Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marcus Allen-Granderson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Marcus thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
For the past four and a half years, I’ve been working on a book project formerly titled “The Lost Soul of Sadie Street” and now known as “The Blossoming Soul of Summer.” It’s a Young Adult novel and cookbook written out of my deep love, reverence, and respect for the food and musical traditions of African-American history and culture. And this book is specifically written with a Young Adult audience in mind because I want to share that love with young readers.
In summary, this story follows Akhil Christopher Brown, a 17 year old, Black boy foodie and “old school” music lover who’s a senior in high school struggling to figure out what he wants out of life post-graduation. Though he’s college bound to a prestigious university in the fall, he has no idea what career path he’ll pursue, or even how he’ll afford it.. As far as he’s concerned, there’s only one thing he knows for sure: cooking soul food with his Nana, while grooving to “old school” classics, is his happy place.
Everything about Akhil’s senior year seems to be ending as planned when just a month before graduation he unexpectedly learns he’s a finalist for a mysterious new scholarship: “The Blossoming Summer Scholarship,” This surprising opportunity offers him the prize of a lifetime: a full-ride tuition scholarship and a $10,000 stipend every college summer to pursue any dream of his choice. Inspired by the words of Toni Morrison, this scholarship will go to one senior who has a standout summer “limp with the weight of blossomed things”—whatever that means to them. This flavor-filled, musical coming of age story follows Akhil as he strives to have an award-winning summer to remember while grappling with devastating loss, the high cost of higher education, and his family’s complicated history in a gentrifying Detroit neighborhood.
Ultimately, I see this book as a legacy preservation project. Over the past few years, we’ve lost several legendary Black figures who have shaped our culture through food and music. As these aging generations pass on, we must do everything we can to preserve their histories and pass on their genius to the up and coming generations. Through this coming of age narrative and recipe collection, my hope is that I can contribute to this sacred effort.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
So, for those who don’t know who I am or what I’m about, I would probably introduce myself as a music-loving, food-obsessed writer, aspiring model, community-taught home chef, husband, and pug dad. I work as an executive writer by day. Outside of that, I’m currently working on a Young Adult novel, and I recently launched Relationship Foods LLC, a boutique food business offering pop-up products and intimate culinary experiences (https://shop.castiron.me/relationshipfoods). As an author, I’m represented by Tina Wainscott of the Seymour Agency for adult projects and Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency for children’s projects. And on the modeling side, I’m grateful to be a part of the Jo Anderson Model-Talent agency. But all those facts aside, I would say that my primary purpose and mission as a creative is rooted in being a cheerleader for life and living things–whatever I can do, through my artistic expression, to encourage things that are life-giving and love-filled to grow and flourish, I want to do it. In a world that’s filled with so much loss, I feel like that’s my responsibility, both as a creative and a human. In fact, I would go so far as to say it’s the calling we all should, and must, answer in our way throughout this life.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I don’t think we have time for me to share everything that’s happened with my author/writing journey thus far. But I will say that I never expected to still be working on this YA book project. I’ve been with it for over four years now, and have had several setbacks and rejections along the way. I’ve also reworked and rewritten the manuscript two times now. But what’s funny is that I’m prouder of where it’s currently at than I’ve ever been of any previous iteration of it. So, from the outside looking in, it may be hard for some to see or understand how grateful I am that God didn’t allow my dream to publish this book come true when I first wanted it to. I’m glad I failed, because I realize now that the story wasn’t done then–it hadn’t fully blossomed yet.
This journey has taught me that sometimes, our creative dreams are late bloomers, and that’s okay. The last flower in a garden to bloom is still a bloomed flower worthy of all due fanfare and admiration–the delay doesn’t diminish its destiny. In fact, how could it? Its fate to bloom was settled law etched in the stars long before its sprout first took root in the soil to grow.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
We get to imagine and birth new things every time we create–new visuals, new sounds, new expressions, new avenues and ways of existing that all testify to the genius of the human spirit-soul.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marcusallengranderson.com
- Instagram: @marcusgranderson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcusGranderson
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-granderson/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MK_Granderson