About the Author
Douglas Bell is a debut African American writer with a BS in engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a MA in business from Texas A&M University at College Station. Bell currently works as an engineer and once made his living as a magician. The heart of being a magician is about using magic to tell a story.
Bell relies on the mission of his Jesuit education: Being A Man for Others as the foundation for his service on religious and charitable boards. Buddhist teachings and a small but strong core of straight, cisgender, transgender, gay, and lesbian friends have supported Bell’s desire to pursue another form of storytelling.
“Cakewalk is a riveting read that explores the nuances of the human experience and the many ways we all possess blindspots to the trauma we inflict on each other. I can’t sing the praises of this book enough.”
Gianna Ramirez, goodreads reviewer
About the Book
A journey of radical self-acceptance.
Socially conservative Texas is the backdrop where success and nonconformity cannot coexist for Bryan, a Black divorced father of two kids, Lindsey, the athletic golden child, and Lance, the unorthodox queer thespian.
Bryan's mother is prideful, domineering, homophobic, and loves bragging to her high-society girlfriends about Bryan's accomplishments and promotion to VP at a large multi-national oil/gas company. Bryan vigorously steers clear of conversations with his mother about more grandkids and eligible Black women because Bryan has been secretly dating Nadia, a white transgender woman.
With authentic insight, Douglas Bell reveals the harm we do to each other when social and family standards keep us from authentically loving or being loved. Cakewalk is a timely story of a man's journey to find long-lasting love as he fights through contemporary racism and maligned sexual and gender identity constructs as his biases are revealed while parenting a queer child.
Intention
My intention with CAKEWALK is to reveal the humanity of Nadia, the transgender girlfriend. I wanted to speak candidly about the toxic masculinity from the offender's perspective, where our family and social constructs are the bases for these barriers to real love. The trans community is a part of my family. As a young man, I dated and befriended trans women; I was too immature to know these women on deeper levels. I intend to spotlight the trauma we cause when we don't value each other as a whole person. If we can break free of the labels preventing us from being our true selves, then maybe, we can start seeing each other as we want to be seen. We are treated as we want to be treated. Loved as we want to be loved.
Vision
I enjoy writing for many reasons. I write to dream, to see the nuances in my life, to show gratitude, to apologize, to put order in my life, to create. I want my novels to serve as examples of courage to do the right thing, of being more loving, and more engaged with life’s challenges. My novels are meant to illuminate what is possible when we show more compassion and empathy to each other.
From the Blog
Special Causes and Organizations
"There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering". Lonnie G. Bunch III, Director of the Smithsonian Institution.