When Solid Gold Travel published a comment on this blog about Max Rodriguez, in which Max is called “a professional con-man” and asked that anyone who has been “tricked, conned, or ripped-off by Max Rodriguez of The Harlem Book Fair” to contact them, numerous responses followed. Folk emailed me with their own stories of what they perceive as Max’s lack of personal integrity, but no one wanted to post their comments in the public space of the blogosphere. Only one email came in to my personal email account that expressed surprise at the tone of the Solid Gold Travel message and sympathy for Max.
Esther Armah, author and journalist, arranged for both Max and Shirley Jenkins, president of Solid Gold, to appear on her radio program, WBAI’s “Wake-Up Call,” and the show aired this Monday, January 7th, during the second half of the show’s 7:00 am hour. If you want to listen to the exchange, you might want to fast-forward to about halfway into the program hour, as the discussion between Shirley and Max began at about 7:32 am.
And oh! What a discussion it was. Esther began the segment by reading an excerpt from the Solid Gold public letter, and asked Shirley to help get the facts straight. Shirley explained that one check written by Max had bounced, and she wrote a letter to Max asking that he give her a certified check. Max did send a second check, though it wasn’t certified, and that check bounced, too. According to Shirley – and later admitted to by Max – she then tried to call and email him about the need to make a deposit on what the two of them had planned, a Bermuda Cruise and Book Fair. When Shirley’s calls were blocked, so that she couldn’t even get through to ring Max’s office phone, she contacted an associate of Max’s. In the meantime, apparently, Shirley began to hear stories from other people in Black Books who felt they had been wronged by Max.
Shirley said Max never returned her calls or email messages, and so she approached him at the Long Island Book Fair. Though they talked in Long Island, Shirley said she never heard from Max again, and that she was speaking to him for the first time since the Long Island Book Fair on the air.
Max tried to suggest that there was communication between the two of them, but Esther came strong, correcting him with a tone of polished authority, until Max finally admitted there had been no professional communication on his part by saying, “I accept that.” Max also admitted “I’m responsible for this.”
Shirley went on to suggest that there must be some mishandling of Harlem Book Fair funds, as she noted the number of vendors, participants, and sponsors, including Bermuda Tourism. Shirley stated that Bermuda Tourism gave Max what she called a very generous raffle for free, and then said, “To this day, we still don’t know who won the raffle” to attend the Book Fair Cruise. With all the funds generated by the book fair, Shirley wondered why Max couldn’t cover a $5,000 check.
The exchange got heated. Shirley, clearly frustrated with what Esther suggested were Max’s inadequate responses, revealed: “You knew we had already laid out the deposit of $4,900 for your cruise.” Shirley added that she felt Max was trying to “get over.” “I grew up on the streets of Harlem,” this articulate sister said.
Max’s language is interesting, especially his use of questions, particularly his repeated question: “What exactly do you mean by getting over?” He said he never profited from the bounced checks, so he couldn’t have “gotten over” on Solid Gold.
Esther came strong on that, too, and remained strong all the way to the end of the approximately 30 minute segment, when she summed up the exchange, Max interrupted her, and the two of them talked over each other for several long seconds.
Esther’s raised issues included community responsibility. Is Max Rodriguez being responsible to the African American community with his control of The Harlem Book Fair? What does this annual event really communicate to the rest of America about the African American community? What does it say about our culture? About Black Books?
Should we, readers, publishing companies, professionals in the books publishing industry, and authors, continue to support Max Rodriguez’s Harlem Book Fair?
Comment(s)
Fascinating. Shirley sounds clear and confident, Max sounds like what Hilary Clinton must have felt like after the Iowa Caucuses and Esther does little to hid her bias against Max.
Comment(s)
Bitter bitter woman get over it….he didn’t use your company for travel.. ok, bill him for the bounced checks and move on, even send him a letter telling him how angry you are. I mean I understand your frustration but this book fair has been going on for years and has helped thousands of known and unknown black authors for YEARS.
You only worked with him because you know that this is the biggest african american book fair in the country. No doubt that you would be in a better position if you could work with the Harlem book Fair. I’m confused that you were still willing to work with him after the first check bounced, and then accepted ANOTHER regular check, even after you demanded a certified check. You were desparate for fame one way or another and because you didn’t get it from actually working with the book fair you tried to get it from bad mouthing the book fair and the founder.
You’re still not well known, other than being the bitter woman who still hasn’t come into her own, still only well known for being the one who was mad at Max Rodriguez and the Harlem book fair – is that your claim to fame? How about working on your travel company, we all make mistakes in life – CLEARLY you both made some…. move on.