Writer Leslé Honoré turns a viral poem into a new book: “Brown Girl, Brown Girl”

“Brown girl, brown girl, what do you see? I see a vice president that looks like me.”

In November 2020, Chicago-based writer Leslé Honoré was driving with her 20-year-old daughter when she received a text message confirming that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had won the election. She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she had to stop and celebrate, crying tears of joy.

Honoré was so inspired by this historic moment that she eventually rewrote a poem from her 2016 book: Fist & Fireand posted it on her Instagram account. It wasn’t long before the touching poem went viral, with brown girls all over the world reciting and sharing her words. The moment became so big that Honoré soon received national media attention, including from PBS and “Good Morning America.”

Roll out I recently sat down with Honoré to talk about the play, which she recently published as a children’s book.

How did you discover your talent for writing?
I can’t remember ever not having poetry. I’ve always been an avid reader, and reading and writing always seemed to occupy the same space of imagination and escape. I think I had a revelation very early on, reading stories about other people, that I could write my own stories. The evolution to poetry really came after I wanted to say things faster and not follow rules.

Tell us about your latest book, brown girl, brown girl?
Brown girl, brown girl is my first children’s book. It was illustrated by Cozbi Cabrera and published by Little Brown Readers, an imprint of the Hatchette Book Group. It is based on my poem, Brown girl, brown girlwhich celebrated the election victory of Vice President Kamala Harris, who becomes the first woman, first daughter of an immigrant, and first black and brown person to hold the office.

My book is for anyone who identifies as a brown girl or has ever loved a brown girl. It’s about taking a moment and celebrating all that we’ve accomplished and acknowledging the women who came before us to give us those opportunities. Being both Black and brown—my mother is from Mexico and my father is from New Orleans—I wanted a book that any person who identifies as a brown girl could open up and find a representation of themselves in it. I wanted every representation of brown girlhood to be in this book, from blonde hair and blue eyes to beautiful mahogany skin and tight curls. I wanted there to be as many representations of the abundance that comes with being a brown girl as possible.

What do you want little brown girls to take away from this book?
I want them to take away the joy of seeing themselves. The joy of being in a community. I want them to be proud of themselves and of their mothers and grandmothers and cousins ​​and aunts and sisters and friends who have contributed to their lives. I want them to take away the hope that things have gotten better and that they will get better if we work together – if we are proud of our stories – and share our experiences. More than anything, I want them to see how beautiful they are and how successful they will be.

Best advice for aspiring writers?
Keep writing. I used to think it was trite when people said that to me. They would say they liked something I wrote or that they enjoyed listening to me read, and would often end with “keep writing.” I would think, of course I’ll keep writing. I do, but then dark times came – and it’s really hard to create when you’re grieving and suffering. It can be overwhelming to try to create art when you’re depressed. Grief can muffle the voice you draw from. In those moments, I would push myself to keep writing – even if no one else was reading – because it kept me alive. Writing helps me breathe. So when people say “keep writing,” it’s not advice, it’s a prayer for protection. It reminds me of who I am when I’m feeling very lost. So my advice is always to keep writing.

What’s next for Leslé Honoré??
Next comes brown girl brown girl will be in stores December 3rd. It’s available for pre-order now. In December, you’ll find me at your local Target or Barnes & Noble, just stopping by and marveling that my book exists. I’ll probably cry. Then comes my second children’s book – also published by Little Brown Readers, edited by Deidre Jones and illustrated by Keturah Bobo – because our boys need to see representation, too.