Aug 8, 2023 4 min read

Alex Auguste Presents: The Black Grasshopper

After Much Adieu, The Black Grasshopper is set to be released on September 26th, 2023.

Miami, FL - Aug. 8th, 2023

Last night in front of the audience at Ms. Ingrid B's Mellow Dramatic Monday, I introduced myself as a home-grown Miami kid who was returning to the city on The Vivid Life Tour, promoting music, books, and myself to open mic audiences across the country. And immediately went on to introduce that my performance was ahead of an announcement that on August 8th, I'd be announcing the release date for my delayed short story, The Black Grasshopper. Announcing on Aug. 8th feels special for so many reasons, but the most important one is that it was the date that inspired the writing of the story itself.

The Black Grasshopper is about a small, Eastern Lubber Grasshopper - those common grasshoppers you see hopping around Florida - who has gone three Springs without molting his exo. In those three springs, the young grasshopper has missed three seasonal winds that would be the milestone of growth, allowing for him to spread his new wings and celebrate among all the young grasshoppers. Assuming his inability to molt would eventually lead to his death, the grasshoppers of the garden first pity him and then eventually leave him be altogether.

Angered by his own lack of progress and comparing himself to the others in the garden, the black grasshopper intends to seek out the source of where the wind comes from and vows to stop it so that the upcoming celebration cannot happen.

His long trek to find the source of the wind eventually turns out to be a failure, and he finds himself far outside the garden, struggling to both go back to the beginning and to his intended destination.

The Black Grasshopper is intended to parable that on one hand speaks about the pains of comparison, walking in individual purpose, and acknowledging that the progress of those around us is not a hinderance to our own journey.

After much delay in the release of this title, I'm proud to announce that The Black Grasshopper will be releasing on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023.

In front of the crowd at Mellow Dramatic Mondays, I told a story that may be familiar to you if you've seen my Youtube series, My Real Vivid Life: The Preface is the End.

On Aug. 8th, 2015, I found myself spending a very uncomfortable night in Tampa's Orient Road Jail. Overcome with stress, anxiety, and frustrations about life, finances, I - a young black grasshopper myself at 25 - was frustrated with the lack of progress in my career. Rather than running to find the wind, I chase after one too many drinks and was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence.

"I just felt like I was receiving a message at that point. And the message was that everything you want to see in this world already exists in your imagination...If you could write this [situation] into existence, think of what you could bring into existence if you were to write it. Your goals. Your dreams. Your ideas. Your imagination.

- Alex Auguste, "My Real Vivid Life: The Preface is the End, Part II"

Obviously, if there was anything that would set back progress, it would be paying the legal fees and penalties come associated with such a backwards chess move.

The 14 hours were rough. And while I don't often talk about my spirituality, I will say I took a long moment of silence (cause people really be in there asking you for your sandwiches and whatnot) to reflect on what progress is, and what purpose would feel like, and I'm very proud to say everything - and I mean everything - you've ever seen me do since Aug. 8th, 2015 has been part of my recommitment to purpose.

Just a short few months later, my first book was complete, and now 8 long years later, through recommitment, progress, and certainty, The Black Grasshopper is coming to Amazon as a paperback on September 26th, 2023.

As mentioned in "The Preface is the End", the writing that took place over the course of two years from 2015 to 2017 ended up producing the framework for most of my creative projects that have only started to emerge. Among those projects would be We Missed A Meeting (2018), Origin24 (2021), MRVL WRLD, and a list of over 60 songs that remain unreleased.

Last night, after my performance, someone mentioned to me that there's significance in the date 8/8. Known as the Lion's Gate Portal, Aug. 8th is the peak date during a process that positions the Sun, Sirius, Orion, and Earth form a perfect line - activating the powers of Sirius and bringing about manifestation, power, evolution, and the opportunity for us to become the best versions of ourselves.

For updates, alerts, and more information on the release of The Black Grasshopper, click below. By clicking, you'll be added to a segment of our newsletter specific to news about this topic, and will be rerouted back to the home page.