Many exciting things have been happening since I last updated this blog, and I will be sure to post information about them. Today, I am thrilled to let you know that The Black Girl Next Door will be featured in the One Book, One Stratford community-wide reading event in this lovely Connecticut town.  I will [...]

In the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of talking to people across the country.  At book events, on radio programs, and via the web, people have shared their own powerful journeys through integration.  I have been humbled and amazed by their courage and candor.
I began writing The Black Girl Next Door because I [...]

Like so many others of my generation, I spent my girlhood living in the shadow of Dr. King’s dream of integration.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed the year before my birth, so I only knew his legacy.
 
Few, if any, Americans had any idea what would happen when the segregationist barriers that had defined [...]

This morning, both The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times reviewed my first book, The Black Girl Next Door: A Memoir. The New York Times review made the front page of the Weekend Arts section and featured both pictures of the book cover and me.  The Los Angeles Times article was similarly prominent [...]

The only think more remarkable than having the Los Angeles Times review my first book is having The New York Times write a review the same day!
This is amazing.  I’ll need time to digest the actual reviews, but I am grateful for the recognition of the book and my work.
Here’s the link to the New [...]

Growing up in greater Los Angeles, I read the Los Angeles Times whenever I could.  Long before I moved east, it was the paper of record.  So you can imagine my awe at having my first book reviewed in its pages.
http://www.latimes.com/features/books/la-et-book9-2009jan09,0,2669736.story

I headed to New York City a few days ago to meet with the Touchstone publicity folks about the marketing plan for The Black Girl Next Door.  It was a thrilling, overwhelming and confusing meeting.
I’m in no position to offer advice, but I want to offer some insights that might encourage authors and aspiring writers.
Note:  [...]

In recent days, I have been blessed by the encouragement of two wonderful writers. Today’s post is about Firoozeh Dumas’ wonderful work.
When I first heard Firoozeh interviewed about Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America a few years ago, I pulled my car off the road and parked to listen to [...]

Here’s a question:  Is a quiet mind a prerequisite for good writing?  How do can a writer quiet her mind?
I began a meditation class a few weeks ago in the hopes of centering my energy.  I’ve been distracted lately and my powers of concentration have felt nonexistent.
I know exactly why.   I’ve been gathering papers, meeting [...]

Yesterday I met a wonderful woman for lunch. (I’m not going to mention her name because I did not  secure her permission before writing this post.)
This woman bought my book for Touchstone/Fireside.  When she met me for the first time she said something I’ll never forget:  “From one black girl next door to another, welcome.”
After [...]