new book

It’s ironic–when my schedule’s wide open, I often have trouble writing, but as SOON as the demands on my time start to accumulate, THEN I feel the urge to write three things at once!  For a while now I’ve been thinking about writing a book of plays for teens; I think dramatic writing is a great way to get young readers invested in communication…what’s the most effective way to convey your ideas?  what leads to conflict?  how can conflict be resolved?  You can put that in a lecture, or you can let them read a play and then act out the parts, rewrite the ending, or write a new script of their own.  I didn’t think I’d have time to write any plays this summer since I’m working on Judah’s Tale, but then I pulled up my list of twenty completed plays and realized I *have* four one-acts that would be suitable for teens.  So I’m editing them now, and should have copies of the new book ready by next week.  If anyone out there would like a review copy, please let me know…I’m going to send copies to the teachers I know here in Brooklyn, and I think high school students are the target audience for these plays since they do have some mature content.  The first play, girl/power, was staged here in NYC last summer as part of a festival of women playwrights.

girl/power: While in the custody of Child Protective Services, two underage girls compare their relationships with the men accused of exploiting them.
Brotherhood: Upon his release from prison, Von returns to his foster mother’s home hoping to build a new life with the remnants of his family.  But with the house on the brink of foreclosure, Von must confront the forces of change that have transformed the world he left behind.
Deluged: A young woman conducting research on lynching in Louisiana finds herself swept up in a hurricane and dropped onto a plantation off the Mississippi River.
Men of All Work: Four black male celebrities meet in “the green room” and share the trials and triumphs they have encountered trying to “make it” in the entertainment industry.