When Brok’n English Sounds Right .
If you think that Urban fiction is being written primarily by street thugs who fluently speak broken English, and can’t spell a lick in order to save their lives then you my friend must live in an underground cave. Meet Sean Hicks who breaks the myth in half. He’s an edjumikated brother who is actually, –Well, let’s say, highly educated.
During our encounter I happened to see a man rob the diner where we sat. Fortunately, his efforts were thwarted when someone outside saw the robbery in progressed, called the police who arrested the man, handcuffing him, and carried him away. However, before they escorted the man into the police vehicle I asked him, “Man, why did you do it? I mean, you’re blinged out like Lil’ John and ish. That’s crazy!”
The man simply looked at me and responded, “I gotta keep it real bruh. My next urban Fiction novel is due on my publisher’s desk in about two months, if i ain’t livin’ it then I can’t wrote it.”
“You mean write it? correct.”
“Nah, wrote. Like in I wrotes that shit. You’re just like dude who wouldn’t hire me for that job I needed to get in order to stay out on parole. I’m originally from Georgia so excuse my accent.”
“What do you mean I’m lost.” I stated.
“I mean,” he responded. “One day I was filling out this application, and I asked the guy standing behind me who happened also to be the owner of the factory. I was trying to answer the question on the application that says ‘When can you start?’ I then turned and asked the man behind me a question. I asked him, excuse me Chief, but do you know how to spell rat. He answered me smartly saying, ‘R-A-T.’ But that’s when I becomes infuriated and said, “Naw! Naw! Not the mousy kind. I mean Rat, like in Rat now! Rat then he asked me to leave his building so I left…”
The man left both me and Shawn confused. We were speechless, and just shook our heads. We ate, drank and left the premises. And, just for the record this did not happen at all. I’m joking, but Shawn is taking his career seriously. His voice is that of a new generation so please listen carefully to what he has to say.
Meeting up with Shawn Hicks I found him to be a bit reclusive, and yet masterful at the same time. Being educated on the Island of Manhattan, the original home of the chieftains, and a borough that is coterminous with New York itself. A city that defines swag, and promotes criminals at the same time with sensationalism. Just pick up any local paper in Manhattan and you’ll understands what I mean. Shawn is perfecting his craft.
However, despite what some presume of the Urban genre. Shawn Hicks is a welcomed addition to the field of Urban Fiction. An educated African American soldier who is striving to break away from the stereotypical mainstay of run-of-the-mill urban stories that crowd the market giving his new audience something else to read and talk about. I was honored when he took time from his busy schedule to answer few questions about his life, his talent, and his future projects. Below is our brief chat about what he is doing and where he is headed.
DionCheese.Com: Who are you and where are you from?
Shawn Hicks: My name is Shawn Hicks, an author and a movie producer. I’m from Brooklyn, NY
I see that you are the CEO of Broken English Publications. Can you share your educational background, and tell my audience why you started a publishing company?
I have a AAS in Video Arts from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and a BS in Television & Radio, from Brooklyn College. As far as how I started BEP; I was writing screenplays at the time and while doing research for agents and other producers in the book The Writer’s Marketplace, I read in it that writing novels to accompany the screenplays would add value to the works. So I’m thinking, “Yeah, I’ll write the novels too. Won’t be hard” (LOL now thinking back)
Anyway, after finishing up some novels and looking for agents and publications companies, and receiving a bunch of rejection letters in between, I decided to study further the publishing industry on the do’s and don’ts of it all. From there the progression of being a self publisher developed more nd more, to where I wanted to have full control of my works and efforts. There I created BEP.
How long has your company existed? And, how many other authors are under your brand?
BEP have been existence since 2008. I’m the only author with BEP, as it is a vehicle for my works.
How did you come up with your company’s name since it is the antithesis of your educational background?
Well, I think that stories don’t necessarily have to be grammatically correct to be great, as long as it is aesthetically. Every culture have their colloquialism and jargon and writing methods for communication, to peculate the setting and times of the novel. And whenever authors follow industry standards to cater to a particular demographic, it may lose its potency and meaning. I guess also it’s in response to the complaints on new authors within the urban markets that our stories doesn’t follow the typical stanzas, and that we have to conform and whitewash our stories to fit in. Overall, I named the company BEP to say, I write what I want, how I want, in any manner that I want. and it’ll be GREAT!
Are you an author under your brand, and if so how many books have you written?
My titles include: SCREAM (An Anthology of Sacred Thoughts), Product Of The Environment, dog’matic, SCREAM 2 (On The Verge of Being), and currently, Booshzee Gal.
Do you see Urban Fiction evolving to become a corner stone to be reckoned with as compared to mainstream literature?
Depends on how the landscape shapes out to. Ebooks have shifted the publishing paradigms drastically.
Are there any upcoming events you would like to share with your fans?
I’m still working out my travel itinerary. But I’ll let you know when things are finalized.
Any final words for your fans, along with some advice for those on the come-up?
Anyone can contact me at www.facebook.com/
Please show your love and support to the new era of urban Fiction by giving Shawn a read or two, and leaving a comment or review here or elsewhere. Thanks.
Bio of Shawn Hicks
Shawn Hicks is the C.E.O and President of Brok’n English Publications, with the goal of providing a medium for telling his literary works. He received an Associates Degree in Video Arts from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and his Bachelor’s Degree in Television & Radio from Brooklyn College. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.
He first came into the literary world with SCREAM (An Anthology of Sacred Thoughts). It’s a collection of poetry, opinions, and anecdotes that described a provocative view of the world.
His second completed work, and first full length novel, Product Of The Environment, is a tale about four young adults in high school, each one trying to prevail through extraordinary circumstances while living in a hostile and unforgiving urban climate.
Thus next novel, dog’matic, is a humorous story of three men and their chauvinistic outlook on love and sex, and the hilarious consequences that follows.
Next, following the success of SCREAM, came SCREAM 2 (On The Verge of Being), another collection of poems, anecdotes, and opinions.
Along with publishing, Shawn created Brok’n TV, as a avenue to produce media content. Works include 8 episodes of “Striver’s Row: The TV Show” and “From Obscurity to Infamy: The Literary life of David L.”
NO COMMENTS