When the Colors Fly and Selected Short Stories

James Norman was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, and partially educated there. He grew up during the 40s, 50s, and 60s where he gained a realistic understanding of this society. It was during these years that he gained some sense of history, and in particular, that of his people. This was primarily due to his parents and his grandparents. At some point he started to look at the world and yearned to discover it. He knew he had to leave Chicago. He settled in historic Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where he raised his family and presently resides. He says he writes because he must.