Veena Rao is the first non-resident Indian woman to start a newspaper outside of India. NRI Pulse is a national newspaper for Indian-Americans that covers national and international news as it pertains to the community. Veena took some time out of her busy schedule of being the Founder and Editor in Chief of NRI Pulse and keeping the community informed to do an interview with me. She shares her wisdom and the challenging journey she took on to create this popular newspaper. What is your profession? I am a print journalist by profession, and own and edit NRI Pulse, an Atlanta based news publication. There is a certificate from the Limca Book of Records hanging in my office that says I am the first Indian woman to edit and publish a newspaper outside India. Why and how did you get into this profession? I loved to write as a child and wrote a full detective novel when I was 12. I studied Economics in college and hated it. I guess it was the love of writing that got me into journalism, even though I now realize that newspaper reporting is less about writing and more about conveying the news in concise words. What did you hope to get out of this career as a professional and on a personal level? Satisfaction. It is wonderful to be able to wake up each morning to do what you love doing. What is something unique you bring as a writer or professional in the industry? The experience I have gathered nurturing my baby over the past 12 years is unique. What do you wish you would have known about your profession before you started working in it? I started NRI Pulse on an impulse! A friend suggested that the community needs a newspaper and I should give it a try. I woke up one morning and decided that I would launch a newspaper. I didn’t have a business plan or capital—just a deep belief that I could do it. Sitting in my living room, it seemed like an easy thing to do. Of course, over the years, I have learned that there is nothing easy about running a newspaper, especially one that relies 100% on advertising revenue. I ran NRI Pulse on a shoestring budget, and did most of the work myself- news gathering, editing, design, layout, newspaper delivery etc. For many years after I moved to the US, I did not drive. I had tremendous road fear. But when I launched the paper, I had to overcome my fear, because I had to drive to over 70 locations across Atlanta and the suburbs to drop newspaper copies at our racks. I bought a car at a pawn shop for $650 and avoided the highways to get from point A to point B. It would take me many days to finish the distribution. I think I did that for six months until I bought a new car and had the confidence to drive on the Interstate. But I think my persistence has paid off in the long run. Today, NRI Pulse is a success story, and a leader in the Indian-American news market. What are some obstacles you have faced in your profession as a woman of color? I have faced many obstacles in running NRI Pulse, but not because I am a woman of color. In the initial years, however, I have had many people (men and women) tell me it cannot be done, because it has never been done before. What advice would you give to women of color who want to follow your career path? Be true to yourself, think outside the box and don’t let others decide what you are capable of doing. Oh, and being persistent helps! Thank you Veena for sharing your wisdom and experience with us! If you haven’t already, go check out the NRI Pulse Newspaper here. Also, follow them on Facebook! Hopefully Veena’s determination to create something her community needed inspired you as much as it inspired me. If you have questions or thoughts about her her interview or about NRI Pulse please feel free leave a comment below.
You can sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of the page for updates on my writing, my workshops, and my events. Next Wednesday’s blog will be more #browngirlwrites stories. Until then… Happy Writing! :) Find me on social media. Links at the bottom of the page 👇🏽 Art by Loso F. Perez of Prime Vice Studios
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If They Come for Us by Fatimah Asghar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Ever since I heard that Fatimah Asghar had a book on the way, I was ecstatic. I am a huge fan of hers from her Emmy-nominated webseries Brown Girls, and now I have another reason to love her. If They Come For Us is a beautiful book with stories about war, womanhood, sexuality, religion, identity, race, family, etc. But most importantly, it is a story about us. The story of South Asian-American women. It’s my story. The history she talks about in this book, is the history of my family, the identity crisis she faced growing up in the United States, is my identity crisis. The struggles with womanhood, beauty, and culture she talks about in this book, are my struggles. It is so rare for me to find a book where my story is being told. This is the reason I became a writer. I also love how she finds a way to intertwine tragedy and humor in this book. Humor is not often found in South Asian-American literature, but is often found in our lives and our homes. This book felt like home. My favorite poems were Oil and Microaggression Bingo. Oil, for it’s poignant truthfulness of the moment her existence became a danger to the country she grew up in on 9/11. Microaggression Bingo for its humor. Although I read this book in one sitting, it is not a book to read once and put away. Whenever I feel invisible in this country as a South-Asian American woman, I can pick up this book and feel less alone. I could go on and on about this book, but I’ll stop here. Although I could personally relate to this book, it has something for anyone and everyone from all walks of life. Go read it now! View all my reviews Shabnam Samuel is the founder of the Panchgani Writer’s Retreat in India, host of the TV show Dew Drops and Words, and author of the soon to be released memoir A Fractured Life. She shared her inspiring journey with us in this interview. 1. What is your profession? I run an annual writer’s retreat in India (www.panchganiwritersretreat.com) and I also teach memoir and non-fiction writing to individuals and groups. A lot of this I do online. 2. Why and how did you get into this profession? My writing and love for it, sprouted in India, right from my boarding school days. In the 3rd grade I wrote essays home, not letters! Having lived in the U.S. for the past 30 years and seeing the amazing opportunities we have here in terms of workshops and retreats, I felt my creating a retreat in India would be a small “give back” on my part. 3. What did you hope to get out of this career as a professional and on a personal level? What I would love to see is someone far far away, who is sitting under a star filled sky with dreams in their eyes, wanting to write, wanting to know what the next step is, needing confidence, needing encouragement from someone who has traveled that road before. I want to be that person for them. 4. What is something unique (ex: perspective, skill, personality) you bring as a writer or professional in the industry? I don’t know if I have a skill that would come to the forefront in terms of writing. I think we are all unique in terms of our stories, and that is what we need to highlight. 5. What do you wish you would have known about your profession before you started working in it? How painful editing is!!!! 6. Do you feel you are compensated fairly for the work you do? Is an artist ever truly compensated? In my particular case, I do it for the love of what I do. Since the day I started my retreat 4 years ago, I have always said, even if I have just one person sign up, I will still fly to India and host the retreat. For me, it’s that one person who is reaching out because they have a need or a desire. I will not let them down. 7. What are some obstacles you have faced in your profession as a woman of color? To be honest, I have never faced any obstacles in my writing or retreat world as a woman of color. I write or facilitate without any hues and I guess I have never felt differentiated. Now, surprise, that I have faced!. Many, are surprised I speak English “so well”. Many are shocked, that I wrote a book, “like a book? a real, real book?” I don’t believe people say it to be malicious , it’s just what it is. 8. What are some opportunities you have come across in your profession as a woman of color? The answer to this is kind of the same to my previous response on obstacles. I have not come across any special opportunities either. 9. What advice would you give to women of color who want to follow your career path? I would say follow your dream, be true to your inner self and try not to judge yourself too harshly because of who we are and how we have been raised. Break out of that stereotypical box, if you want to and soar along with your heart. 10. Anything else you would like to add. We need strong voices. Strong voices of women. Strong voices of women of color. So don’t hold back. Thank you Shabnam for sharing your wisdom and experience with us! You can learn more about Shabnam’s retreat on this website.
You can watch episodes of her show Dew Drops and Words here. You can purchase her memoir A Fractured Life here. Hopefully Shabnam’s words inspired you as much as they inspired me. If you have questions or thoughts about her memoir or her interview please feel free leave a comment below. Sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of the page for updates on my writing, my workshops, and my events. Next Wednesday’s blog will be more #browngirlwrites stories. Until then… Happy Writing! :) Find me on social media. Links at the bottom of the page 👇🏽 Art by Loso F. Perez of Prime Vice Studios
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Hate You Give lives up to the hype. It is a well-written beautiful story that is both timeless and topical. Starr Carter’s character is on one hand a very relatable teenage character who like most teenagers has an identity crisis and is trying to find a place to belong between the kids in her neighborhood and the kids in her predominantly White school. On the other hand, Angie Thomas puts Starr’s character through extremely difficult and tragic situations that are a reality for many African-American kids growing up in this country today. In addition to her typical teenage problems, Starr also has to deal with being the only witness in the brutal murder of her best friend at the hands of a police officer. Her family also deals with issues within the community where Maverick Carter, Starr’s father is a leader, role model, and a target for a local gang. The extreme situations that Starr and her family face in this book are unimaginable for many Americans, but also a reality for many. Not only does this book raise awareness for the issues of police brutality and excessive violence in our country, but it also humanizes these issues so the readers can understand them from a more sympathetic perspective. I highly recommend reading this book before the movie comes out in October! View all my reviews Nikki Igbo, the Writing Goddess, took time off from her heavenly writing to share her story with me. She is the Features Editor at Radiant Health Magazine and the co-host of the fun and enlightening podcast, Rappin Atlanta. 1. What is your profession? I am a freelance writer and editor. While I produce journalistic content for print and digital publications, I also provide copywriting and copy editing for small to large business clients. In a nutshell, I tell stories of people and brands. 2. Why/how did you get into this profession? In undergrad I majored in Political Science and the most important lesson I learned is that people who want power or who want to connect with the broadest audience make sure that their story is the most relatable, the most compelling. I also learned that changing the power dynamics by supporting and uplifting true social justice in America is more likely to be accomplished through art and mass media than within government corridors. A year out of a college, I found myself working in advertising selling on-air radio campaigns for businesses in Las Vegas, and I was applying the same writing skills I learned in Political Science to my radio copy. After winning several awards for my radio copywriting (I once wrote a commercial for a medical spa about a woman who was hit on by a chimp because her legs were super hairy), I moved to a boutique public relations firm. The more I wrote for business and political clients (I worked on local and state political campaigns in Nevada), the more comfortable I became with telling personal stories of the things I did and witnessed while living there. Las Vegas was wild---but also complex. I began blogging about my nights on the town and was surprised to get readers and followers from all over the globe. One of the most touching comments I received on a blog post was of a father who was not able to see his daughter perform during a music recital I attended at UNLV. With that comment and the growing popularity of the blog, I realized the power and reach of my own perspective. From there I started researching how to become a professional writer who could make money independently while producing my own stories. Time and circumstance led me to the writing program at SCAD where I received my MFA and learned more about the resources available to get my personal writing out into the world. 3. What did you hope to get out of this career as a professional and on a personal level? What I still hope is that I can present a perspective and a story that isn't being told often or broadly enough. When I watch television or read popular books, I very rarely see myself in those forms of media. I believe that this is slowly but surely changing online with the rise of social media and the proliferation of people of color expressing themselves through social media--but there still seems to be so much misinformation (or very little information at all) about what it is to be a black woman, a black woman in love, a black wife, a black mother, a black female entrepreneur, a black female literary artist, a black female political activist. I've had the pleasure of attracting clients and opportunities whose stories I can craft to communicate some of these messages but I sincerely believe the world is waiting to hear my personal story. I hope to leave behind a collection of writings that give an honest and inspiring account of the black female experience, and I hope that those writings don't fade or pass away with a history that seems to want to ignore women of color and their unique contributions to our world. 4. What is something unique (ex: perspective, skill, personality) you bring as a writer or professional in the industry? No one else has lived the life I have lived. Yes, any person breathing can and does have the right to say the same BUT the story I have can't be told by anyone else in the way I tell it. My voice, the humor, the bluntness, and the words I choose to communicate an idea, memory, place, feeling, event is truly individual. 5. What do you wish you would have known about your profession before you started working in it? Personal writing is hard. Not because stringing together a sentence has its challenges but rather because telling a true and raw story can be emotionally taxing. It is a big and necessary responsibility to express the human experience with vulnerability and clarity; it is not for the shy or faint of heart. 6. Do you feel you are compensated fairly for the work you do? With my personal writing, no. As I stated previously, personal writing is hard. Good personal writing that reaches and connects is practically a miracle, and exacts a heavy and expensive emotional toll. 7. What are some obstacles you have faced in your profession as a woman of color? I would say that every woman who chooses to have children, regardless of color or profession, must contend with the challenge of juggling career and child-rearing. Writers are sensitive. I am sensitive. I always want to go and give my best to who and what I love but I only have so much time, so many arms, and so many places to stash unwashed laundry. 8. What are some opportunities you have come across in your profession as a woman of color? As I briefly noted above, I have had the fortune to attract other women of color as clients. And because I am a black woman with dark skin and kinky hair and a lifetime of experiences that can only have happened to a black woman like me, I've been the right writer to communicate these messages. 9. What advice would you give to women of color who want to follow your career path? If you truly want to do this thing I do, it's got to be a passion. Ain't no half steppin'. You have to love it even when it's not quite loving you back the way you want it to. You have to be willing to fail and be humbled while still knowing that you will continue to rise. And even as you are being humble, you have to have the biggest ego and the strongest audacity to turn your whisper into a resounding shout. 10. Anything else you would like to add. If you are a woman of color who writes, support other women of color who write. They aren't your competition--they are your fellow sisters in arms, and they understand the struggle like no other can or will. Thank you Nikki for sharing your wisdom and experience with us! You can learn more about Nikki on her website www.nikigbo.com and find her on Twitter @nikki_igbo. If you’re a fan of the hilarious T.V. show Atlanta on FX, you need to go listen to Nikki’s podcast Rappin Atlanta right now. Hopefully Nikki’s words inspired you as much as they inspired me. If you have questions or thoughts about Nikki and her interview please feel free leave a comment below.
You can sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of the page for updates on my writing, my workshops, and my events. Next Wednesday’s blog will be more #browngirlwrites stories. Until then… Happy Writing! :) Find me on social media. Links at the bottom of the page 👇🏽 Art by Loso F. Perez of Prime Vice Studios
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter should be required reading for every young woman in her teenage years. Erika L. Sánchez takes us through the familiar struggles of American teenagers such as making friends, dealing with parents and siblings, feeling lonely, and navigating romantic relationships. The main character Julia deals with all of these typical teenager issues along with some not so typical life experiences such as the death of her older sister Olga whose life was a mystery, the cultural gap between her and her traditional Mexican immigrant parents, and living with depression. Olga had a mysterious life which Julia discovers in pieces throughout the whole book. Olga’s mystery not only keeps the reader hooked, but it is also how Julia learns about herself and gains a deeper understanding of her family’s struggle. Julia’s character also has a snarky somewhat judgmental teenage voice which makes the book a fun read. Mystery, humor, and drama. This book has it all. I highly recommend it! View all my reviews Rani Shah is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fuss Class News, the first South Asian-American satire publication in the world. Rani took the time to share with me her journey as a writer and why she founded Fuss Class News. 1. What is your profession? During daylight hours, I am a Content and Social Media manager at Trello where I’m living out the (paid) dream of writing, editing, and creating media content in NYC. During night-owl hours and the weekends, I am the founder and editor-in-chief of Fuss Class News: a South Asian satire site where I can let loose and share my culture in the best way I can— by being a complete smart ass. 2. Why and how did you get into this profession? Buckle up for this one: I got into this profession almost by accident. From a young age I always enjoyed writing, to the point where I considered pursuing journalism in college. But alas, culture dictated I do something “traditional” so your girl majored in and graduated with a chemical engineering degree. Never having an ounce of passion for it, however, I jumped at an opportunity after graduation to join a small (and by small I mean there were 3 people total) startup that organized hackathons for tech companies. After a year of scraping together cash and living with my parents, I landed a communications marketing job in Seattle with a food delivery startup. Still being unsure about what career path I wanted, I took the job because, well, it was a hell of a lot better than being a chemical engineer. Learning everything I know about marketing on the job was both satisfying and terrifying, but those learn-on-the-go habits paid off in the long run. Especially once the startup began to falter and I got laid off, that work ethic never left. Being unemployed in a city far away from home forces you to make a choice: do I go back to my comfort zone or do I make sense of this somehow? My attempt at making sense of the situation led to me offering writing and marketing services to up and coming startups. Freelancing was never an intention of mine but when you begin living on bagels in order to afford rent each month intention goes out the door. Not only that, but freelancing meant I had my own schedule. My own schedule to begin passion projects such as Fuss Class News. A few months into freelancing, I decided that moving to NYC was the best next step for me in order to even entertain my new goal: becoming a full time writer. About a year after losing my job, I moved to NYC and did the glamorous thing: stayed with friends until I landed a job. Accepting the first job I was offered, I continued freelancing and writing on the side— the best decision I ever made because those written pieces in my portfolio are what led to my current full-time writing job. 3. What did you hope to get out of this career as a professional and on a personal level? Whether it was writing for Fuss Class News or doing content pieces for clients, I loved the aspect of strangers reading my thoughts and feeling understood. Knowing that there is someone else out there able to put into words the emotions you have felt is one of the coziest feelings, I was ecstatic to be able to provide that. On a professional level, I hoped my writing could entertain and help others come to terms with everyday scourges like dating or productivity. On a personal level, my dream for Fuss Class News is to give a voice to minorities and share our experiences through sharp humor rather than that of victim. 4. What is something unique you bring as a writer or professional in the industry? A perspective on being the “other” and being able to shine light on the humor of it. Things like people mispronouncing South Asian names to making assumptions of “where you’re really from”, yes it’s frustrating but it’s also a point of comedy when we’re among our other South Asian friends. Channeling that energy is something I enjoy and want to excel at. 5. What do you wish you would have known about your profession before you started working in it? How much of a difference it makes when you’re writing something you care about. It can make or break your piece. Oh and the anthem of every writer: your first draft will be trash so never be scared to start. 6. Do you feel you are compensated fairly for the work you do? I am one of the lucky few that can say I do feel like I am compensated fairly for what I do. As far as Fuss Class News goes, however, we’re a small team that is aiming to monetize over the next year. So time will tell if our model will result in monetization or struggling artist mode. 7. What are some opportunities you have come across in your profession as a woman of color? My perspective provides the greatest opportunity of them all. Being able to relay my emotions of how my culture treats women and how we as minorities view the majority is the best opportunity. Being able to turn the conversation around in terms of viewpoint is something larger satire sources, like The Onion, haven’t quite been able to tackle yet. 8. What advice would you give to women of color who want to follow your career path? 1. Be authentic, be you, be unapologetically yourself— and those who support you will come out of the woodwork. 2. Be open to feedback. Your first draft will always be bad. Learn fast and fix often, you’re more talented than your first draft may make you seem. 3. Follow up constantly. Didn’t hear back from someone? Don’t let that silence you. Follow up often and push for what you want harder than you may be comfortable with. 9. Anything else you would like to add. Support Fuss Class News on our Patreon! Thank you Rani for sharing your wisdom and experience with us!
If you have questions or thoughts about this interview please feel free leave a comment below. If you haven’t already, give yourself some joy today and go read Fuss Class News. You can sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of the page for updates on my writing, my workshops, and my events. Next Wednesday’s blog will be more #browngirlwrites stories. Until then… Happy Writing! :) Find me on social media. Links at the bottom of the page 👇🏽 Art by Loso F. Perez of Prime Vice Studios
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime” is an original and authentic memoir that takes you through a range of emotions from sadness, disgust, and horror, but through it all, it continues to make you laugh. The most important factor for having a memoir feel authentic is for the writer to bare their soul. Trevor Noah is not afraid to share his most vulnerable moments from his childhood to young adulthood and share the confusing and terrifying state of growing up in a world where his mere existence was evidence of a crime. The richest character in the book is his mother who made the bold decision to follow her heart to date a white man and have a child with him when it was illegal to do so in South Africa during apartheid. She then raised Trevor in her own way as a single mother with the help of her family and community. She hid him from the world until apartheid ended and gave him opportunities that she didn’t have. Trevor Noah’s deep love and respect for his mother is what makes this book more than just a fun read. It makes it a richer and much more compelling read. The writing and humor is so authentic to his on screen personality that I as I read the book, I heard his voice telling me the story. I highly recommend this book! View all my reviews |
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