Author, Carolyn Vines
I caught up with Carolyn Vines, author of Black and (A)broad and she graciously answered a few questions for me about her new book:
Why did you write a book?
I started off writing black and (A)broad to inspire black women to travel outside the US. However, as I got deeper into my writing process, I noticed that with each trip I made at various points of my life I also made an internal journey, which ultimately led me to my core self.
Traveling and living abroad helped me to redefine how I saw myself as a black woman in this world. From that point, sharing my story became about showing black women that we have options beyond the limitations of who our cultures tell us we are. No one can tell me who I am anymore, and that is so liberating.
What is the book about?
The book follows my movements from the moment my Dutch husband (then boyfriend) asks me to move to Holland with him to the present. My story moves back and forth in time and geographical space to my various moments of self-revelation.
My childhood was filled with tragedy. Add on to that the racial ugliness that still exists in the US, and it’s no wonder I had no idea who I was and what my potential was. However, even from a young age, I resisted living within the boundaries of what was expected from a black girl/woman. Traveling, even within the US, was a big part of that resistance.
black and (A)broad is also a love story of sorts as it does recount my relationship with my Dutch husband. Deciding to marry outside my culture, nationality as well as my race – with its ups and downs – is a story within itself. Interracial marriages can and do survive, and my book gives a glimpse into mine.
How did you get a book deal?
I didn’t get a book deal; I’m self-published. That’s also a good story. The first query letter I sent, snail mail, to a respectable publishing house in California garnered a response. The acquisitions editor requested a proposal, read it and gave me feedback. She loved my writing and found that the story was a compelling one that needed to be told. Unfortunately, she was more interested in a travel guide for black women and if I were willing to write that type of book, she’d certainly consider a book deal with me.
I thought long and hard about her suggestion and decided to stick to my original plan. I wanted to write a memoir with a message, and that’s what I did. The interesting thing is that the decision was in keeping with my message, which is that we must strive to define ourselves in our own terms and on our own terms.
I knew that whether the publishing industry endorsed it or not, I was a writer. I learned that I didn’t need anyone to tell me that. Secondly, whether the publishing industry endorsed it or not, this book deserved to be published. I didn’t wait around for anyone to tell me that my book was good enough to be published.
Sure I gave up some things, but I can say, with conviction, that I have no regrets.
Do you have any advice for sisters who want to live in the Netherlands?
For sisters who want to live in the Netherlands: just do it. Holland is a good place for Americans. It’s a better place for black people because the Dutch are not obsessed with race. I’m not reminded day in, day out that I’m a black woman, which frees up my energies for other things like raising my kids, keeping my marriage healthy, seeing to my own needs as a woman, ensuring that my creative fire burns, establishing myself as a writer, editor and publisher.
The other thing I’d say to sisters is this: Dutch men do get their swirl on! Do I need to say anything else (LOL)?
What dreams do you have for your daughters?
I want them to grow up with a solid sense of who they are. I don’t care too much where they live; it’s about what they want. I want them to know their worth!
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