I just wanted to compliment Jamie on her written tribute to Michael and also bring something important to the forefront which she mentioned at the end of "Rest Now, Michael" article. Like some of the other tributes, I have read from various magazines thus far, I consider yours to be very distinctive and loving as you always are with these celebrities. I really appreciate your voice as always in the media. You mentioned the book "One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez", however it is what you said within your final paragraph that really moved me the most, it brings back memories of discussions on this subject matter in relation to celebrities and how so-called ordinary people (their audience of fans) view them.
Personally, I love the craft of many celebrities, I live to see them or hear them ... I celebrate their triumphs when they earn sweet victories, sometimes, people say I act like some their closest relatives but no it is just to see how accomplished they are and the knowledge of knowing how hard they worked to get there - yes there are some who act the fool but who hasn't - my feeling are more heighten when it comes to black and not because I am prejudice, but just because I know how talented we all are and how much struggle we have to go through for the world to see our talent, but most importantly because when our talent become too overpowering for the rest of the people in the world who are prejudice to handle it, they try to break us down to the ground and give credit to their own kind whether it is due or not. I feel some of the celebrities' pain of disappointment when the world turns against them, forgetting the love that they gave to them, the people and forgetting that the only thing they owe us is their craft and not their entire existence as a human being. I'm not saying that all celebrities' a pristine but they all go through the struggle where they become at some point irrelevant to people who are only support for a moment like the media, well not all media outlets.
Anyway, back to Marquez's book and your final paragraph. I have consistently over the years told people diligently to not worship their heroes or idolize them too much in life but rather in death and sometimes in death it is just as risky since it can take over your whole mind and existence. I tell them not to worship because IT BRINGS DOWN THE HUMAN SPIRIT, TEARS IT APART and DESTROYS the person in the long run. It is a subject matter that my mom has long taught me about and I understood it then and still do today. I try to tell people who I am associated with to just love and respect them for their talent and their craft but at the end of the day, they must realize that they are human just like the rest of us - so instead of worshipping them, they should pray for them to be able to carry on their journey in life and spread the joy that some of us need or obtain from their craft and talent in life. People do not understand this when I say it and when you spoke about it in your article, I felt whole inside and realize that it is a affirmation of my mother's pure wisdom. I hope those final two paragraphs move people the way that I was moved in my heart but most importantly, I hope they are a lesson in life to your readers and maybe they can spread the word.
Michael will be missed "GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN". I will forever feel his love in death as when he was alive. I will forever feel his pain in death as I felt it for him when he was alive. Too many of our Black heroes images are being defamed by lame gossip and bad rumors as normally happens in everyday life, but the problem is that these poor individuals' lives are played out on the world stage and they are the ones to suffer the most. When Princess Diana died, I pray that someday the media will learn a valuable lesson about this in life, But, no they did not and the truth of the matter is that people tend to forget far too soon. The media does not see this as another form of Bullying but it is. These individuals want to be receptive to them in their lives but are afraid because they are so evil in their words so as to tell some juicy story that they think will be interesting if they put some half-truths within it. This is so sad because people with less common sense believe the hype and continue to spread the dirt. Princess Diana's death was painful to me in my heart, but Michael's is painful everywhere in my body especially my mind - cause I was hopeful that he would have gotten his redemption from the lion's den before he passed from this world. I pain all over every day for him and I wish I could have met him to let him know how much I appreciated all he did for the children and their families of the world. He lead by example and I hope the rest of us who appreciated him including the so-called die-hard fans, try to do something in memory of him to "CHANGE THE WORLD" - he did for 45yrs of his life but especially within the last 30yrs. It will probably take the rest of my life for me to get over this, even though I know and understand that life is a revolving door "here today, gone tomorrow". Great heroes and prophets are revered with love and marred with hate Jesus is a good example though not comparable. I wish his family especially his mom and his children love and understanding - I have said it before - she was a blessed woman - her womb was magic, her nature powerful and filled with strength - she brought was of the greatest gift to the world through her womb and God never chose a better family filled with pure joy and love for them to have been a part of. That family is so humble and we can all learn something from them that Katherine and Joe instilled in them. St. Michael, the Archangel, got his final curtain call when God told him, it is time for him to go back home to where he came from and sing with the angels, despite the circumstances surrounding his death. God Bless the Jackson family.

Thanks for Keri's interview; I completely get her when it comes to romantic relationships and her personality. I am exactly like her in that respect and trust me, it is a challenge for us as this type of woman to find someone who enjoys conversation so much and getting to know each other for a long period before a relationship ensues. I always say at the end of the day, what do you have after 15mins of pleasure (lol - even the longer ones as well). I respect her mentality as well as I do Sanaa Lathan's, Alicia Keys' and Gabrielle Union's thoughts on self and life in general - some aspect of themselves remind me so much of me. Their stories in candid interviews make me feel that there is nothing wrong with me after all.

Trey Songz is a sweetheart .... I wish him the best in life and his career. Hopefully, some day, in the distant near future, he finds himself a deserving woman the first real time out rather than having to be constantly searching for a long time to find her.

As always Jamie, it is a pleasure to read your magazine. It makes me feel proud to be Black and Woman.