Writer lives to tell stories, share life's lessons
By My-Ly Nguyen
Diversity Institute Fellow
07.29.02
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| Tina McElroy Ansa, left, with Wanda Lloyd, Freedom Forum Diversity Institute Executive Director. Photo by Shiloh Crawford III |
Growing up, Tina McElroy Ansa thought the whole world was made up of stories.
Now that she’s all grown up, her world revolves around writing stories.
"What I love about writing is that it’s a live, organic thing,” she said.
Ansa, of St. Simons Island, Ga., has spent most of her life writing: as an English major at Spelman College, as a journalist at The Atlanta Constitution and now as an author of novels, short stories and essays.
Her latest novel, You Know Better, explores the relationships between mothers and daughters, and is about how children are experiencing life in today’s society.
In the book, she tells the story of LaShawndra Pines from the perspectives of LaShawndra’s grandmother, LaShawndra’s mother and LaShawndra herself. Ansa describes LaShawndra as an 18-year-old “hoochie mama” whose goal in life is to be a dancer in a music video.
Ansa spoke about her book July 11 to fellows taking part in a journalism training program at the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She also gave the group advice about writing.
“The best journalists live examined lives and know themselves,” she said.
Ansa urged the fellows to be alert for stories that could be anywhere, just waiting to be recognized. “After awhile, you won’t be able to do anything without seeing a story,” she told them.
The author also praised the usefulness of always having a pen and pad handy to jot down story ideas.
“I think Post-its are the most wonderful invention,” she said.
She described how she likes to stick them, each with a different story idea, onto the headboard of her bed.
She explained that she gets a lot of ideas when she’s just waking up or just going to sleep.
“If you don’t write it down right away then it’s absolutely lost,” she said.
Ansa ended her session with the fellows by reading a passage from You Know Better, signing copies of the book for them and smiling big for photos with each person.
But that was only the beginning of Ansa’s Nashville visit.
The next day, she was a guest on "A Word on Words," a weekly book-review show hosted by First Amendment Center Founder John Seigenthaler and distributed through the Southern Public Television Network. That evening, she spoke at a reading and book-signing event held at the Freedom Forum for the public.
Ansa has written numerous essays and short stories, and three other novels: Baby of the Family, Ugly Ways and The Hand I Fan With.
Her "Postcards from Georgia" essays are regularly featured on "CBS Sunday Morning."