A Bibliophile is Born!

I love books.  I always have and more likely than not, I always will.  There are few things that I enjoy more than curling up with a good book.  I can spend hours in a bookstore, perusing the aisles, looking at the covers.  At any given moment, I have between 10-15 books checked out of the local library.  And to top it off, I have library cards from three different states.

My love affair began at an early age.  I can not pinpoint the exact moment, but I remember my mom and sometimes my cousin would read Dr. Seuss and Amelia Bedelia books to me.  When I got older and could read on my own, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters was my favorite.  That experience was the first time that I remember seeing black girls like me portrayed in the pages.

As a young teen, I discovered the 18 Pine Street series.  I was obsessed with the main characters, cousins Sarah and Tasha. I read and reread those 12 books over and over again. I also discovered The Babysitters Club and The Sweet Vally High books. In high school, I developed an appreciation of the classics.

During college I was introduced to the African-American writers that didn't fit into the high school curriculum.  In addition to Langston Hughes and Richard Wright, I was introduced to and gained an appreciation and love for the works of African-American women writers.  Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Dorothy West, Tananarive Due, Tayari Jones  and countless others have become staples in my life.  I read and reread their works all the time.

“Memoirs of a Bodacious Black Bibliophile” is my homage to and celebration of the female novelists, poets, playwrights, essayists, theorists, and lyricists of color who live and breathe the written word. To these bold, brazen, and bodacious literary transgressors, I salute you. To everyone reading, thank you for joining me on this journey.