Honor Amongst Thieves — A.C. Clayton

Jack Bauer

A.C. — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:11:44 +0000

I’ve been watching the T.V. series 24 for the past month and I must admit I’m hooked.

While I find myself cheering for Jack I’m still amazed at how he’s able to get so much accomplished in one hour.

I mean he travels from one part of town to the next in a matter of seconds… I’m impressed. If I could just figure out his formula for exceleration my life should be a whole lot easier to manage.

Sad…

A.C. — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:28:48 +0000

It’s sad to think that a tragedy of this magnitude could possibly be the curse of the human hands.

(courtesy of the Washington Post)

SYDNEY — It was a chance encounter in the charred landscape of Australia’s deadly wildfires: A koala sips water from a bottle offered by a firefighter. David Tree noticed the koala moving gingerly on scorched paws as his fire patrol passed. Clearly in pain, the animal stopped when it saw Tree.

“It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look) like, put me out of my misery,” Tree told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “I yelled out for a bottle of water. I unscrewed the bottle, tipped it up on his lips and he just took it naturally.

“He kept reaching for the bottle, almost like a baby.”

The team called animal welfare officers to pick up the koala Sunday, the day after deadly firestorms swept southern Victoria state.

“I love nature, and I’ve handled koalas before. They’re not the friendliest things, but I wanted to help him,” Tree said.

Often mistakenly called koala bears because they resemble a child’s teddy bear, the marsupial is actually a rather grumpy creature with a loud growl and sharp claws. It rarely comes down from the trees and doesn’t like walking.

Koalas are especially vulnerable to wildfires because they move slowly on the ground.

History Has Been Made

A.C. — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:03:56 +0000

The towers fell and out of its ashes arose…

Osama sunk the towers

Obama ressurected hope…

I’m caught in the rapture of the moment.

Muslim an Insult?

A.C. — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:31:17 +0000

I have become increasingly concerned with the hateful nature surrounding the McCain/Palin rallies in recent weeks. Hate-filled and vicious remarks, such as “Terrorist,” “kill him,” and “traitor,” among other disturbing attacks have been shouted at the mere mention of Barack Obama’s name. John McCain’s campaign has gradually turned more negative in a desperate attempt to stop his slide in the polls and to avoid speaking on the economy – the downfall of which is generally linked to George Bush and the Republicans. The numerous character assassinations on Obama are loosely based and with little relevance, as the GOP nominee and his running mate incessantly link him to Bill Ayers, the co-founder of the Weather Underground – an American leftist radical group active in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. These attacks on Obama are extremely dangerous for his safety (implying his friends are terrorists stirs up rage and hate in those too naïve or un-informed to believe these lies), yet this is not the only thing that has heightened my concern.

At McCain/Palin rallies across the country, many of their supporters have voiced their concerns over Obama being an Arab, or Muslim. McCain has spoken out against these accusations, calling Obama a “decent family man,” and repudiating the idea he is a Muslim. What McCain has failed to do, is acknowledge that being a Muslim isn’t a bad thing, and that the public should not be scared of a Muslim. Ever since 9/11, people’s views of Muslims have worsened dramatically. To many Americans, being a Muslim means one is an Islamic extremist or terrorist, which is an extremely prejudiced viewpoint. The fact is that there are millions of Americans who are outstanding citizens and just happen to follow the teachings of Islam. Even if Obama was a Muslim, it shouldn’t be an issue. The Fathers of this nation established that there should be a separation between church and state over 200 years ago and many Americans have failed to remember that. The word Muslim should not be an insult, but rather a religion that is respected just like any other religion.

The mainstream media in-large has failed to pick up on this and I feel it’s an important issue that is being overlooked. I am interested to hear your responses.

White Privilege

A.C. — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:14:49 +0000

Tim Wise

I read this article the other day by Tim Wise and found it interesting – for one, Tim Wise is a Caucasian man who doesn’t fear taking on the privilege of being White in America. This article articulates the fears of many as to why Obama (though qualified) is still a glass ceiling away from becoming president. With a true change potentially in the making I would love to hear your thoughts on this article.

This is Your Nation on White Privilege
By Tim Wise
9/13/08

For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

* White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

* White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you’ll “kick their fuckin’ ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

* White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

* White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re “untested.”

* White privilege is being able to say that you support the words “under God” in the pledge of allegiance because “if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me,” and not be immediately disqualified from holding office–since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the “under God” part wasn’t added until the 1950s–while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

* White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was “Alaska first,” and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you’re black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.

* White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do–like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor–and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college–you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.

* White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a “second look.”

* White privilege is being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

* White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.

* White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a “trick question,” while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

* White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a “light” burden.
* And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole “change” thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

Excerpt from Book 2: Center of Gravity

A.C. — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:38:30 +0000

Everyone is asking me when Book 2 will hit the bookshelves…and the truth is – I’m working on it. I’m so close to the end I can feel it. I decided I would give you a sneak peek into Book 2: Center of Gravity. Just a morsel…enjoy.

The Sting of Smokeless Fire

Man, have you ever been snaked so maliciously by someone you considered a true friend? Someone you would have went all out for…even to the extent of sacrificing your own life? Well, if you lived the life and played the game, then of course you know exactly what I’m speaking of… You know because you’ve already felt the sting.

Refusing to the bitter end to believe that your crimey, your ace boon koon is capable of such treachery. Like the woman who refuses to the bitter end to believe that her very best friend would sleep with her man…

Yeah, ever present is the nagging question that pervades your sleep…why me? The restricting lumps in your throat reminds you of your vulnerability, your humanity. Closer to Jesus you find yourself, because it is your cross to bear and no one elses. You feel its burden weighing heavily on your heart while the gravity of your response can be justified only in your mind. For me exile was his only option, though death was probably the best fit for his crime. But what of his family? Should his folly be their burden to bear as well?

NEVER TRUST A MAN WHO LIVES IN SHADOWS AFRAID OF THE SUNLIGHT.

NEVER TRUST A MAN WITH MORE NAMES THAN THE GODS THEMSELVES.

THEY MOVE ACCORDING TO THE LARCENY THAT RESIDES IN THEIR HEARTS.

LOYALTY WILL ALWAYS ELUDE THEIR COMPREHENSION AND SUBMISSION.

THEY ARE REPTILES – THE FORKED TONGUE KIND. THE SPEAKERS OF DOUBLE MEANINGS.

BEHEAD THEM…AND GIVE HUMANITY THE GIFT OF ONE LESS WORRY.

-EXCERPTS FROM THE O.G. BIBLE

That’s what’s up!

A.C. — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:51:59 +0000

Since Honor Amongst Thieves was published last year, I purposely shunned receiving any published book reviews. I know what my readers are saying (and thanks for all the comments I’ve been getting on the book review page – I promise I’ll keep adding them to the list if you keep leaving them) but I wanted the buzz to grow organically first. I didn’t want the reviewers to dictate the course of the book from its inception. Finally the staff here at Amenta has gotten their way and we have begun the process of submitting Honor Amongst Thieves for professional review.

Much love to Shaifire at Urban Fire Books for her incredible review of Honor Amongst Thieves. The professionalism they exhibited during this process was appreciated. When you get the chance check out what they do (click here to check out her Myspace and read some of the other reviews she’s given). For all my aspiring writers, Urban Hottness Books (joined Urban Fire recently) offers manuscript editing and reviews.

I’m telling everyone — Shaifire tried to get me before she gave me the review. She put on a grim voice and asked me if I was ready, she told me I should sit down…the whole nine. I knew what I wanted to hear but she had me in suspense. It turned out great and I’m proud to share this review with you.

Honor Amongst Thieves is a bone-chilling, riveting tale of murder, mayhem and redemptions, which vividly highlights the crimes existence in Brooklyn most prolific underworld gangster, Kameek “Kay-Kay” Barnes. The way the story was written, you were allowed to know Kay-Kay every thoughts, whether you agreed with them or not. A.C. Clayton’s style of writing is very descriptive; intriguing from the very first page to the last; the plot had many twists and turns, the writing – all the characters have different but interesting personalities and some messages are conveyed in this piece of work.

I had the pleasure of meeting A.C. Clayton at the Harlem book fair, and was very intrigue by the way he describe Honor Amongst Thieves. I actually stopped reading this book, when I only had 15 more pages left to read, not wanting to finish right away. I was determined to hold off, and wait on writing this review. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t do it, the book just kept calling me to pick it up. Your probably thinking I’m crazy, but this novel is just that good. Usually the aspect of literature that draws me in is the writing and I believe with this book A.C. Clayton was doing just that.

“I don’t deal with knuckle heads and anyone who deals with me plays by these rules; it’s all about respect. Give everyone including the hacks respect. You do this because in return you demand nothing less. Speak only when directly spoken to and not before. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut. This is not The Fever or some other nightclub, this is prison. You’re not here to mingle and become popular. You’re here to survive.”

From a rating of 1-10, I give this book a 10, I can only imagine what A.C.’s next project will be.

Shaifire
Urbanfirebooks/Urbanhottnessbooks

Again much love to Shaifire. Enjoy today – it’s almost Friday and life is good.

-A.C.

Harlem Book Fair + New T-shirts

A.C. — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:27:58 +0000

This weekend is the Harlem Book Fair – the largest African American book fair in the country. The book fair schedule includes two day full of events. Discussions, panels and even some workshops for aspiring writers and poets. I will have a booth at the street festival to meet some of my readers, sign autographs and spread the word about my book. The festival will take place Saturday July 19th from 11:00am to 6:00pm on West 135th Street between Malcom X Blvd and Fredrick Douglass Blvd.

Oh I don’t want to forget…because so many of you have requested – we now have Honor Amongst Thieves T-shirts and Tees. I wanted it to be something that I would wear, so I called on my boys at Eclectic Tees in Beverly Hills to make the dopest shirt they could possibly come up with.

The shirt has the book cover design made with American Apparel quality material has large Swarovski crystals (just a few…not too many). The shirts are in the process of being loaded onto the AB website for you to purchase…but I’ll have plenty at the fair. If you’re in the city this weekend take some time to stop by my booth #8085.

It’s been awhile…

A.C. — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:45:03 +0000

I’ve been neglecting this blog joint for a while…so, I’ll to take some time to catch you up on what’s up on my side of the world.

First, let me say – if you’ve read Honor Amongst Thieves-Book 1: Abandoned Nation…then you are probably anticipating Book 2: Center of Gravity. I’ve been working to make sure this book is in stores as soon as possible.
In the world of Abandoned Nation…

Amenta Publications is working with a hot upcoming author that is going to blow some other novels off the shelves

Abandoned Nation has partnered with Shah Echelon to host “Where Poetry Meets Hip-Hop”, every month in Brooklyn NY. The next showcase will be July 1st…come through and bring a friend if you’re in the area.

Saigon was released from his contract with Atlantic Records in May and now self- promoting his new single “Gotta Believe”. If you haven’t heard it…you must live under a hip-hop rock…go here to check it out.

That’s all I have for now – I’m going back to the grind. Come back and check the blog soon.

-A.C.

The Sean Bell Verdict

A.C. — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:46:50 +0000

So, I have a dilemma and I need some assistance in figuring out. Perhaps you can help…

For me there was never a doubt as to which way the judge would rule.

How could there be when history has faithfully tallied the score. It’s always the effect and never the cause that is placed on trial. The idealology that cultivated lynchers, fuels the police forces throughout America today.

I know this…but what do I tell my 16 year old son who was devastated to the core by the not guilty verdict in Sean Bell’s case. He doesn’t understand how a judge, the upholder of justice, could’ve gotten it so wrong.

Do I dare tell him that the judge did his job, which was to convey a message. The message being that Black life means nothing in American society (especially Black males). Or do I lie to him and tell that there is a Santa. Do I tell him that the judge ruled with his conscience and it was nothing more than a terrible verdict, or do I dare tell the truth and perhaps spawn the next Malcom…