| I'm
on my Way is a passionate tale of
a sometimes bitter, sometimes angry, but
always hopeful young man and his search
to uncover the love of his life and in
the process, himself.
In
terse, fluid prose, Christopher David paints three-dimensional portraits of
each of his main characters. Set against
the backdrop of the ever popular New York
City, the book addresses critical issues
surrounding being black, gay and at times
closeted in America without sounding preachy.
David’s high quality of writing,
and carefully developed themes seamlessly
takes us into the hearts and minds of
several young men sorting through some
of life’s most pressing issues.
This engrossing debut, challenges stereotypes,
emits hope, and brings to life the often-misunderstood
world of the gay minority.
Curious
Minds Want To Know...
Why
did you write I’m On My Way?
I
grew up alone. Sure there were my parents,
my siblings, even my friends, but the
truth was/is I grew up with no one to
identify with. I knew from the very beginning
I was gay. And as soon as I realized it,
I knew I had to hide it. I knew no one
would understand me, not my parents, my
siblings or my friends. My childhood,
from grade school to high school was spent
masking who I was. So, in a way I wrote
this book for every man or woman who like
me hid their light, or is hiding their
light for fear of what others may think.
I wrote this book for every girl and boy
who may happen upon my novel and begin
to understand their life is not so different
after-all; that they too can find happiness
in this cold, cold, world.
Another
reason I wrote the book was because I
wanted to hear a different voice. I was
growing tired of the stereotypical black
gay male persona. And even more tired
of the well, I’m really
not sure I’m gay man,
dabbling in both worlds driving straight
women completely out of their minds. I
wanted my characters to show the world
there are some masculine same gender loving
men out there doing there thing, who are
not confused, and happen to be okay with
their lifestyle.
What
does the title I’m On My Way
represent?
For
me, it represents one young man’s
determination to persevere despite the
challenges haunting his life. I’m
on my way, if stressed the right way,
is such a positive way to look at things.
Much like Dr. King’s speech I’ve
Been to the Mountain Top,
I’m On My Way says with
conviction: I’m right behind you,
I’m on my way…
How
did you get your work published?
Though
I often question everything I do, I do
realize however fortitude is what gets
things done. I decided to self-publish
my novel after receiving about five of
my query letters back from a few major
publishing houses. I’ve never been
one to deal well with rejection. In my
head it’s always, “I did
something wrong,” or, “You’re
not good enough.” So, instead
of sulking (like I did) over
their rejections, I took matters into
my own hands and sought out self-publishing.
Though I hear the task is daunting, and
is almost always filled with hurdle after
hurdle, I truly believe it will give me
the exposure I need to develop my audience.
How
long did it take you to pen I’m
On My Way?
It
took about a year and a half to write,
about nine months to work up the nerves
to actually consider publishing it. And
two years to re-write what I had written
so that what you end up reading is genius.
Do you enjoy writing?
I
recently read an article by writer and
LGBT advocate Keith Boykin
(www.keithboykin.com), in which
he admitted he actually hated writing,
but, he loves reading what he’s
written. It was an: ah-ha! moment for me—finally I thought,
someone had taken the time to pinpoint
my feelings regarding the woe of writing,
and the joy of the finished product. I
made it a point to e-mail him and thank
him for helping me locate an answer that
had eluded me since I first picked up
the pen.
What
inspires you?
In
all honesty, my greatest inspiration would
have to be love. My every desire is to
allow love to lead me wherever I need
to be. Some are afraid of love. Many have
never even experienced it. But for me,
without love I am nothing; with love,
I am everything and more. So yes, love
without a doubt would be my greatest inspiration.
To
you, what does it mean to be an author?
How does it feel?
Being
an author is probably one of the best
feelings in the world. For me seeing my
book in print for the very first time,
or finding myself at my very first book-signing
will make it all the more real. But right
now I’m in la-la land, happy to
be done with my first writing project.
It
has been said some authors "borrow"
scenes from their lives. How much of this
novel is your life?
*Laughs* Well…honestly speaking, a lot of
the issues many of the characters go through
I have experienced at some point or another.
I’m not going to mention exactly
which ones but um, they’re in there. *Eh, Hem* By the way,
this book is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents either
are products of the author’s imagination
or…
Why
would someone want to read your novel?
Good
question. Life is all about discovery…each
of us at some point in our lives will
have to go through something another of
us has already gone through. Sometimes,
it helps if while you’re going through
hell you have someone to reach out to—if
for no other reason but to hold your hand.
Growing up I went through a lot of shit
alone, no one—and I do mean no one—should
ever have to do that, more less a child. I’m On My Way deals with
some tough issues, loneliness, depression,
physical abuse, AIDS, racism, etc., but
I’m sure you don’t need me
to tell you our everyday lives are just
as tough. If I’ve done my job well
everyone that picks up my novel will be
able to relate because in its simplest
form, it’s about life, yours, and
mine.
© Christopher David 2003-2004
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