Wednesday, October 3, 2001
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Wednesday, October 3, 2001 |
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Author's a hit at library By CAROLYN
CARY
Noted author Tina McElroy Ansa read from her work at the Fayette County Public Library last Saturday. The Macon native kept an audience of nearly 100 persons in rapt attention. Library director Chris Snell asked Ansa to speak on the how and why in her writing. The Spellman College graduate credited her life as the baby of the family of five siblings with giving her a rich family life to pull ideas from, as well as encouraging her to write. "One of the joys of my life," she said, "was going to the library. Everyone in my family were always big readers. When Mama would be reading a hard cover book, sitting in her pink chair, we knew not to disturb her. When I was small I would look through her book, dismayed that there were no pictures, just words. At that time I couldn't understand what was so fascinating about all those words," she added. "As I grew older, I realized that there were not a lot of books that related to the black experiences, in a vocabulary that most would understand," said Ansa. "I realized that if writers like myself did not bring this about, we were at fault. "It's synergy. I try to write about what you want to read." After reading from her first book, "Baby of the Family," she autographed the three books currently on the market. A fourth one will be issued next spring. "Baby" is currently being made into a movie. Snell explained a few things about the library: there are 14 workers, including full time, part time and volunteers; the library is a member of PINES, which allows any library card holder access to 236 libraries in Georgia; and the library's annual book sale will be Oct. 6, with children's books placed in a separate room from adult books.
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