Diamonds In The Rough

With a handful of Black female writers creating a new world order — in the footsteps of their predecessors Toni Morrison, Alice Walker and Terry McMillan – publishing moguls were forced to re-think how they positioned African-American fiction to the masses. By daring to create award-winning protagonists based on romance rather than racism and promise rather than prejudice, writer Connie Briscoe finds herself among this group of renaissance women who have carved a new mold for Black female writers.

Although a pioneer in her own right, this past April, Briscoe funneled her talent to pay homage to other great women in the arts in her book Jewels: 50 Phenomenal Black Women Over 50. With stunning black and white photographs shot by Michael Cunningham, the book celebrates trailblazers Ruby Dee, Nona Hendryx, S. Epatha Merkeson and others, detailing their personal recollections of trials and tribulations. Jewels was recently nominated for a 2008 Essence Literary Award in the photography category and is one of Briscoe’s best works to date.

SM: What inspired you to write Jewels and what did you learn about yourself in the process of writing it?

CB: Inspiring women like my mother. There are so many women who did remarkable things, but they get little or no recognition for it. Michael and I both wanted to highlight women like that. One of the things I learned or had reaffirmed while working on Jewels is that we owe so much to the previous generations who endured so much and paved the way for us.

SM: How did you decide who you would feature in this book?

CB: We sent out a letter and invited people to nominate women who fit the criteria. We got back dozens of responses and selected from those. Others we approached ourselves because we thought they fit the profile, which was basically black women age 50 and older who had overcome obstacles such as racism and sexism to not only get ahead but to flourish.

SM: Which story, in your opinion, is the most inspiring in Jewels?

CB: I find different stories inspiring at different times. One reader told me she read a different essay each day for inspiration.

SM: What was the turning point in your life that propelled you to pursue your passion in writing?

CB: There was no single event. I had dreamed of becoming an author for many years before I actually tried to write a novel. I think it was more an accumulation of things –maturity, wisdom, experience, confidence and polishing my writing skills.

SM: With the onset of black romance novels becoming increasingly popular (i.e., Zane), have you felt any pressure from your publisher to write stories dealing with more sexually explicit content?

CB: Not really, because that’s not me and publishers know that. On the other hand, authors such as Zane and the whole attitude of the hip-hop culture in general have had an impact on what readers want or will tolerate and as an author I have to adjust to that without compromising who I am.

SM: How do you ensure that the ‘Connie Briscoe’ brand is consistent with the release of each novel?

CB: I don’t really fuss about things like that. I just write what I’m feeling. That’s all I can do and it’s worked so far.

SM: Does it ever frustrate you that African-American authors are grouped into their own “section” in bookstores and marketing schemes or do you think this provides better exposure?

CB: I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, a black books section makes it easy to browse when you know you want something written by or about us but don’t have anything specific in mind. On the other hand I think it limits us because so many people skip by the black books section and never give us a chance. I like it best when stores place us in the African American and general sections, as some actually do.

SM: Are you releasing a new novel in the near future?

CB: I just signed with Grand Central Publishing for a sequel to my first novel, Sisters and Lovers, to be titled Sisters and Husbands. It’s due to be published in the spring of 2009. It’s a look at what Beverly, Charmaine and Evelyn are up to ten years later and I’m excited about it. Sisters and Lovers was my best-selling book to date, with 750,000 copies in hard and soft cover sold. So it’s time to bring the girls who started it all back into the limelight.

SM: How did Jewels help you evolve as a writer and African-American woman?

CB: I think writing Jewels definitely took me out of my comfort zone. It was my first nonfiction book and it was entirely different from writing a novel–more like journalism than what I was used to. I definitely went through an adjustment period, with a lot of writing and rewriting in the beginning, and had some learning to do. But I had the confidence that I could pull it off with work and perseverance, and it ended up being a wonderful experience for me. I met so many dynamic and influential women who are doing their thing and have done such great things such as Ruby Dee, Marian Wright Edelman and Eleanor Holmes Norton. I helped them tell their stories in Jewels and I’m very proud of that.