Literary Spotlight
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
Since this blog began, I have had the pleasure of hosting some of the hottest names in Africian American fiction. Today is special because the men are in the house! I am delighted to turn the spotlight on some of the most talented male writers in the industry.
Since its June 17, 2009 release, The Soul of A Man anthology from Peace in the Storm Publishing has received continuous accolades. They have currently been nominated for the best short story/anthology award by the African American Awards Show. Today the spotlight shines on contributing author, Maurice M. Gray, Jr.
Maurice, introduce yourself to readers.
I am an author, editor, publisher and sometime comedian. I’ve got five books to my credit: two novels (To Whom Much Is Given and the sequel All Things Work Together), one nonfiction book (I’m the “as told to” author of Livingston Lee’s I Really Didn’t Mean To Get HIV and two anthologies (short story in Blessed Assurance as well as The Soul Of A Man).
As soon as I heard about a men’s anthology with all inspirational stories, I loved the concept. I also heard good things about The Triumph Of My Soul, and those two factors caused me to throw my hat in the ring. Thankfully, Elissa Gabrielle (the publisher) didn’t throw it back.
What was the inspiration behind Long Term?
It comes from my days working at various temp jobs in the early nineties. There are some folks who revel in temping because it fits their transitory personalities. They live their lives for the short term; they work temp jobs and they tend to have temp relationships instead of committing to anyone or anything. Long Term is the story of a man whose persona has changed from temp to long term. He now has a permanent job and more importantly, a permanent relationship with Christ. Ironically, his job gives him authority over all the temporary employees assigned to the company he works for.
What can we expect next from Maurice Gray?
I hope to release my third novel Female Problems by the end of this year (perhaps as soon as October). This novel features new characters and, like The Soul Of A Man, focuses on men. Think of Waiting To Exhale with Christian men in the leading roles and you have an idea of what you’re in for. I think readers will enjoy their chance to look into the souls of Erik, Garvey and Sam and see what’s there.
Maurice currently serves on the faculties of the Sandy Cove and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conferences, where he evaluates manuscripts for conferees and teaches workshops. Along with Lacricia A’ngelle, Dr. Linda Beed and Wanda Campbell, he is a member of the Damascus Road Authors.
Maurice worships at Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, DE, where he is active in many ministries (including the Singles Ministry and the Men’s Chorus). He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc and of the Greater Newark Area Toastmasters club. He lives in New Castle, DE with his family.