Africana Interview

Question: Mr. Fleming, give the readers a brief bio on Robert Fleming, the man, the writer.

Answer: I was born in Cleveland, Ohio. My earliest exposure to books and writing came from my great-grandmother, Ida Hollingshead, who was an avid reader right into her nineties. She was the person who opened my eyes to writers like Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Frank Yerby and others. Later, I became intrigued with the entire realm of psychology and the science of the mind, especially Carl Jung. I wanted to be a psychologist and I’m still working toward my Ph.D in the field at Columbia University. My first articles were about music, jazz in particular, written for a magazine in Cleveland during the 1970’s. In the late 1970’s, I worked as an associate editor at Encore Magazine with such people as Nikki Giovanni, Paula Giddings, Ivan Webster and Ida Lewis. A series of articles I wrote on the Deep South, including a night-time one-on-one interview with the Grand Wizard of the KKK, brought me some national attention and paved the way for me to go to Columbia University’s School of Journalism on a scholarship. After graduation, I worked as a writer for the PBS series, “Media and Society,” under the guidance of the late Fred Friendly, who was the mentor for Edward R. Morrow, Charles Collinwood, Douglas Edwards and Walter Cronkite. Following that stint, I spent about ten years at the New York Daily News as a crime and political reporter, winning some awards and getting battle fatigue. I now teach writing at The New School in downtown Manhattan.

Question: What inspires you to write?

Answer: I’ve written both fiction and non-fiction. I’ve written five novels under a pen name, learning the craft. I’ve written five non-fiction books, including a biography of dancer Alvin Ailey, a book of reflections on the political and cultural scene in Black America, a book on writing and publishing, and two young adult books. I also wrote two books of poetry. I write because I must. I write because I love the process of researching a topic and setting it down on paper. I write because words and books help to define a people, a culture.

Question: How long have you been writing? Have you always known you would be a writer?

Answer: I’ve been writing since the 1970’s in one form or another. I started out as a poet, writing in protest of the Vietnam War, police brutality, the actions of the FBI against black leaders, the extermination of the Black Panthers, and the corruption of Nixon. From that time on, I’ve wanted to be a writer, someone who wrote to aid our people in their fight to get equal rights, to end racism and sexism.

Question: Is there a certain time of day that inspires you to write?

Answer: Since I live in New York City, in Manhattan, the best time of day for me to write is early in the morning and late at night. There is less noise and distraction. But I can write anytime if I have a deadline or a pressing assignment. That’s one of the things I learned as a reporter, to write under pressure.

Question: What kind of feedback did you receive for your book, The Wisdom Of The Elders?

Answer: The Wisdom Of The Elders, my book of political, spiritual and cultural reflections, has shown tremendous staying powers. Or as they say in the book business, it has “legs,” still selling strong after six years in print. The reviews were all positive, some even glowing. Two southern newspapers gave it full-page notices. It got a big boost last year when Black Expressions Book Club picked it up and it went back for another printing. I think it’s one of my favorites of the books I’ve done.

Question: Were you surprised at how well your book, The African American Writer’s Handbook, has done?

Answer: Yes, it has exceeded all of my expectations. The book has sold very strongly and continues to do so. The reason I wrote the book, which is an in-depth analysis of the publishing business as well as a how-to writing book, was that I saw nothing of its type on the market geared to black writers. Now there are a few. It has been a real hit with black writers because it is filled with information that every writers, novice or veteran, should possess while pursuing a career in writing. Like my previous book, The Wisdom Of The Elders, it was also picked up by the Black Expressions Book Club, which has boosted its sales. I’ve very proud of the overwhelmingly upbeat response it has gotten. I strongly recommend it to any writer who wants a successful, lasting career.

Question: Facing rejection is a part of the literary scene, are there some inside secrets when seeking publication, to reduce rejections?

Answer: Some rejection is inevitable in a writer’s career. You have to expect it, but it can be minimized if you work to produce works of quality and commercial interest, go the extra mile in the presentation of your manuscripts, and find the right agent. I go into this in great detail in The African American Writer’s Handbook. Sloppy work, poorly constructed manuscript, bad writing and arrogance are guaranteed to bring rejection slips and disappointment. My suggestion to all writers is to see the selling and marketing of your work as a business, not a hobby. Take it seriously.

Question: Who are some of your favorite authors?

Answer: Since I cut my writing teeth back in the day, a lot of my influences are from that time: James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Ann Petry, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Cade Bambara, Kristin Lattany, Albert Murray, Ishmael Reed, Samuel Delany, Amiri Baraka, William Melvin Kelley, and John A. Williams. Among the more current voices, I like: Paul Beatty, Tina Ansa McElroy, Donna Hill, Gayl Jones, Walter Mosley, Tananarive Due, Bernice McFadden, Jamaica Kincaid, Edwidge Danticat, Jake Lamar, Octavia Butler, Lois Elaine Griffith, and Rosemarie Robotham. There are a few others but their names elude me at present. I only listed my African American authors but there are some European, African, Latin American and Asian authors that I read every chance I get.

Question: What’s next on the agenda for Robert Fleming?

Answer: Presently, I’m working on three projects. One is a rather long novel about a black artist in 20th Century America, something I’ve just started working on last year. Another is a collection of political and cultural essays about black life during the past Clinton era. And the last thing, which I’m really pumped up about, is a collection of short horror stories. I’ve turned more attention to fiction in the past year, with a short story published in the very popular science fiction collection, Dark Matter, another story in the erotic collection, Brown Sugar and still another one for the upcoming erotica collection, Black Silk. Since I wrote science articles for the now-defunct Omni Magazine, I want to do more science-fiction writing, more hoor and suspense fiction in this year. Lots of short fiction. Also, I have some other things in the works but it’s too early to speak about them, a couple of nonfiction projects, a poetry book project and a project about cultural and spiritual archetypes and symbolism in black film. Plus I do book reviews for several publications including Black Issues Book Review, Bookpage, Quarterly Black Book Review and a few others. I’m trying to stay busy and use my time wisely.

Question: Do you participate in signings and book fairs? How do you decide in which events to participate?

Answer: In the past, especially during my stint as a reporter, my schedule wouldn’t let me participate in a lot of things. But now my time is more flexible and I’m getting back out there, doing signings and readings. I did some events with my last book and with the Dark Matter crew. And some radio interviews which I love to do. I decide my choice of event based on the people organizing it and the type of audience it will attract. The readers are the life’s blood for writers. We must embrace them because they keep us going. Without them, we do not exist.

Question: Any parting words for our readers?

Answer: My advice to your readers is to be adventurous and open-minded in your reading. Don't just stay in one niche. Experiment and branch out. Read new authors, try new genres, select books in areas you’ve never tried before. There are so many good writers out there, writing in a wide variety of fields. When you stay in one genre, one area of reading, it’s like having the same meal day in, day out. I would advice writers to do the same thing, because fresh ideas and new approaches to your craft can come from anywhere. Open yourself to new experiences and your work will reflect your new taste with an added richness and depth.