One day I will post a picture of all the many journals I have kept since 1996, when I began writing about Rahsaan. But for now, I wanted to share something that I came across the other day. I recently just moved, and in the process of sorting, unpacking, organizing--a never-ending task--I found an old spiral notebook from 2001. In it, I had taken notes from a conversation I had with Joel Dorn, (Rahsaan's producer and friend). I had just sent him the first draft of the book, the first fifty pages or so, and was nervously waiting to hear what he thought of it.
I remember him calling me. I was sitting on the staircase of my mother's log cabin. The first thing he said was that he'd read the whole thing in about half an hour. I couldn't decide if this was a good thing or not. But then he told me, "For something that's not a biography, it has the most in-depth view of Rahsaan as a kid that I've read." He said many other encouraging things to this young, scared writer, things that would buoy me in times of doubt. He told me that he liked it very much, but that he felt that the end result would be different from what I had written. He was right.
I will never stop missing Joel Dorn, but I am so happy that our paths crossed.
I remember him calling me. I was sitting on the staircase of my mother's log cabin. The first thing he said was that he'd read the whole thing in about half an hour. I couldn't decide if this was a good thing or not. But then he told me, "For something that's not a biography, it has the most in-depth view of Rahsaan as a kid that I've read." He said many other encouraging things to this young, scared writer, things that would buoy me in times of doubt. He told me that he liked it very much, but that he felt that the end result would be different from what I had written. He was right.
I will never stop missing Joel Dorn, but I am so happy that our paths crossed.
