Odie Hawkins, www.odiehawkins.com, “the Undergroundmaster”, was a member of the famed Watts Writer’s workshop, established by Budd Schulberg and the Open Door Program, created by the Writers Guild of America, West, Inc.  His mentors/teachers were Louise Meriwether, John W. Bloch, Al Jenner, Robert Lewin,
and Harlan Ellison.

Hawkins had 17 novels in different genres published by the Holloway House Publishing Company in Los Angeles over the course of twenty years.  Holloway House sold its assets to Kensington Press, New York, and Hawkins obtained a reversion of all rights to his works in 2008, with the assistance of The Authors Guild, the National Writers Union and the Screenwriters Guild West, Inc.

Fourteen (14) of the previously published books have been re-issued by iUniverse Publishing, (www.iUniverse.com) with thirteen (13) new covers by the internationally recognized photographer/illustrator, Zola Salena-Hawkins,(http://www.flickr.com/photos/32886903@N02/) cover by the internationally recognized photographer Nima Razfar (www.nimarazfar.com) .  In addition, four print-on-demand titles have been published by AuthorHouse (www.AuthorHouse.com).

On January 28, 2012, Hawkins, with other former members of the Watts Writers’ Workshop – Wanda Coleman, Dee Dee McNeil, Eric Priestly.  Kamau Daaood, Ojenke Otis O’Soloman and others were honored in a Pacific Standard Time program at the Watts Towers Art Center, sponsored by the Getty Foundation, and hosted by Sally Shore.

“We created Kosmic Muffin for several reasons:

• One, we wanted to break out of the traditional sweat box of waiting for other publishing bureaucracies to open their doors.
• Two, we have several works in different genres – “Kwanzaa For Conrad”, “Snake Doctor”, “The Urban Gourmet Cookbook”, “Black and Brown on the Blue Line”. “Lil’ Sweets”, Characters I’ve Known”, and “A Lucky Life” that would not have an easy time in a traditional publishing establishment, because of the interwoven genres and the subject areas.
• Finally, we felt that it was absolutely necessary, if we wanted to retain control of our creative efforts, to have a publishing house.  And so, we created the Kosmic Muffin Publishing House.

Odie Hawkins and Zola Salena-Hawkins established the Kosmic Muffin Publishing House in 2008.

The future looks bright.