Fulfill Your Ambition

I heard Kathy Lee say to Hoda one morning and thus to me a viewer, “Everybody’s got a book”.   To me, it wasn't like, “How wonderful! Everybody has a book!” My ears heard disdain in the tone of her words.  So I was not a happy listener.   I was an insecure first-time author.  Black Star Girl, my award winning memoir remained essentially unknown to the book reading public.  But I knew the truth in the TV star's comment.  I sensed virtually the same discouraging observation several months earlier.  It was when an acclaimed local politician, speaking the night following my crowd-pleasing presentation, in a matter-of-fact, disparaging way said,  (almost as soon as he took the microphone) “There are over 40,000 new books authored every year.”  Nothing he talked about afterwards had a thing to do with writing or publishing.  But, all day the convention center had been abuzz about, me, the new author who had spoken 'last night', so perhaps that inspired his opening statement.  Still nothing could erase the pride this unknown personality held for having written a book and for it being so well received by those wonderful people.

My ambition wasn't to become a writer.  I was a business woman.  I did want to share my unique experiences as a black person living in America in the 20^th Century.  Doing so, I just might help others.  The best way for me to do that was to write about it all.   Documenting stories taken from real life would show youngsters and young adult readers how problems can be avoided or overcome and success is possible; the stories would sustain those being challenged, inspire individual perseverance, and strengthen constructive self-determination. 

My editors found Black Star Girl to be told in a strong voice and story telling style to inspire young and old; a social-historical documentary; an African American and women’s history.  Black Star Girl received the publisher's Editor’s Choice award.  And, having written the book, I've documented the information I wanted to share with with family and strangers.  I'm happy about that.

I encourage you to write if you’ve a desire to do so.  There is room in our world for your book, also.