Sometime this week (or last), I saw a clip of a conversation with Nikki Giovanni and James Baldwin. I was so intrigued that I looked up the original interview and found the two-part of the interview on YouTube.
I enjoyed listening to their banter and was reminded that there was a time when adults would have a conversation recorded without the need for drama or cursing. It was nice to see people disagreeing respectfully.
I’ll admit that watching the two of them converse pulled me down a rabbit hole. I ended up watching an interview with James Baldwin and Maya Angelou and more videos with Nikki Giovanni.
I was introduced to James Baldwin’s writing in high school. I chose him as the author to focus on for one of my independent projects, where I wrote essays comparing two of his books.
I talked with my husband and expressed gratitude to my parents for not policing the books I read. James Balwin was a homosexual. My family disagreed with the lifestyle, and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have wanted me to read books written by one (for fear of corrupting my impressionable mind).
Reading James Baldwin’s books gave me empathy for homosexuals. His books presented them as regular people with struggles, just like me.
Watching the interviews of great writers this week has given me food for thought. It’s encouraged me to think about what kind of writer I want to be and the legacy I want to leave behind.
The discussions made me think about what kind of writing I’d like to tackle next. After the first two books, I know that I can write different types of stories, and now I want to make them more impactful, so stay tuned for what comes next! 🩵