Ms. Toomer shows readers how she discovered her strength and inspired changes through her activism during the Civil Rights era, her challenges as an educator, as well as navigating through September 11, 2001, in New York City, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with "The Authors Show," Ms. Toomer gave an inspiring response to the question: "What is a 21st-century woman?" Ms. Toomer answered:
"A 21st-century woman is a woman who endures cultural and societal conflicts and finds a way to overcome even personal difficulties to rediscover and refine her strengths."
During her interview, Ms. Toomer offered more insight into the process of developing her book. To listen to her full interview on "The Author's Show," use the audio player below:
Prior to her interview on the popular radio program that highlights new and seasoned authors, Ms. Toomer had a question-and-answer (Q&A) session with MANA, the company through which she self-published her memoir, Precious Struggles: The Making Of A 21st Century Woman:
MANA: What inspired you to write your book?
Jeanette Toomer (JT): I felt that after turning 50 I wanted to leave my memoir behind for my children and other women to know. It may look normal, but many incidents (including birth) in the life of a Black woman in America are not. Yet, we tend to survive, live and even raise children in a racist, and sometimes, sexist culture. If I share my story, perhaps I can inspire someone else to share theirs. We have so much to learn from each other.
MANA: Is this your first book?
JT: Yes, this is my first book.
MANA: How did you find time for writing, particularly if you were working while writing your manuscript?
JT: It was a long time coming. I had to fit writing into weekends and summer vacations. My children are adults, so I was no longer raising children. But, teaching high school English can require long hours of planning lessons and grading papers. I started by attending a small memoir writing workshop held by African Voices. We would bring our drafts to the workshop and receive feedback from each other. That was over six years ago. I decided to keep writing it with chapters on 9/11 and later surviving cancer.
MANA: What was the easiest part of the writing process for you?
JT: I guess the easy part was knowing what I wanted to focus on in each chapter. At least that's how it began and other memories would rise and I'd have to add to it.
MANA: Please describe what your book, Precious Struggles: The Making Of A 21st Century Woman is about?
JT: My book is about the personal, cultural, and political struggles that I experienced in my life and overcame. Most of them I did not foresee, which was the disturbing part about it. I also realized that many of these struggles were racial and sexist signs of our times.
MANA: How did you come up with the title, Precious Struggles: The Making Of A 21st Century Woman?
JT: "Precious" means that it was crucial for me to face these challenges, which related closely to who I am as a Black woman, a professional, and a mother. So the struggles are difficult but also precious and allow me to grow beyond my expectations.
MANA: For whom did you write this book? In other words, who is your audience?
JT: My audience is women of all ages and particularly Black women. It is also for anyone studying race or gender studies in the 20th century. It is also for men who want to better understand the choices that women make for their reproductive well-being.
MANA: What do you hope that readers will take away from your book?
JT: I hope that they take away inspiration to be the "change" that our country needs. Some of the struggles and issues in the book are still very relevant today.
MANA: What lessons did you learn about the book publishing process?
JT: It takes years not just to write the book but also to proofread and edit it.
MANA: Is there anything else that you would like to say about your book?
JT: Buy it. Reactions from readers have been very good.
Go HERE to MANA's website to preview Precious Struggles: The Making Of A 21st Century Woman.
No comments:
Post a Comment