A Walk in the Night Sun

Inspiration for A Walk in the Night Sun

A little over 15 years ago, I channeled a story centering Black Americans 500 years in the future. I wrote it and published it on my blog at the time. It was called Obsidian Song.

About a year and a half ago, it came to my heart to revisit this story — to turn it into a novel and publish it. At the time, I was working on a number of nonfiction books, and as I brought one of those books to a close, I resolved to reimagine Obsidian Song — to develop new and old characters, to build an entire world, and to do so in a way that would expand its reach across more than one book and evolve it to the point where it could be adapted for film.

There were two catalysts that prompted me to revisit and reimagine my Afro-Futurist short story from all those years ago.

First, I visited my friend on a trip to NY. He had a wall decorated with masks from around the world and asked me to see which one spoke to me. One mask stood out — one I would later find out was connected to my paternal ancestral heritage (Mitsogo, Ateke, Kota, and Fang people of Gabon — shout out to African Ancestry for making this life-changing knowledge possible). My friend then let me borrow one of his favorite books, saying it would change my life. He gave me Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somé. I read that book from cover to cover multiple times — and my life was indeed changed.

Secondly, I did a small ceremony with an ancestral plant medicine — a medicine that, at the time, healed a bout of depression I had been moving through. Shortly after the healing that came from that ceremony, I received my first book deal and gained a deeper confidence as an author in the process. I also want to note that Malidoma Patrice Somé passed away shortly before my first plant medicine ceremony.

I hope you enjoy this story that explores African Spirituality, Neuroscience, Mind-Body-Spirit Health, and Pan-African and Afro-Futurist themes.

This book is dedicated to the memory of Malidoma Patrice Somé, and I’m excited for you to read it.- Coming Soon to Apple Books and most distributors upon request