Amena Brown believes “Black girl” is a verb. This belief is so strong, as is her belief in the joys of being a Black girl, and the expansive ways she’s learned to exist as a Black girl, that she wrote a book about it all. That book, Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl is a poignant collection of essays which cover everything from dancing in Janelle Monae’s “Tightrope” music video to partnering with style icon Tracee Ellis Ross to compose odes to natural hair. The proud Spelman College graduate who calls Atlanta home is basically your smart, funny and inspiring friend who will help you update your LinkedIn profile, strategize the perfect DM to send to your secret crush on Instagram and assist you with taking out your butt length knotless braids—all in the same weekend. Sis’ is a vibe!
Brown joined all the other cool girls at this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture and even served as a featured panelist on the ESSENCE Authors stage in the Book Festival. After the compelling conversation about her book Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl while in New Orleans, we needed to know more about the books she reads herself when she’s not writing them. Brown gave us the scoop on this plus more like the 411 on her intriguing love of reading about mafia romances and her surprising use of random leaves while she’s reading a good book.
My Favorite Book of All-Time: Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enough. The poetry! The stage work! It is a quintessential Black girl text and my absolute personal favorite.
The Last Book I Read: Kin by my good sis Tayari Jones. She put her foot in that book like a perfectly stewed pot of greens.
The Book I’m Currently Reading: I’m currently reading Damon Young’s That’s How They Get You. It is hilarious and such a well curated anthology of Black humor.
My Favorite Book Genre: Nonfiction books of funny essays. Samantha Irby is one of my favorite nonfiction authors. And mafia romance. Love a mix of romance and organized crime! Shoutout to Kenya Wright one of my favorite authors in this genre.
The First Book I Read As A Child That Resonated with Me: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. The first book I remember having such beautiful illustrations of people who looked like me.
Book I Felt Most Seen In As A Black Woman: I’m gonna cheat and say two books here because they are in conversation with one another. Sisters of the Yam by bell hooks and Too Heavy a Yoke by Dr. Chanequa Walker Barnes both helped me develop better self-care, boundaries and gave me permission to cuss people out when necessary.
Audio Books or Traditional Print Books: E-books! I don’t listen to audiobooks very much because I talk to my friends on the phone and on various apps like we are recording our own internal podcast. With e-books I can read in line at the grocery store or in the middle of the night if I wake up and want to read without turning the light on.
Place I Enjoy Reading Most: In the listening room of my house. It’s made for reading and listening to vinyl.
Bookmark Or Dog-Ear The Last Page Read? I’m likely to use anything I find as a bookmark, an old receipt, a Post-It with somebody’s number on it, a nice leaf I found, a loose bra strap.
Book People Would Be Surprised To Find on Your Bookshelf: Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence. Someone close to me gave it me after having it for years. It’s a hardback edition.
