The Man Holding the Pen-Getting to Know Author Douglas Bell
Unlike movie stars or directors, sports personalities, or singers, one group is often shrouded in ambiguity. Only seen through the stories they manifest into the world, authors speak through their craft. An author may be writing as a form of catharsis, venting their past traumas, or telling their own story, while others may use writing to send a universal message for a particular cause.
How ironic it is that an author is often a closed book.
But suppose an author writes an addicting read. Curiosity and love among fans come at the expense of the secrecy an author cloaks themselves in. Taking us through the pages of his life, the author of a delectable coming-of-age fiction, Cakewalk, is Douglas Bell.
Here is author Douglas Bell when he is not writing.
Through the Pages
One of the biggest factors that ensure longevity in a writer’s life is prioritizing balance. Douglas Bell’s life is built around an intentional balance of time alone with his wife, exercise, work, play, and community service. His life flows towards the intersectionality of creativity and a higher purpose for himself. He is generally in pursuit of the truth about himself.
He starts his day early, with the first ray of the sun around 5 A.M., streamlining his thoughts from the get-go with a meditation session at the Houston Zen Center or home. Authors must keep their minds clear so that there is room for inspiration to flow freely. Meditation is one of the most healthy and effective ways to do that. Douglas has been indulging himself in meditation for over twenty years. This practice allows him to stay connected to himself. And after a refreshing start to the day, inspiration invites Douglas over for some coffee at the table. Yes, like most, Douglas is indeed a coffee head.
A key element of Douglas’ life is community service, which he deems extremely important. As he sits in a position of privilege, he feels a big responsibility on his shoulders, which is not to be perceived as someone who takes his privileges and gifts for granted. On top of his list of societal ills to fix is racism. As an African American who has started gaining much traction and influence in the industry, he positively contributes to raising awareness on the subject. In his latest book, Cakewalk, Douglas depicted the life of his protagonist, Bryan, a Black man living in conservative Texas. A key feature of his book is the idea of conformity. If you are a person of color, there will come a time, at least once in your life, when you will have to conform to the standards society has for you to make a place in the world. Bryan has had his fair share of setbacks, reaching a level of success in a conservative society.
Additionally, Douglas works towards bridging the gaps between people. The world is ravaged by transphobia, homophobia, and human abuses of undocumented immigrants. These are crucial points of concern for Douglas, and effortlessly laced in his book’s story, Douglas looks to expand more upon raising awareness.
He is also involved with the Rothko Chapel. This sacred art space has been identifying human rights abuses for over fifty years using the blessing of art. He contributes to running a class at the Houston Zen Center to discuss how we can do our part in ridding society of racism utilizing Buddhist tenets. Douglas also is the board chair for Bloomsday Literary, a non-profit organization producing literary fiction and poetry by BIPC and LGBTQ+ authors.
When you think of an author, you often think of someone with nerdy glasses, shabby hair dew, and a dress sense, or more so, lack-there-of, that isn’t as colorful as their book cover.
Well, think again. Cause Douglas Bell brings in that drop with his style and sense of fashion. Clothing is as important to him as the community work he indulges himself in. Known for his style, he blends fashion forward with the traditional right stitch. We’re talking sports jackets, and a suit without a tie is blasphemy.
He likes to dapper up in some Giorgio Armani to make a statement with elegance. Douglas says his style allows him to be himself, which helps people notice who he is, a man of fortitude and conviction. Where most writers like to work around the clock, Douglas makes sure he takes out his time from his busy schedule for the “Mrs.”—date night at Café Amour.
Douglas Bell inspires upcoming authors to prioritize being themselves and owning their true selves. Will Bryan be able to truly own up to his truth, like his curator, Douglas? Delve into Cakewalk as our protagonist struggles with revealing the truth about his relationship with Nadia, a white transgender woman his mom will not particularly be happy with. Grab Cakewalk by Douglas Bell now!
