It started with a comic book. His father took him every other Saturday to the little comic book store near Ohio State University’s campus, not sure why his 10-year old was so entranced by the stories of caped crusaders and masked men.

But Will Perry was determined to provide his youngest son with whatever literature turned him on, seeing in Isaac the chance to instill a love for reading and learning that would shape the rest of his life.

“My father is the reason I’m a writer,” says Isaac about the elder Perry, who passed away in early 2008. “He saw that I loved to read and did everything he could to encourage that.”

From comic books, Isaac, a native of Columbus, Ohio, journeyed into fiction. By the time he enrolled at OSU at the age of 17 he had already written short stories, poems, some journalism, and even an unfinished novel. Writing had become like breathing: automatic and vitally important.

“I told Kobe Bryant once: I look at writing the way you look at the game,” Isaac recalls. “It’s what I explore and live with everyday.”

Since graduating from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s in Journalism, Isaac’s byline has appeared in publications such as XXL, Vibe, Jordan Magazine, and King, all since 1998. The former Editor-at-Large of Dime Magazine, Isaac is the founder of Paradox Media, a media group dedicated to the representation of urban culture in mass communications, marketing, and the arts. Among Paradox’s clients is Nike, Inc.

“As a creative, I love working with Nike,” Isaac explains. “We’ve been providing creative consultation and copywriting for them since ‘05, including some really interesting projects with Nike Asia.”

In 2007 Isaac wrote ALL FALLS DOWN, a novel he describes as the perfect mix between Harlem Renaissance-like substance and modern commercial fiction.

Isaac agrees that his debut novel is a page-turner. “I think AFD does a really good job of keeping you engaged from page 1 to the end. I get constant emails from people who say they can’t put the book down. And at the same time, they’re getting a great literary experience.”

A longtime resident of Chicago’s South Side, Isaac feels the time has come for the artistic revolutions of the past to be reborn.

“Chicago has a great tradition of artistic freedom,” he says. “So do cities like New York and Paris. It’s time for true art to be respected again, globally. I think you see that in what’s happening to Hip-Hop. People are demanding more. And I think, on the literary side, ALL FALLS DOWN gives them more. It can satisfy your love jones, your need for excitement, and your desire to be stimulated intellectually.”

With the publication of ALL FALLS DOWN Isaac Perry has made good on the silent promise he made to his father all those years ago: that he would take the encouragement Will Perry gave him and use it to fulfill both their dreams.

Interview by Furious Moore