| Cover To Cover...Hard lessons learned now shared |
| By Ashley G. Woodson |
Published
10/2/2008
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Entertainment
| Unrated
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Cover To Cover...Hard lessons learned now shared
It’s been called gritty and raw; its definitely not light poetry—sweetness, flowers and light—if anything it has a disturbing bite because it reflects the soul of a Black man who has struggled and lost, and how he is now struggling to win, which he chronicles in his book of poetry, “Ghetto Hot Sauce.”
Author Valdez Thompson is making the transition from prisoner to poet, putting pen to paper to document and share the rough road that is his journey.
That said, with a title like “Ghetto Hot Sauce,” the book is bound to capture attention but what’s up with the name?
“I chose the name Ghetto Hot Sauce because the poems and short stories I wrote are full of flavor accurately describing the plight of those who are caught up in the everyday sauce of life in the ghetto,” explained Thompson. “It was very important to me that I write only the hottest, true reflections of what I and others have experienced or [seen].”
 | VALDEZ THOMPSON
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“I know some aren’t as fortunate to have a mother in their life, but I know we all have some sort of elder that is a positive influence in our lives. I made the mistake of listening to negative voices,” Thompson continued. “Just look at the culture I grew up around—Biggie Smalls, N.W.A, and 2 Live Crew had the music that we listened to growing up. Movies such as Menace To Society and Scarface were the movies we watched. We glorified what we heard and saw.”
While Thompson doesn’t hold the hard-core music for the choices he made, he doesn’t let the recording industry totally off the hook.
“I’m not blaming the music or the movies, but I do blame myself for choosing to be that thug, player, gangster, and hustler. I should have followed my dreams of being a lawyer instead of idolizing the gangsters, pimps, and drug dealers who are my uncles and cousins,” he clarifies. “I realized the truth when it was too late.
“I got shot, did time for shooting others, and realized that life[style] is pure hell and nothing to glorify at all.
Having learned the hard way, Thompson hopes others will learn from his mistakes.
“I’d like to make a difference in my city and community. I want to be a voice to someone who has no voice. I want to write about their pain, struggle, and what it would take for that person to find happiness, redemption, and success.
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