In honor of Women's History Month Carleen Brice has put together a list on her
White Folks Welcome blog entitled Memorable Female Characters. I'm proud to say that
my child, you know the hooker with the heart of gold - made that list.
I've added my own memorable female characters to that list and I encourage you to visit and add your own.
What I'd like to do today in honor of those women in and of literature that rock my world, is share with you two stories about two female authors who made a difference in my writing life.
Many, many moons ago I went to see and hear author, J. California Cooper. I had never attended a book signing. Ms. Cooper was my first. She was appearing at the now closed
Nkiru Bookstore in the park slope section of Brooklyn. I crammed in alongside her other admirers; my well read and worn copy of her novel FAMILY clutched to my chest and waited for the moment when the woman whose story had brought me to tears while I stood in the Fulton Street train station, waiting for the uptown #4 train...during morning rush hour no less.
She was short and slight in build, but her spirit was as bright as a thousand watt bulb. She was funny as all get out and then she said something that made me pause. She said that her stories where brought to her by guides and that sometimes those guides went away for a spell and she had to wait for them to return before she could finish the story. She said that the trees spoke to her, as well as the flowers.
I looked at the faces around me. Some people had that star struck look, while others had that "she done lost her mind look" and then there were the people who had the same expression I wore - OH SHIT, ITS NOT JUST ME.
A few years later I sent Ms. Cooper a letter, expressing my love and respect for her stories. I went on to tell her that I was an aspiring writer. Do you know that woman called me up? I came home to find a message from her on my answering machine. I must have played that message a million times. A few more years passed and our paths crossed yet again. She and I were guests on a literary cruise. I told her about my letter and her gracious and wonderful reply. I thanked her wit a big hug and kiss. More years passed and I was honored to be asked to blurb her 2006 novel, S
ome Place, Some Other People.
Life is amazing ain't it?
March 24th Ms. Cooper's newest masterpiece will be released:
The second writer I had the honor of meeting was Diane McKinney Whetstone.
Tumbling had just been published. Me and friend went to see her at the Barnes & Noble on Astor Place. I remember that it was raining and that Diane was wearing a plaid jacket that she kept tugging on. She was nervous. There were only about four people there to see her. She talked about her husband and her twins, the process of writing and the process of getting published. At the end she offered to sign our books. I told her that I had written a novel which I was having no success with selling. She told me to keep at it and then she inscribed her book with these words:
"Keep writing, the world needs your voice."
Do you know what that meant to me? THE WORLD ...and so I pay those words forward every chance I get.
Diane honored me with a blurb for Sugar.
Don't life just curl your toes?
Bernice L. McFadden
