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iconicproductionsllc · 2 years

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Book Title: POV

REUNITED

Dallas, TX at The Studio

August 20th, 2019

Kennedy’s POV:

“Hey my name is Cameron.”

I heard someone say from behind me. I turned around slowly to see a tall and extremely handsome man standing there. “You must be Kennedy. We’ve heard about you” He stated smoothly. Flattery. Well played. I wasn't too proud to take it. “Me?” I asked in surprise, clutching my chest for effect. “Yeah everyone talks about how special of a sound you guys have and that the frontman is the next big thing out there.”

“I don't know about all that, but I certainly hope we sound good” I chuckled. “This is Hope. Basically my other half and best friend for life.” I introduced her as she smiled politely. “I hear we’ve been assigned to be your tourmates come this fall” Cameron announced, making your heart drop to your stomach. “I certainly hope you heard right.” Hope blushed slightly taking in Cameron’s appearance.

“Anybody have any more candy?” I wondered as I snapped out of my memory filled daydream. We sat under the shade outside the studio. It had been almost two hours into our recording session and I was craving something sweet. I didn’t want to say I had inherited the family gene but I had indeed adopted the addictive qualities my dad had. I was completely addicted to sugar, if I went even a day without it, I was already in angry withdrawals. I liked the way it made me feel. The sweetness brought me a happiness I couldn’t describe. Maybe it was because it made me feel closer to my dad. It certainly was my most unhealthy habit, indulging myself on whatever brought me fuzzy feelings. It was either going to rot my teeth out or make me gain weight. Either one at this point I didn’t care. I was handed a fresh bag of my favorite gummy candy unopened. Quickly I dove straight into the chewy sugar and relished its taste. There was something about the pre-show jitters that’s caused my body to crave all sorts of things, things like Cameron. Happily I made my way inside and down the long hallway to the room where I knew Cameron was hiding. I walked cheerfully as I approached the open door. There I found Cameron leaning back on the couch and casually placing three pills on his tongue. My eyebrows crinkled trying to understand. He never told me he was sick or in pain. He noticed me walking up to him and flashed a giant smile. “Kennedy!” He practically yelled as he held his arms out to hug me. A wide smile met my face as well. I couldn’t help it. He was just too perfect and I didn’t want anything else.

Hopes POV:

It was hours later and I sat in the studio reminiscing about our summer we spent doing small shows around the state. It was probably the best time of my life. But now I am on the verge of something big. Kennedy tapped on her notepad nervously as she tried to think of lyrics. “This isn’t working” she groaned, throwing her head back. I couldn’t help but chuckle. We were in a rut for sure. “I’m going to take a walk, maybe that’ll help.” I suggested getting up and taking a long stretch. I opened the door to our room and ventured into the hall, finding it empty. I could hear voices in the distance but couldn’t see anyone. I kept walking trying to explore the state of the art building. “Oomph!” I grunted as I ran hard into someone. “I’m so sorry. I’m such a clutz.” I apologized profusely. “Dinna worry lass.” He responded as I took the moment to look up at the tall man above me. He had a warm smile and insanely inviting green eyes. “You have an accent” I pointed out stupidly. He chuckled and shook his hair casually. “Yeah I do. That’s what happens when you’re born in Scotland.” He joked. He held such a good air to him. “So what are you doing here? I feel like I would’ve noticed you by now.” He stated with a cocky smile. I tried to pull myself together. I was literally freezing up. “Umm yea-well I uh, I do music.” I said, nodding my head like it was some big accomplishment. “You do music. I should write that on my business card.” He laughed. I loved the sound of his laugh. It came naturally. “I’m Dylan by the way” he finally said, introducing himself and breaking my embarrassment. “Hope.” I decided fewer words would work better for me. “I'm here working on an album.” I finally was able to say, “Me too.” He stated lightly. “Hey, why don’t you come meet Kennedy. She’s the singer and her boyfriend is there too.” I offered and he smiled even bigger, showing off his stark white teeth. It made my heart nearly stop. I guided him back down the hallway to room B with a seriously concerning heart rate. My heart was racing faster than I thought possible without collapsing. I opened the door to see Kennedy on her feet trying to walk the lyrics out. She was pacing in a large circle trying to free up creative space in her mind. I giggled, announcing my presence. She looked up and tried to collect herself. “Oh hey Hope. Who’s this?” She asked, flashing a smile trying, but failing to hide her embarrassment. “This is Dylan. Dylan, this is Kennedy.” I motioned to everyone and Kennedy gave a slight curtsy at the mention of her name. “And on the couch is Cameron.” I motioned. Cameron was laying on his back completely lost in a song that was playing over his headphones. He was staring at the ceiling in deep thought. His last blunt really hit him like a truck. He had been on the couch for an hour now not moving. It had become his usual occurrence to smoke throughout the day. It was something I didn’t care about but he seemed to be making a habit of it. “Cam!” Dylan yelled happily. Cameron snapped out of his trance. “Dylan! What the fuck man! What are you doing here?” Cameron asked with a great smile on his face. He stood up quickly and hugged him before releasing. Kennedy and I stood there looking completely confused. And to be honest we were. “Cameron and I go way back.” Dylan tried to explain but left out key details I would have to get later. “Hey I’m going out on tour with Kenny, they’re looking for an opener. They just fell through. You should come!” Cameron said, wiggling his eyebrows at Kennedy but I caught it. “That sounds tempting. I don’t think we have anything on our calendar yet.” Dylan agreed, “When do you need me to be ready?” He wondered. “Six weeks.” Kennedy squeaked, knowing it was a tight turnaround. “I can do that.” Dylan smirked. “Really? That would be great!” I enthused, turning to face him. I was trying to face my own anxiety over his beautiful face. “Sure. If you’re there, I’m there.” He nearly whispered in my ear. I could’ve fallen over right then and there. I only knew one thing. He was trouble. But somehow I didn’t care.

Dylan’s POV:

“I bet you that I can finish my pint before you.” I challenged Cameron as we sat at the table waiting for the appetizers to be delivered to our table. Kennedy sat next to Cameron who was across from me. Hope was to my right. Somehow we had ended up at this sports bar after reuniting at the studio. If there was one thing you could count on Cameron for, it was a good time. Somehow you never ended up doing what you originally set out to do. “You’re going to lose..but ok fuck it let’s do it!” He agreed cockily. Kennedy rolled her eyes playfully as she sipped her margarita. “Alright you two. On three!” She instructed as Hope grabbed her phone to video the event with a wide smile. “One…two…three!” Kennedy counted us in. I began to drink the ice cold bubbly beverage careful not to choke on any of the carbonation. Gulp after gulp I had thought I was keeping a good pace but I was going up against a legendary champ. Cameron wasn’t to be messed with when it came to partying. I slammed my glass down only to realize Cameron sat waiting for me to finish. “It’s too easy!” He celebrated. Suddenly he leaned over. “Ugh” Cameron groaned, grabbing his shoulder. His eyes closed tightly as he winced in pain. “Oh shit dude are you ok?” I wondered, concern dripped from my voice. “Yeah yeah. I'm just hurting man…from carrying the team on my back!“ he bragged. “Babe you weren’t on a team. This was a solo race.” Kennedy laughed. “Did you take that pint to the head already?” She joked. “Alright, alright. What’s my punishment Cam?” I asked willingly, ready to accept it. “You have to buy my wings. And I gotta tell you bud im fucking hungry.” He joked before raising his hand and asking for another round. “Fuck at this rate I’m going to need a couch to crash on.” I admitted. We had pregamed at the studio with some shots and I was beginning to feel it all. “Well our couch is always free.” Hope offered with an undertone suggesting that I could do more than stay on the couch. I raised my eyebrows. I mean I was already thinking about it but I didn’t know if I was vibing the wrong way. “I might have to take advantage of that.” I smiled back. There was a slight blush on her cheeks that made her eyes stand out even more. They were beautiful. She was beautiful. I couldn’t help but think about it. “So what’s been going on Cam?” I asked, opening up conversation. He finished a large gulp of his next beer. “Well man I finished up at The Academy. You know I went back for a specialization credit in engineering. And that’s where I met this one. We’ve been together ever since. I’ve just been playing shows and staying busy. What about you?” He countered. “I’ve been a studio rat. We’ve been working on our next album and it’s been taking longer than expected. I need to be inspired.” I explained, emphasizing the word ‘inspired’ as I looked at Hope. She met my eyes with a look of wonder as she sized me up. I loved how innocent she appeared to be but I knew there was a naughty girl waiting inside. You could tell she was dying to burst forward. My eyes roamed over her body and paid attention to every curve. Slowly my eyes wandered across the table and took a full look at Kennedy. She leaned in watching every move Cameron’s lips moved as if she was ready to take him right here in the restaurant. Her blonde hair and grey eyes were shining bright under the colored lights. It was nice to see him with someone who was all in with him. He deserved someone by his side. Cameron had roamed by himself for a while now.

Cameron’s POV:

I laid in Kennedy's lap as she twirled a loose strand of my hair in her fingers. Her touch began to pacify me slowly with all the alcohol I consumed. I was with Hope and Kennedy as we lounged in the late summer air in the backyard with my eyes closed. The crickets chirped loudly providing more ambiance. “Can we talk about you and Dylan please?” She excitedly squealed. “Kenny. Cameron is right there.” She complained. I tried my best not to make any reaction but I wanted to laugh. “He’s asleep babe it’s fine. You know he won’t hear a thing.” Kennedy brushed off as she kissed the top of my head. That was the hardest challenge yet, not reacting to her sweet, sweet kisses but I had every intention of hearing this conversation. “You obviously have a thing for him.” She egged on. “Kenz I have more than a thing for him. I want to jump his bones right now!” Hope admitted making me smirk softly. “Isn’t it so convenient that he’s crashing here tonight.” Kennedy teased her. I could tell she was smiling. I heard it in her voice. I loved when she sounded happy and carefree. I had to fight with all my might not to smile. “Well whatever you did worked.” Kenny joked. I was floating in and out of consciousness now. There was a light I could see from behind my eyelids. She must be showing her a phone. “Ok a text from Riley.” Hope said as she began to read the message, “Good news Kenny! I found you a replacement opener. Apparently he knows Cameron so he’s agreed to sign on to us on such short notice. Be ready for rehearsals tomorrow morning. Sleep tight.” Hope finished reading the message. My slumbering best friend was lying on our couch completely unaware of the feelings developing inside Hope. She wanted him just as much. If I can remember this in the morning, I’m telling Dylan.

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#book tryout #pov book #pov book series #pov writing #Ariana grande inspired #Sam heughan inspired #Hayden panettiere inspired #new books #new book alert #chapter tryout

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tnpx · 2 years

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I put this release date in my calendar a while back but ooowweee that first sentence of the podcast description! “In episode thirteen of season two, co-hosts Dr. CBS and Dr. Layla Brown, start by shooting the shit with producer, Too Black, about "In-the-Room Privilege" -- when members of marginalized groups falsely believe they represent their group simply by being in the room where decisions are made.” That’s the exact humility I had to learn after my kkkarolina student government career ended and why I stay pissed off at table sitters since.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tmgYskL8UDgwqvccvFnP5? si=uCKTQTHRT8iUS9gIoK0GBw

Upcoming Book Event with Hamarket Books May 9th 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/elite-capture-tickets-317714301027?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

From the book listing at Haymarket Books:

“Identity politics” is everywhere, polarizing discourse from the campaign trail to the classroom and amplifying antagonisms in the media, both online and off. But the compulsively referenced phrase bears little resemblance to the concept as first introduced by the radical Black feminist Combahee River Collective. While the Collective articulated a political viewpoint grounded in their own position as Black lesbians with the explicit aim of building solidarity across lines of difference, identity politics is now frequently weaponized as a means of closing ranks around ever-narrower conceptions of group interests.

But the trouble, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò deftly argues, is not with identity politics itself. Through a substantive engagement with the global Black radical tradition and a critical understanding of racial capitalism, Táíwò identifies the process by which a radical concept can be stripped of its political substance and liberatory potential by becoming the victim of elite capture—deployed by political, social, and economic elites in the service of their own interests.

Táíwò’s crucial intervention both elucidates this complex process and helps us move beyond a binary of “class” vs. “race.” By rejecting elitist identity politics in favor of a constructive politics of radical solidarity, he advances the possibility of organizing across our differences in the urgent struggle for a better world.

Reviews

“I was waiting for this book without realizing I was waiting for this book.”

—Ruth Wilson Gilmore, author of Change Everything: Racial Capitalism and the Case for Abolition

“Olúfémi O. Táíwò is a thinker on fire. He not only calls out empire for shrouding its bloodied hands in the cloth of magical thinking but calls on all of us to do the same. Elite capture, after all, is about turning oppression and its cure into a (neo)liberal commodity exchange where identities become capitalism’s latest currency rather than the grounds for revolutionary transformation. The lesson is clear: only when we think for ourselves and act with each other, together in deep, dynamic, and difficult solidarity, can we begin to remake the world.”

—Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination

“Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò’s book is worth sitting with and absorbing. While critically examining what happens when elites hijack our critiques and terminologies for their own interests, Elite Capture acutely reminds us that building power globally means we think and build outside of our internal confines. That is when we have the greatest possibility at worldmaking.”

—Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist

“Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò offers an indispensable and urgent set of analyses, interventions, and alternatives to "identity politics," "centering," and much more. The book offers a sober assessment of the state of our racial politics and a powerful path on how to build the world that we deserve.”

—Derecka Purnell, author of Becoming Abolitionists

“With global breadth, clarity and precision, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò dissects the causes and consequences of elite capture and charts an alternative constructive politics for our time. The result is an erudite yet accessible book that draws widely on the rich traditions of black and anticolonial political thought.”

—Adom Getachew, author of Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination

“Among the churn of books on ‘wokeness’ and ‘political correctness,’ philosopher Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò’s Elite Capture clearly stands out. With calm, clarity, erudition, and authority, Táíwò walks the reader through the morass, deftly explicating the distinction between substantive and worthy critique and weaponized backlash. Understanding the culture wars is essential to US politics right now, and no one has done it better than Táíwò in this book.”

—Jason Stanley, author of How Fascism Works

“Olúfẹḿi O. Táíwò is one of the great social theorists of our generation. Elite Capture is a brilliant, devastating book. Táíwò deploys his characteristic blend of philosophical rigor, sociological insight, and political clarity to reset the debate on identity politics. Táíwò shows how the structure of racial capitalism, not misguided activism, is today’s prime threat to egalitarian, anti-racist politics. And Táíwò’s suggested path forward, a constructive and materialist politics at the radical edge of the possible, is exactly what we need to escape these desperate times. Anyone concerned with dismantling inequalities, and building a better world, needs to read this book.”

—Daniel Aldana Cohen, co-author of A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal

“Táíwò's book is an insightful and fascinating look at how it is that elites capture and subvert efforts to better society. Anyone who wants to understand and improve upon the activist movements shaking our world needs to read this book.”

—Liam Kofi Bright, assistant professor at the London School of Economics

“This book, building on one of the most lucid, powerful, and important essays I can recall reading in recent years, is, in a word, brilliant. Read it—and read it twice. Every sentence contains multitudes.”

—Daniel Denvir, host, The Dig

#Spotify #New Book Alert #Haymarket Books #Elite Capture #In The Room Privilege

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