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Author Spotlight
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Sabin Prentis Duncan, Ph.D.
YOUR NAME OR PSEUDONYM: My name is my pseudonym! Prentis is my middle name. As a writer, I create fiction as Sabin Prentis and develop non-fiction as Sabin Duncan. My approach is inspired by Parliament & Funkadelic - same band, two names.
WRITES FROM: A wise poet once said, "It ain't where you're from, it's where you're at." So while Richmond is home, Detroit is my birthplace and it holds a special place in my soul. My latest novel aims to portray Detroit in a way that it isn't frequently depicted.
NAME OF BOOK AND PUBLISHER (you would like to highlight): Better Left Unsaid (Fielding Books)
BOOK SYNOPSIS: Stokely Robeson loses two opportunities with love within two weeks! Yet, those two weeks embody moments of romance, heartbreak, and community uplift. Moreover, Better Left Unsaid has the uncanny distinction of featuring a love triangle that involves four people! Quite unusual and seemingly unlikely, that is until readers learn more about Stokely.
INSPIRATION FOR THE BOOK: My two primary sources of inspiration were: 1. The depiction of Black men in fiction. While artist/ writers should write the stories that are true to their vision, there are significantly more Black male characters with unflattering attributes than there are representations of Black men who genuinely love Black women and their families. Should those other depictions remain? Indeed they should, I'm just adding a bit of balance to the art form. 2. The craftsmanship of writing. Writing is an art, so I approached this novel as a challenge of creating stories with no "bad" characters. Each character has good and bad attributes just like real humans. Akousua Busia's The Seasons of Beento Blackbird was a literary muse for my approach in crafting Better Left Unsaid.
WRITING HABITS: Spurts. I write in short spurts; but the story is very active in my daily thoughts. I spend so much time "seeing" and "unveiling" the story in my mind that by the time I sit to write, the storysimply flows. I should clarify those spurts - for my novels, those spurts equal one scene at a time. I avoid writer's block by proofreading what I previously wrote.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR BREAK: My first book, Reflections from the Frontline, is an educator memoir/essay collection. It was a supplement to the workshops I conducted through my consultant company, Measurable Advancement. I folded the company after choosing to make writing the primary exercise instead of a supplemental endeavor. It is very important to note that Ran Walker was a tremendous influence in my choice to write fiction. Our collaboration, Four Floors, was essentially an encouraging push from an established writer, Ran, to a potential novelist, me, to proceed down the liberating road of writing fiction.
TIME FRAME FROM WRITING TO PUBLISHING BOOK: With a new book every year as my North Star, my writing to publishing cycle nearly mirrors the seasons. There is a season for crafting, a season for editing, formatting, and publishing, a season for marketing, and a season for introspection of how I wish to improve my craft and business for the next book
SECRET TO SUCCESS: It's not going to be much of a secret if I divulge (smile). I aim to write stories people can "see."
ADVICE TO INSPIRING WRITERS: Find your voice, know your audience, and be honest with yourself about what you want each book to do.
INFLUENCES IN WRITING: I'm a huge Hip Hop fan and fans of Hip Hop love to debate their Top 5. When it comes to writing, my Top 5 are: 5. Akousua Busia - because she crafts warm characters who wrestle with real human issues in a way that does not vilify, compartmentalize, or stereotype them. 4. Pearl Cleage - because her stories are communal. Each character is developed within the context of the community and their relationships leave room for more stories. 3. Derrick Bell - although he was a renowned Constitutional scholar, his use of fiction, particularly the short story - The Space Traders, took complex concepts and made them more palatable. 2. Daniel Black - Daniel is a master story teller. His characters are so rich and well-developed that they seem real. Moreover, in a crowd of writers, Daniel's voice is distinguishable. 1. Zora Neale Hurston - the Holy Grail. Her ability to take the stories of everyday folk and reveal their nuances and brilliance is beyond measure. As Hip Hop artist tend to say, she is your favorite writer's favorite writer.
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WEIRD HOBBIES: Weird? Well, I'm not sure how weird it is but my love for Soul music is profound. Considering that I'm from Detroit, the assumption would be that I'm a Motown man and to a degree, I am; however, I'm more Gamble & Huff (Philadelphia International) and Stax than I am Motown. Once, I visited Malaco Records offices in Jackson, MS and was so delighted my face was sore from smiling so hard. They had this wall of portraits of about 50 or artists. They said if I could name ten I could get some cds out of the warehouse. I named over twenty and sang a few lines from their hits for good measure.
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WHAT'S NEXT? Releasing the Better Left Unsaid audiobook this spring and the follow-up novel in time for Christmas. But more importantly, I am continuing to live more fully in the moment.
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Please support Dr. Duncan and purchase his books. You will not be disappointed. Check out www.sabinprentis.com and see his books below:
