Thank you, thank you, thank you. That’s about all I can muster at this moment. I am so grateful for this opportunity.
From Shewrites.com:
Honeysmoke’s memoir, Raising Simone and Nadia, is a standout entry. Her prose is strong yet graceful and her voice impossible to ignore. If you haven’t already read an excerpt from her entry, check it out here. You’ll see what we mean.
One of the biggest challenges a memoirist faces is telling her own personal story while somehow making it bigger than herself. Honeysmoke excels at illuminating the joys and struggles of raising mixed race daughters in her own home while closely examining the roots of racism in the world at large. Raising Simone and Nadia manages to be both highly personal and universal, engaging readers in a compelling narrative while also placing us at the center of one of the most heated social issues of our day.
Honeysmoke’s prize will begin with a consultation with Christina Baker Kline. Christina will help our winner construct and polish a dynamite proposal. Follow along as you draft your own proposal—Christina will blog about the process and will have plenty of tips for every She Writer.
Seldom do I decide to read a memoir or essay, time prohibits too often. But yours spoke to me. Congrats! So happy for you. The biracial skin colour was a challenge for me with my eldest daughter. I used the vanilla extract with its dark brown colour. Added to the milk. Even several drops in a cup of white milk do not show, but it’s still in there. Sometimes you mix it up and get this darker colour, sometimes that lighter colour. I understand the challenge. Again, good writing!
Congratulations on winning, but even more, congratulations on writing with such openness and sensitivity about a very touchy subject. I’m the white mother of a black daughter – we have had the strangest and most unexpected comments/confrontations/support from so many people. Sometimes I just can’t believe how often people feel the need and right to even voice their opinion or question. Let me admit, I thought our society was farther along in interracial understanding and harmony than it seems to be. Guess that is white privilege staring at me. I’m looking forward to reading more about how you handle comments, loved ones and most especially how you support your daughters in developing a STRONG sense of self! When will we read more than just an excerpt????
Congrats honeysmoke. Wow. I am so happy for you!!!
Thanks, folks. @Rania I am keeping the blog and will address that in a post.
By the way, you might find the attached interesting:
http://www.theroot.com/views/21st-century-passing
@Blanc2 Thanks!
Congratulations, Monique! Well done and well deserved. The sky’s the limit.
Yay!!! I saw you in the newsletter yesterday and was about to email you when Betty came around and yes, slammed the laptop closed. But now I can say it in a public forum. Congratulations!!!
Congratulations—well done.
Congratulations to my favorite blogger. Yours is the only one I visit every day, first thing in the morning.
CONGRATS!
And you questioned keeping the blog. Tsk tsk tak. LOL I’m glad others see what we have seen for a while.
I am so happy for you, good luck!