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As a member of a biracial family, my lifelong passion is writing about "race"--how the concept ever came to be, issues of identity, justice...the whole package. All my books focus in one way or another on this immensely charged topic.
Black, White, Other was my first novel, published in 2011 (paperback in 2012). I loved approaching the issue from the lens of a fifteen-year-old girl, whose voice came to me quite naturally, probably from raising my own children and being close to other teens then and now. Having permission to create scenes, instead of being journalistically accurate, allowed me a fantastic freedom to explore the intricacies of family and friend dynamics playing out among people of different "races."
In 2013 I published Mama's Child, another biracial family story. This one focused on a mother-daughter relationship in the civil rights era. And now I'm contracted for a third novel, a third variation on the theme I seem to have chosen as my life beat. Or perhaps it has chosen me.
In any case, I feel privileged and honored to be able to practice my craft and at the same time provide healing and insight, as well as entertainment. Keep in touch!
JoanLester@JoanLester. com
Watch the video trailer for Black, White, Other on YouTube. My publishers did a terrific job. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqY069NyrAM
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