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Be a Famous Person Getting Interviewed by The Guardian

Jerid P. Woods: “ If Morrison is the heat you undoubtedly feel when you put your hand inside a fire, then Gayl (Jones) for me was a lot like picking up a ceramic cup of light lava accidentally without touching the part you ‘posedta hold.”

The Literary influencer on discovering reading, and why he loves The HitchHiker’s Guide to The Galaxy.

Akili Nzuri

Mon 17, 2023 05:00CST

My earliest reading memory

Let’s take it all the way back to 1942 and give a real trill shout-out to the 83-year-old project known as the Little Golden Book! Little Golden Books are my earliest memory. Going in Freds’ and seeing those joints on the wall as a little homie in my terrible 3s–I was never actually terrible as a child–is the stuff of legends. I remember the Bambi joint the most.

My favorite book growing up

Ah man! This is tough. I mean. I REALLY, REALLY, loved the goosebumps series–which has got to be hilarious because I’m notorious for not liking scary television. All that aside though, whenever I got that book fair money I always bought like 2-3 of them joints. I also REALLY enjoyed reading about Dr. Doolittle and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. I would go to this place in our mall named Bookland and sit and read Discovery magazine for hours as well. I loved to read that, Jet Magazine, and Playstation Magazine as well!

The book that changed me as a teenager

I don’t really remember this book at all, but I remember we had the best discussions about it and I keep saying I’ve got to read it again as an adult because of this but… *Looks around* it’s got to be There Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I don’t know if you can tell, but whenever I get into a discussion about books I get this fire in my eyes and I get to flailing my arms about, that feeling was birthed during those discussions in high school. I remember Mrs. West was really able to take us out of the book, while simultaneously keeping us in the text and I really liked that. It’s kind of foundational for how I build my questions.

The writer who changed my mind

Ok Ok. *flips locs out of my eyes* Man this is tough. Let me go ahead and get Toni Morrison out of the way, so I can tell the truth a little better (I’m kidding ya’ll lol of course Morrison is getting her just due here). I think Gayl Jones blew the top of my brain off when I read her work for the first time. If Morrison is the heat you undoubtedly feel when you put your hand inside a fire, then Gayl for me was a lot like picking up a ceramic cup of light lava accidentally without touching the part you ‘posedta hold. Corregidora was like grabbing that sucka straight up and then dropping it because, OMG-why-is-this-cup-this-hot-when-I-only-put-it-in-the-microwave-for-30-seconds? I feel like Toni Cade Bambara did the same thing for me. Writing in Morrison’s shadow made these two really carve out new arenas of literature. I want to shout out Kiese Laymon’s work as well for making me consider that my life could be something worth exploring, while also making me consider my politics through my writing. He’s influenced my work in so many ways.

The book that made me want to be a writer

I’m going to just go wild wild and crazy on this one and say Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Yea, you ain’t see that one coming huh? Good! LOL ‘Cause I know all ya’ll know I’m going to say Kiese Laymon’s Long Division, but you gone have to contend with the fact that I’ve always wanted to create a book like Children of Blood and Bone because those are the types of books I sat in the floor of the library reading for hours. Fantasy is the foundation of my entertainment, and the reason Long Division is right in that same vein is because of it’s magical realism. I know we lowkey hate that term, but it works enough to let you know exactly what I’m talking about. As a kid the woods held this magical quality for me, and it was very real to me, and I loved the work the woods did in the story. When I read both of these books I knew there was space for what I want to bring into the world.

The author I came back to

I reread books all the time, but I’ve got to say, the book I look forward to taking my time with again has got to be Sula. I’m a tad infamous for throwing it in the trash, but of course, that was just me being provocative (I feel like Will Ferrell should pop out whenever I say provocative and say: “It get’s the people going!”), and recently I was in conversation with someone and they were talking about a particular death scene in the novel that I’m looking forward to appreciating again without a certain spectre over me. An author that I’ve come back to continuously over the past few years who has never disappointed me is Ann Petry. Everytime I prioritize her work she delivers. Every freaking time.

The book I reread

Like I said earlier, I reread books all the time, but the last two books I reread where If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery, and Deesha Philyaw’s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. Jonathan wrote a REALLY solid book, that covered so much ground and never lost it’s freshness throughout. And I still can’t believe Deesha just dropped a classic like that. I love how her book seemed to come out of nowhere. Finding TSLOCL was like what it used to feel like to go into Eckerds and spin that cassette tape rail they used to have and find a certified banger in that sucker on a whim. Rereading both of these was treat for sure.

The book I could never read again

The very first book I thought of for some reason was The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. We had to read it before we read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. There are other books too, but that was the first one that came to mind. I don’t know if I would reread most of the British literature books I had to read in undergrad again. All of that stuff is such a slow burn and I ain’t got time.

The book I discovered later in life

The Narrows is better than The Street, but The Street feels so good you won’t realize it… but you’ll know it… you’ll know it. It’s all G, cause coming into Petry as an adult has been everything.

The book I am currently reading

I’m reading Eva’s Man by Gayl Jones cause: Gayl Jones is light lava in a ceramic cup that I can’t wait to pick up on purpose this time.

My comfort read

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I’ve been waiting all of my life to be thrust into an intergalactic story with nothing but a towel and every now and then I blurt out So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Jerid P. Woods, also known as Akili Nzuri, is a writer, educator, PhD candidate, and literary influencer. He was born and raised in Natchez, Mississippi, and survives on an unwavering commitment to ignite a passion for reading in youth. He also exists as a living testimony to the power of shared stories and knowing one’s self. He is the owner and creator of the website A Black Man Reading, www.ablackmanreading.com, and the Instagram blog: @ablackmanreading. He is also one half of the dynamic podcast duo @booksarepopculture, available for streaming on all services. To support The Days and BAPC, order your copy at https://bookshop.org/shop/booksarepopculture. Delivery charges may apply.

(I hope you enjoyed and appreciated this release COMPLETELY inspired by this article from the Guardian on Colson Whitehead:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/apr/14/colson-whitehead-when-i-read-invisible-man-i-thought-maybe-theres-room-for-a-black-weirdo-like-me The Guardian is in no way involved in this write-up as it was entirely a creative endeavor of my own pursuits)