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Bliss
By Danyel Smith
Reviews
Bliss
(Crown Publishers, 19 July
2005) is a sensual tale drenched with love and music, in which
author Danyel Smith (a prose stylist who "writes with music
in her language" say Quincy Jones) dives into an intriguing
set of characters facing life-changing choices in the swirl of
the music industry at its decadent peak.
At a 1998 gathering on the Bahamas's Paradise Island, record
executive Eva Glenn--soulful, powerful, and maybe pregnant--is
throwing a comeback showcase for her singing sensation Sunny
Anderson. At the event's peak, Eva begins to sink beneath the
waves of a confusing triangle, a career at a crossroads, fading
self-confidence, and decisions to be made about her possible
pregnancy.
Uncovering hip-hop's personalities in a way one rarely can
journalistically, Smith casts a cold eye on the machinations of
the industry, and infuses
Bliss
with an unashamed
passion for the power of pop. her language echoes everything
from blues shouts and hip-hop to the transcendent joy of a
perfect R&B love song. This novel is about the rhythm and
blues of life, and why we hold tight to the sex, music, and love
that offers us a fleeting glimpse of bliss, even when the price
is steep. The attached character sheet reveals the personalities
of
Bliss
.
Smith led coverage of hip hop's takeover of American culture,
distinguishing herself in a male-dominated industry. She is the
former editor-inchief of Vibe, had a stint as a prestigious
editor-at-large at Time Inc., and has contributed to the new
york Times, rolling Stone, the New Yorker, Spin, Essence, Elle,
Cosmopolitan, USA Weekend, the village Voice, and Billboard. A
regular commentator for VH-1, Smith is the author of the San
Francisco Chronicle-bestselling novel, More Like Wrestling
(Crown, 2003) and she wrote the introduction for the New York
Times-bestseller Tupac Shakur.
Fascinated by the idiosyncratic sacrifices made by
businesswomen, as well as by the interconnectedness of pop
music, Smith can address the following issues in an interview:
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Scandals entrenches in
the music
Why music still matters
How hip-hop effects
listeners and the choices they make about their bodies
The histories of hip
hop and soul music
The short wild history
of hip hop journalism
Interracial
relationships
Sex and the single
woman
The writing life, and
the transition from journalism to fiction
The blogging phenomenon / revolution |
To learn more about
Bliss
and
More
like Wrestling, visit Smith's blog at http://nakedcartwheels.blogspot.com
--Crown Publishing
Searingly honest and
breathtakingly lush, Smith's masterful prose moves the reader
past the music industry's seductive bling and liberates
characters that are deliciously complicated and compellingly
flawed. Bliss is the literary love song for the new millennium.
--Joan Morgan, author of When
Chickenheads Come Home to Roost
Smith writes with generous passion
and propulsive energy about the life choices women make, about
the illusion of control, and about getting to know ourselves. I
love this book.
--Ayelet Waldman, author of Love and
other Impossible Pursuits
For the last decade, Danyel has
had a front row seat for all the craziness of the record
business. She knows how fly it all was, and she knows where the
bodies are buried. You'll love
Bliss
.
--Touré, author of Soul City
The color and candor of hip hop is
rarely transferred onto paper, and Danyel Smith's voice is the
rare, vital instrument strong enough to carry that tune.
--Sacha Jenkins, coauthor of ego trip's Big
Book of Racism!
A dynamic novel with authenticity
and surprises at every turn.
--Katherine Weber, author of The Little
Women
With the remarkable Bliss,
Danyel Smith uses her palpable love and vast knowledge of
music--hip hop, and soul -- to conjure a glorious, compelling
story.
--Alan Light, author of The Skills to
Pay the Bills posted 20 July 2005 |
