We were lucky to catch up with DuVay Knox recently and have shared our conversation below.
DuVay, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
As a Writer, it’s always just a simple matter of Living and Learning AND Paying Attention to my surroundings on the regular. Because IDEAS are all around ya when you make observation an obligation. This is how I get Ideas to turn into Books or Short Stories. Plus, as a student of the occult, those experiences I had informed my first 2 novels: The Pussy Detective and The Soul Collector. Both, of which, are Supernatural in flavor and execution. I had a strong feeling both novels would succeed because I didn’t see anyone else combining the Occult with the Gritty Hood life like I wanted to do.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Consider me a Writer/Author of Black Pulp Fiction novels. That’s a genre of Pulp Fiction (ala Quentin Tarantino) but written from a BLACK point-of-view. Something the industry rarely sees–or even Publishes. You could say my writing is a cross between Iceberg Slim, Donald Goines, Chester Himes, Walter Mosley and White writers like Quentin Tarantino, Lawrence Block or Donald Westlake.
As a Late Bloomer, I was a Late Comer to the world of writing novels. But once I had the Idea for Pussy Detective, I became determined to find a Publisher willing to take a chance on a Nobody. And CLASH BOOKS was that Publisher. They loved the Manuscript–and made it happen. The Pussy Detective is an Indie bestseller. For a Publisher like Clash Books my writing solves a problem that looms large in the Industry: that of finding a Black Writer with a Unique Voice coming from the Inner City aka THE HOOD. No one is writing books like mine that combines the BLACK AF GRIT with the GLORY, all wrapped up in an Occult vibe. So Im truly proud of the Perspective I bring to the Game.
When people read my work, I want them to be surprised how I combine all down-t0-earth elements with Esoterica n Erotica to make a complete, relevant story. Its HOOD but HEAVENLY.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
In a word: SPIRITUALITY.
That’s what drives my work. The idea that we are Spiritual Beings having a Human Experience is an element I like to capture in a words to make a Story. And thru those words address The STRUGGLES that we have as Humans…..and or what happens when we forget that at the foundation, we are SPIRITUAL BEINGS who have lost our way. But when we Realize it, we come home again to OURSELVES. In fact, we become our BEST Selves again.
This is what’s at the Bottom of my work, forming its Foundation.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
BEING REAL. The fact that I put my whole, real, authentic self into my work without being shame of being a Countryfried Brother has made the Industry respect Me. I dont try to hide the fact that I’m not the most educated or that I use a lotta Slang and Countryisms in my Novels. Dialect. That’s how I grew up. That’s the real south I knew. So I dont hide it. Neither in my books or in Real Life when I meet folks.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.patreon.com/duvayknox
- Other: Email: [email protected]
