Last week I caught up with co-founder of Aspects Publishing and author of the novel “He Said She Said,” Dennis L. Reed. What I thought would be a quick interview turned out to be far from routine and far from anything I expected, however, I’m very glad that it was one that I didn’t miss.
Reed is a Detroit, Michigan based father of four – one daughter and three sons – who just signed an agreement with Barnes and Noble. For now his novel and other Aspects books can be purchased on Amazon.com, dennislreed.com or on Aspects Publishing website at www.aspectspublishing.com.
Although Reed will be 32 years old in December, he has seen quite a bit of life. I suppose we all have experienced our share of it, but curiosity prodded me to explore who inspires this college graduate – turned drug dealer – turned writer.
“My boys (sons),” Reed says. “They are so funny; so unique and special in their own little way,” Reed said, “my 2-year-old talks about himself in third person.
This doting father reflects on the irony of how many children try to constantly impress adults and get their attention, but he, in contrast, is the one who tries to impress his sons.
“You know, you don’t get to spend as much time [with them] as you really want to.” Reed claims that his sons keep him on track so that he is able to dedicate as much of his free time as possible. As Reed went on gushing over them, I had to stop him to ask about his daughter. Reed paused for a moment and proceeded to unfold the crumbling saga between his daughter’s mother and his life while he was with her.
Reed doesn’t claim to be a saint by any means, but after his middle class suburban upbringing and graduating from college, Reed found himself caught up in the type of street life one might have witnessed in the movies. He’s a drug dealer by the time he meets a woman who seemed so different from all the others he dated, and with her, they have a daughter, Jasmine.
Like the awakening call many dealers experience, Reed decided to straighten out his life. “I was like this is it.” Reed recalls. “This is my last right here, after I sell all of this here, I’m not selling anymore. Period.”
One day in April of 2005, his girlfriend’s brother called Reed and asked for a favor. “I said okay, I dropped everything I was doing for him.” Then, according to Reed, while in the car, the guy pulled out a gun and shot Reed in the leg.
“I didn’t even know I had got shot, ’cause like the bullet went straight through.” Reed said. “I heard the gun shot and ducked down and then looked around and asked him if he was okay.”
When Reed realized who was doing the shooting, he jumped out of the car and ran down the street. “In my mind, I was way ahead of him,” he said. “But witnesses and neighbors all said he was right up on me.” He chuckled a bit at this.
While running, Reed was shot again in the back, but he was literally running for his life. Eventually though, his wounded leg gave out and he collapsed to the ground.
“I turned and asked him, ‘What the f— are you doing this for?'” Reed recounts. “He said, ‘B—- I want you dead.'”
Like a line from an urban flick, Reed instructed his girlfriend’s brother to kill him, and on cue the brother shoots him again in the stomach, then attempts to shoot him in the face.
“The gun clicked and then he pulled the trigger again and it clicks again.” Reed said. He was out of bullets. “I watched him run and jump in the car with my daughter’s mother and her mother.”
Even in his condition, Reed was hurting for his own mother who lost a younger son to violence five years earlier in 2000, when he was shot and killed on his 22nd birthday.
Seemingly pained over the situation, Reed stated, “So yeah, I don’t see my daughter. I mean I really want to, but I don’t want to lose my life over it.”
Reed speculates that he was set up by the three individuals for financial gain. “I looked like I had all this money, but what they didn’t realize is that I was buying a lot of that on credit.” Reed said.
After his three weeks stay in the hospital, Reed finally threw away his bag where he kept his drug dealing essentials and decided to finish his first novel, “He Said She Said,” encouraged by the response of the people he shared it with after writing the first chapter.
Now that Reed is on the straight and narrow; promoting his work and the work of other writers like D’bora Lebree; Ashara Golden and Nyna Black, with Aspects partner Anthony Glover, and according to Reed, he is also giving back to the community by coaching basketball for the non-profit organization R.E.A.C.H. with close friend and head coach, Jason Acuff.
Through the organization, Reed has been able to affect kids like J.T., an “at risk” middle schooler Reed met while J.T. was only 13. “When I first met him he was a little lying thief.” Said Reed. “I couldn’t stand him.” After a bout of teen criminal drama, Reed and Jason, took serious interest in this boy, whose parents was on drugs and according to Reed their big-brother style of nurturing completely turned J.T. around.
I asked Reed to give me three material things that makes him happy. He paused, I think for the first time in the interview before saying, “I can’t come up with any. I don’t love material things that much. Just to see my kids happy is the best to me… my mom, dad, my girl, my sisters…I just can’t get geeked up over material.” Reed said. “You tell me one of my basketball kids is going to college – I’m geeked.”
For more information about Dennis Reed, you can go to www.dennislreed.com. For more information on Aspects Publishing, go to Aspectspublishing.com.
