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Career journey leads novelist to her passion
February 20, 2005
This week, Boynton Beach author Africa Fine explains her transition from reporting to writing. Fine, 33,
teaches English part time at Palm Beach Community College and Broward Community College. She'll
discuss her novels Katrina and Becoming Maren at a book discussion and signing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the
Delray Beach Public Library.
Q. When did you start writing professionally?
A. After graduating, I discovered I wanted to write. I went to The Palm Beach Post for a few years. It was
great experience. I started as an intern. It helped me learn how to get edited and helped me tighten up
my writing and write quickly. I learned a lot about different subjects, but I knew it wasn't my calling.
Reporting is a tough job. It requires time and commitment. I didn't feel that calling. I went back to get my
master's degree, started teaching and I realized how much I loved it and that it was what I should be
doing. I'd like to write full time, but I enjoy teaching. I get a lot from [my students]. It's a mutual learning
experience. I've learned to be more open-minded because a lot of my students are significantly younger
than me.
Q. Where do you get inspiration for your novels?
A. Ideas for novels come from anywhere -- from something someone says or something I've read. I'm open to
different ideas. I'll store them away and draw on them later. I don't tend to write autobiographically. I think
both my novels have elements of me, but I don't write about my personal life per se. I write about people I
know all the time. It's challenging to write about something close to you emotionally so I'm working up to
that. The piece I'm working on now is coming slowly because I have an 8-month-old and a 2-year-old.
Q. How has having children affected your writing?
A. I'm still figuring that out. My last novel was published while my son was very young. I don't have the same
time I used to. I have to be able to block out certain amounts of time to write. I've never been a daily writer
and now I'm a stay-at-home mom so there aren't many free moments in the day. I don't want to miss this
important time where they're doing new things every day. I'm a firm believer that you can't have
everything at the same time. You have to choose which one is a priority. Soon, they'll be in school and I can
focus more on writing.
Q. What's your opinion of Black History Month?
A. On the one hand, it's good we can focus on black history and on what black people have done, but I
wish we didn't need it. I wish students learned it along with government and [the rest of] history. I
appreciate it for what it is now and it's a great thing to see our cities focusing on making an effort to
celebrate it, not making it symbolic, but rather a monthlong series of events that has legitimacy and a
purpose.
Q. You moderate the African-American book club at the Downtown West Palm Beach library. What's that
like?
A. It's fun because it's an excuse for me to read. Since I have a club, I have to read. We read Caucasia last
month and this month we're reading my second book.
Q. What are you reading now?
A. I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. I think he writes interesting books, but he's a victim of his own
success. I'm deciding how I feel about it. I'm about to pick up Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books.
Q. What does reading mean to you?
A. Reading is highly important to me. I've been a reader since I can remember. It's an escape from
day-to-day life. You can explore cultures you've never experienced and, of course, you can be entertained.
It makes me sad when people don't read. They're missing out.
Q. When do you do most of your reading?
A. When the kids are napping and before I go to bed.
Q. Do you have favorite authors?
A. I will read anything. I love Zora Neale Hurston. So many of her novels are fantastic, not just Their Eyes Were
Watching God. I like Alice Walker. Reading her short stories was what made me decide I should be a writer. I
wanted to tell women's stories the way she told them.
Q. Are you a book browser, and do you go to bookstores or the library?
A. Right now I go to the library because I have no more space for books. Most of my books have been
relegated to the garage. I'm still dealing with the emotional feeling of seeing them there. I have an
emotional attachment to them.
Q. Have you ever considered writing your autobiography?
A. Oh, no. I don't know. I think there's a danger of sounding pompous. Maybe someday when I'm old and
gray and have done enough stuff to warrant 300 pages.
Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Career journey leads novelist to her passion
February 20, 2005
This week, Boynton Beach author Africa Fine explains her transition from reporting to writing. Fine, 33,
teaches English part time at Palm Beach Community College and Broward Community College. She'll
discuss her novels Katrina and Becoming Maren at a book discussion and signing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the
Delray Beach Public Library.
Q. When did you start writing professionally?
A. After graduating, I discovered I wanted to write. I went to The Palm Beach Post for a few years. It was
great experience. I started as an intern. It helped me learn how to get edited and helped me tighten up
my writing and write quickly. I learned a lot about different subjects, but I knew it wasn't my calling.
Reporting is a tough job. It requires time and commitment. I didn't feel that calling. I went back to get my
master's degree, started teaching and I realized how much I loved it and that it was what I should be
doing. I'd like to write full time, but I enjoy teaching. I get a lot from [my students]. It's a mutual learning
experience. I've learned to be more open-minded because a lot of my students are significantly younger
than me.
Q. Where do you get inspiration for your novels?
A. Ideas for novels come from anywhere -- from something someone says or something I've read. I'm open to
different ideas. I'll store them away and draw on them later. I don't tend to write autobiographically. I think
both my novels have elements of me, but I don't write about my personal life per se. I write about people I
know all the time. It's challenging to write about something close to you emotionally so I'm working up to
that. The piece I'm working on now is coming slowly because I have an 8-month-old and a 2-year-old.
Q. How has having children affected your writing?
A. I'm still figuring that out. My last novel was published while my son was very young. I don't have the same
time I used to. I have to be able to block out certain amounts of time to write. I've never been a daily writer
and now I'm a stay-at-home mom so there aren't many free moments in the day. I don't want to miss this
important time where they're doing new things every day. I'm a firm believer that you can't have
everything at the same time. You have to choose which one is a priority. Soon, they'll be in school and I can
focus more on writing.
Q. What's your opinion of Black History Month?
A. On the one hand, it's good we can focus on black history and on what black people have done, but I
wish we didn't need it. I wish students learned it along with government and [the rest of] history. I
appreciate it for what it is now and it's a great thing to see our cities focusing on making an effort to
celebrate it, not making it symbolic, but rather a monthlong series of events that has legitimacy and a
purpose.
Q. You moderate the African-American book club at the Downtown West Palm Beach library. What's that
like?
A. It's fun because it's an excuse for me to read. Since I have a club, I have to read. We read Caucasia last
month and this month we're reading my second book.
Q. What are you reading now?
A. I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. I think he writes interesting books, but he's a victim of his own
success. I'm deciding how I feel about it. I'm about to pick up Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books.
Q. What does reading mean to you?
A. Reading is highly important to me. I've been a reader since I can remember. It's an escape from
day-to-day life. You can explore cultures you've never experienced and, of course, you can be entertained.
It makes me sad when people don't read. They're missing out.
Q. When do you do most of your reading?
A. When the kids are napping and before I go to bed.
Q. Do you have favorite authors?
A. I will read anything. I love Zora Neale Hurston. So many of her novels are fantastic, not just Their Eyes Were
Watching God. I like Alice Walker. Reading her short stories was what made me decide I should be a writer. I
wanted to tell women's stories the way she told them.
Q. Are you a book browser, and do you go to bookstores or the library?
A. Right now I go to the library because I have no more space for books. Most of my books have been
relegated to the garage. I'm still dealing with the emotional feeling of seeing them there. I have an
emotional attachment to them.
Q. Have you ever considered writing your autobiography?
A. Oh, no. I don't know. I think there's a danger of sounding pompous. Maybe someday when I'm old and
gray and have done enough stuff to warrant 300 pages.
Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
| All rights reserved. |
africa fine
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| profile: sun-sentinel |
| Katrina 2001 |
| Becoming Maren 2003 |
| Looking for Lily 2008 |
| Save Me 2009 |
| 2010 |
