1. What is the book about?

The book can be summarized as an intellectually stimulating journey through the ebb and flow of modern social philosophy. It’s a bold discourse on hot-button issues like sexuality, politics, racism and religion, etc.- a must read for the socially conscious. Most books on social philosophy today simply scratch the surface of the truth when it comes to explaining the root causes of social behavior. They are skewed by political biases, fear of the right or fear of the left, and typically give a photo-shopped view of reality; frankly people are bored with the all too familiar hypocritical tokenism of political correctness.  This book attempts to unearth the debris of confusion that obscures the truth we all need to understand.

2. Where are you from?

I was born on the island of Dominica – you probably never heard of it. It’s a small island sandwiched between Guadeloupe and Martinique; famous for it’s boiling lake, the beautiful and endangered Sisserou Parrot and its pristine 365 rivers. I have lived in the United States of America  for the last 20 years. I currently reside in the Cleveland Ohio area.

3. What compelled you to write this book?

Some years ago, a friend loaned me a book by Jostein Gaarder, entitled, “Sophie’s World”, which is essentially a history of philosophy, told in the form of a novel; the novel concentrates on a 14 year old girl receiving philosophy classes from a mysterious teacher. As the narrative develops, the reader gets a history of philosophy from the pre-Socratics to Sartre. I read that book with a hunger that I have never experienced since, because it described exactly the things I always wanted to understand about the progression of human intelligence. So that book gave me inspiration to write down my own thoughts and I was determined then to make my own contribution to the world of ideas.

4. Tell us a little bit about Tenant in House of Clay.

The book has eight chapters including and epilogue that summarizes the gist of each of the eight chapters. It begins with a brief history of time and proceeds with a dissection of the human condition by addressing the fundamental questions of, the role of the sexes, race relations, human sexuality, the essential components of morality, the role of religion in shaping human behavior, the complexities of freedom and democracy and ultimately the meaning of life itself. It is not intentioned to address every specific theme that undergirds humanity, but to discuss the broader issues that are part and parcel of the human character.

5. What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? When do you get your best ideas?

Silence. I write best in the dead of night, in the wee hours of the morning when everyone is sleeping.  

6. What inspires you and motivates you to write the most?

What inspires me is human drama; the heated exchange of ideas and emotions. My favorite movie is “The Poseidon Adventure”, the original, with Gene Hackman; in that movie, all the key aspects of the human spirit are so vividly portrayed!

7. Who is your favorite actor of all time and why?

Humphrey Bogart is my favorite actor because he embodied the most profound aspects of the human spirit: honesty, humor, daring, charm, and wit; even his facial expression said more than words.

8. What one thing are you the most proud of in your life?

The fact that I’m still here.

9. What about your family? Do you have children, married, siblings, parents?

I have two children.

10. Who is your favorite author?

Jostein Gaarder is my favorite author.

11. Do you watch television? If so, what are your favorite shows?

I watch a little of everything. I like to watch documentaries about the universe. The only Soap Opera I watch is The Young & The Restless. I like Married with Children, Everybody Loves Raymond, Sinfield, House, Monk, 24, etc.

12. What about movies?

I like movies that are about something. I like old movies like, The Caine Mutiny, Mutiny on the Bounty (with Marlon Brando) or modern things like Gladiator, Titanic, etc., entertaining but still profound in some way.

13. Is there anyone you’d like to specifically acknowledge who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your writing?

My mother taught me how to write. I have learned a lot from others over the years, but I learned how to write at a very early age from my mother, and she was the one who inspired me to see the beauty in language. I still use the techniques that she taught me in terms of how to make a story interesting by adding variety to my writing. She taught me how to manipulate diction, sentence structure, phrasing and dialogue to create an interesting voice.

14. Where can readers find your book?

It’s available on Amazon.com

15. Do you have a specific approach to writing?

I write whatever comes to my mind, but when I sit down to write a chapter, I first outline the key topics that must be covered, then I go about developing the ideas; always scribbling my original thoughts on paper; sometimes not even being able to understand my own handwriting, then going back and typing up the draft and fine-tuning my thoughts as I type.

16. How did you come up with the title?

It came to me one day while reading the book of Job (4:19). I thought to myself, this is the perfect metaphor for the ideas I am trying to express.

17. Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?

Yes. That life is meaningful in spite of the fact that it has an end.

18. What books have most influenced your life?

I have read many books in my life but only two really changed my life: “Up From Slavery”, by Booker T Washington and “Sophie’s World”, by Jostein Gaarder.

19. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Helen Keller. Although she was blind she had the clearest vision of human nature ever.

20. Do you see writing as a career?

I would like to keep writing as long as people are interested in what I have to say and as long as I am inspired to write.

21. What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Re-writing it. It took me about 3 months to write and type the book and twice as long to re-read and revise the manuscript  in order to make it suitable for publication.

22. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I’ve learned that it’s important to keep an open mind; I learned that success in life depends on collaboration with others; that it’s important to seek advice and to recognize that I do need other people; I’ve learned that sometimes a slap in the face is a greater blessing than a pat on the back, and most important of all, I’ve learned that only a fool doesn’t change his mind – it took many changes and about-turns to complete this book.

23. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Be true to yourself. Write what you are inspired to write. Write all the time, in your car, in the John, in the gym; wherever the inspiration occurs for a quote, line or a profound or interesting thought, write it down, before you forget it; because when you are finally ready to put it all together, you will have a treasure trove of your own material to work with.

24. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Tenant in a House of Clay is a candid analysis of important philosophical issues in the spirit of light-hearted self-examination. I am confident that the book has several value propositions that will interest the reader. First, it gives the reader a unique layman’s perspective on key human-interest issues that define our humanity, and the times in which we live. It’s written in a style that’s readable and interesting. But the greatest value proposition of the book is the fact that is a uniquely edifying, intellectually stimulating and unbiased expose, of the root causes of human behavior that have led us to this distorted, yet strangely amazing civilization.

They say that wonder is the basis of all philosophy and whether you’re young or old we all have a sense of wonder about the world in which we live. We all still ask the same basic questions: what is life, what is love, who am I, and so on. If you still have a child-like curiosity about your own humanity, and your place in the world, then this book is a must read for you. I believe a good book is one in which the reader can find himself or herself. Regardless of your race, social standing or religious or political beliefs, we are all the same in terms of the questions that we ask, our need to find meaning to our lives, or desire to understand and to be relevant to each other, our drive to achieve our dreams, our fascination with sex-all these things that make us human, intrigue us all, and I am confident that readers will find this book  to be a compelling survey of these important themes.

Ultimately philosophy teaches us how to live in an unpredictable world without being paralyzed by fear and hesitation. It is more that just something intellectual; it’s about physical and sensual things; it’s about our emotional life as well. It really is the foundation upon which we build our lives. Your beliefs and thoughts and your understanding of the world determine how you behave and the decisions that you make; so it is very important for us humans to have an attitude of openness to new ideas. Very often, in order for us to progress, we have to unlearn unproductive old habits and the erroneous beliefs that stifle our dreams. We need to rediscover the truths about our lives that lie at the root of our problems so that we can once again embrace new possibilities and opportunities.