea was to like play some music when they come in
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the door, you know, like so we ask them, what's your songs?
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What songs do you like? You know, what what music do you
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like? You know, is to just kind of play the music so that
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they're walking into their own place, you know from the beginning, you know.
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So, but one thing in particular in terms of being funny, it's
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it's it's just a lot of them, you know, and you know,
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it's it just kind of keeps us all lifted and all laughing, all feeling
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good throughout the whole session for the day. Yeah, it's well, we
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had some youth that had popped in earlier, so it must have fell off
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in some way. And then you have it's Friday. What do you expect
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you to do on a Friday night? They're not gonna want to sit with
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some adults. They deal with them all day long. And we have one
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that that's hey, Preston, how long mister Preston? I asked miss pat
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what was one of the funniest things that happened while they were writing books?
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Preston here is one of the authors of the book, and he's joined us
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tonight. What is one of the funniest things that happened while you were writing
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the book? So the whole lord to the story. It was actually gonna
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be somewhat of a love story in it, but we decided to change that
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and I found it hilarious. It was completely separate. We have changed like
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three times. Oh wow, so you moved Whose idea was it to move
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it from a love story over to something? Was it more of the girls?
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It was mainly me and Dream Okay, okay, both both yeah and
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dreamers. Yeah. Dream is the dream is the the student who wrote the
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character Kanayah, which is the main female version, and okay, and Preston
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wrote the character Harden, which is the main male character. Hi, Camille,
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welcome, welcome, welcome, Hi, look at my handsome Oh boy,
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somebody's mommy's on here? Hi? How are you? Kamill good?
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Okay, I asked mister Preston, what was his What was the funniest thing
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that happened while you were writing? What was the funniest thing for you that
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happened while we were writing? The funniest thing. The funniest thing that had
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while we were writing was probably I feel like like getting our characters developed,
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like becoming, like making like a personality and stuff for them. That was
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funny to me. It was what do you have a favorite character? A
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favorite character? I like them all. I mean we came up with them
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all together. So what about you, mister Preston, do you have a
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favorite character? Oh, not to say anything personal, but me, okay,
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you get personal. Nobody's listening except a thousand people out there. Well,
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who was the character? Who was the character? Pardon, that's my
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character, that's your character. Do you and your character have anything in common?
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A lot? In Gorman? Oh wowwesome, JC, And now I
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really got to get into this book. You're telling me, like, what
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about you, Camille, Do you and your character have anything in common?
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M No? I mean because my character, my character is Grandma Daddy,
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so she's an older woman who takes care of her grandson. So not really.
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Okay, All right, well great, We're gonna take a quick break
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right now, a small little commercial, and then we're gonna come right back
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because I have some more questions for you guys about that book and these characters
21:18
that you got. Because I'm back. Welcome to the s book, y'all
21:32
in French chat. We're gonna be talking about the latest and book reviews of
21:37
the interviews and come on and enjoy us. We're ready. Are you in
21:47
the uth? That getting wild from me? And all the pretty chicks?
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Y'all want to smile? Let me be Welcome back, Welcome back. We
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are here talking with youth writers, rock authors and founder. I would be
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left off with asking them about their favorite characters. But what I want to
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know, Camill is what is the your favorite part of being the author and
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has it sunk in yet that you're an author? My favorite part about being
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the author is probably getting to say I'm an author that or no, I
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created something like that. I did something, so you got to feel you're
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going to do a lot of somethings in the future. What about you,
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mister Preston, what is your favorite part about being more? It was more
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of the planning and talking over it. It felt like everybody had a voice
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in the situation, so one person like say it was a favorite. Nobody
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was just straight in the middle. Everybody had to say in what happened?
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So I like that. Okay. So what is the last book you read
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that wasn't a book you had to read in school? For me? Mm
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hm hm Tristan Strong, Tristian Strong, what about you? Commu? The
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last book I read that wasn't a book I had to read for school was
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A Raisin in the Sun. I read it last year for school, but
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I wanted to read it again this year because I had liked it a lot.
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So that's your favorite book? I would say it's my favorite, but
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it's up there. And what about you, Preston? Is just Christian favorite
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book? Mm hmm okay, was just something you just wanted to read?
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Yeah, okay, do you like to read books? Yes? If you
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could mean any fictional character from your book, Who would it be, mister
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Preston, if that person had to be real, who would that character be?
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Well like if like, if my character was Carding, who would it
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be. If there's a character in that book that you wrote mixed past,
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if one of those characters could if you can make one of those characters real,
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a real person sitting right next to you, who would that character be?
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Cardon? Why? It's because, like his character, his role,
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it has a little bit of mystery to it, because there's certain questions that
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don't get answered to, like further on in the end. Oh wow,
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So you guys are talking so much about this book, Kamil, what about
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you? If you can take a character out of that book and make them
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real, who would that character be? Probably Grandma Daddy? Why why do
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you choose that character? Because I like like how she how her role was
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portrayed, like how she was a carrying person and she was way about her
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grandson and stuff like that. Me, Preston, I have a very good
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bone with both of my grandmothers. So I love, like I want sound
25:00
weird, but I love older people and hanging with older people. So that's
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not being rude, that's not being it's nice to hear, really nice to
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hear. Well, see what we do is we call ourselves legends. We
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don't say old anymore, but we say legends. But I'll take that anyway.
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Just to hear someone young saying they want to be with somebody, that's
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a legend. I appreciate. I'll speak for some of the legends. Some
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of them. I like hanging out with teams, so I don't have problem
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with I got a lot of them anywhere. So how do you how do
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you think that your character that you wrote about, how do you think that
25:33
character feels right now? The book book is done, You've introduced that character
25:40
to the world, You've had time to build that character and to build that
25:45
character around other people. How would you think that character feels right now?
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I just imagine the book is closed. How do you think that character is
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feeling? Probably satisfied, satisfied. Wow, I would like the same thing,
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like at peace, at peace. Yeah, that's perfect peace, peace
26:10
and happiness. Right the way. The last chapter of the book is titled
26:18
the Reunion, So yeah, I would say peace and happy happiness. Tell
26:25
me something your character would say to you if they could talk to you.
26:29
Mister Preston. Probably ask me questions like how many languages do I know?
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What do I learn? What is my passions? Things like that, how
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old is your character about if you can say that sixteen to seventeen years old?
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Okay? What would you say back to your character? Probably around the
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same thing. Okay, So you have a lot of comment with your character,
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share some of the same you know qualities. I guess what about you,
27:03
Camille? And you got somebody here saying amazing young people, Yes,
27:06
they are very much self Tomill, What what tell me some of your character
27:10
would say to you if your character could talk to you something I think my
27:14
character will send me and get something. Probably asks me like my interests,
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Like what am I interested in? What do I like to do? Where's
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my passion? What do like? What do? What's something I could see
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myself doing five years from now? Stuff like that? And what would you
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say if I had to ask them questions? My passion, honestly is to
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just get through school and get my degree and get my aesthetition license. Five
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years from now, I could see myself going into college. And would you
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yeah, thank you? What would you want to be friends with? This
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character? Absolutely? Absolutely? What what about this character? Make this character
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so special for you? President? It's because of the potentials he has,
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Like he's he was always smart, but he didn't know how to pursue it,
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like what he wanted to do, so he focused it on pretty much
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one thing. Do you think you guys would be best friends? Yes?
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Wow, you're making this character real for me just by listening to you.
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Camille, what about you? You want to be friends with this? I
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think we have a really good like yeah, with a mutual friendship with each
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other, a really good bye. That's good like that? Oh my god,
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these characters. You guys did some justice with these characters. So did
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the book end the way that you thought it would or would you have ended
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the book differently? I thought it was in somewhat different, But the way
29:00
it didn't, I feel was better. Like it felt it felt at peace,
29:04
like everybody had their shay you know what that person's story was. It
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didn't feel like a cliffhanger or incomplete. Mhm m. You guys just setting
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the tone. What about you, Camille? Did the book in the way
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you thought it would or do you think it should have ended differently? I
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think the book ended at the perfect place. It had the perfect ending,
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the perfect you know, just wait a like, I guess, give the
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give the reader a more view on like the beginning and the end. If
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that makes sense, like it does. Yeah, just like that. Yeah.
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So if the book was a TV show, which actors would you cast
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in it to play your character? Mm hmm that's very good quote. That
30:00
is a very good question. Well, thank you for my character specifically or
30:08
everybody? Yeah, your characters specifically, weirdly, probably Chris Tucker. Chris
30:19
Tucker. Oh my god, you just put a face to this for me.
30:22
Chris Tucker. Why Chris Tucker. He's funny. He resembles some of
30:29
my personality. So you're so you're funny too, then? Huh yes,
30:36
okay Chris Tucker. Wow, what about you, Camille? Who would play
30:40
your character? For Grandma Dabby? I would probably choose somebody like maybe like
30:45
Viola Davis. Maybe I feel like he does a good job playing like the
30:52
the role she does. That's yes, you did, Yes, you did,
30:59
Viola. Even so, see you got your work cut out for you,
31:02
miss Pat. You got Chris, yes, David. But it's doable,
31:10
you know, yes, it is. Just by listening to you about
31:14
how this book is and just what these young people are saying. They may
31:17
be knocking on your door ask you could they play those roles. I would
31:19
not be surprised at all. I think gets the book and you know we
31:25
subscript, you know, submit the manuscript. They very well, maybe you
31:29
know it's it's definitely a good It would be a really great TV show,
31:34
you know, or series, like you said, you know it's your series,
31:38
so not sure, just let it just keep going, you know,
31:41
yeah season. That sees me because that's the way it seems. Char Day
31:45
says everyone should purchase a copy of the book. Yes they should, Yes
31:48
they should. So so, mister Preston, what advice would you give to
31:52
other teens who want to write these stories or be coming author. Don't be
31:57
afraid of failure. Whatever you feel is your passion or what you want to
32:01
pursue, and do it. Don't just sit back and just don't do it.
32:07
If you have a love for something, do it. What was it
32:12
like when Ms Patt approached you to come into this project? The surprising thing.
32:17
We actually meant a library, you bet the library. She was at
32:22
a stand and I talked to her and I wanted to become a published author.
32:30
So I went to the program. Oh wow, Wow, it was
32:34
like kids is right there for you? Wow? What about you? Camille?
32:38
What advice would you give to other teams who want to write their own
32:40
stories or become an author? Advice I would give it's just you know,
32:46
stick with it. I mean some stuff. You know you're doing something you
32:51
don't never know. But I think joining this was a joining you for writers
32:54
was a was a great experience. So just keep going and you know,
33:00
you never know, we might end up doing something that can change your life.
33:06
Okay, So what was it like for you when this Pat approached you
33:08
about this about me part of you writers? So at first I was introduced
33:16
by it on my aunt because my uncle actually did it in that past and
33:20
she wanted me to do it too. So at first I was very open
33:22
sidedea of doing it something very fun. So when I first met miss Pat
33:27
and she introduced everything and like what would we doing and when and where?
33:30
I was very interested. I was intrigued, like I was very glad to
33:35
do it, and I was grateful for the opportunity. Wow. So Camille,
33:42
I understand you like spending time outdoors. Excuse me, outside of dancing
33:45
with the dance ministry at church. What are some of the other things you
33:49
like to do? Play sports? One hundred? What's sports? What's your
33:54
favorite? I played? I played basketball and softball between into I don't know
34:00
if I can choose. I like both. A. Wow, who's your
34:07
favorite? And I'm gonna put you on the spot. Who's your favorite team?
34:09
My favorite team? Mm hmm. My favorite bagsketball team is probably probably
34:17
the Lakers. It's a it's a famous one. But of course, my
34:22
favorite women's baseball team is actually the college team l s U with Angel Reese.
34:29
And then softball, I like college team. I like watching college teams
34:34
play softball. Sometimes it's good they don't have anything to prove, they're not
34:39
looking at the cameras. They're not I'm not gonna say they're not worried about
34:43
the money. But yeah, that's that's a good way of looking at it,
34:45
to watch, yeah them through college and and everything. Mter preson,
34:51
Sir Ni Homa, Did I say that right? Homa? It's what's I
35:00
mean? How are you in Chinese? Mean? How? Halima? Okay,
35:13
So not only do you speak English, you also speak Chinese and you're
35:17
currently learning three additional languages. What languages are you studying. I'm self teaching
35:25
myself Japanese and I'm learning French in school. Now along with you, you
35:32
should be working for the h Tell me about the june you should be with
35:38
all these languages, do you win would love you, especially you know,
35:42
being a Yeah, but just be careful about going there because everything is well.
35:47
They would love you. They would definitely love it. Tell me about
35:52
the Junie teenth business you started, like how we started or something else,
36:00
whatever, whatever you feel comfortablely telling me about it, if you can talk
36:05
about it at all. How it started was my mom was teaching me about
36:10
like black history and stuff like that, and we went onto JUNETIETHH and she
36:15
was talking about how they made strawberry club soda, like straight, not artificial,
36:21
not just soda and sweetener and all that, like actual pure strawberry club
36:27
soda. So I decided I wanted to make it, and my mom was
36:31
like, well, I decided I wanted to make it, and my mom
36:36
was like, Okay, let's do it, and we made it for the
36:38
first time I was and I decided to make it into a business. So
36:43
now everything to make strawberry club soda, and I might have to come by
36:49
and get me some Strawberry Clubs soda. Well, right on the head,
36:52
yeah, I know, certainly. Will let miss pat know about the information.
36:57
I know certainly. Will she come in the getting me some Strawberry club
37:01
soda? Yes, we can do a delivery. I'll take it. I'll
37:07
take it, that's for sure. So what do you do for fun?
37:10
Both of you? What do you do for fun? Miss Camille? What
37:13
do you do for fun? For fine? Probably like go with my friends,
37:16
like to the mall, the movies, aarties, let's hang out with
37:21
my friends. Okay, mister Preston, what do you do for fun?
37:25
Play basketball? Probably hang over with my friends. Do you have a favorite
37:32
sports team? Me? Yes, the Mohakeey Bucks for certain. Okay,
37:40
right, and he's for certain for that too, and then the w n
37:45
b A. Probably the Los Angeles Aces. I think that's the same.
37:52
Well, you have to ask Miss Camille. She knows more about it than
37:54
me. I'm just a Lakers fan. I'm a Knicks fan too now first
38:00
nixt but they just seem to be having issue for decades. I'm from New
38:04
York, let's not go there. Yes, the New York Knicks, and
38:10
it was at a time where they was in the height of their career.
38:15
And I don't know what happened with these new people, but I'm back with
38:19
Patrick Ewing and them that time. Who they got there now, I don't
38:22
know? And told my age to everybody. Well, oh well, anyway,
38:29
what do your family and friends say about knowing a published author, knowing
38:32
you as a published author rather you as a celebrity. Now, what does
38:36
your family and friends say about that? Well, my mom alone is hype
38:40
enough about it and spread it all over social media and not and not only
38:52
am I published author. I'm going to China this month? Oh wow,
38:58
yes, please tell me suitcase? You you need more than a suitcase?
39:10
Excuse me? I think? Can I ask press? And how how was
39:20
that process of preparing to go to China? Well? First I had to
39:25
get an international plug, so it's not like regular US plugs, So that
39:34
alone was a hassle. I had to get my like it's a so it's
39:44
like a plug transfusion like for an outlet. So I had to get that
39:47
just alone to charge my phone. M h oh wow. So I had
39:54
to get my visa. I had to renew my passport. I had to
40:00
research the weather, so I knew what you even pack. So is this
40:05
something that you're doing from school? Did you? Are you supposed to be
40:08
getting sponsors for this? Is it just the trip that you just wanted to
40:10
go on. I've got sponsors and I'm doing it for school. Oh wow,
40:20
it is congratulations And I guess this is your mom saying she surely is
40:24
proud of her handsome son. Yes, you should be, Mom. You
40:28
did a wonderful job. Both moms, both families are doing a wonderful job
40:32
with these. He is following in mom's footsteps. Okay, yes, that's
40:37
the way it's supposed to be, following them footsteps. Congratulations to you both
40:44
on being an author. I'm expecting to see more from you. I can't
40:47
wait to see mixed paths. I will be sitting right there front roll saying
40:52
that I've spoken to them, I knew them. When we will be today's
40:57
date? And you guys excited about the awards banquet? Is that awards banquet
41:02
the ceremony that they happen up on the sixth, Yes, it's the graduation
41:07
ceremony April sixth. This be the time where they get to hold their book
41:12
in their hand and they get to see their photos on the book and they
41:15
go. They will be doing a book signing after we go through the graduation
41:21
ceremony. So it's gonna be really, really fun. Anyone is It's open
41:24
to anyone that want to come and support these five amazing authors. You know,
41:31
the graduation ceremony is public. It is open to anyone that wants to,
41:35
you know, be a part of that. Can you. Miss Pat
41:38
was a sponsor for his trip. Oh okay, go ahead, miss Pat.
41:43
So give everybody information if they want to purchase tickets and let them know
41:45
where it's going to be at, Miss Path. Sure. So the graduation
41:50
ceremony will be in Baltimore. It's going to be at the Quality In Hotel
41:53
right next to Martin's West. So that's in Baltimore, Maryland. It's on
41:58
April the sixth, which a Saturday, from eleven am to two pm.
42:04
The tickets can be purchased on Youth Writers' Rock website, which is Youth writers
42:08
Rock dot com, or you guys can email me at Youth writers Rock at
42:15
gmail dot com or contact me via phone at four four three four two one
42:23
two zero seven zero and again, you know, the graduation ceremony, we
42:29
make it open and we make it we make it open to the public because
42:32
we know that there are a lot of different organizations or a different supporter of
42:37
youth who just wants to come and be a part of something like this,
42:39
you know, who wants to come and celebrate and let these students know that
42:44
they're not alone, you know, like we're here for you, We're gonna
42:46
support you, and so we do make the graduation open to the public for
42:51
that reason. Can you give that email address again and their phone number again?
42:57
Sure? So, it's Youth Writers Rock and Writers has an s so
43:00
Youth Writers Rock at gmail dot com and the phone number is four four three
43:07
four two one two zero seven zero. Okay, all right, thank you,
43:14
thank you, thank you. So everyone please get your copies of Mixed
43:16
Past and be encouraged by these amazing youth. It is five of them,
43:21
and again we are congratulating meets you and every one of you. Follow their
43:25
journey with Youth Writers Rock. If you have a youth who is interested in
43:30
writing, or if you would like to volunteer to coach youth writers every other
43:35
Saturday in the Maryland area, please contact miss Pat Johnson Harris and four ten
43:42
I'm sorry four four three four two one two zero seven zero. Charade is
43:47
saying looking forward to seeing Camille and Preston and the others at the ceremony.
43:52
So we got somebody that's going out there that got they tickets and it's ready
43:54
the more tickets for you, so go write ahead four four three for two
43:59
one one to zero seven zero get your tickets while they are lasting. Thank
44:04
you again, Pat for presenting your amazing youth to us. I want to
44:07
thank the youth writers, each and every one of you for presenting yourself and
44:13
giving us mixed past. I can't wait to see it. I can't wait
44:17
to read it. I'm gonna get my copy signed. Thank you. Thank
44:22
you. Thank you to the listeners as always for tuning in to Basic Black
44:25
after Dark. Join us on Friday, March fifteenth, as we continue with
44:30
part two of our mini series with Nicole S. Brown After eight after Dark.
44:38
Thank you Gods so much, it has been a pleasure talking to you.
44:42
Is anything you want to tell anybody or say to anybody, say your
44:45
friends no graduation? Yeah, And I'm just super proud of them. And
44:55
if there's anyone who has a student from grades fourth twelve that likes reading,
45:02
likes creating, like sticking outside the box, you know, please reach out
45:07
again Youth Writers Rock at gmail dot com. We're always looking for youth writers.
45:13
Okay, there you have it, Youth Writers Rock. Oh, nursing
45:24
nurses. All things ain't what things used to be where you know the blue
45:36
sky's but boyasm is done, the blues from the north from some things.
45:44
Well, person