Light-skinned-ed Girl

I'm on Pinterest!

I'm not sure why although I am finding it kind of addictive.  Are you on Pinterest too?  You can find me here!

My Guilty Pleasure: a NPR Confession & One-Click Request

What's my guilty pleasure? Find out by listening to my NPR essay that ran yesterday on All Things Considered. And please, click "Recommend" on the NPR story page. No sign-in, no sign-up, anonymous and free! But it would be immensely helpful to me!

Since it's just you guys, can I just say . . .

I am all full up. Do you know that feeling?  Exhausted happy.  A little bit crazed.  So full of so many good feelings and stories that I can barely process it all. Exhausted and grateful.  And soon returning to here . . . because I miss it so much.

Remember Me?

I used to blog here.  In 2008, I blogged here every day. 

When I started the blog in 2006, it was my way of forcing myself to write, and my way of trying to connect with people who might be interested in the same things.

I miss blogging here.  And I sure do hope to get back to it. 

I guess you know that I'm on the road on a book tour sharing The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (Algonquin Books).  It's been fantastic.  And although I haven't had time to write the important reflections from all of the experiences, I am keeping my website News blog up-to-date with photos and updates.  I hope you'll check it out here.

But really, very seriously, I need to start blogging here again.  It helped me so much through difficult times hearing from all of you--and also figuring out what I wanted to say. 

So stay tuned.  More reflections are coming soon.

Figuring Out Who Your Public You Is

When I revamped my website in anticipation of the book's publication, I chose not to highlight this blog so that I could keep it as a "private" place.  Yes, "private" on the world wide web.  But what I mean is: people who read this blog know me or have come to know me over the course of the last almost four years--and I didn't want to mess that up with new people reading and commenting who only knew me from the book's publication.  I think this was the right decision.

But now the problem is: what do I talk to you guys about?  I'm not interested in doing a blog all about these next days and weeks of book marketing.  And yet, that seems to be all I have time to do.  The book right now is consuming me: securing appearances, making sure people are at the appearances, getting the media's attention for the appearances and then just generally praying for good reviews and good sales.

It's good news that the good news continues to trickle in for the book.  For example, I got a hardcover copy of the book!  It's gorgeous.  And I got the audio version.  I haven't listened to it yet--waiting for the weekend when I can listen to it all in one gulp.  And the book is an Indie Next Pick for February and a Borders Original Voices Pick for March and will be sold at the front of Borders stores nationwide.  There is much to celebrate.

Do you guys want to hear about this stuff?  It is the stuff of my life suddenly--or maybe there was something else you liked about the blog when I was here regularly every day.  I'd love to hear what you have to say.  My public blog me has been a hodgepodge--going forward I'm not sure.  How do you handle the division between public and private with your blog?  Lots of questions, I know.  Just hoping for some ideas if not answers. Thanks guys!

A Mixed Bag Update

It may seem like I've disappeared from blogging, but I've been busy over at my website's blog doing a Countdown to Publication--only 56 days left before The Girl Who Fell From the Sky finds it way into bookstores!  It's a mixed bag of fun facts about writing the book--check it and tell me what you think. 

I've also started a podcast you can download on itunes.  While I'm on the road, I'll record some of the readings and share my thoughts about how it's all going, and include short interviews with the people I meet along the way. 

I'm looking forward to meeting you all on the road when I go on the book tour--but if I'm not coming to a town near you, I'd still love to sign your book.  Just send me a self-addressed stamped envelope like Alethea and Isha (yours are on the way!) did, and I'll send you a personalized signed bookplate (the kind that usually says "this book belongs to") and you can put in the front of your book.  It's my way of thanking you for the support of my work.  My address is here. 

More soon guys--and happy holidays!

Why is this blog called Light-skinned-ed Girl?

I was 11 the first time I heard the term "light-skinned-ed."  (And yes, the kids said it with the extra "ed.")

My family had just moved and we were living in a mostly black community for the first time. Someone had asked me the now-familiar question "What are you?"  I had learned pretty quickly that when people asked they wanted to know what race I was; why did I look the way I did?  "Black and white," I'd said.  "Oh," the girl said, "I thought you were just light-skinned-ed."

It baffled me at the time.

Now, I claim the term as my invitation or pass into black womanhood.  (I say black womanhood specifically because I felt most estranged from black women growing up--even though I wanted so much to belong.)

When I claim my light-skinned-ed-ness, it's not to valorize my skin color, but to accept the way that in some ways I belong to the world of black womanhood.  I can look like this and not have to Prove my allegiance.

Yes, well, then why claim it at all?  Why not be on firm ground and simply identify as a black woman?  Many women -- more light-skinned-ed than I -- have done that through the ages.  The answer is simply that it would negate my actual experience -- it doesn't tell the whole of the story I want to tell.

It's complicated this naming business.  I'm not sure that I've figured it out completely myself. 

A Blog Community and a Sad Loss

I learned this weekend that a healthy, 20-something, avid reader of this blog passed away earlier this year.  A relative, coping with the loss, and the stunning development that authorities now believe the death was a suicide, was looking for a connection to her loved one.  She emailed me with the news.

I didn't know the young woman personally, but her death has hit me very hard.  The young woman found this blog because she was grappling with her Mixed experience.  She was embarrassed to talk with friends about her struggle of trying to figure out where she fit in black or white communities.  She read along for a long time before she ever commented.  And she only commented once.

It's still unclear whether the authorities are right.  I hope they're not.  But it's so difficult to think that maybe she thought her struggle was too difficult--and heart-breaking to think that she thought she was alone.  

A beautiful, curious, and vivacious young woman was lost.  She will be missed.

Hello & Welcome to My Blog

Welcome to my blog, Light-Skinned-ed Girl, a mixed chick's mixed thoughts on a mixed-up world.

Since 2006, I've been writing about the vagaries of race, biracial identity, and the Mixed experience--essentially I write "On the Biracial Thing."

 Some of my favorite (and controversial) posts on those subjects appear here:

• The Family Album is Mixed
• 1st Mixed Race People History Month Kick-off
  
• 2nd Annual Mixed Experience History Month Kick-off
• 3rd Annual Mixed Experience History Month Kick-off
• Mixed Experience History Month Re-Cap & a Pledge to Soldier On
• Did you know that these people were mixed? playwright August Wilson, artist Isamu Noguchi, writer Nella Larsen (black and Danish like me), activist Mildred Loving
  
• Are Those Your Eyes Part 5
• Are Those Your Eyes Part 7

I'm a writer who often blogs about the creative life: moments of inspiration and disappointment.  In 2008, I won Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize for Literature of Social Change.  My debut novel, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (Algonquin Books), will be published in February 2010!  (You can pre-order it now.)  The book, a coming-of-age story mixed with a mystery and a love story, was named one of the Top Ten Promising Debuts in Publishers Weekly in June.  Follow my journey from unpublished to published writer as I chronicle each little step along the way.

• My First Book Appearance
• The Advanced Reading Copy of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is Ready
• I Won the Bellwether Prize!

 Sometimes I write about my travels.  I am lucky to have experienced many adventures.

And sometimes I write about--well, anything that's on my mind.  That was especially true in 2008 when I blogged every single day of the year from wherever I was in the world.

I hope you enjoy the read!

:) heidi

P.S.  If you're looking for more cool stuff, check out my website where you can find more of my writing, or check out the weekly podcast I co-host called Mixed Chicks Chat and then read about the Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival, an annual free public event, I co-founded and co-produce!

Thoughts on Blogging Every Day for a Year: Part 2

This is it for 2008!  I can't believe I really did it: a blog post for every single day of 2008! It was as difficult as training for and running the marathon and as important to me as writing my book.  And I did it--thanks for joining me on the ride!  As promised, here's a list of some of my favorite posts and hopefully some of yours:

Most Popular Posts (determined by the number of comments/emails)

• Black Mothers of Biracial Children: We Need Your Voices: This post got a few comments initially, but sometime in late October/early November when I was very focused on my book revision deadline the commentary really picked up.  I didn't have the time to reach out to everyone who commented then, but I hope if you're out there, you'll come back again and share more of your thoughts.  I was also particularly touched by the story shared by Shannon in that comment thread.  Shannon--I'm still sending you good thoughts!
• You Really Are Black.   Yup, that post about sums it up for me. 
• Biracial HairInterview with Teri LaFlesh:  Nothing can cause a ruckus like talking about hair and women of color.  I LOVED this interview with Teri.  You will love not only her haircare tips, but her blog.
• Carly Simon is Kind of Black; and More on Carly Simon:  People love Carly Simon.  People are intrigued by her past.  What else can I say?

My Favorite Posts (determined by ME)

• Mixed Experience History Month posts:  Guys, you have no idea how much energy this took out of me.  But I am committed to bringing the history of the Mixed experience to light.  Mixed people and families didn't just happen because of the 1960s Free Love Movement!  May 2009 I will pack this blog with more profiles of the Mixed experience.  Tune in.  Oh, and us chicks of Mixed Chicks Chat will be bringing you 365 Days of the Mixed Minute video-style.  More on that in the coming days!
• Are Those Your Eyes? series: I really liked writing about this.  Because really, where else could I?  The fact that I have light eyes and brown skin is central to my biracial/bicultural identity.  It's like people see the combo and have permission to ask that familiar question: what are you?  My favorite post though was the one about Niece.  Look for more of these in 2009.
• Friendship & Loneliness: This was a post I really didn't mean to write.  But it was during a melancholy phase and it concerned me.  What is required to be a good friend?  I am not certain that I have been one in the last couple of years.  In fact, I have been a selfish bastard with my time--hyper-focused on my writing and the Festival and MCC.  I have "lost" some dear friends I think because of it in the last couple of years--folks who have gone radio-silent on me.  I hope they show up again at some point.  I miss them. 
• Nephew Asks: Obama is Biracial?: The world is changing.  I have to acknowledge it!
• Animal Posts: Pizotes, Lemurs, Cows:  I love the animal posts. 
• The Anniversary of My Dad's Death: A really personal post, but it was all that was on my mind.  I wanted to share with all of you a photo of the handsome man I knew as my father.

Thanks so much for reading.  You guys have been truly awesome.  I may or may not be back tomorrow, but I promise I will be back soon!  This is Light-skinned-ed Girl signing out for 2008.  Bringing in the New Year with a bang!