icon: edward p. jones.
Icon’s are featured on Get Togetha not for congratulatory filler but to help readers understand that most people’s paths require pain and strife as a builder of character. The ability to epicly fail, get criticized and chopped down to size actually makes you a better person in the long run. Most times success is its sweetest after building character and character makes you well…interesting. Edward P. Jones has it and some to spare. Armed with a few short published stories to his name, Mr. Jones worked in a cubbyhole for nineteen years because he didn’t think that writing stories could earn him a living. So he wrote business claims for a non-profit organization and dreamt of fictional characters in his head. It wasn’t till he was pink-slipped and severanced packaged that he decided to sit his ass down and write the story that wouldn’t take a permanent dirt nap.
The book “The Known World” was born and it went on to earn critical acclaim in every literary circle you could think of; including a Pulitzer Prize for fiction. This book is also on GT’s top ten list of exceptional fiction. How’s that for a person who moved eighteen times before he was eighteen and who’s mother was an illiterate maid.
Iconic Indeed.
Posted by gt on November 25, 2008
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Alicia/InstantVintage — November 25, 2008 @ 1:28 am
I love your picks for Icon, GT. They have the most amazing stories.
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gt — November 25, 2008 @ 1:29 am
Thank you gurl.
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TJ — November 25, 2008 @ 1:57 am
The Known World is an awesome book! Aunt Hagar’s Children is pretty good too. Not as good as The Known World, but good. I remembered learning about Edward P. Jones and rushing out to get his book. It did not disappoint. All I could do was just sit there with my mouth open like, THIS man thought he could not make money as an author? Wow. I’d also like to echo Alicia’s kudos on your icon picks.
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GT — November 25, 2008 @ 10:02 am
Alll Aunt Hagar’s children is my favorite as well TJ. He’s actually one of my favorite writer’s of all time; simple but powerful prose. Unlike Toni who you sometimes have to put down and pick up again and even grab a dictionary…Edward makes you just smile with his common sense folksy way of putting words on paper.
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GT — November 25, 2008 @ 10:03 am
And thanks for the icon picks!
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Simone — November 25, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
Excellent! I like hearing stories about the “underdog”. I’m egalitarian my nature, so reading about people who persevered despite the odds is wonderful.
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Harlem Chic — November 28, 2008 @ 6:00 pm
Love this man and love his books. Aunt Hagar’s is one of my favorites…loving your iconic inspiration…
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