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Author, Prince Charles and the Art of Transformation
Charles H. Williams: Taking A Hard Look At Black Fathers and Sons
The
relationship between fathers and sons is a complicated one — and sadly,
one that goes unexplored in most modern African American pop culture.
But that relationship provided Charles H. Williams with the inspiration
for his new book, Prince Charles and the Art of Transformation: Memoirs of an Urban Mystic. As he took care of his ill father, Williams began to emotionally confront some of the pain and tension of the past.
“Once
I was entrenched in the actual care giving day-to-day situation with my
father, having gone to a meditative retreat, I had the time to do this
and I figured that other people could benefit,” explains Williams.
“The
father-son dilemma is universal,” he continues. “What I was hoping for
was that young men — and men my age — could look back on that troubling
relationship and be able to get [some] good out of it.”
The
retreat helped Williams become more in touch with what he calls his
“interior” self, and gain a new level of spiritual perspective.
“The
part about cultivating consciousness is you develop spirituality where
you’re able to get out of your own way. I was able to release my
resentment, be of service to him, and what it did was, it was extremely
gratifying.”
Working at Bodhi Tree
Bookstore, Williams has witnessed the book’s impact firsthand. “A young
lady bought the book [and] came back to me a couple of weeks later,
[wanting] to go on a 10-day retreat,” he says happily. “The [best]
feedback is [knowing] you’re beginning to change lives a little bit.” –todd williams
