Open Letter to the Common People of Oakland

Open Letter to the Common People of Oakland and the Bay

It is with the deepest humility that I acknowledge the most positive reception to any piece of writing I have done over the past fifty years, since my published work began at Merritt College in Oakland. My short story "Delicate Child" won a prize in the Merritt College literary magazine and was later published in SoulBook, circa 1963.

Although I've written nearly twenty books since then, only Mythology of Pussy has been received with such positive response from the common people, including youth, male and female, fathers, youth workers, but most especially mothers. We know a child always wants to please mother, so when mothers come to me saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing Mythology of Pussy--and I am demanding my son and daughter read it"--this is quite over whelming and negates any negative response, especially from the black bourgeoisie, intellectuals in perpetual crisis, the hip hop pseudo conscious and those steeped in narrow minded religiosity.

Yes, I write for the common people and I am so pleased they indeed have enough common sense to get past the cover page and the word pussy that has caused a mental fixation in the upper and elite people. The common people, even though some of them may have problems with use of the word pussy, they are intelligent enough not to judge a book by the cover and turn to the text for a close reading. Upon close reading, it is clear to them I am dealing with a problem of a most serious and critical nature, male/female relations, especially psycho-sexual behavioral problems, such as patriarchal domination, identity formation, responsibility, child-rearing, domestic and partner violence with the resulting incarceration in jail and prison, the high rate of court mandated anger management sessions among black men and lately among black women, or men and women of any color for that matter.

More than money and fame, a serious writer wants to be appreciated for the truth of his work. The people of Oakland and the Bay Area have made me feel appreciated and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Peace and Love,
Marvin X
Houston, Texas


Mythology of Pussy Book Tour

Marvin X is embarking on a national tour of his latest work Mythology of Pussy, a manual for a manhood/womanhood rites of passage. Combined with his How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy, Mythology is a healing balm for those seeking respite from the ravages of the white supremacy patriarchal dominated society that infects male/female relations.

Tentative Schedule

September/October

Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Howard University, Washington, DC
Temple University, Philadelphia
Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn NY
Amiri Baraka 75th Birthday Celebration, Newark NJ

Contact: 510-355-6339 for booking or final schedule