A Brown Sugar Interview w/Author Nina Brewton by Angie C (@bitofbrownsuga)
19 March 2013 Brown Sugar
March is Women’s History Month. I’m celebrating a woman that is blazing a trail of her own! Nina Brewton is a published author, speaker, vocalist and more. In 2012 she published her 1st book, a memoir. If you are under 40 and can write a successful memoir then clearly you have LIVED. Nina has so much life and light to share with the world that I wanted to make sure my readers got a taste as well. This month marks the release of her 2nd book “Heart of a Queen: Poetry and Prose for the Soul”. Read all about her work and her love for music and much more in our Brown Sugar interview. Enjoy!
When did you fall in love with hip hop *in my Sid Shaw voice*?
Lol I mean, since you asked…
I first fell in love with hiphop when I was about 11. It actually started with Too Short’s The Ghetto, which sampled Donny Hathaway’s song by the same name. The bass line could be heard for miles and miles, beating from the back of cat’s cars. I’m f rom the Midwest, where West coast hip hop was more popular.
Then there were groups like Questionmark Asylum, also from the West coast but had more East coast flavor which was more my style. From there I got into groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang.
Does music play a role in your creative process as a writer? How?
I find myself inspired by so many artists. An artists’ influence on my writing can depend on the topics they cover in their music. This is why finding quality music is so important to me. Whatever genre, from love to politics, my favorite artists have always taken me outside my world into new ones.
For example, in my memoir Dramas of a Bald Head Queen I share that I first came to love my Blackness in middle school after being exposed to the beauty and strength of artists like Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and the like. I found myself researching African culture and the history of Africans in America after becoming familiar with their music and talent.
I was 14 in 1993 when I first saw the video for Me’Shell Ndegeocello’s Dred Loc, on Video Soul. I sought out her debut album Plantation Lullabies, which is where I first heard the name of writer Ntozake Shange. Shortly thereafter I found myself in my neighborhood library where I discovered the choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.
Music should not only entertain us but should teach us something that will lead us to learning more about our world and, in turn, about ourselves as we continue to grow.
When did you know you wanted to write?
I can’t remember not wanting to be a writer. I remember begging my father to teach me how to write as my older brother was already in school learning. I would be right beside them at four years old, tracing over the letters on his first grade worksheets.
I began journaling when I was about 10 (I wish I had kept that old stuff!). From there, I began to dabble in poetry and fall in love with writers in various genres from all walks of life.
Any self publishing tips for aspiring writers? How do writers find editors?
I actually came across my editor, Benjamin Daniel, on the world-altering Twitter. We’ve been working together since late 2010 and I have now published two books under the Write Right Publications imprint.
Also, research, research, research. Always be willing to take the sound, constructive (that’s important!) advice of others. There are a NUMBER of ways to realize a dream of being a published author.
What three things would you share with women in your age demographic? Anything for the fellas?
The three greatest tips for that I can give (for anyone) is:
1) Believe in yourself and be your number one fan! Many times when you’re striving to work as an independent artist or entrepreneur you’ll get discouraged and will want others to encourage you, to keep you moving forward. The hands of others won’t always be available so we must rely on self=motivation and faith in the vision that allowed us to step out of fear in the first place!
2) Speaking of the encouragement of others, although there may be times when we feel alone, we, as humans, are not meant to be alone on our journeys. Be mindful of the people with whom you associate and the ones you let in to your heart both personally and professionally. Those with whom you involve yourself should add to your life, not take away from it. If your energy is disrupted every time you’re in someone’s presence, remove yourself from their life!
3) Don’t EVER be driven by the desire for fortune or fame. Your movements and dealings MUST be purpose-driven. You will find that apparent failures don’t hurt as much when you keep the big picture and purpose in view.
What’s next for Nina Brewton?
On March 5th I released a second book, a collection of poetry and prose, Heart of a Queen – Poetry and Prose from the Soul. The book was not only released under the Write Right imprint but debuted with These Long Tailed Words, Mr. Daniel’s first book. Our goal with the dual release is to draw interest in Write Right Publications as we strive to not only represent ourselves as independent authors but as a one stop location, meeting the needs of the self-published author.
In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, we invite all to join us at Prince Books in downtown Norfolk for ‘An Afternoon with Write Right Publications’ as we share works from the authors’ recently released collections of poetry and prose.
My dear friend Nina Brewton can be found on twitter @baldheadqueen and online at www.baldheadqueen.com for all further information
Brown Sugar is written by theatre artist and vocalist Angie C @bitofbrownsuga on twitter. Email abitofbrownsugar@gmail.com for interview requests as well as to submit ideas for future articles.
DJ Bee Brown Suga, Nina Brewton