African-American Authors That Inspire Me to Write
In the past few years I have found myself actively seeking out books written by women and POC. As I’ve read more, I’ve felt this need to read more diversely. As a result, I have been so lucky to discover some incredible writers whose stories and way of writing have inspired me, particularly when it comes to writing. I was so used to reading books and stories written by white authors and although I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of them, most I didn’t feel like I connected with. I couldn’t see myself in the characters or their experiences. Upon reading works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Jesmyn Ward, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Andre Perry I was introduced to worlds that were inhabited by characters that I could relate to or that I just felt a connection to. These authors not only presented me with stories with characters that I found myself thinking about for days and weeks after—but they also inspired me to write about a number of different subjects within different categories. They showed me that you could write whatever story you were creating and it didn’t have to fit into this mold that so many of us are used to.
James Baldwin
When it comes to African-American writers who inspire me to write, none have done so more than James Baldwin. From the moment I first read his work I knew his characters, his stories, his words would change the way I read and wrote. Baldwin showed me that when writing, I can be as brutally honest as I want and need to be. He so openly wrote about his experience being the stepson of a preacher, gay, and being black in addition to writing about issues that effected him such as civil rights, racism, and class issues. While reading his work, I find myself simultaneously agreeing with his words, while also learning so much about class, race, and sexuality. Upon cracking open my first read of his—‘Notes of a Native Son,’ I found myself wanting to write about my own experiences. Baldwin manages to flawlessly write not only non-fiction that deals with these issues but fiction as well. When I read his work, I find myself wanting to explore both genres with my own writing.
Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward is a writer that is fairly new to me. I’d heard and seen her name at the bookstore and on Instagram, but I hadn’t yet read her work. Last year I decided to read ‘Salvage the Bones’ for Black History Month and it quickly became one of my favorite books of the year. Ward—much like Baldwin is able to write fiction in a way that makes the reader feel like what they’re reading is non-fiction. The way in which she weaves Greek mythology and how a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina affects a close-knit family and then sets against the landscape of rural Mississippi is seamless and heartbreaking. The honesty and raw emotion that she wrote into those characters showed me an example of taking something tragic and life changing that you experienced and writing about it as a way to heal.
Toni Morrison
I was so shamefully late to reading Toni Morrison. I picked up Sula last year and haven’t looked back. Morrison is one of the most skilled writers that I have ever had the pleasure of reading and if you haven’t yet read any of her work, I beg you to pick up one of her books. She presents black women in her books in a way that I haven’t come across before. Obviously coming from experience, the portraits she paints of the women that are at the center of her books make the reader really think about what it means to be a black woman in America, especially decades back. When I read her work, I find myself wanting to write about my own personal experiences being a woman and being Latinx today, whether fiction or nonfiction.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
All of the writers on this list are American born Black writers who have written about the black experience in America from different points of views and in different time periods. Ngozi Adichie writes about the Black experience in America as a non American. The first time I read her work was her famous speech excerpt ‘We Should All Be Feminists.’ Of course I was blown away and devoured the book in less than hour, finding myself after taking notes on such a small volume that really carries a lot of weight. I knew that upon settling in to read my first full length book, I was in for quite a journey. This was the first time I read any piece of writing that dealt with the experience of being Black in America while not being from America. Much like the other writers, she writes from a place of experience and a position to be able to say to someone who is reading who may have gone through a similar experience or maybe going through something similar that they are not alone.
In my personal opinion that is one of the most important things when writing, the relatability of the story and of the characters and being able to reach out to someone and let them know that they are not alone in what they are feeling. Whether these writers are writing essays about race or the Black experience or writing fiction, their ability to infuse their own personal experiences into the pages of their books inspires me to do the same. They show me that there is room for everyone’s story and these stories need to be told.
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About Karla Mendez
Karla Mendez is a writer and artist based in Florida. She is obsessed with buying books at a faster pace than she can read. An avid journal keeper, her favorite part of the day is watching the sun rise as she writes. She is always happy to discuss books and films - find her on Instagram at @kmmendez
