Hazelle Vivian Beasley Halliburton

This remembrance was written as a response to a prompt that Storyworth provided as part of an ongoing series of writings that will be compiled in a book to be published at the end of the year. The subscription to Storyworth was gifted to me and my wife Cynthia last Christmas by our daughter, Arlana Johnson. Each week we are given a question to respond to, and I chose this one: "Tell Me About One of the Best Days You Remember." I thought I'd share it on this memorial site for my beloved mentor, spiritual advisor, advocate, writing champion, and friend, Vivian Halliburton, whom I miss dearly. October 27th, the day of her transition happens also to be the birthday of my paternal grandmother. One of the best days that I can remember and that still resonates with me every time I think about it occurred after the publication of my novel Reunion in 1989. It was not so much the publication of the book itself that makes the day so memorable, but the extraordinary lengths that my writing teacher, mentor, and publicist went in order to promote the book on my behalf. H.V.B. (Vivian) Halliburton, who was greatly instrumental in my writing career, embraced the book immediately upon its acceptance and publication, touting me as one of the few students of hers who had a novel published-and the only black one who had achieved the feat. She promoted it by word of mouth wherever she went. One day in particular stood out that epitomized her enthusiastic efforts as a publicist on my behalf. Through her extensive contacts, she booked me on a radio show one July day in 1989 telling me that she had somewhere she needed me to go to help promote the book. She did not divulge the location at the time. I agreed, not knowing where I would be going because I trusted her judgment, which had been proven to me to be impeccable. When she picked me up and drove me to the location, I immediately saw the station's call letters on the outside of the building, and I knew what the purpose of my being there was. She had reached out to the show's host, who had a copy of the book in hand, and who had everything set up for an on-air interview. Every detail had been taken care of and had been so well orchestrated that I was caught up in the moment, a moment over which I had no control. It was as though I was on autopilot and was more an observer in an episode in my life than an active participant in it. It was the first time I had ever felt that I was not in control of myself, surrendering any autonomy I may have thought I had. After the radio interview, Vivian took me to another location-this time a soul food restaurant located on the West Side, which its proprietor had recently opened. Again, I hadn't a clue as to where we were going. With this event, Vivian managed to kill two birds with one stone. Not only was she promoting this new restaurant to the owner's delight, but she was plugging my novel by arranging a book signing there, the centerpiece of which was a menu that featured the home-cooked meal described in the pages of Reunion. She had created a promotional flyer with an image of a character from the book, Cousin Eula-Pearl, speaking the tagline, "Come Home to Mississippi." A number of my friends and family members had been invited to the event, some of whom sported black t-shirts with the title of the book across the front in bright yellow lettering. On the back it said. "I Read It!" The Chicago Daily Defender published a story of the event, written under Vivian's pseudonymous byline, which I still have today. I was completely overwhelmed and humbled, not only by the outpouring of support she managed to generate, but by her generosity--and all of it at her expense--to ensure that my book got the recognition that she felt it deserved. It was an experience that I will never forget, especially since she is no longer physically with us, one that I remember as one of the best days of my life.