Dolen Perkins-Valdez
There are some books that you never want to end because they are SO GOOD. Happy Land definitely fits into that category! You all know how much I love time travel and history, well this wonderful book has both! You will be drawn into this story right from the start; you will get to know Nikki, her grandmother, Luella, William, and so many more. Inspired by true events, Happy Land is a transporting multigenerational novel about the stories that shape us and the dazzling courage it takes to dream.
"No one writes the historical novel quite like Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and with Happy Land, she's at her brilliant best! Here is the ancestor who cried, laughed, and hoped before any of us were born. Here is the vulnerable earth that tenders its secrets.... Readers will be captivated." Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
"Perkins-Valdez writes of the land with admiraton, awe, and precision, weaving a triumphant story that will stir readers to attention" Elle Magazine
Dolen, tell us about where you live and what you love about it.
I have lived in Washington, DC for nearly two decades. It's a city that often gets misunderstood in the media, but at its core are multigenerational Washingtonians who are interesting, kind, proud, and dignified. I also love that it's very international, with people from all over the world who visit and choose to make it their home.
Where were you living when you were 7 years old? Are they fond memories?
I'm originally from Memphis, TN, and to say I'm rooted in that soil is an understatement. My early memories are of sitting on my grandmother's porch, surrounded by cousins, listening to stories. We would walk to school together, and in the afternoons, we took a rock and drew a hopscotch grid on the sidewalk. I was raised in a "village" environment; my mother had four sisters and I also had lots of older cousins who mothered me. Our family remains close to this day, and there are a lot of us!
Dolen as a baby
Is there a book that changed the way you look at life?
I distinctly remember reading Beloved by Toni Morrison in college and thinking: Can literature do that?
That book not only changed the way I look at life, it changed the way I look at art. It was in that moment I understood the power of art. I was also transformed when I discovered Langston Hughes' journalistic column in the Chicago Defender.
Langston Hughes
I'd only known him as a poet, but when I read his nonfiction, I was galvanized by his searing intellect and clear prose.
Do you have a favorite children's book and what about it makes it so?
I actually didn't read children's literature as a child, but as a parent, I loved reading Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson with my daughters.
We would read a little each night and be captivated by her lyricism.
What are the funniest or most embarrassing stories your family tells about you?
I have a habit of thinking out loud which my kids describe as "talking to myself." They love to imitate me, and they are hilarious! I once had a colleague say to me as he entered the elevator where I was engrossed in my thoughts, "You need to take the rest of the day off."
How did you meet your beloved? How did your first date go?
We met at an event in Washington, DC during the Congressional Black Caucus. We had a wonderful first date. He took me to have Indian food, and afterwards, we went to see Roy Hargrove, the late jazz trumpeter, in concert.
It just so happened to be one of the best concerts either of us has seen to this day.
Dolen with her Dad on her wedding day
How are you different now than you were in your 20's?
I'd like to think the core of me is the same. I'm the kind of person who keeps the same friends for 30 years. My friends and I have grown together. Maybe I'm a bit wiser, a bit less anxious, a bit calmer.
Is there a question no one has ever asked you that you wish they would? Something, perhaps, that people would be surprised to know about you?
Hmm...maybe people would be surprised to know I love to read thrillers. I'm a huge fan of S.A. Cosby.
I also love to crochet amigurumi.
We all have or can point to a certain experience where, because of this experience, it shifted our lives in a way that led to where we are today, it could be a person you encountered or you were in a certain place or you had a certain experience or all three, but it was so pivotal that you can say that because of this experience, I am where I am today as a writer or in a greater sense as the person I am now.
My freshman year roommate at Harvard was a visual artist and art major. Her name was Susie Reiss. She encouraged me to send out my first short story which became my first publication. I am forever indebted to her because she helped me to see that art could be a vocation.
Can you remember a particular random act of kindness from a stranger?
So many random acts of kindness in my life! I feel surrounded by angels. Once, my taxi let me off in the wrong place in the middle of nowhere, and a kind senior lady gave me a ride. Other times, I've had people help me when I was a young mother by watching my children while I went to the restroom. I remember every kind thing because it always makes me emotional when strangers extend themselves.
Is there a song, person, or group that you listen to when you are feeling a bit down?
Yes, I love to listen to Sade. Her melodic voice soothes me and lifts my spirits.
I'm also an old-school, die-hard Whitney Houston fan. Her music is the soundtrack of my life.
Whitney Houston
Were there parts in your book that your editor cut that you hated to see go? If so, what were they?
My editor and I have a great collaborative relationship. If she says to cut it, I'm usually in agreement. In fact, I can't remember anything we've disagreed about. I'm really fortunate to have an editor who shares my vision. Not everyone does.
How do you feel about "Independent Bookstores" and their role in your success?
I couldn't do this without independent bookstores. My books sell through word-of-mouth, and independent booksellers are the best at handselling books. The "family" atmosphere that independent bookstores create in their communities is a perfect fit for the kinds of stories I tell--family stories woven through history.
and finally:
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME to any period from before recorded history to yesterday, be safe from harm, be rich, poor or in-between, if appropriate to your choice, actually experience what it was like to live in that time, anywhere at all, meet anyone, if you desire, speak with them, listen to them, be with them. When would you go? Where would you go? Who would you want to meet? And most importantly, why do you think you chose this time?
To be honest, I don't think I'd go back in time. I prefer to visit the past in my mind; there is no doubt that African Americans were under an extraordinary amount of stress in past eras. I don't romanticize it even when I find the glimmers of light. I think I might be more of a futuristic time traveler because I'm fundamentally optimistic that things will get better.
Thank you, Dolen, I absolutely loved your book.
Readers, pick up your copy of Happy Land at your local independent bookstore.
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