Entrepreneur Spotlight
Author Larry Wilson Jr : The voice of a new African American writer
Author Larry Wilson Jr. spoke candidly with Unheard Voices about his literary work, his moniker and the meaning of “King of Erotica”.
Author Larry Wilson Jr spoke candidly with Unheard Voices about his literary work, his moniker “King of Erotica”, his plights, being an advocate for HIV/AIDS and future endeavors.
“Larry Wilson, Jr is living proof that just because you wind up in jail doesn’t mean you have to fall prey to its darkness. He is an enigma, a success, and the year 2009 will promise to bring him unparalleled success and make him a house hold name. Four years of childhood abuse molded him into the writer he has become.”
Author Larry Wilson Jr. Interview
Unheard Voices: First of all Unheard Voices would like to thank you Mr. Larry Wilson “The King of Erotica” for giving your time to interview with Unheard Voices Magazine.
Author Larry Wilson: Although I appreciate the love, it is I who should thank you for your time and for allowing me to use your venue to promote what I worked so hard for.
Unheard Voices: You are very kind!
Author Larry Wilson: I treat people the way I want to be treated.
Unheard Voices: Larry can you tell the Unheard Voices community who you are and where you are from?
Author Larry Wilson Jr: Well, I’m Larry Wilson. I was born in Salinas, California in June of 1977 and was raised in Goulds, Florida since I was about 15, 16 months old.
Author Larry Wilson: To the literary world I am Dapharoah69, The one and only The King of Erotica and the first EVER successful The King of Erotica
Unheard Voices: How long have you been writing?
Larry Wilson: I have been writing since I was 6 years old. At the behest of my elementary school teacher, Mrs. Mike, who gave me a journal and a Robert Frost Poem called the Road Less taken. I was the only kid in the class she gave that poem to. I was being raped in my home at the time, and part of her knew it but I never confirmed it and tried my best to hide it. That day shaped me for the rest of my life, leading to this moment.
Unheard Voices: I see that you’ve had experiences in your life that most people can only imagine. Do you think that your life experiences have played a key role in writing about gay/bisexual stories?
Larry Wilson: Yes, it has. But I write for transgender persons and the straight folks as well. It allowed me to be eclectic and universal and not just stuck in a box labeled gay/bisexual.
Writing as a kid was therapy for me, since I suffered in silence. I gave my journals names, like Patience, Endurance, Barbara (my mom). I had a lot of anger, again I kept inside.
I was playful and the class clown to mask that anger, and when people used to ask me why I joked so much, or why am I always dancing, or why am I always writing I told them because I enjoyed it.
But what I didn’t tell them was if I stopped writing, dancing or laughing I would kill the man who raped me for four years.
So all of that shaped my writing and gives it that emotional and personal edge to show my readers I know what I’m talking about.
Unheard Voices: I must say that you have channeled your experiences into some great pieces of work. Your short story called “The Basketball Court” was excellent.
I found your characters to be alive and you could really relate to them.
Your use of words, metaphors and prose are excellent. What inspired you to write this piece of work?
Larry Wilson Jr., King of Erotica, and E. Lynn Harris
Larry Wilson: I don’t know, really. Just trying something different, I guess. It turned out good but I don’t see myself writing something like that again.
Unheard Voices: I have read several books by the late E. Lynn Harris and really enjoyed his work.
I compare you to E. Lynn because it takes a special talent and writer to capture people’s attention and I think that you do this just as well if not better than the late E. Lynn Harris. How do you feel to have been blessed with this special talent?
Larry Wilson: I thank God for it. I know he gave me the talent to be used as a muse and an instrument to help others who are going through what I went through.
It offers a blunt look at my own life through my characters and offers solutions or consequences for their actions. E Lynn Harris and I were dear friends. He was my mentor and my coach.
When he selected my books for his literary Cafe I knew I had arrived, my artistry came full circle. He held up my books in a picture and smiled for a camera, passing me the torch. The picture represents that. It’s symbolic.
He was even writing a letter of recommendation for my books to be in the stores. I still have the email. 2 days later he died.
Unheard Voices: That must have been a wonderful experience for you. I would love for you to share that photo with the Unheard Voices community.
Yes, he was great and we here at Unheard Voices knows that you will carry the torch very well.
Unheard Voices: I know that you have also worked with the J.L King the author of The Downlow, who was on the Oprah Winfrey show. What was it like working with this successful writer? Can you tell Unheard Voices a little more about the project that you worked on with him and how the project outcome?
Larry Wilson: Sure, I will email the picture to you or however you want em to get it to you. It’s framed on my dresser. I look at it whenever I need inspiration or I have thought of giving up, I still have those thoughts, even after all the success.
Larry Wilson: JL King. He found me on Myspace back in January of 2009. Some women fan of mine hit him up and told him about me and he sought me out, I was so excited.
He pitched the idea to write the book and I did. I also wrote a monologue for him being used in a broadway play, so I have writing credits now in the theatre. I wrote SMWPanties in 3 days, The Basketball Court is included in the book and was supposed to drop in march of ’09, but it didn’t because of all his prior engagements
Unheard Voices Magazine: How many hours per day do you spend writing?
Larry Wilson: I write 14 hours a day, 6 days a week. I sleep for five hours, get up, take my HIV medicine, grab a bite to eat and write 14 more hours. I research all day, read thesauruses and encyclopedia. I am more than sex with these books. I am very disciplined. I listen to Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation with each project I write.
Unheard Voices: Well… you are a shining star and should never let your light stop shining! When one door closes as you know another opens.
Larry Wilson: That’s what the greatest book of all time says, The Bible. My faith in God dismantles any weapon formed against me.
Unheard Voices: Wow… you are very disciplined in your writing. And writing to Janet Jackson rhythm nation, how can you go wrong? And yes, give God all the glory and more success will come your way.
Unheard Voices Magazine: Do you think that you use your writing to be an advocate for the prevention of HIV?
Larry Wilson: I don’t think, I know. I have become a spokesperson for it. When I found out I had HIV I actually had AIDS, had no immune system and was dying. I had no symptoms, which was the scary part. I was devastated, and on my book tour in Atlanta I gave up. I knew where I got it from. My ex, who I was with for three years, was giving it to me and making love to me smiling in my face like he wasn’t, and I had no clue. I was the fool in love. I paid the price, and I have no ill will or hate. I blame LARRY, me, for that. But my pastor at Bethel Church prayed over me, and after a month and a half on Meds my T4 cell count skyrocketed past 200. Another three weeks later, I didn’t have AIDS anymore and my HIV was undetectable in my blood. That’s the power of God. He has a greater purpose for my life.
Unheard Voices: Yes, the Lord is so good! It is very important that people get tested because like you said you had no signs or symptoms. Would you tell people to get tested as early as possible?
Larry Wilson: That’s a part of being a spokesperson. I have HIV, HIV don’t have me, HELLO! I love me, I am happy with me, I accept me, I acknowledge me. E Lynn Harris also helped me cope. He often time listened to me and gave me advice. So now I share that advice with my readers and fans. I always let them know, even when I sign autographs hat getting tested is now a matter of life and death.
Unheard Voices: You have several books that are now selling in the book store. Where can the Unheard Voices find/buy your books and what are the names of them?
Larry Wilson: They are available at book stores to order. And online, such as Amazon.com from here to Canada, Germany, Japan, The United Kingdom and France.
Larry Wilson: Also on barnesandnoble.com
Larry Wilson: They are named The King of Erotica 1 the Throne
Larry Wilson: The King of Erotica 2 the Crown
Larry Wilson: The King of Erotica 3 VIP
Larry Wilson: The King of Erotica 4 the DeTHRONEment, and my fourth bestseller
Unheard Voices: Unheard Voices will be hosting their own radio station in the near future and would love for you to be a special guest so that we can have open discussions on your literary work.This is a personal invitation to “King of Erotica”
Larry Wilson: And for Unheard Voices The King of Erotica would be honored
Unheard Voices: I also learned that you will be collaborating with Playa4Playa an online adult in promoting their site. How do you feel about that?
Larry Wilson: It’s about saving lives and this HIV/AIDS thing is real. So I use any avenue and any site to make my presence known so that those who seek hook ups and are too horny to think straight that I am sexy, I am very curvaceous and I also live with HIV and have no symptoms and half the men they are lusting after have it as well. So it’s about promoting it to show them its ok to do what you do, but be SAFE about it.
Unheard Voices: You are so right! It is all about saving lives!
Unheard Voices: We know that “The King of Erotica” loves life. I believe that you mentioned that you had someone special in your life. How is he supportive in what you do?
Larry Wilson Jr: I love him very much. He is very warm and sincere. Though we don’t talk as much as I would like, because he works and so does I, but knowing that he calls at the right time means so much.
Larry Wilson Jr: And by the way I got my 240th (5) Star Review on Barnes and Noble.com for my books
Unheard Voices : That is so wonderful. One milestone after another! That is what it is all about!
Larry Wilson Jr: And I was also the first African American self published author to have three Barnes and Noble.com Top 100 bestsellers at the same time this year
I shared that list with Steve Harvey, John Grisham and Presdent Obama
Unheard Voices: Do you find that there are a lot of people that would love to see you fail and what do you say to those negative people?
Unheard Voices: That is a wonderful accomplishment!
Larry Wilson Jr: Not really, but they are out there. And the ones that want me to fail are in the gay community, so in that aspect I have experienced racism and prejudice within my own community, even outside of that with family and so-called friends. In the beginning they said it would never happen. And now that it has, I learned to keep GOD first. With GOD in your life who CARES who you lose?
Larry Wilson Jr: So I say, “Instead of hating, pick up the Word and read what it says about anger, jealousy and arrogance.”
Unheard Voices: Praise the Lord! We at Unheard Voices could not have said it any better.
Larry Wilson Jr: Amen!
Unheard Voices: Unheard Voices learned that you will be collaborating with Chenelle Design’s & Management Group on a new website to promote more of your work. Are you excited about that?
Larry Wilson Jr: Lol, Very. She’s extremely talented and I am looking forward to working with her.
She actually designed the Pink panties site, which I am taking over from JL King
Unheard Voices: Wonderful
Unheard Voices: Larry can you give Unheard Voices a final thought on what we can expect from “King of Erotica”
Larry Wilson Jr: Well, The King of Erotica is one of the personas I use when I write, but there are two others. Erotica and sex doesn’t define me. I’m also Dapharoah69, the author and Larry Wilson, the regular person who has flaws in his own life. I write as all three when I create a book. My new book, Call Her Queen Hatshepsut doesn’t have erotica or the King of Erotica attached to it. Just Dapharoah69.
Larry Wilson Jr: And it’s a suspense novel telling the life of a transvestite who has an infatuation with an Egyptian ruler, Hatshepsut.
Unheard Voices: Very interesting… can’t wait until you complete it…
Unheard Voices: We here at Unheard Voices would like to thank you very much for your time and is looking forward for more great things from you!
Unheard Voices: We love you here at Unheard Voices!
Larry Wilson Jr: I thank you very much for the love!
Larry Wilson Jr: And I love you too!
Unheard Voices : Keep writing and putting out beautiful pieces of work!
Larry Wilson: I will, and to God be the glory.
Unheard Voices: Unheard Voices will be staying in touch with you to let our readers know what is going on!
Unheard Voices: bye my friend from Unheard Voices!
Larry Wilson Jr: Same to you