This
next guest is an author that has been on our radar for literally like a
year and a half and we finally just got the courage to ask her to join
us for a chat. The awesome things about this author is that she so
beautifully blends South Asian characters in these non-stereotypical
settings that neither one of us has really seen before. To find out
more, we highly suggest reading one or two(or more...) of her books.
Her name? Neesha Meminger. Her goal? Writing awesome books with South Asian protagonists!
1. First off, thanks for stopping by our blog! What can you tell anyone meeting you for the first time about yourself.
Thank
you for having me! What I could tell someone meeting me for the first
time is that I know a lot of stuff. Much of it will not help anyone in
an emergency; get anyone higher grades in school; or build anything of
any technological value. But it is stuff that involves feelings and
emotional growth and healing...and that *could* do all of the
aforementioned ;).
2.We talk about multiculturalism all the time on our blog. Do you find diversity important in your writing?
Absolutely.
I consciously write diverse characters. It's important to me to
accurately reflect the world around me and to write into existence the
stories of people I've known, myself included. As with many folks of
color, lgbtq folks, working class people, people with disabilities,
etc., I did not see myself reflected in books and media as I was growing
up. This just reinforced the notion that I was invisible, didn't
matter, or wasn't worth acknowledging -- a notion I distilled from my
surroundings through textbooks, films, casual and off-hand remarks from
adults around me. Reflecting diversity while, as author Zetta Elliot has
so eloquently pointed out, addressing issues of equity in publishing
play a crucial role in transforming the way young people view themselves
and, by extension, become active participants in the world.
3. I know it's hard to choose between your babies, but do you have a ultimate favorite character that you've written?
This is a tough one, but I think I might have to say Jazz! For
some reason, Jazz, from Jazz In Love, is really close to my heart. When
I was writing her story, I kept feeling like I wanted to hug her. She
was going through so much and she was really a sweet, inquisitive teen
who kept being misunderstood. She was looking to the world around her
for options in terms of how to be a woman and there seemed to be no room
for rebellious, mischievous, girls like her who are looking for love.
4.What was the last book that made you want to sit down with a stranger and brag about?
I'm
assuming you mean which of my books...? In terms of my YA novels (I
also write romance novels under a pseudonym), again, it would have to be
Jazz In Love. Shine, Coconut Moon was my first and I love it so much
because of that, and all I learned through writing it; Into the Wise
Dark was an ambitious undertaking and I love the ways I branched out in
it and grew new wings writing about things that matter to me the most in
life; but Jazz In Love was the novel I had the most fun with. It was
funny and light, while at the same time being serious and tackling some
tough issues -- like violence in teen relationships, and rebellion and
arranged marriage, and dating -- within the South Asian community.
5. Lastly, where can anyone go to find and be updated on everything Neesha Meminger?
My website, www.NeeshaMeminger.com,
is a great place to get information on my books, but I also have a
Facebook page that I try to post regularly on. I always look forward to
hearing from readers!
Don't forget everyone!We're giving away tons of prizes!Please check out our giveaway along with our features on all these amazing authors!
Awesome q&a. Thanks for putting Neesha on my radar. I'm putting together a list of my favorite diverse books and one of my recent faves is "Gabi, a Girl in Pieces."
ReplyDelete@readingdate It's awesome that you took the time to read! Also, I heard amazing things about "Gabi..." from Kelly Jensen, one of the better representation of plus sized heroines!
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