Decades: A Journey of African American Romance
The Art of Love is the fourth book in the Decades: A Journey of African American
Romance series. This series consists of 12 books, each set in one of
12 decades between 1900 and 2010. Each story focuses on the romance
between African American protagonists, but also embraces the African American
experience within that decade. Join the journey on our Facebook page, http://bit.ly/2z9sMrd.
Last year while attending an out-of-state
book event, my author-sister, Sheryl Lister, sent me a text. She was knee-deep
in conversation with fellow author, Wayne Jordan, who was seeking writers for
his upcoming compilation project celebrating a century of Black Love. There
were slots available for stories covering the early- and mid-twentieth century.
Would I be interested?
If text had sound, Sheryl’s eardrums
would’ve exploded with my, “GIRL, YES!”
Promising to provide further details,
Sheryl and I ended our text-versation with our usual mushy sister love. Sure
enough, Sheryl later provided details, as well as connected me with Wayne. The
idea of participating in a literary project celebrating a century of African
American romance was unbelievably seductive. Obtaining the slot for the 1930s
story was ice cream and cake. Hooked,
I was! Seeing as how my award-winning historical romance, Taffy, was set in 1935, I was confident I could bring the decade to
life.
Now cue the panic! Reality hit and I
thought, “Wait, 1930s, I’ve done them; and they’re not exactly ideal.” Conditions
in 1930s America did not a love climate make. We’re talking Prohibition, The
Great Depression, the systemic degeneration caused by Jim Crow and pervasive
racism. Far from an ideal backdrop, the decade suddenly felt, oh so, unromantic.
I had to remind myself, you did it
before; you better do it again. So, I jumped in.
Thinking on the Harlem Renaissance and how
it dwindled and waned in the 1930s, I felt those very elements were part of my plot.
Opening my heart to Miss Muse, I heard “sculptor, artist.” Like Augusta Savage and Edmonia Lewis, I wondered? Yes! In a snap, that
was that. I had my heroine and her profession. But the hero: what of him?
Empty-handed brain-wracking made it clear that research was going to be my new
best friend.
Research confirmed what I knew:
employment opportunities for African American men during The Great Depression
were slim-pickings, nearly nonexistent. Forced to think outside the box, I stumbled
upon a delicious pairing for my struggling artist. This was an era of
Prohibition. Could my hero possibly be a bootlegger, living life on the
opposite side of the law? The resounding answer to that was, “Yes, honey, yes!”
Excited, I spent hours online
researching Prohibition and bootlegging only to note that the central figures
in the majority of the stories were white men. African Americans, when
mentioned, were marginalized as laborers or highly criminalized while their
white counterparts were nearly romanticized. That exclusion stirred the
renegade writer in me. My hero would be
a highly successful bootlegger at the helm of his own dynasty. Now, how ya like
that! Thus, the wild seeds for The Art of
Love were sown.
Writing Historical Romance through an
African American lens, I am reminded that our circumstances since arriving on
U.S. soil have never been conducive
to romance. Our ancestors’ days were too filled with the sweat of survival to
enjoy nights of wine and roses. Yet, here we are: the evidence of a love that
survived and thrived. Writing African American Historical Romance, I feel like
a naughty child peeking in on “adult business.” It’s a delicious delight, this divine
opportunity to imagine the shapes and form of my forbears’ love. It’s my honor
to pen The Art of Love and every
other Historical Romance I’ll ever write. Welcome to my celebration of us.
Suzette
D. Harrison, the award-winning author of Taffy, is a west coast
native whose dream life is filled with reading and writing books. A graduate of
Le Cordon Bleu where she earned a diploma in Pastry & Baking, Suzette is
currently whipping up her next book...in between batches of cupcakes.
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4 comments:
Now Suzette, you know you have piqued my interest with such an amazing storyline with a tantalizing hero. I am on pins and needles awaiting its release.
Beautiful post, Suzette. Sounds like a great book!
I enjoyed your post and reading about your journey. Your new book sounds enticing!
The 1930's is certainly a turbulent time. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a successful African American bootlegger who did well. Just didn't make the history books because in that era, as in eras before, marginalized populations were invisible to the writers of history.
Sounds like a great premise!
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