August 8, 2006
Terry McMillan Gets Her Brain Back!
Last weekend, New York Times bestselling author Terry McMillan was on hand at the National Book Club Conference in Atlanta to present an award named in her honor.
During her time at the mic, Terry elicted laughter from the hundreds of book lovers and fellow authors in the audience when she joked about taking a chance on love again, this time with a straight man. A reference, of course, to her now ex-husband Jonathan Plummer’s homosexuality.
She said after much time focusing on her divorce, she’s finally got her brain back!
(Click 
here to listen to Terry speak.)
She also talked about what she calls “backlash” in the publishing industry against black authors.
Terry also read excerpts from author Kalisha Buckhanon’s debut novel Upstate, a love story told through letters between two teenagers who try to maintain a relationship while the young man, 17, is incarcerated.
Buckhanon, 27, received the National Book Club Conference’s Terry McMillan Young Author Award. (Click here
to hear Kalisha’s acceptance.)
Later during the conference, a generous Terry offered to purchase health insurance for two young men brought to the conference by author and public relations guru Terri Williams, a founder of the Stay Strong Foundation. The foundation is a national movement designed to support, educate and inspire America’s youth. The young men, Dashaun “Jiwe” Morris, author of the upcoming, “The War of the Blood In My Veins,” and a friend, are former gang members who met and became friends while attending Delaware State University and now serve as spokesmen for the foundation.
McMillan also offered to open checking accounts and purchase secured credit cards for them.
“That’s what money is for,” Terry said when her gift was announced.
Posted by rswan@pbpost.com at August 8, 2006 2:25 PMIt is great reading about the African American literary community in our local paper. I look forward to seeing more.
Posted by: T. Nicole Chambers at August 9, 2006 2:06 PMRhonda, we met at the Conference. I don’t know about you but I enjoyed myself. I found the comments you made about publishing during the self-publishing panel discussion were on point! Continued success to you!
Michelle Buckley author of Trippin’ & Bulletproof Soul
Posted by: Michelle Buckley at August 9, 2006 4:57 PMKudos to Terry for what she did for these two men. That was definitely a beautiful and philanthropic thing to do. I hope many more celebs step up and do the same. As African Americans we have to start planting seeds and help nurture our race. This is exactly what Tavis Smiley is preaching to us.
Also, I am glad to see she has bounced back after her ordeal with Jonathan.
Posted by: Shayla at August 9, 2006 5:11 PMThanks, Michelle. Much success to you as well. Shayla, I agree. Kudos should also go out to Terri Williams for starting the Stay Strong Foundation. This sister has her hands in so many pots with all her projects, yet she still finds time to help others. She encouraged the conference participants to do the same.
Posted by: Rhonda Swan at August 9, 2006 6:49 PMIt does my heart good to hear what Terry McMillian did. Proud to see her doing those kind of things.
Posted by: Shelia at August 10, 2006 2:39 PMI love hearing about what’s going on in the literary world, especially centered around black writers. What Terri did was a wonderful thing. And more evidence that the writing community, in general, is a very supportive one.
Posted by: Paula at August 12, 2006 12:38 PM
