Episode 18

She’s the Main Character ft. Nkrumah Mensah

🎙️ Writing Strong Female Leads

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Mirror Project, we’re celebrating those stories—the ones where the main character is fierce, flawed, growing, and unforgettable. We’re joined by Nkrumah—mother of two daughters, writer, ballroom dancer, anime enthusiast, and author of Anne of Survivor. Her female protagonists take up space, challenge expectations, and carve out their own paths. We’ll talk about the heart behind her debut, the fire that fuels her characters, and the magic that happens when women stop being side characters in someone else’s plot—and become the main event.

🔹The power of stories as tools for change—not just escape.

🔹 How to craft strong, complex female characters who feel real.

🔹 The evolving portrayal of women and girls in fiction—and where we can go from here.

🎧 Listen Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite platform!

 

✨ Taking Hold of the Pen

✔️ How Nkrumah discovered the power of storytelling—and the spark that became Anne of Survivor.

✔️ Writing for the girl she once was and the young women she hopes to inspire.

✔️ Building strong, complex female leads whose growth feels real—and giving them traits the world often silences.


✨ Beyond the Page

✔️ Why she keeps centering women and girls in her work, and what today’s readers are craving most.

✔️ Her hopes for the future of female representation in fiction—and the new stories she dreams of telling.

✔️ One game-changing writing tip, how her style reflects (or escapes) her personality, and encouragement for anyone ready to share their story.


Stories aren’t just entertainment—they’re blueprints for becoming, reminding girls they deserve to be bold, messy, magical, and wholly themselves. You don’t need permission to take up space—you’re already the main character.

 

📲 Connect With Us!

💬 Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, & YouTube: @mirrorprojectpod

☕ Support us on Buy Me a Coffee: Support Us Here

📩 DM us your questions & topic suggestions – We’d love to hear from you!

👉 Next episode: A book review and our thoughts on Mel Robbins’ Let Them Theory—what it is, why it’s resonating, and how we’re putting it into practice.

Hit that like, follow, and subscribe button, and we’ll see you next time! 🎙️✨

Transcript
Alexandra:

Hey, welcome back to The Mere Project.

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We're your hosts, Alexandra?

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Christine: and Christine.

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Alexandra: We're told that girls should

be sweet, polite, quiet, that they should

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shrink their voices, tuck away their

dreams and fit into someone else's story.

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But what happens when she decides

to write her own narrative?

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What happens when the girl stops waiting

to be rescued and rescues herself?

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Today's episode is a celebration of

those stories, the ones where the

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main character is fierce, flawed,

growing, and absolutely unforgettable.

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We're joined by a writer

who doesn't pen fiction.

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She writes Freedom for young women.

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Her books are full of female protagonists

who take up space, challenge expectations,

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and carve out their own paths.

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We'll talk about the heart behind

her first young adult novel, the fire

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that fuels her characters, and the

magic that happens when women stop

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being characters in someone else's

plot and become the main event.

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So let's get into it.

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welcome and meet ne Chroma a mother

of two daughters, writer, ballroom

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dancer, and anime enthusiast.

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She's the author of Anna of Survivor,

which I've been told is the first book

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and a projected seven book series.

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So welcome and thank you so

much for being here today.

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Nkrumah: Thank you for having me.

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This is great.

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I'm so excited.

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Alexandra: And I believe you've got

news that your second book is coming out

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this year in that same series, right?

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Nkrumah: Yes it is.

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Yes it is.

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It'll be Ann of Ryland.

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So Ann for those of you who haven't

read Anna Survivor First, shame on you.

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And then Second Survivor.

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People ask me, why is it Ann of

Survivor, not Ann the survivor.

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This isn't like Survivor

Island or whatever.

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No.

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Survivor is the name of a ship.

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So that's why it's Ann of Survivor.

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And then the second book is Ann of Ryland.

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Alexandra: Okay,

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Christine: Very

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Alexandra: welcome.

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Alright, so I feel like we should

just jump right in, dive right into

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the first section that we have here.

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And so my first question for you is,

can you remember the first moment

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you realized stories were a powerful

tool for change and not just a way to

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escape or to disconnect from the world?

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Nkrumah: So I think the first time I

realized this, so for your listeners

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who don't know me, I'm dyslexic.

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So reading never came easy for me.

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In fact I did not read until

I was in junior high school,

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I didn't see reading as an escape.

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My parents didn't read to me either.

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I just thought it was a nuisance.

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But that being said, when I was in

junior high school, and yes, I said

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junior high, not middle school.

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aging myself a little, but when

I was in junior high school, I

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read a book called Sky Board.

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By Marsha a Cruin.

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And I think reading that book, my

first book cover to cover, I knew

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then that something had changed in me.

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It wasn't just an escape from my reality.

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I'm a huge sci-fi enthusiast as well, but

I like watching sci-fi, not really reading

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it, but this book was science fiction.

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It was fantastical and it drew me in

and that's when I realized, okay, this

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isn't just something that's letting me

escape my day to day, going to school,

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hanging with my friends, doing all that

stuff, watching MTV, this was something

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that was going to progress in my life

because from that one small book,

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which is like this thick that book.

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I, my next book cover to cover

was this thick, so I jumped like

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from little tiny, like Potter

to end Harry Potter, like within

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Christine: Yeah.

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Nkrumah: And I knew then that, books

were more than just escaping your life.

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It broadens your mind.

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That one book Sky Born, it just,

it changed my life for the better.

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It showed me that reading could be

more than just words on the page.

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Alexandra: Was there a specific

character out of Sky Born or any

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books you read after that you

were like, you saw yourself in?

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Nkrumah: I didn't, I don't really see

myself in my, in the characters I read.

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I think a lot of that was

because the books I read in the

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beginning were, they were female

protagonist, but they were all white.

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So I didn't really see

myself in those characters.

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They were always outside of myself.

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And I still, when I read, I don't really

see myself as the main characters.

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I will put myself in the book,

I will create a character for

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Alexandra: Love that.

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Nkrumah: and I

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Christine: Love it.

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Nkrumah: in the book and I'm

like, oh, this chick sucks and

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he's gonna be my boyfriend, or,

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Alexandra: I love that.

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Nkrumah: And there's like a whole

new storyline where they break

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up and I come in and rescue the

male lead or whatever it may be,

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There's a sword fight.

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And I'm like, no, you should

have done a hanging right.

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And then swung down and now you're dead.

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Christine: Making the scenes better.

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Nkrumah: so I'll rewrite the story to

fit my own narrative at the end of the

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book if it's not what I want it to be.

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Christine: Oh, I love that.

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Nkrumah: I don't become one of

the cha one of their characters.

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I am my, I am always living in my

main character energy over here.

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Christine: Hell

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Alexandra: I love that.

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I feel like that takes such a creative

mind to be like, okay, I don't like

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what you've written, and I'm gonna

not accept that as reality, so

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I'm going to make it what I want.

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And this is now my story.

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Nkrumah: Maybe that's okay, but

you didn't add enough spice.

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Christine: There you go.

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Alexandra: Yes.

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Both Christine and I

are fans of Spicy Books

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Nkrumah: ooh

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Alexandra: but I know that's not

the series we're talking about

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today, so I will hold that for

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Christine: be a future.

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Nkrumah: Let's keep this

PG ladies, keep this pg.

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Alexandra: Okay.

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So keeping it in that PG vein

is there a character okay.

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First of all, I gotta back up.

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Is there a series name for the

Anna Survivor series, or is it just

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it's going to go by Anna Survivor.

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Nkrumah: I'm still working on that

and I think I'm going with Queendom

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Alexandra: Ooh,

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Nkrumah: Queen series

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Alexandra: okay.

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Nkrumah: because I feel like

these ladies, they are queens.

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They're not just your

average little girls.

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Here they are.

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They're girl bosses.

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Alexandra: I love it.

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Nkrumah: right.

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Christine: love

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Alexandra: Okay.

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Nkrumah: boss series.

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I dunno.

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We'll figure

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Christine: There you

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Alexandra: Yeah.

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Nkrumah: box set comes out.

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It'll be like

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Christine: Yeah.

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I can't wait to see all of them together.

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Marette.

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That's gonna be awesome.

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Alexandra: Saying is that you have

projected seven books and from, I know

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when we've talked the characters, is

there any character that you don't

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already have planned out who's been

tapping on your shoulder saying

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Hey, don't forget to tell my story.

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And do readers meet that person

in the first book or two?

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Nkrumah: There, there is one character

who keeps tapping me on the shoulder, her

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name is, and she is in the first book,

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Alexandra: Okay.

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Nkrumah: in the second book.

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She's not in book three or four,

but she's yo, I'm still here.

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When are you gonna tell my story?

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And there's a couple of characters who

are doing that to me and, but she's

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like the biggest one yo, hello her.

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And I wanna say Moira Godwin,

who's also in book one.

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Those two ladies, they're just

waiting the background about us?

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And I feel a little bad about that.

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Which is why it's, so the series,

the way I have it projected, the

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first two books are about Anne.

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Two books are about another character

that you do meet in the Anne series.

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And then the next two books are about a

character you meet in book three and four.

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So then Book seven is gonna be a

compilation of all of the stories that I

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couldn't tell within the first six books.

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So that's where I'm going

to allow Moira to shine.

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That's where I'm gonna

allow Haru to Shine.

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And there's another young woman, kismet,

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I want her to shine because

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She is in books one and two.

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She's in books three and four.

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She, but she's not projected

to be in five and six,

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Alexandra: Okay.

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Christine: Okay.

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Nkrumah: she's just a, she's just a bad.

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Else, and I can't leave her out.

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Like she's so funny and she's

so wonderfully angsty that I

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can, I can't leave her out.

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So she's gonna have her little time

to shine in book seven as well.

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Book seven's gonna be a

bunch of short stories.

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And I'll admit here, short

stories have not been my thing.

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'cause I'm a little

long-winded, as you can tell.

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Alexandra: What I think that's

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Nkrumah: I think that's what

makes me a good novelist, but not

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a very good short story writer.

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And a, this past year I've been

creating short stories, so I think

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this is the perfect time to get their

stories laid out for book seven.

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Alexandra: Do you think it would be easier

to write some of those short stories

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considering you have at, that will have,

at that point, like a world built by six

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different books that you may not have to

spend so much time on the world building?

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Or do you find, do you think that it'll be

as challenging or difficult in a different

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way to write those short stories in this

larger world you've already created?

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Nkrumah: I think that having the

world built is going to help.

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However, working through the feelings of

an individual is always hard work because

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we're not one dimensional, feelings

have so many different depths to them.

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There's not one type of love.

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There's so many types of love.

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Like you have your romantic love, your

brotherly love, your motherly love.

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There's so many different

ways that you can.

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Add a person and feel so many different

things and so many different aspects

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within that person that triggers

something different within yourself.

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So condensing that and not getting

sidetracked into whatever else

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might be going on, I'm gonna have

to tell one story with that person,

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with else is they're working with.

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I think that's gonna be the challenge

for me is telling one story instead

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of telling this person's whole life.

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Alexandra: Okay.

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Otherwise you might have like

multiple mini novels come in,

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not just one seventh book.

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Nkrumah: and then it's

like a 32 book series.

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Christine: Yeah.

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And then the tree grows from there.

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Nkrumah: I know, and not one of these

writers that's I really, there's so many

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books that just keep going and going, and.

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I love that for them.

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I am not that writer who wants

to continue in this universe.

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There are so many other stories I

want to tell that it's time for me

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to get on, leave this world to get

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Christine: Yeah.

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Nkrumah: worlds that I need to tell.

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Like I left some girl, I start,

I will write like the beginning

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of a story and then set it aside

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Christine: Mm-hmm.

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Nkrumah: Myself, you can't look at that.

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You gotta finish this.

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It's discipline.

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Like, no, no, no, no, No.

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Leave her alone.

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Christine: Okay.

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Nkrumah: You

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So I've literally left a girl

on a cliff, like she's standing

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Christine: hang in there.

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Nkrumah: edge and I'm like, does she jump?

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Does she fall?

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Does she come back?

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I don't

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So she's on hold.

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She's on pause

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Christine: Okay.

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Nkrumah: I finish the end series.

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Alexandra: She said,

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Nkrumah: her, but.

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Alexandra: yeah, she's like probably like.

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Christine: Well,

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I love that too, how to your point

is I do feel like it's pretty

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common today for authors to they've

developed a world and they just live

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in that and they just expand upon it.

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But I also love to your point you made

earlier, how you would insert yourself

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in stories like giving that opportunity

to readers of your book, who after your

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seven stories told, like it's up to them.

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To imagine what could come next,

and then you offer a whole new

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world for people to explore.

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I think that's I like that a lot.

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I like that you're giving yourself an end.

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Nkrumah: I encourage people to jump

into the story and find their own way.

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I encourage people to do that

'cause I, I love doing that.

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I'll watch an anime and like a character,

like a side character who's not

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Character and I'm like, yo.

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Christine: What's your deal?

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Nkrumah: What's up?

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Alexandra: What's your story?

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Christine: about you.

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What's

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Nkrumah: Yes.

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Like I love the way you

move that sledgehammer.

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That's awesome.

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whatever.

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You killed that Titan.

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So awesome.

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Alexandra: Finger against.

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Okay.

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Nkrumah: Yeah.

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Alexandra knows my finger guns.

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I'm like, do, yeah.

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Alexandra: It is her signature move.

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Christine: Love

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Alexandra: okay.

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Christine: love

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Alexandra: So I guess my question, my

next question for you is, are there

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any traits that you intentionally

give your female main protagonist in

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every story that you write or even

the ones like the girls still sitting

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on a cliff figuring out what to do?

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Or is it do how do I say this?

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Is there like specific traits

that you give each protagonist and

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it's it's individual to that one?

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Or are there like traits that you want

to see across all of your protagonists,

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whether they start with them or grow them?

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Nkrumah: There usually is a bit of

sassiness, and I don't know if I,

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it's not something that I plan I'll

admit that it's not something I plan.

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I think it's just because I'm sass.

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That they are sassy.

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So they, it just I feel like when

you create characters, people

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are like is this character you?

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No, this character is not me.

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Ann runs away from home, she

literally gets punished and

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within hours she's left home.

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Anybody who knows me knows that there

has to be like a five step plan.

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Like this is gonna, it is gonna take

me maybe two weeks to a month before

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I leave because I'm gonna need a job,

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Gonna need a place to live.

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I'm gonna need clothes.

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Like, how am I going to eat?

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I'm gonna plan out all these

things before I just jump ship.

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Ha hun.

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Intended.

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But.

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And just, she's you know what?

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Screw this.

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I'm out.

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And she just goes, and I'm

like, what is wrong with you?

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So I feel like characters are not me,

but they do have some aspect of my

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personality because I created them.

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Alexandra: Mm-hmm.

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Nkrumah: Me.

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They're like children.

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Like my children have some aspects,

like they're very mouthy, like I am.

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So they have some aspects

of me, but they are not me.

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They have their own personalities.

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And so I see my characters more as

my children as these entities that

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are completely separate from me.

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I cannot separate myself from

my characters, but at the same

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time, I'm not my characters.

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So

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Alexandra: Okay.

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Nkrumah: all of my protagonists tend to be

sassy in one way or another, even if it's

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in a way that I wouldn't necessarily do.

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Yeah, they're all in some, they

all have some sa, some kind

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of sass, some kind of sass.

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And sometimes I don't like their

SAS because sometimes they're

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sassy with me and I don't like it.

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Or sometimes they do something and

I'm like, what are you an idiot?

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That's gonna lead to X, Y, Z.

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Couldn't you predict that?

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But no, it's, this is their

growth pattern, not mine.

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Alexandra: Do you?

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It's interesting the way

you're talking about that.

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Do you feel like sometimes you

are not really like you're just

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transcribing a story that you're

being told or do you like in a sense,

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do you follow where the fancy goes

and see what happens when you write?

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Or do you always go in with a plan of

I have to hit this and this is gonna

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come next and this is gonna come next?

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Because you are a planner, you

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Nkrumah: I

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Alexandra: have your five step.

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Nkrumah: and I do have a plan, and the

characters usually set my plan on fire.

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It's like huge dumpster fire.

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Alexandra: Love that.

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Nkrumah: I wrote another book that

we're not gonna talk about here

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because it's not a young adult novel

and I, that whole thing, 'cause

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I, I do have a degree in English.

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So when you're writing a

paper, you plan it out this

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We're gonna discuss this and

this is gonna be the conclusion.

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So it's the same thing

with writing a story.

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You have your introduction and then

you're rising action, then your

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climax, and then your, you know

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The little mountain.

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So I do plan it out and I do have

an ending that I want to see,

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but the characters don't do that.

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When I wrote Anne, a very

specific ending for her.

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And the way she behaves throughout

the book where I wanted her to end

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up didn't match her personality.

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Alexandra: Okay.

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Nkrumah: So the end of the book,

she would never sign up for.

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So I had to change the story as it

went based on decisions that she

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would make, not the decisions that

I would make because I'm a wuss.

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I'm not doing half the mess she's doing.

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I look at her and I'm like, gosh, I wish

that I were that brave, or I wish that,

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I wish I thought of that, comeback.

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I did.

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But I like me myself saying it,

probably not, but she says it so

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have a plan, The characters

do not care about my plan.

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Alexandra: Okay.

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Okay.

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Nkrumah: They're gonna do their own thing.

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There are times that I will,

if I feel that they're not

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growing within a situation, and

or I feel like the situation's

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boring, I might add a catalyst to

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Get them someplace else.

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You need a lesson.

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So I will throw

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:

Lesson there and maybe it's totally

plain God, let's like, let's be real.

383

:

This is my world.

384

:

I

385

:

Christine: Yeah.

386

:

Dunno.

387

:

Nkrumah: and you need a lesson.

388

:

And here it's boom.

389

:

What are you gonna do now?

390

:

And so I'm, I will do little

things like that and then see

391

:

Christine: That's so cool.

392

:

Nkrumah: out.

393

:

Alexandra: Hope that I'm gonna

let Christine ask these two

394

:

next two questions 'cause they

were hers when we were writing.

395

:

Christine: Yes.

396

:

So when I was reading through the

outline, Alexander had gotten started

397

:

for us, like there was something picking

at me a little bit and I wanted to

398

:

talk a little bit more about genre.

399

:

So I'm curious, in your experience,

how has the portrayal of strong,

400

:

complex female characters evolved

across different genres and Yeah, I

401

:

just wanna pick your brain on that.

402

:

Nkrumah: I think that we have been very

blessed with a lot of female writers,

403

:

I'm gonna go in with, I've been doing,

first of all, I should probably say

404

:

this, Jane Austen is my favorite writer.

405

:

She's my favorite.

406

:

Christine: Same.

407

:

Nkrumah: Because I'm American

and I like my happily ever after,

408

:

Christine: Mm-hmm.

409

:

Nkrumah: Sisters.

410

:

But

411

:

I like when everything's tied up

with a nice little bow at the end.

412

:

Always do that with my writing?

413

:

I do not.

414

:

Sorry.

415

:

But I do love it for myself.

416

:

Like

417

:

Very satisfying at the end.

418

:

But what I love about Jane Austen

is she lived in a world where women

419

:

were still considered property,

420

:

But characters are sassy.

421

:

Even if they're downtrodden the

beginning, like in like persuasion

422

:

Protagonist is, she's persuaded to

give up the life that she wanted.

423

:

Christine: Yeah.

424

:

Nkrumah: it really sucks.

425

:

Like she falls into the societal

norms holds herself back.

426

:

But then she grows, she

realizes that was dumb.

427

:

I shouldn't have done this.

428

:

This is my life.

429

:

So she's gonna go get

Wentworth in the end.

430

:

Like she's yo, hi.

431

:

I know what they're saying.

432

:

They want me to marry Mr.

433

:

Elliot, and guess what I'm not gonna do.

434

:

Finger guns marry Mr.

435

:

Elliot.

436

:

Okay.

437

:

So she goes after Captain Wentworth

in the middle of the street and

438

:

they have this moment and I'm

439

:

This is where we have this

growth of her character.

440

:

And that was, gosh, so long ago.

441

:

That's like Georgian

442

:

So you get to now, and we still

have these issues within book.

443

:

Let's be real.

444

:

So we started

445

:

Christine: Let's,

446

:

Nkrumah: but let's talk about JK Rowling.

447

:

Okay?

448

:

Okay, Joe.

449

:

Love you, love your books.

450

:

All right.

451

:

Hermione, Granger's annoying.

452

:

Alexandra: Oh yeah.

453

:

Nkrumah: fabulously annoying,

454

:

Christine: Yeah.

455

:

Nkrumah: but it gives me that

feeling where if a girl is in

456

:

school, she has to be smart.

457

:

Either smart and nerdy and very and and

wonderful in that way, or your bimbo.

458

:

Alexandra: Yeah.

459

:

Nkrumah: her mind's not cute.

460

:

She's smart, but not cute.

461

:

Why can't she be smart and sexy?

462

:

Not sexy because she's like

11 in the first book, but, so

463

:

let's take that out, let pg.

464

:

Alexandra: It down.

465

:

Nkrumah: But do women have

to be one thing or another?

466

:

Christine: Right.

467

:

Nkrumah: Harry, Harry is traumatized.

468

:

Let's just bring that

469

:

He's lost both parents and he has

like a crappy family that treats

470

:

it, make him sleep under the stairs.

471

:

Let's just say that's trauma.

472

:

Number two attractive.

473

:

Other kids find him attractive.

474

:

He's not the best in school,

475

:

He can do spells that other kids can't do.

476

:

So why is he more well-rounded her, Mike?

477

:

So we still see issues as ladies are

being told today, I think that if you

478

:

start reading through different genres,

you're finding that there are authors

479

:

that are fixing it in different ways.

480

:

Jane Austen was fixing it her way.

481

:

Alexandra: Mm-hmm.

482

:

Nkrumah: Gets a glow up.

483

:

Alexandra: Yeah,

484

:

Nkrumah: the end of the novel,

485

:

Christine: True.

486

:

Nkrumah: real, some,

487

:

Some magic surgery there.

488

:

Alexandra: But I'm just remembering

the scene about fixing her

489

:

teeth and everything, so yes,

490

:

Nkrumah: I was like, girl, bring it.

491

:

It's like makeup, but

492

:

Alexandra: because it's permanent.

493

:

Nkrumah: it's wish I could

fix my teeth at home.

494

:

Like what?

495

:

But I don't, I, I feel like as you

go through the different genres

496

:

in science fiction, I feel that

women, if you're reading stories that

497

:

are more, I'm gonna say Star Trek.

498

:

Star Trek has always

had really strong women.

499

:

Roddenberry for that, putting us on the

bridge instead of just the, sick bay

500

:

A miniskirt.

501

:

I appreciate that.

502

:

And when you

503

:

Christine: Oh, yeah,

504

:

Nkrumah: yeah, we're gonna talk

about Star Trek for a minute

505

:

because I love Star Trek.

506

:

Christine: Let's do it.

507

:

Nkrumah: and so when you read, if

you're reading science fiction and

508

:

you look at the female characters

in science fiction they're hardly

509

:

ever like these damsels in distress.

510

:

And I think a lot of that has

to do with the fact that Gene

511

:

Roddenberry put us on the bridge.

512

:

You could not communicate without Aurora.

513

:

Christine: Yeah.

514

:

Nkrumah: And what do we need if

we're exploring strange new worlds,

515

:

Alexandra: Good

516

:

Nkrumah: seeking out new life and new

civilizations, we have to communicate.

517

:

Christine: Yeah.

518

:

Nkrumah: she was that

bridge between us and them.

519

:

Her role was extremely important.

520

:

Now, interestingly enough, again who are

the bigger communicators in the world?

521

:

Women.

522

:

So even though she has

this important job, she's

523

:

Pigeonholed

524

:

Christine: Yeah.

525

:

Nkrumah: the communicator.

526

:

Alexandra: Yeah.

527

:

Nkrumah: did Jean do to fix that?

528

:

What did he do to fix that?

529

:

We got the next generation

who's on the bridge as security?

530

:

Tasha Ya.

531

:

So I'm like, so now we're not just

the communicators, now we are the head

532

:

of security for this whole dang ship.

533

:

What?

534

:

I feel like he put in science fiction,

like you have to have strong women.

535

:

And that propelled that

genre forward for us.

536

:

Much faster and much easier because the

blueprint was already set by this guy.

537

:

Alexandra: True.

538

:

Nkrumah: Really glad a guy did it because

if a man does something, it goes faster.

539

:

Christine: True.

540

:

Nkrumah: We

541

:

Alexandra: Yep.

542

:

Nkrumah: talking, we gotta keep talking.

543

:

Maybe a little bit of nagging

before people pay attention,

544

:

But if a guy does it for some reason,

just like with my ex-husband, I could

545

:

say something and it's lip service,

546

:

If I tell one of his

guy friends to say it,

547

:

Alexandra: Oh

548

:

Nkrumah: it happens.

549

:

Alexandra: yeah.

550

:

Nkrumah: not even a week

later, but like next day.

551

:

Alexandra: Oh my God.

552

:

Nkrumah: Is just the way the world works.

553

:

So I was really glad that Gene

Rotten Berry did that for us.

554

:

And it is happening.

555

:

It is happening.

556

:

It's

557

:

It happens so slowly and science fiction

stories, which don't spend a lot of time

558

:

reading, I love the classics, but science

fiction stories I feel like moved that

559

:

needle much faster than some other genres

560

:

And anime.

561

:

Christine: Yeah.

562

:

Alexandra: of your favorite.

563

:

Nkrumah: One of my favorites, also one

of, and this is just let's say manga.

564

:

'cause

565

:

Before.

566

:

You have the anime and big booby girls

567

:

In short skirts.

568

:

What do I not like?

569

:

They have booby girls and short

570

:

Christine: Sure.

571

:

Skirts

572

:

Nkrumah: So

573

:

Alexandra: And can we just talk about

the unrealistic expectation that

574

:

those boobs are not moving while

they're running and doing stuff?

575

:

They're staying perfectly still.

576

:

Nkrumah: they're not

slapping her in the face.

577

:

I don't know what's

578

:

Christine: I know.

579

:

Nkrumah: It's

580

:

Christine: Or slowing her down,

581

:

Alexandra: Right?

582

:

Nkrumah: Do they

583

:

Christine: her trouble.

584

:

Alexandra: It feels like Just

585

:

Nkrumah: pain?

586

:

Christine: Oh my gosh,

587

:

Alexandra: do you have

588

:

Nkrumah: Yes.

589

:

Alexandra: indents on your

shoulders from your bra straps?

590

:

Nkrumah: Do you wear a bra?

591

:

Alexandra: Yeah.

592

:

Nkrumah: It's so I don't like that

aspect of anime, but I will say

593

:

this, there are two animes that were

went up against solo leveling for

594

:

the top spot past year, and they're,

they both have female protagonists.

595

:

Okay.

596

:

Alexandra: Okay.

597

:

Nkrumah: let's say kudos to that two.

598

:

Okay.

599

:

So solo leveling took number

one, I'm not even gonna get into

600

:

that because that was so wrong.

601

:

That was so wrong at so many levels.

602

:

And I could talk like a whole day

about that so we're gonna leave

603

:

solo leveling out of it and we're

gonna talk about apothecary diaries.

604

:

Alexandra: Okay.

605

:

Nkrumah: diaries.

606

:

That manga is great and the protagonist

is short, flat, chested smart as crap.

607

:

And when she's not making

herself ugly, hella cute.

608

:

I think that Mal Mao

is like a real person.

609

:

Okay?

610

:

She's not this she's got trauma.

611

:

She is, she's very intelligent.

612

:

She's an apothecary in a time when women

weren't even allowed to make medicines.

613

:

And the male lead is in love with her,

not the big booby women in the story.

614

:

And let me tell you, there are a lot of

concubines in the rear palace with big

615

:

boobs and big booties and all the things.

616

:

Okay?

617

:

Beautiful hair with

hairpins, all the things.

618

:

Alexandra: Okay.

619

:

Nkrumah: doesn't go after them.

620

:

He goes after the short, flat, chested

smart girl who every now and then

621

:

when she gets dressed up as hot as.

622

:

Okay, so

623

:

Christine: it.

624

:

Nkrumah: like, let's move this

forward, because guess what?

625

:

She was in the top three

animes for the year

626

:

Alexandra: That's amazing.

627

:

Nkrumah: and this, the next one was Freen.

628

:

And Freen is an elf.

629

:

She's short, dorky.

630

:

She's real.

631

:

She's real dorky.

632

:

Why I say she's not she's a

total basket case sometimes.

633

:

She's so smart.

634

:

She's one of those people who

are so smart but have no common

635

:

And guess what?

636

:

She's flat chested.

637

:

She wears a long dress

with leggings under it.

638

:

So I feel and these are

not like brand new mangas.

639

:

These are, these have

been out for a while.

640

:

for these mangas to be made into

animes and for them to take the top

641

:

spot over, a magical girl anime where

they're big boobs and and lots of

642

:

glitter and sparkles and short skirts.

643

:

I, I think that's huge.

644

:

Alexandra: So do you feel when during

that transition of bringing stronger

645

:

female characters into genres of sci-fi

fantasy, do you feel like to help move

646

:

that needle forward, that they had to fit

that sort of like bimbo esque stereotype

647

:

while adding some of being smart or

being capable, like to be the head of

648

:

security, to be communicator before we

could have characters like those two

649

:

in your the mangas that you mentioned?

650

:

Or do you think,

651

:

like what do you feel like has driven

the acceptance and the change of the.

652

:

It's the standard bimbo

is the female main lead.

653

:

Nkrumah: I think it's for that.

654

:

I think there was women getting involved.

655

:

Christine: Yeah.

656

:

Nkrumah: was women getting involved.

657

:

It was women who were reading,

women who were watching,

658

:

We're sick and tired of this.

659

:

We don't look like this.

660

:

We don't behave like this, and

we're sick and tired of having all

661

:

these teenage boys look for this

662

:

They get to be grown ass men.

663

:

When this doesn't exist.

664

:

Christine: Absolutely.

665

:

Nkrumah: sit around twirl my

hair like, ha, oh my gosh.

666

:

And then pull out my magical

wand and save the world.

667

:

Let's be real.

668

:

it is not real.

669

:

And I don't understand

why these guys would get.

670

:

Older and they would look for these

girls who look like that even though

671

:

they realized that magic is not real.

672

:

And nobody has a wand like that.

673

:

There is no I wish I would walk down the

street and theme music would play what I'm

674

:

Alexandra: Oh, it's,

675

:

Nkrumah: wand.

676

:

Alexandra: yes.

677

:

Nkrumah: my wand would probably not be a

wand, probably more like a credit card.

678

:

And

679

:

Christine: Yeah.

680

:

Nkrumah: this magical

world, there's money on it.

681

:

So

682

:

Would be my superpower

683

:

Alexandra: Love it.

684

:

Nkrumah: But let's be real.

685

:

That's not real.

686

:

Alexandra: Yeah.

687

:

Nkrumah: they can see that aspects

of their animated shows or books

688

:

or whatever, not real, but then

they want this bimbo to be real.

689

:

I think it was, I think it was a

lot of women getting involved and

690

:

saying, we don't wanna see this.

691

:

And it, I think it also took mangas like.

692

:

And this one gets a lot of flack.

693

:

It's called Maid Saama,

694

:

It's about a young woman in high school.

695

:

She's the class president at

Seka High, which just went co-ed.

696

:

It used to be all male,

697

:

And now it's co-ed, and

she's the school president.

698

:

Christine: Wow.

699

:

Nkrumah: So first of

all, can we say kudos?

700

:

Like she

701

:

Snaps, she took the top spot as a

female at a predominantly boys school.

702

:

So you already know right off the bat

that she's a strong female character.

703

:

She's got the top grades,

blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

704

:

But I don't know what hap, I can't

remember what happened to her dad.

705

:

Her dad's not around.

706

:

And that's a like a huge manga thing too.

707

:

Like you got one parent but not the other.

708

:

I don't know

709

:

Christine: Okay.

710

:

Nkrumah: on with that.

711

:

It's very Disney-esque

712

:

Christine: very, I was just about to say

713

:

Nkrumah: except for Disney will

kill your parents in front of

714

:

Christine: yeah.

715

:

Yeah.

716

:

Nkrumah: What was up with Lofaso?

717

:

What the hell?

718

:

Alexandra: You are like, there's

no way this person's coming back.

719

:

Bye.

720

:

Very harsh ending.

721

:

Nkrumah: Very

722

:

Christine: wanted to drive it home.

723

:

Alexandra: Yeah.

724

:

Nkrumah: Hello Bambi.

725

:

But like thanks

726

:

Christine: Talk about trauma.

727

:

Nkrumah: but, and a lot of anime, for

some reason the parents are just gone.

728

:

You don't know what happened to them.

729

:

Did they run off?

730

:

Did they die?

731

:

Did they like what?

732

:

They're just

733

:

Misa doesn't have a dad.

734

:

She has her mom and her sister and she to

help out her mom 'cause they're very poor.

735

:

She takes a part-time gig.

736

:

And she works in construction,

but construction wouldn't work

737

:

out with her school schedule.

738

:

And she's not about to let her,

let allow her grades to drop.

739

:

Again, kudos to her for that, for

realizing that her education's important.

740

:

Then she tried other side

jobs nothing worked out.

741

:

So she ended up in a maid cafe.

742

:

Alexandra: Okay.

743

:

Nkrumah: this is where the story

gets a lot of flack because

744

:

she's putting on this skirt,

745

:

Christine: Yeah.

746

:

Nkrumah: she's being all cutesy.

747

:

as the guys come in,

she's hello there, master.

748

:

What can I get you today?

749

:

Do any of us want that

for our young girls?

750

:

No.

751

:

But you know what, it's a means to an end.

752

:

So I like it.

753

:

I like it.

754

:

So a lot of people who don't

like maids, they're just like.

755

:

Oh, look at them.

756

:

They took this woman, and they

put her in a skirt and they're

757

:

sexualizing her and made cafes.

758

:

I'm

759

:

She got a job.

760

:

She's a female boss at school.

761

:

She's making money for her family.

762

:

There's a hole in the floor as soon as

you walk in her house, but she's gonna

763

:

make the benjamins to fix that floor.

764

:

Alexandra: And she's,

765

:

Nkrumah: has to make the money.

766

:

Alexandra: yeah, she's gonna do it.

767

:

Nkrumah: her not be on a pole.

768

:

Let's not do that.

769

:

Christine: Yeah.

770

:

Nkrumah: if she's got slap

on a skirt and call somebody

771

:

master for three hours a day,

772

:

Christine: Yeah.

773

:

Nkrumah: I do that.

774

:

Like, how much you gonna pay me

775

:

If the price is right?

776

:

Hello?

777

:

Master.

778

:

Like what?

779

:

What?

780

:

Christine: Yeah.

781

:

It's all,

782

:

Nkrumah: with you,

783

:

Christine: yeah.

784

:

Alexandra: I will start that job today.

785

:

Nkrumah: I

786

:

Christine: Yeah.

787

:

Nkrumah: you some coffee

and call you master.

788

:

Where's my 20

789

:

Where's my a hundred bucks?

790

:

Whatever.

791

:

Christine: Sure.

792

:

Nkrumah: fix the score.

793

:

Alexandra: Yeah, because

I like what you said.

794

:

It's a means to an end, and it's not.

795

:

It's not, she's right, it's a, something

she's doing to get where she wants to go.

796

:

Nkrumah: Yeah.

797

:

And for those people who've seen the

anime and they haven't read the manga,

798

:

totally suggest you read the Manga,

because at the end Bra she's the boss.

799

:

the boss, stays home.

800

:

He's begging her for children.

801

:

She's got, she's doing her thing,

802

:

Like he has to beg her for kids.

803

:

And I'm like, props girl.

804

:

Get your get

805

:

Christine: going.

806

:

Nkrumah: get that.

807

:

I'm not even mad at you.

808

:

And he's not even mad at her.

809

:

He's not even mad at her.

810

:

He is I'm married, a

female boss and I got this.

811

:

Alexandra: Now

812

:

Christine: Yeah.

813

:

Nkrumah: at home.

814

:

Alexandra: start reading yoga again.

815

:

What genre do you see?

816

:

I know you talked a little bit about

science fiction, but is there any genre

817

:

that you want to see more growth, more

rapid growth of strong female characters

818

:

for like young female characters?

819

:

Nkrumah: I, let me think about that.

820

:

think they're already doing it in manga.

821

:

Alexandra: I

822

:

Nkrumah: they're already doing it.

823

:

I, that was one area I

felt they really should,

824

:

So they're doing that.

825

:

I'm very proud of them.

826

:

Science fiction already has them.

827

:

Romance.

828

:

Okay, romance.

829

:

It's hit or miss.

830

:

Alexandra: YA romance

831

:

Christine: Yeah.

832

:

Alexandra: or,

833

:

Nkrumah: I think the romance genre in

834

:

Alexandra: okay.

835

:

Nkrumah: You know what, and

probably more specifically ya,

836

:

You get those more damsel and

distressing kind of things.

837

:

Christine: Right.

838

:

Nkrumah: And I think that, I think

for romance it's that whole trope of

839

:

the damsel of distress or the, wanting

to fit a certain type of fantasy.

840

:

It's getting better.

841

:

I think I'm not a 60 shades of gray or

842

:

And I think I read the first three

chapters and I'm like, yeah, it's not for

843

:

me, but for those of you who love it, yay.

844

:

But I think that.

845

:

Once you involve whips and chains,

846

:

like some things are bound to change.

847

:

Christine: Yeah.

848

:

Nkrumah: I think that gray

had a little too much power.

849

:

I wish that she had a little

more and was a little less dizzy.

850

:

But that being said, moves the needle.

851

:

Now there are a few stories

with dominatrixes in it.

852

:

It's not really my thing.

853

:

I like to that in the bedroom.

854

:

gonna read about it.

855

:

So you, but you add whips and chains

and everything and swings and stuff,

856

:

and things get real interesting.

857

:

there are guys who like

to be the submissive.

858

:

And I'm

859

:

That.

860

:

But let's have more of

those stories come out.

861

:

It doesn't have to be a girl

on the side of the road.

862

:

Guy comes and rescues her and

because her car's broken down,

863

:

it doesn't have to be like that.

864

:

And it's, No, I was just

thinking of like stupid forms

865

:

where it's hi, I am the plumber.

866

:

And suddenly

867

:

The plumber's the hottest guy

868

:

Christine: That awful music

starts in the background.

869

:

Nkrumah: No, I don't care

how hot the plumber is.

870

:

You're not

871

:

In the house and we doing something like,

872

:

My pipes

873

:

Maybe call me later let me

874

:

Christine: Yeah.

875

:

Nkrumah: did the job

876

:

Christine: Do the job

first, then we'll talk.

877

:

Nkrumah: like I've already

planned my day out.

878

:

Can you

879

:

And fix that?

880

:

Alexandra: You are like, maybe

I'll schedule one for coffee.

881

:

We'll see how it goes

from there, but not today.

882

:

Nkrumah: yeah.

883

:

Call me later.

884

:

Alexandra: Do you feel like there's any

885

:

Christine: I,

886

:

Alexandra: that you have read, like

Young Adult Romance with a female mainly

887

:

that you really liked, that you felt.

888

:

Didn't fall into some of those

889

:

Christine: yeah.

890

:

Alexandra: overly used tropes or

891

:

Didn't play the damsel.

892

:

Nkrumah: okay, so I'm, I've actually been,

I'm going to do like a giveaway here soon

893

:

and the second book I read cover to cover

was called Dear Skin by Robin McKinley.

894

:

And it's about a young princess

who has a lot of trauma she

895

:

is the damn soul in distress.

896

:

She is, but she has to save herself.

897

:

And being that was the second book I

read cover to cover, think that was.

898

:

What I tended to look for in my stories,

so that story, if nobody's read it

899

:

I absolutely adore Robin McKinley

900

:

that book is more fantastical.

901

:

Of magic that's not explained,

902

:

And I like that it's not explained

because it keeps you wondering and

903

:

it keeps the characters in your mind.

904

:

Like I, there's so many times

I think of Azar and I'm like,

905

:

actually happened in that cabin?

906

:

But right When you think

907

:

when you think that things

are over for her, right?

908

:

When you think that things just

cannot get worse, the male lead

909

:

doesn't jump in and save her.

910

:

She jumps in and saves herself,

saves the male lead's sister.

911

:

And in a way, punishes the person

who caused her so much pain and angst

912

:

her entire life up to that point.

913

:

She does that.

914

:

Now.

915

:

There's some magical stuff happening

and I don't know I don't even think

916

:

Azar knows what that magical thing

is, but she had to make a decision.

917

:

She made the decision and she exposed

everything front of an entire kingdom

918

:

so that nobody could get out of it.

919

:

She could have run, but she came

back and she said things right.

920

:

So I would say that,

921

:

Alexandra: Okay.

922

:

Nkrumah: Now there is a book

series by Janet Ivanovich.

923

:

She's a huge romance writer,

924

:

Alexandra: Yeah.

925

:

Nkrumah: and I'm gonna

talk about Stephanie Fl

926

:

Alexandra: Oh, I love that series.

927

:

Yes.

928

:

Nkrumah: Okay, I am gonna talk

about Stephanie for a minute.

929

:

So I, the beginning, very

much loved that series.

930

:

I really did one for the money was my jam.

931

:

I really I was really scared for her.

932

:

At the end of that book,

I was like, this is crazy.

933

:

Like, where are your dudes at?

934

:

But I think you need help.

935

:

You used to sell panties.

936

:

So like you go from selling

panties to being a bounty hunter?

937

:

Alexandra: Yes.

938

:

Nkrumah: on girl

939

:

Christine: let's talk about that.

940

:

Alexandra: Oh yeah.

941

:

It was such an interesting shift.

942

:

Nkrumah: you don't need

cliff notes for this.

943

:

We need classes.

944

:

Okay,

945

:

Alexandra: We need step-by-step

detailed instructions.

946

:

Nkrumah: exactly, let's know our shit

before we try to go get some criminals,

947

:

Alexandra: I just remember her stumbling

around finding stuff out, and you're

948

:

like, oh my gosh, you could have died.

949

:

Nkrumah: like, you are like the worst.

950

:

And, but it was funny.

951

:

It was funny because I was like,

okay, yes, she wants money.

952

:

Good.

953

:

Money.

954

:

Yes.

955

:

You don't have a job.

956

:

Okay, got it.

957

:

Yeah.

958

:

Bounty hunters make

more than receptionists.

959

:

Okay.

960

:

These are all good decisions, but can

we get the gun out of the cookie jar?

961

:

Can we strap that on somewhere?

962

:

Like I,

963

:

Alexandra: Do we know how to use a gun?

964

:

Nkrumah: after criminals I'm gonna

need you to strap that on and

965

:

not have your boys come save you.

966

:

I think it was I can't even remember

which book it was, but I was invested

967

:

in the series and then some mess went

down her gun was in the cookie jar.

968

:

And I was like, okay, ma'am,

I can't with you anymore.

969

:

I can't

970

:

Alexandra: You are like, we are this

far along and you have not learned

971

:

Nkrumah: and you have not learned.

972

:

And I'm like, I would've first book,

I almost got killed in my bedroom.

973

:

I'm gonna strap this on.

974

:

I'm gonna,

975

:

Christine: It is never leaving.

976

:

Nkrumah: like an anime character.

977

:

I strap a dagger on my leg.

978

:

I'm gonna have a gun on my hip.

979

:

Have some Kuna in my back pocket be

980

:

Alexandra: pulling

something outta your bra.

981

:

Nkrumah: Like stars in my pocket.

982

:

They're gonna be like, wait,

is this, they're gonna look

983

:

at me and say, wait a second.

984

:

Is this like America or are we in

some sort of martial arts movie?

985

:

I'm, because totally.

986

:

I'm gonna do all the things.

987

:

They're gonna be like, is

holy crap, is that kung fu?

988

:

Or yeah.

989

:

I'm gonna learn

990

:

Christine: Keep guessing.

991

:

Yeah,

992

:

Nkrumah: gonna be my new

993

:

Christine: I,

994

:

Nkrumah: I'm gonna forget about panties.

995

:

Alexandra: What's a bra size?

996

:

Dunno,

997

:

Nkrumah: yeah.

998

:

They're gonna be like, what is

the stitching on X, Y, z, girl?

999

:

I don't know.

:

00:45:29,179 --> 00:45:29,399

Alexandra: Don.

:

00:45:29,539 --> 00:45:31,954

But I can tell you the difference

between all these guns and

:

00:45:31,954 --> 00:45:35,134

self-defense materials and how best

to take out a person with one hit,

:

00:45:35,184 --> 00:45:37,914

Nkrumah: I was like, you wanna see

how to throw a kon on like that?

:

00:45:38,034 --> 00:45:38,334

All right.

:

00:45:39,864 --> 00:45:40,164

Between the,

:

00:45:43,524 --> 00:45:44,469

Alexandra: with deadly aim.

:

00:45:46,449 --> 00:45:47,019

Christine: oh man.

:

00:45:47,739 --> 00:45:48,399

That's awesome.

:

00:45:48,938 --> 00:45:51,638

Alexandra: Oh, let Christine

take over asking some questions.

:

00:45:51,803 --> 00:45:52,913

Christine: Oh, is it my Okay.

:

00:45:53,738 --> 00:45:55,628

Alexandra: Sorry, I totally jumped

around on the outline and didn't

:

00:45:55,628 --> 00:45:57,993

realize it, so wherever you wanna go.

:

00:45:58,643 --> 00:45:58,883

Christine: no.

:

00:45:58,883 --> 00:45:59,853

I just like, as

:

00:45:59,958 --> 00:46:00,768

Nkrumah: having fun here.

:

00:46:01,053 --> 00:46:01,713

Christine: I love it.

:

00:46:01,773 --> 00:46:02,313

I love it.

:

00:46:02,373 --> 00:46:07,903

Yeah, no, I'll just say as we were

just talking about like the role of

:

00:46:07,903 --> 00:46:11,803

strong female characters and genres

and things like, for me growing up

:

00:46:12,043 --> 00:46:18,403

middle school was similar to you when

like, I unlocked reading for myself

:

00:46:18,403 --> 00:46:24,283

because reading was a chore before

then and really clicked for me and the

:

00:46:24,463 --> 00:46:30,073

like, this kind of stereotypical, but

the gateway for me was Harry Potter.

:

00:46:30,073 --> 00:46:33,643

And then from there it was like,

grew up when Twilight blew up

:

00:46:33,643 --> 00:46:35,683

and then it was the Hunger Games.

:

00:46:35,683 --> 00:46:43,873

And so following that sort of trajectory

and how that sort of influenced my of.

:

00:46:44,563 --> 00:46:49,173

Reading, but not only that, like strong

female characters and like the sort of

:

00:46:49,173 --> 00:46:55,623

journey I started to go on and discovering

like going much deeper, mirrors a

:

00:46:55,623 --> 00:46:57,328

lot about what we were talking about.

:

00:46:57,328 --> 00:47:00,148

So that's like why I was really

curious to pick your brain about that.

:

00:47:00,448 --> 00:47:05,238

But beyond that we're both curious

what keeps you writing stories

:

00:47:05,238 --> 00:47:09,678

centered on women and girls even when

the world, as we've talked about,

:

00:47:09,678 --> 00:47:11,568

doesn't really prioritize that.

:

00:47:13,933 --> 00:47:15,223

Nkrumah: because I'm a woman.

:

00:47:15,583 --> 00:47:16,093

Christine: Yeah.

:

00:47:16,268 --> 00:47:19,228

Nkrumah: say, a lot of instructors

tell you to write what you know,

:

00:47:19,958 --> 00:47:21,128

I know girls, I'm

:

00:47:21,228 --> 00:47:25,608

I have two daughters, through my stepsons.

:

00:47:25,608 --> 00:47:27,858

I have five granddaughters.

:

00:47:27,923 --> 00:47:29,783

S one grandson.

:

00:47:29,813 --> 00:47:30,083

I'm

:

00:47:30,133 --> 00:47:30,423

Christine: yeah.

:

00:47:30,528 --> 00:47:32,268

Nkrumah: around a lot of women.

:

00:47:33,603 --> 00:47:34,023

Christine: I love it.

:

00:47:34,038 --> 00:47:35,983

Nkrumah: a female I

attended a women's college,

:

00:47:36,328 --> 00:47:37,348

That was another thing.

:

00:47:37,513 --> 00:47:40,233

I did have a lot of guy friends growing up

:

00:47:40,543 --> 00:47:41,803

Weren't that serious.

:

00:47:41,803 --> 00:47:44,863

And I felt like college was

when you needed to get serious.

:

00:47:44,863 --> 00:47:45,373

So

:

00:47:45,428 --> 00:47:48,938

To a women's college and it turns

out you just make women friends.

:

00:47:49,358 --> 00:47:49,948

Christine: There you go.

:

00:47:50,058 --> 00:47:51,018

Nkrumah: a bonus.

:

00:47:51,118 --> 00:47:55,468

I think that's why I keep writing

strong female leads because I know women

:

00:47:55,648 --> 00:48:00,748

What I want to see out there, and I want

to make stories that my kids would be

:

00:48:00,748 --> 00:48:02,668

proud of and my kids would like to read.

:

00:48:03,658 --> 00:48:08,998

my eldest daughter, first book I ever

read to her was Pride and Prejudice.

:

00:48:09,548 --> 00:48:11,858

She was an infant, so I could

:

00:48:11,993 --> 00:48:12,653

Christine: I love it.

:

00:48:13,463 --> 00:48:14,153

Yes.

:

00:48:14,288 --> 00:48:14,588

Nkrumah: read.

:

00:48:15,038 --> 00:48:19,218

So she got to hear pride and

prejudice as a wee baby, and.

:

00:48:20,988 --> 00:48:23,568

She grew I read to her every night.

:

00:48:23,568 --> 00:48:24,528

I was that mom.

:

00:48:25,298 --> 00:48:25,818

Christine: I love that.

:

00:48:25,998 --> 00:48:28,098

Nkrumah: daughter is just like me.

:

00:48:29,028 --> 00:48:29,808

dyslexic.

:

00:48:31,248 --> 00:48:34,668

And I knew this when she

was learning to read.

:

00:48:34,668 --> 00:48:36,798

I knew immediately, but

:

00:48:36,878 --> 00:48:42,128

To read to her and we read great books.

:

00:48:42,128 --> 00:48:45,818

Mog The Cats, who's afraid

of the big bad book?

:

00:48:46,508 --> 00:48:52,808

I always do character voices, so

this is like a big thing for me.

:

00:48:52,808 --> 00:48:55,928

Like you can't have the same

character, have the same voice.

:

00:48:55,983 --> 00:48:59,588

And Goldilocks was really

annoying and who's afraid

:

00:48:59,648 --> 00:49:00,248

That book?

:

00:49:01,088 --> 00:49:07,538

And so she was always my, even though my

younger daughter is dyslexic just like I

:

00:49:07,538 --> 00:49:11,468

am, she started to read sooner than I did

:

00:49:12,578 --> 00:49:13,688

I read to her.

:

00:49:14,063 --> 00:49:19,943

And I wanted to make sure that I

was reading characters that were

:

00:49:19,943 --> 00:49:24,443

strong and that re that took chances

:

00:49:26,693 --> 00:49:29,213

society tells us that we

probably shouldn't take,

:

00:49:29,918 --> 00:49:34,628

To make, you have to

make mistakes to grow.

:

00:49:34,628 --> 00:49:38,228

If everything is so simple,

what are you really learning?

:

00:49:39,278 --> 00:49:40,328

But to coast

:

00:49:40,463 --> 00:49:40,913

Christine: Absolutely.

:

00:49:41,738 --> 00:49:46,188

Nkrumah: if you take a chance, if

you and me writing a book that's

:

00:49:46,188 --> 00:49:48,018

taking a chance let's be real.

:

00:49:48,378 --> 00:49:53,178

Nobody is getting rich on

books like I decided to.

:

00:49:53,228 --> 00:49:55,448

Unless you're daycare

rolling, likewise be real.

:

00:49:55,748 --> 00:49:57,968

That's a whole franchise

that I can't even,

:

00:49:58,478 --> 00:49:59,828

Got, if I get there, no

:

00:49:59,948 --> 00:50:00,848

Alexandra: when you get there,

:

00:50:01,263 --> 00:50:01,813

Nkrumah: Ha.

:

00:50:02,083 --> 00:50:02,743

Let's go ahead and

:

00:50:03,078 --> 00:50:03,368

Alexandra: okay?

:

00:50:03,523 --> 00:50:03,883

Nkrumah: So when I

:

00:50:04,013 --> 00:50:04,253

Christine: Absolutely.

:

00:50:05,743 --> 00:50:09,113

Nkrumah: When I get there, I'll be

popping off and be like, yeah, screw this.

:

00:50:09,113 --> 00:50:13,883

I'm leaving construction, but I'm right

now construction by day, author by

:

00:50:13,883 --> 00:50:20,489

night, and, but I wanna write something

where characters can take chances.

:

00:50:20,909 --> 00:50:24,209

They can take that leap of

faith and do whatever they want.

:

00:50:24,209 --> 00:50:26,369

I cannot do that right now

'cause I have children.

:

00:50:26,714 --> 00:50:34,564

But I want characters who are young

to take chances and do the things that

:

00:50:34,804 --> 00:50:39,064

they think they cannot do and find

out whether or not they can do it.

:

00:50:39,559 --> 00:50:40,759

That's when you should do that.

:

00:50:40,789 --> 00:50:42,739

When you're young, do all the things.

:

00:50:43,069 --> 00:50:45,889

And I want my kids to do all the

things and I want my kids' friends to

:

00:50:45,889 --> 00:50:50,299

do all the things like, oh, you want

to drive country, cross country in

:

00:50:50,299 --> 00:50:54,319

your car and eat ho hos and Skittles.

:

00:50:54,379 --> 00:50:55,369

Do it.

:

00:50:55,849 --> 00:50:56,809

Do it.

:

00:50:57,259 --> 00:50:58,519

Don't call me for money.

:

00:50:59,479 --> 00:51:00,469

I've got bills to pay.

:

00:51:02,209 --> 00:51:03,019

But if you've

:

00:51:03,244 --> 00:51:04,289

Christine: But if that's what you want.

:

00:51:04,699 --> 00:51:04,849

Nkrumah: to

:

00:51:05,069 --> 00:51:09,599

And you can work odd jobs along the

way and have an adventure, hell do it.

:

00:51:09,599 --> 00:51:17,159

You don't have kids, so I, why I write,

for a young woman, of course, be safe.

:

00:51:17,439 --> 00:51:20,709

I'm not out here telling you to

really go eat hohos and Skittles

:

00:51:20,709 --> 00:51:21,819

and drive across the country.

:

00:51:22,629 --> 00:51:23,359

Alexandra: With no money,

:

00:51:24,309 --> 00:51:28,269

Nkrumah: maybe take your revolver

out of the cookie jar before you go,

:

00:51:28,464 --> 00:51:28,974

Christine: Yes,

:

00:51:30,139 --> 00:51:31,919

Alexandra: you are like, at

least have the decency to stick

:

00:51:31,919 --> 00:51:32,994

it in the glove compartment.

:

00:51:33,189 --> 00:51:35,619

Nkrumah: yes, let's be safe ladies.

:

00:51:35,719 --> 00:51:38,149

'Cause we know that the

world isn't ready for us.

:

00:51:38,259 --> 00:51:38,889

Okay.

:

00:51:39,009 --> 00:51:44,620

There's I feel that as women grow and

we gain more power, there's always gonna

:

00:51:44,620 --> 00:51:46,990

be somebody who is threatened by that.

:

00:51:47,735 --> 00:51:48,815

I was watching.

:

00:51:49,105 --> 00:51:51,355

And don't get me lying, I don't

know the name of this anime.

:

00:51:51,355 --> 00:51:55,655

My, my daughter, my younger daughter

pulls the animes out of her hat and

:

00:51:55,655 --> 00:51:57,575

just, she's mom, watch this with me.

:

00:51:57,755 --> 00:51:59,255

So I don't even know

the name of this anime.

:

00:51:59,345 --> 00:52:01,565

I've seen both anime at this point,

I don't even know what to do.

:

00:52:02,195 --> 00:52:05,497

But the main character of

the anime is not a girl.

:

00:52:05,497 --> 00:52:06,127

It's a boy.

:

00:52:06,232 --> 00:52:10,912

But the hero in the story

is a woman, is a young girl,

:

00:52:11,037 --> 00:52:12,957

And there are so many people

trying to kill this chick.

:

00:52:14,277 --> 00:52:14,847

Why?

:

00:52:15,117 --> 00:52:16,887

Because the hero is a threat

:

00:52:17,352 --> 00:52:19,002

Structure of their society.

:

00:52:20,382 --> 00:52:20,712

Christine: Right.

:

00:52:20,952 --> 00:52:22,542

Nkrumah: wants to give power to the hero.

:

00:52:22,967 --> 00:52:23,867

And who are we?

:

00:52:24,182 --> 00:52:25,202

We are the heroes.

:

00:52:26,012 --> 00:52:27,152

We are the heroes.

:

00:52:27,452 --> 00:52:30,542

Because you are the main

character in your own story.

:

00:52:31,093 --> 00:52:33,613

And if you're not gonna act like the

main character in your own story,

:

00:52:33,613 --> 00:52:34,483

I don't know what to do for you.

:

00:52:34,845 --> 00:52:37,485

I wanna write stories where you.

:

00:52:38,250 --> 00:52:41,710

Think okay, I should be the

main character in my own story.

:

00:52:42,130 --> 00:52:43,960

Don't be the side character

in your own story.

:

00:52:44,215 --> 00:52:44,665

So sad.

:

00:52:45,400 --> 00:52:48,415

Alexandra: Have you ever had a time in

your life where you felt like you weren't

:

00:52:48,415 --> 00:52:49,285

the main character in your own story?

:

00:52:50,485 --> 00:52:52,435

And is that why you're

so passionate about that?

:

00:52:53,305 --> 00:52:54,085

Nkrumah: Absolutely.

:

00:52:54,385 --> 00:52:55,075

Absolutely.

:

00:52:55,135 --> 00:52:58,285

I like, we're sitting here,

we're joking, we're talking.

:

00:52:58,465 --> 00:53:00,985

I was not like this when I

:

00:53:01,095 --> 00:53:05,625

Version of me happens like

late high school, college.

:

00:53:06,345 --> 00:53:13,665

I did not, I did, I actually had

one of my cousins, and this is, this

:

00:53:13,665 --> 00:53:18,445

happened after I turned 40 and we

are all having brunch together and.

:

00:53:19,118 --> 00:53:22,058

I ordered a bourbon drink, is it's brunch.

:

00:53:22,058 --> 00:53:23,318

You order a cocktail.

:

00:53:23,348 --> 00:53:23,708

And it was

:

00:53:23,823 --> 00:53:26,973

Juicy, fruity with bourbon in it.

:

00:53:26,973 --> 00:53:27,843

And I love bourbon.

:

00:53:27,843 --> 00:53:28,533

And where were we?

:

00:53:28,533 --> 00:53:29,313

Kentucky.

:

00:53:29,313 --> 00:53:30,483

So you have to have bourbon.

:

00:53:30,993 --> 00:53:31,593

Christine: You have to.

:

00:53:31,743 --> 00:53:34,743

Nkrumah: my cousins and I'm

talking the way I talk now,

:

00:53:34,968 --> 00:53:38,298

One of my cousins said, oh my God,

I didn't realize you were so funny.

:

00:53:39,100 --> 00:53:40,940

And another one was like who knew?

:

00:53:40,940 --> 00:53:42,350

She could talk so much?

:

00:53:42,835 --> 00:53:43,165

Christine: Wow.

:

00:53:43,525 --> 00:53:44,995

Nkrumah: I had to think about that.

:

00:53:44,995 --> 00:53:49,045

And the me that they remember

:

00:53:49,360 --> 00:53:52,030

Was the quiet one who sat in the corner.

:

00:53:52,502 --> 00:53:56,402

I was so quiet that we went

on family vacations and they

:

00:53:56,402 --> 00:53:57,992

forgot me in the back of the van

:

00:53:59,012 --> 00:53:59,432

Asleep.

:

00:53:59,850 --> 00:54:03,090

Everybody's in the hotel

swimming in the indoor bowl.

:

00:54:04,275 --> 00:54:09,465

And nobody gave thought to

where I was or where I could be,

:

00:54:09,625 --> 00:54:10,728

Not even my parents.

:

00:54:11,199 --> 00:54:13,809

So that's how quiet I was.

:

00:54:13,809 --> 00:54:16,179

It was just, I could be overlooked.

:

00:54:16,179 --> 00:54:17,379

I was like a piece of furniture

:

00:54:17,665 --> 00:54:19,777

And I was okay with that.

:

00:54:20,420 --> 00:54:23,780

When you don't know any better,

you're just okay with that.

:

00:54:23,900 --> 00:54:24,440

Alexandra: That's true.

:

00:54:24,780 --> 00:54:26,670

Nkrumah: I didn't wanna be

the center of attention.

:

00:54:26,670 --> 00:54:28,770

I didn't wanna be around

a bunch of people.

:

00:54:28,980 --> 00:54:30,180

I thought a lot of stuff.

:

00:54:30,180 --> 00:54:32,250

When I heard things I was

like, yo, that's crazy.

:

00:54:32,510 --> 00:54:36,980

I had my little comebacks in my mind,

but I was too scared to say them.

:

00:54:37,305 --> 00:54:43,215

It was only when I decided I don't give

a crap is when I started saying them.

:

00:54:43,545 --> 00:54:48,255

And now I wouldn't say

anything necessarily hurtful.

:

00:54:49,155 --> 00:54:51,015

I wasn't trying to hurt people, but.

:

00:54:51,975 --> 00:54:57,159

If I had something to say and

it turned out to be funny, I was

:

00:54:57,159 --> 00:54:59,139

like, all right, glad I said that.

:

00:54:59,139 --> 00:54:59,379

Let's

:

00:54:59,464 --> 00:55:03,184

It got to a point where I was

just like, I don't have to cha,

:

00:55:03,214 --> 00:55:07,744

I don't have to be quiet because

I might not know you tomorrow.

:

00:55:08,764 --> 00:55:09,054

Alexandra: Yeah,

:

00:55:09,064 --> 00:55:09,274

Christine: Right?

:

00:55:09,454 --> 00:55:14,204

Nkrumah: that was the catalyst for me

was, why am I worried of what you think

:

00:55:14,204 --> 00:55:19,634

and I might not know you in another

day, another month, another year.

:

00:55:20,834 --> 00:55:24,014

I can live my truth and be

myself and you can take it or it.

:

00:55:25,219 --> 00:55:25,959

Alexandra: That's true.

:

00:55:27,059 --> 00:55:28,049

Nkrumah: So took time.

:

00:55:28,999 --> 00:55:29,289

Alexandra: Okay.

:

00:55:29,869 --> 00:55:31,839

I feel like that gives me hope

:

00:55:32,619 --> 00:55:33,609

Nkrumah: Yes,

:

00:55:34,299 --> 00:55:36,489

Alexandra: But it's so funny, like

I can't, we've been friends for

:

00:55:36,489 --> 00:55:38,919

a couple years and I feel like I

can't, I don't know you any other

:

00:55:38,919 --> 00:55:40,119

way than the way you are now.

:

00:55:40,119 --> 00:55:44,139

So to, to hear that you were too quiet

and like the one in the corner just

:

00:55:44,139 --> 00:55:47,069

keeping to yourself, I'm like, that's

just an antithesis of who I think you are.

:

00:55:47,069 --> 00:55:50,834

So it's you're always a, like a bright

light and shiny and it's like you

:

00:55:50,834 --> 00:55:53,834

just need somebody to pick you up

or just laugh and have a good time.

:

00:55:53,894 --> 00:55:55,874

I'm like, call up rum.

:

00:55:55,874 --> 00:55:57,704

And I'm like, all right, what's going on?

:

00:55:57,704 --> 00:55:58,094

What's new?

:

00:55:58,349 --> 00:55:58,949

Nkrumah: yeah.

:

00:55:59,129 --> 00:55:59,759

I'm like, whoa.

:

00:55:59,759 --> 00:56:01,649

Let's go down to muddled and have a drink.

:

00:56:01,649 --> 00:56:02,729

Let's do this.

:

00:56:02,744 --> 00:56:03,104

Alexandra: Yeah,

:

00:56:03,129 --> 00:56:03,789

Christine: Oh yeah.

:

00:56:03,849 --> 00:56:04,349

Can I come?

:

00:56:04,919 --> 00:56:05,279

Nkrumah: Yeah.

:

00:56:06,529 --> 00:56:07,219

Alexandra: come on down.

:

00:56:08,409 --> 00:56:09,109

Christine: Oh, I love it.

:

00:56:09,824 --> 00:56:10,004

Alexandra: Just

:

00:56:10,184 --> 00:56:10,274

Christine: I

:

00:56:10,514 --> 00:56:11,834

Alexandra: hop in the

car and be here tomorrow.

:

00:56:12,464 --> 00:56:14,294

Christine: I know I'll be

there in about eight hours.

:

00:56:17,489 --> 00:56:19,439

Nkrumah: Girl, you better

take a flight at that point.

:

00:56:20,169 --> 00:56:20,559

Christine: I know.

:

00:56:21,504 --> 00:56:22,854

Nkrumah: I don't know if

I can wait eight hours

:

00:56:22,899 --> 00:56:23,439

Christine: Fair enough.

:

00:56:23,439 --> 00:56:27,459

I can be there in, I can be

there an hour and a half I plane.

:

00:56:28,179 --> 00:56:28,449

For sure.

:

00:56:29,454 --> 00:56:29,834

For sure.

:

00:56:29,874 --> 00:56:30,534

Nkrumah: the airport.

:

00:56:30,584 --> 00:56:30,884

Christine: Is.

:

00:56:30,884 --> 00:56:31,664

Perfect.

:

00:56:31,784 --> 00:56:32,564

Alexandra: swing on by and

:

00:56:32,774 --> 00:56:32,924

Christine: there.

:

00:56:33,224 --> 00:56:33,794

Alexandra: drive right down.

:

00:56:35,714 --> 00:56:36,464

Christine: Oh, that's awesome.

:

00:56:36,764 --> 00:56:37,184

Very cool.

:

00:56:37,199 --> 00:56:37,709

Nkrumah: Yeah.

:

00:56:37,799 --> 00:56:39,149

I think a lot of people say that.

:

00:56:39,149 --> 00:56:40,769

They're like, wait, you were quiet.

:

00:56:40,994 --> 00:56:42,074

I'm like, yeah, bro.

:

00:56:42,074 --> 00:56:42,854

I didn't talk.

:

00:56:43,589 --> 00:56:48,839

Alexandra: Is there any character

in your queendom queen, your Ann of

:

00:56:48,839 --> 00:56:53,249

Survivor series right now, who kind

of mirrors that journey that you took?

:

00:56:53,249 --> 00:56:58,049

That was more, it's more quiet, who

then finds their voice and I don't

:

00:56:58,049 --> 00:57:00,509

wanna say becomes more outgoing,

but like really allows the world to

:

00:57:00,509 --> 00:57:02,519

see who they are without apology.

:

00:57:02,594 --> 00:57:05,504

Nkrumah: I, not to the extent that I have,

:

00:57:05,699 --> 00:57:06,089

Alexandra: Okay.

:

00:57:06,884 --> 00:57:12,224

Nkrumah: I think one that comes very

close is Anne's sister Aana, because

:

00:57:12,284 --> 00:57:18,764

Aana was, she, it's very difficult

when you have a sibling who's larger

:

00:57:18,764 --> 00:57:24,134

than life you feel like you're

relegated to the shadows because

:

00:57:24,134 --> 00:57:26,024

this other person shines so bright.

:

00:57:26,504 --> 00:57:28,604

And I feel that Aana had that,

:

00:57:29,239 --> 00:57:34,399

And for me, got an elder

brother and two younger sisters.

:

00:57:35,239 --> 00:57:37,939

my younger sister always

wanted to be the model.

:

00:57:39,409 --> 00:57:41,779

She always wanted to be front and center.

:

00:57:42,139 --> 00:57:45,979

And I just let her have it like

nobody told me to get in the shadows.

:

00:57:46,229 --> 00:57:47,389

Oh you want the floor?

:

00:57:47,419 --> 00:57:49,039

You want the stage, not just

:

00:57:49,054 --> 00:57:49,414

Christine: Yeah.

:

00:57:49,519 --> 00:57:50,779

Nkrumah: You want the whole dam go.

:

00:57:51,859 --> 00:57:55,189

I'm gonna sit back here

and I don't know, watch for

:

00:57:55,284 --> 00:57:59,014

And then I'm gonna go over there and

maybe watch Disney Channel, like whatever.

:

00:58:00,019 --> 00:58:00,289

Christine: Yeah.

:

00:58:00,604 --> 00:58:01,069

Nkrumah: Ana has.

:

00:58:01,684 --> 00:58:07,714

Some of that growth she

never gets, not yet anyway.

:

00:58:07,984 --> 00:58:12,024

I don't know if she does I don't know,

because you, her growth is her growth.

:

00:58:12,024 --> 00:58:14,364

So I just sit there and she tells me,

:

00:58:16,404 --> 00:58:22,074

in book one and two, she grows in

such a way that I was not expecting.

:

00:58:23,094 --> 00:58:24,474

She is the quiet daughter.

:

00:58:24,774 --> 00:58:29,514

She's the one who just does, as she's

told, she's the one who follows all of

:

00:58:29,514 --> 00:58:33,504

the societal norms until Ann goes missing.

:

00:58:35,574 --> 00:58:40,824

I feel like you have to have a catalyst

that pushes you to that next level.

:

00:58:42,624 --> 00:58:47,154

And Forna, that catalyst

was her sister leaving.

:

00:58:49,254 --> 00:58:53,094

So once her sister was gone,

she was just like, oh crap.

:

00:58:53,094 --> 00:58:53,364

What?

:

00:58:53,454 --> 00:58:53,814

What?

:

00:58:54,024 --> 00:58:55,074

What happens now?

:

00:58:56,484 --> 00:58:57,624

And what do I really.

:

00:58:58,374 --> 00:58:58,974

In life?

:

00:58:59,004 --> 00:59:03,474

Do I really want what society has to

offer me or do I want something different?

:

00:59:06,864 --> 00:59:10,604

Alexandra: And then finding the courage

to go after it if it's different.

:

00:59:11,814 --> 00:59:13,884

Nkrumah: I think she realizes

that she loved her sister

:

00:59:13,884 --> 00:59:15,234

a lot more than she thought

:

00:59:16,039 --> 00:59:16,849

Oh, look at that.

:

00:59:16,849 --> 00:59:18,889

Like Sister Me Love in the story too.

:

00:59:19,129 --> 00:59:19,999

So beautiful.

:

00:59:21,004 --> 00:59:23,944

Alexandra: You tap on all the different

kinds of love in the story, don't you?

:

00:59:24,679 --> 00:59:25,879

Nkrumah: Yeah, I sure do.

:

00:59:26,689 --> 00:59:29,029

I was like, oh, shout out to Frozen.

:

00:59:29,059 --> 00:59:30,529

Ooh, look at that sister.

:

00:59:30,534 --> 00:59:33,259

Christine: Yeah, sisters.

:

00:59:33,634 --> 00:59:37,614

Alexandra: and if I'm correct, there's

also like love for like your country,

:

00:59:37,614 --> 00:59:42,174

your home country, and doing right by

the people at some individual's role.

:

00:59:42,174 --> 00:59:45,694

And from what you've told me the

blueprints of things, it's just you

:

00:59:45,694 --> 00:59:49,449

explore so many themes within these

books that I feel like a book club

:

00:59:49,449 --> 00:59:53,849

could just, it spend like a year

picking apart like different, sub themes

:

00:59:53,849 --> 00:59:57,149

and, stories just to understand your,

the whole world that you've built.

:

00:59:57,929 --> 01:00:01,519

And I think that's such an incredible

talent to, to think of all this and

:

01:00:01,699 --> 01:00:04,639

to write in such evocative way that

people feel like they're there.

:

01:00:06,019 --> 01:00:14,419

Nkrumah: and I think that else that's in

the story that I didn't intend but anyway

:

01:00:14,739 --> 01:00:24,249

Was the rejection of society, but the

aspects of society that you actually like

:

01:00:24,659 --> 01:00:31,769

And then how do you reject the parts you

don't like, still keep the parts you.

:

01:00:35,024 --> 01:00:36,674

And I didn't mean for that to happen,

:

01:00:36,779 --> 01:00:38,759

Back to read those sections, I was

:

01:00:38,939 --> 01:00:39,419

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:00:39,694 --> 01:00:39,914

Wow.

:

01:00:40,049 --> 01:00:41,579

Nkrumah: Ooh, I get em.

:

01:00:41,579 --> 01:00:42,779

Forester chills here.

:

01:00:42,779 --> 01:00:43,499

This is good.

:

01:00:43,499 --> 01:00:44,009

I like it.

:

01:00:44,634 --> 01:00:45,689

Alexandra: I have a question for you.

:

01:00:46,499 --> 01:00:47,729

Is it one of your birth cards?

:

01:00:47,729 --> 01:00:48,449

The higher infant?

:

01:00:50,159 --> 01:00:51,179

Nkrumah: Yes.

:

01:00:52,229 --> 01:00:52,499

Alexandra: Yeah.

:

01:00:52,529 --> 01:00:52,859

Okay.

:

01:00:52,859 --> 01:00:54,089

Now that makes a lot of sense

:

01:00:56,489 --> 01:00:58,134

because I feel like you basically talked.

:

01:00:58,624 --> 01:00:59,309

Nkrumah: to tarot.

:

01:01:00,994 --> 01:01:03,799

Alexandra: I just that's essentially

the higher fi card, right?

:

01:01:03,799 --> 01:01:07,759

Like exploring to tradition, understanding

what you like, rejecting it, and then

:

01:01:07,759 --> 01:01:10,099

finding a way to blend the aspects.

:

01:01:10,099 --> 01:01:11,449

And I was just like, oh my gosh.

:

01:01:11,479 --> 01:01:15,439

She is, she's essentially

writing out the major, like the

:

01:01:15,439 --> 01:01:17,239

archetype of the higher fi card.

:

01:01:17,239 --> 01:01:19,009

And I love that because it is.

:

01:01:20,779 --> 01:01:23,719

Nkrumah: and you know what's really

funny is the higher infant, since we're

:

01:01:23,719 --> 01:01:26,414

on this topic numerology number seven.

:

01:01:28,169 --> 01:01:33,919

those two things in numerology

number seven is the introspection,

:

01:01:34,789 --> 01:01:43,129

the delving into the different norms

and aspects of not just society, but

:

01:01:45,409 --> 01:01:48,859

and discovering what your truth is.

:

01:01:49,984 --> 01:01:51,814

And I'm a, and I'm a Destiny seven.

:

01:01:53,719 --> 01:01:55,339

Alexandra: You are tapping

on all the things there

:

01:01:55,564 --> 01:01:56,464

Nkrumah: I know.

:

01:01:56,584 --> 01:01:57,454

By accident.

:

01:01:59,749 --> 01:02:02,419

Alexandra: by accident or

subconsciously on purpose.

:

01:02:03,034 --> 01:02:04,349

Nkrumah: Oh, there you go.

:

01:02:04,444 --> 01:02:05,314

I like that Better.

:

01:02:05,729 --> 01:02:06,959

Intentional,

:

01:02:07,214 --> 01:02:07,994

Intentional.

:

01:02:07,994 --> 01:02:08,654

I like it.

:

01:02:11,304 --> 01:02:15,804

Alexandra: Christine, do you have

any other questions for our guest or.

:

01:02:18,174 --> 01:02:20,334

Christine: Yeah, I could spend

all day talking with you.

:

01:02:21,624 --> 01:02:22,584

It's been so fun.

:

01:02:22,839 --> 01:02:26,589

I've really just enjoyed taking

a back seat and letting this

:

01:02:26,739 --> 01:02:30,369

conversation go wherever it goes

today, so thank you so much.

:

01:02:30,369 --> 01:02:35,979

I, but I think, I don't know, is there

anything else you wanted to touch on, or,

:

01:02:38,349 --> 01:02:41,919

I feel like this has been

a really cool conversation.

:

01:02:43,538 --> 01:02:45,009

Nkrumah: If you don't

have something, I have

:

01:02:45,189 --> 01:02:45,489

Alexandra: Yeah.

:

01:02:45,679 --> 01:02:46,729

Nkrumah: I wanna say

:

01:02:46,759 --> 01:02:47,359

Alexandra: Absolutely.

:

01:02:47,429 --> 01:02:47,939

Christine: Please.

:

01:02:48,239 --> 01:02:48,929

Nkrumah: Shakespeare.

:

01:02:49,499 --> 01:02:49,859

Okay.

:

01:02:49,859 --> 01:02:51,269

Because I love Billy Shakes.

:

01:02:51,538 --> 01:02:53,919

That's how, that's, I don't

even have to, I don't have to

:

01:02:53,919 --> 01:02:55,359

call him William Shakespeare.

:

01:02:55,389 --> 01:02:56,799

That's how intimate we are.

:

01:02:56,964 --> 01:02:57,254

Alexandra: Okay.

:

01:02:57,259 --> 01:02:57,579

Okay.

:

01:02:57,879 --> 01:02:59,549

Nkrumah: he's he is Billy Shas to me.

:

01:02:59,909 --> 01:03:04,319

I wanted to bring up William

Shakespeare for reasons.

:

01:03:04,454 --> 01:03:07,514

One, because I absolutely

adore him and love him.

:

01:03:07,844 --> 01:03:12,944

And when I was writing Anne, I used

a lot of Shakespeare and a lot of

:

01:03:12,944 --> 01:03:18,163

Shakespeare and tropes, I wanna say,

or devices, that's a better word.

:

01:03:18,314 --> 01:03:21,764

A lot of Shakespearean devices in Anne.

:

01:03:22,479 --> 01:03:27,999

The idea of masks and people not

being who they actually are, or

:

01:03:28,104 --> 01:03:31,104

Discovering that they

are somebody different.

:

01:03:31,134 --> 01:03:34,344

I really like those devices

in Shakespearean plays, and

:

01:03:34,404 --> 01:03:38,484

more predominantly in the

comedies than in the tragedies.

:

01:03:38,714 --> 01:03:42,944

I, the second reason I wanted to bring up

Billy Shakes is because of the language.

:

01:03:43,654 --> 01:03:46,759

And I understand that a

lot of people don't like.

:

01:03:47,689 --> 01:03:52,339

William Shakespeare because the

Elizabethan language is hard to grasp.

:

01:03:53,149 --> 01:04:01,129

So for any of your young listeners or

watchers, please give him a chance.

:

01:04:01,319 --> 01:04:02,889

I just absolutely.

:

01:04:02,889 --> 01:04:06,369

Huns down, adore the jokes

:

01:04:07,314 --> 01:04:09,654

Comedies, and 12th Night

:

01:04:10,044 --> 01:04:11,544

Christine: Oh, 12th night,

I was just gonna say.

:

01:04:12,324 --> 01:04:13,764

Nkrumah: absolute favorite.

:

01:04:13,794 --> 01:04:14,004

If

:

01:04:14,169 --> 01:04:18,788

Read 12th Night and then you

read Anna Survivor and Anna

:

01:04:18,999 --> 01:04:21,009

Ryland, you'll say, oh my God.

:

01:04:21,219 --> 01:04:22,569

I see where she was going.

:

01:04:22,674 --> 01:04:25,784

You'll feel like 12th

Night is a part of Anne.

:

01:04:25,964 --> 01:04:26,444

You would feel

:

01:04:26,549 --> 01:04:26,819

That.

:

01:04:28,288 --> 01:04:30,059

I can't express enough.

:

01:04:30,059 --> 01:04:35,788

If you like e, even if you don't wanna

read it, the version with imaging stubs.

:

01:04:37,084 --> 01:04:37,624

Okay.

:

01:04:38,538 --> 01:04:40,309

it's, oh, and Ben Kingsley's in it.

:

01:04:40,729 --> 01:04:42,319

Ben Kingsley's in that one too.

:

01:04:42,649 --> 01:04:46,279

So 12th Night or What

You Will by Billy Shakes.

:

01:04:46,549 --> 01:04:50,329

And then another one is

Much Ado about nothing.

:

01:04:50,389 --> 01:04:52,129

I love Beatrice.

:

01:04:52,369 --> 01:04:57,494

And if you're looking like for strong

female characters, that's another

:

01:04:57,689 --> 01:05:01,379

guy who wrote some, of course some of

them are still damsels in distress.

:

01:05:01,379 --> 01:05:02,009

Let's be real.

:

01:05:02,274 --> 01:05:09,954

Beatrice's, her wit is so sharp

that sometimes I feel bad for

:

01:05:09,954 --> 01:05:11,754

Benedict, but only a little bit.

:

01:05:11,994 --> 01:05:12,744

Only a little bit.

:

01:05:13,179 --> 01:05:13,469

Alexandra: Just

:

01:05:13,614 --> 01:05:14,094

Christine: Me a little

:

01:05:14,934 --> 01:05:22,194

Nkrumah: at all, but her wit is

so extremely sharp and I love it.

:

01:05:22,434 --> 01:05:23,124

I love it.

:

01:05:23,364 --> 01:05:27,954

So if you like hear me talking to myself

in any way, shape, or form, I might

:

01:05:27,954 --> 01:05:31,134

be like saying Shakespeare in lines.

:

01:05:31,619 --> 01:05:31,909

Alexandra: Okay.

:

01:05:32,663 --> 01:05:35,394

Nkrumah: it's either

that or like anime, but.

:

01:05:35,979 --> 01:05:36,269

Christine: Love.

:

01:05:36,714 --> 01:05:36,894

Alexandra: Or

:

01:05:37,104 --> 01:05:37,105

Christine: it.

:

01:05:37,389 --> 01:05:39,609

Nkrumah: Shakespeare or Jane Austen.

:

01:05:39,689 --> 01:05:40,139

My gosh.

:

01:05:40,139 --> 01:05:45,929

I was talking to somebody, a friend of

mine just had a grand baby and she's sick.

:

01:05:47,159 --> 01:05:47,699

Okay.

:

01:05:47,999 --> 01:05:48,269

Why?

:

01:05:48,269 --> 01:05:51,389

Because, kids, they're, they

pick up things and then you

:

01:05:51,464 --> 01:05:51,974

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:05:51,989 --> 01:05:52,739

Nkrumah: on them and be

:

01:05:52,814 --> 01:05:53,564

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:05:53,788 --> 01:05:54,869

Nkrumah: and then you get sick.

:

01:05:55,009 --> 01:05:57,949

For anybody who's read Jane Austen's.

:

01:05:57,979 --> 01:05:58,459

Emma.

:

01:06:00,049 --> 01:06:00,559

Okay.

:

01:06:00,559 --> 01:06:01,724

Have you I love Jane Austen.

:

01:06:01,944 --> 01:06:05,874

When this friend said, oh my God,

I'm so sick, I was playing with a

:

01:06:05,874 --> 01:06:11,214

baby immediately a line from Emma

popped in my head, and it's when Mr.

:

01:06:11,214 --> 01:06:14,634

Woodhouse is like, Emma,

put that baby down.

:

01:06:14,884 --> 01:06:16,534

They carry disease.

:

01:06:16,714 --> 01:06:20,974

And I'm like, facts are facts.

:

01:06:25,413 --> 01:06:29,114

Alexandra: Have you seen the version of

Emma with Anna Taylor Joy and Bill Nye?

:

01:06:30,329 --> 01:06:31,769

Nkrumah: I haven't,

:

01:06:31,934 --> 01:06:33,554

Alexandra: so it was, it's the newer one.

:

01:06:33,554 --> 01:06:36,889

It's like Emma and it's like a

period at the end, and I just.

:

01:06:37,734 --> 01:06:41,754

Emma's sister comes to visit with her

husband and her sister seems a little

:

01:06:41,754 --> 01:06:45,913

bit like a ger, what we'd probably call

it, germaphobe a little bit OCD, and

:

01:06:45,913 --> 01:06:48,284

just worried about everyone being sick.

:

01:06:48,284 --> 01:06:50,804

So when you said that, I'm just

imagining this character just

:

01:06:50,804 --> 01:06:51,764

being like, she's gonna die.

:

01:06:51,764 --> 01:06:52,154

She's gonna die.

:

01:06:52,274 --> 01:06:52,874

It needs a doctor.

:

01:06:52,874 --> 01:06:53,234

Oh my gosh.

:

01:06:54,209 --> 01:06:55,079

Just like frantic

:

01:06:55,934 --> 01:07:00,374

Nkrumah: in that time where you were

like, oh, she died off consumption.

:

01:07:00,634 --> 01:07:02,044

What the hell was that?

:

01:07:02,094 --> 01:07:02,314

Alexandra: tic.

:

01:07:03,599 --> 01:07:05,129

Do we have consumption anymore?

:

01:07:05,129 --> 01:07:05,604

What is it?

:

01:07:07,239 --> 01:07:10,269

Nkrumah: Consumption okay, you

really didn't know what they died of.

:

01:07:10,269 --> 01:07:12,189

So everybody's dying of consumption,

:

01:07:12,774 --> 01:07:13,913

Alexandra: The flu can take you down,

:

01:07:13,964 --> 01:07:16,364

Christine: and their remedy their

prescription is Go to the sea.

:

01:07:17,024 --> 01:07:17,534

Nkrumah: Yes.

:

01:07:17,984 --> 01:07:18,884

Go to bath.

:

01:07:19,124 --> 01:07:19,454

Alexandra: Yeah.

:

01:07:19,604 --> 01:07:20,474

Nkrumah: go to Bath.

:

01:07:21,344 --> 01:07:22,064

Alexandra: Takes some time in the.

:

01:07:23,564 --> 01:07:24,464

Nkrumah: Oh my gosh.

:

01:07:24,614 --> 01:07:25,424

Christine: We've come a long way.

:

01:07:25,904 --> 01:07:29,413

Nkrumah: we didn't talk about this, but

Ian Forster wrote a Room with a View

:

01:07:29,879 --> 01:07:38,109

and I just remember that cousin Charlotte,

she didn't wanna sit on the wet ground

:

01:07:38,163 --> 01:07:42,413

She could get sick and die, and I'm like,

oh, Lord Jesus, girl, let's just grass.

:

01:07:42,413 --> 01:07:42,834

Do you need

:

01:07:42,884 --> 01:07:43,514

Christine: it's good for you,

:

01:07:43,844 --> 01:07:44,444

Nkrumah: to sit on?

:

01:07:44,444 --> 01:07:46,184

Seriously, it's grass.

:

01:07:46,284 --> 01:07:47,554

Alexandra: It's stick

your hand in the dirt.

:

01:07:47,554 --> 01:07:48,274

Look it, you'll be fine.

:

01:07:48,624 --> 01:07:49,404

Nkrumah: You'd be all right.

:

01:07:49,404 --> 01:07:52,014

And that skirt probably

has four layers anyway.

:

01:07:52,014 --> 01:07:52,764

Let's be real.

:

01:07:53,054 --> 01:07:54,064

Alexandra: It's not getting through there.

:

01:07:54,354 --> 01:07:54,413

Christine: it,

:

01:07:54,624 --> 01:07:55,194

Nkrumah: that?

:

01:07:55,614 --> 01:07:58,254

You might get a little embarrassed

about the grass stains, but

:

01:07:58,254 --> 01:07:58,913

I think you'd be all right.

:

01:07:59,709 --> 01:08:01,964

But then again we have penicillin, so

:

01:08:02,999 --> 01:08:03,599

Christine: We do.

:

01:08:04,169 --> 01:08:04,919

We at least have pen.

:

01:08:06,014 --> 01:08:08,684

Nkrumah: I don't know when that,

I can't remember when that came

:

01:08:08,684 --> 01:08:09,974

about, but maybe there was a

:

01:08:09,984 --> 01:08:10,274

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:08:10,634 --> 01:08:11,413

Nkrumah: there for them.

:

01:08:12,714 --> 01:08:14,274

Eat some moldy bread, you'll be fine.

:

01:08:14,274 --> 01:08:14,304

I,

:

01:08:14,644 --> 01:08:15,194

Christine: There you go.

:

01:08:16,499 --> 01:08:17,879

Alexandra: If it doesn't

kill you, you'll survive.

:

01:08:18,613 --> 01:08:18,734

Nkrumah: yeah.

:

01:08:18,783 --> 01:08:21,719

If it doesn't kill you,

it makes you stronger.

:

01:08:25,484 --> 01:08:27,613

Alexandra: I'm just thinking about

the person who like figured out it

:

01:08:27,613 --> 01:08:31,424

takes what, three times to boil tap

Yoko before it becomes non toxic.

:

01:08:31,424 --> 01:08:34,943

You at this point, maybe you went

too far because at that point, if

:

01:08:34,943 --> 01:08:37,613

it keeps killing you, who's the

idiot trying it the third time?

:

01:08:38,169 --> 01:08:40,634

Nkrumah: I'm, you know what,

Alexander, you like hit the nail

:

01:08:40,634 --> 01:08:42,224

on the head with so many things.

:

01:08:42,274 --> 01:08:45,424

Decided that we had to like brine

olives before we could eat them?

:

01:08:45,814 --> 01:08:48,814

Like they're really

disgusting right off the tree.

:

01:08:48,953 --> 01:08:53,783

Who tasted that and said, oh man, I'm

gonna see how I can make this mess better.

:

01:08:53,854 --> 01:08:54,203

Alexandra: right.

:

01:08:55,814 --> 01:08:56,024

Nkrumah: Who?

:

01:08:56,818 --> 01:08:57,059

Christine: it needs to be.

:

01:08:59,669 --> 01:09:01,948

Alexandra: like, why didn't they

just go, i'll find something else,

:

01:09:01,948 --> 01:09:02,849

Nkrumah: precisely.

:

01:09:02,999 --> 01:09:03,419

Who was that

:

01:09:03,559 --> 01:09:08,629

Was like, oh, so much time

on my hands, let me do this.

:

01:09:09,328 --> 01:09:12,749

I think like back then, didn't

you have less time because it

:

01:09:12,749 --> 01:09:16,019

took you like damn forever to rise

bread before you could bake it

:

01:09:16,214 --> 01:09:16,573

Alexandra: Yep.

:

01:09:16,629 --> 01:09:18,339

Nkrumah: The dang oven, like from

:

01:09:18,389 --> 01:09:19,288

Bricks and stuff.

:

01:09:19,339 --> 01:09:21,139

Do you not have less time?

:

01:09:21,658 --> 01:09:21,948

Alexandra: Yeah.

:

01:09:21,979 --> 01:09:25,514

Nkrumah: I have a microwave,

I'm not doing this.

:

01:09:25,624 --> 01:09:26,493

Alexandra: don't have time.

:

01:09:27,229 --> 01:09:27,519

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:09:27,889 --> 01:09:31,068

Nkrumah: I don't have time

and I've got a microwave.

:

01:09:31,129 --> 01:09:33,201

Like I, I don't know.

:

01:09:33,201 --> 01:09:33,202

I don't

:

01:09:33,309 --> 01:09:33,599

Alexandra: Okay.

:

01:09:34,413 --> 01:09:38,703

I feel like I have a question, maybe

two for you, and then I think this

:

01:09:38,703 --> 01:09:40,413

will be like the last questions.

:

01:09:40,413 --> 01:09:43,344

And I know you don't love to talk about

'cause you have talked in I know some of

:

01:09:43,344 --> 01:09:47,484

your book events and on other podcasts,

like the process of writing because

:

01:09:47,484 --> 01:09:48,594

you get so many questions about it.

:

01:09:49,193 --> 01:09:54,203

But No, but my only question for

the right process of writing.

:

01:09:54,759 --> 01:09:59,139

What is one piece of advice you would

give your past self when you were

:

01:09:59,139 --> 01:10:02,139

starting your writing journey that

you would think make it, would make

:

01:10:02,139 --> 01:10:06,339

it smoother and may help others who

are interested in telling a story?

:

01:10:06,339 --> 01:10:07,719

They have got locked inside them.

:

01:10:09,219 --> 01:10:10,179

Nkrumah: Write it down.

:

01:10:11,379 --> 01:10:13,779

I think that was, that's the biggest part.

:

01:10:13,899 --> 01:10:14,439

Christine: Get it out.

:

01:10:14,499 --> 01:10:15,129

Nkrumah: it down.

:

01:10:15,229 --> 01:10:16,249

I think that,

:

01:10:20,099 --> 01:10:23,529

it might get a little spiritual

on you with this, but I

:

01:10:23,529 --> 01:10:25,809

think that ideas come to you

:

01:10:26,424 --> 01:10:28,764

Don't write them down, lost.

:

01:10:29,424 --> 01:10:31,854

And then somebody else,

it'll go to somebody else.

:

01:10:31,959 --> 01:10:35,889

If that person doesn't write it

down, it'll go to somebody else and

:

01:10:36,249 --> 01:10:36,909

Gonna write it

:

01:10:37,129 --> 01:10:43,789

And then 5, 10, 20 years from now, you're

gonna, it's gonna come across you and

:

01:10:43,789 --> 01:10:46,068

you're like, gosh, it, I had that idea.

:

01:10:46,429 --> 01:10:47,749

Write it down.

:

01:10:48,049 --> 01:10:51,799

And people always come up to me and

they're like, oh, you wrote a book,

:

01:10:51,799 --> 01:10:53,659

but it's, I wanna write a book.

:

01:10:53,659 --> 01:10:54,769

But it's so hard.

:

01:10:55,818 --> 01:10:56,959

How do you know it's hard?

:

01:10:57,049 --> 01:10:58,009

You haven't even started.

:

01:10:58,318 --> 01:10:58,669

Christine: Right.

:

01:10:59,659 --> 01:11:05,269

Nkrumah: You didn't, like, I wanna see

your post-it note where you wrote it down,

:

01:11:05,384 --> 01:11:08,984

Or show me like, we've got freaking

phones now and my phone like,

:

01:11:09,044 --> 01:11:11,114

has a flipping stylus in it.

:

01:11:11,164 --> 01:11:12,693

Like, where's your phone?

:

01:11:12,693 --> 01:11:14,814

Where's your phone with

your, do the thing,

:

01:11:14,879 --> 01:11:16,469

The thing and.

:

01:11:17,324 --> 01:11:18,644

me where you've written it down.

:

01:11:18,854 --> 01:11:19,724

Because I feel

:

01:11:19,774 --> 01:11:23,344

If you do the one first

step, write down that idea,

:

01:11:23,524 --> 01:11:24,304

Guess what?

:

01:11:24,784 --> 01:11:26,524

You're gonna have another idea

:

01:11:27,394 --> 01:11:28,384

And then another idea.

:

01:11:28,774 --> 01:11:33,064

And then that's why at this point

I had a fear for the longest time

:

01:11:33,064 --> 01:11:34,324

that I was gonna run outta stories.

:

01:11:35,154 --> 01:11:39,114

I really had this fear, and

it was like really scary

:

01:11:39,504 --> 01:11:45,204

And I realized one day talking to

another writer friend, like, what do

:

01:11:45,204 --> 01:11:46,464

you mean you're gonna run outta stories?

:

01:11:46,464 --> 01:11:47,844

You're not gonna run outta stories.

:

01:11:48,834 --> 01:11:50,124

And he was right,

:

01:11:50,414 --> 01:11:52,774

I'm, I just left a chick on a cliff.

:

01:11:52,834 --> 01:11:53,884

Like seriously.

:

01:11:55,954 --> 01:12:01,024

And like I said, this year has been

my year for experimenting with.

:

01:12:01,399 --> 01:12:02,629

Short stories, even though

:

01:12:02,814 --> 01:12:04,374

Still writing book three and four,

:

01:12:04,514 --> 01:12:07,364

Up book three and four and

I've already started Book five.

:

01:12:08,144 --> 01:12:12,193

But in the interim, I'm also

writing these short stories

:

01:12:12,889 --> 01:12:17,149

Because when you see something

and you have something to say,

:

01:12:17,269 --> 01:12:23,359

write it down and, oh, I have to

share it with you guys offline.

:

01:12:23,359 --> 01:12:28,259

But I have this beautiful story,

it's called The Red Thread, and it's

:

01:12:28,259 --> 01:12:32,159

about being American, who's American?

:

01:12:34,449 --> 01:12:34,599

Who

:

01:12:34,689 --> 01:12:35,199

Christine: Okay.

:

01:12:35,499 --> 01:12:38,169

Nkrumah: what defines us as Americans?

:

01:12:38,499 --> 01:12:42,609

If you're an immigrant, when

can you say that I'm American.

:

01:12:44,229 --> 01:12:47,019

And like for instance,

my father, he's Ghanaian.

:

01:12:47,769 --> 01:12:47,889

is

:

01:12:48,099 --> 01:12:50,979

Raised in Ghana, he is American,

:

01:12:51,109 --> 01:12:58,449

But he's still very Ghanaian growing up

we ate a lot of foo, so I know what it's

:

01:12:58,449 --> 01:13:06,519

like to have one culture at home and

then another culture outside the home.

:

01:13:07,484 --> 01:13:08,744

Call myself American.

:

01:13:09,859 --> 01:13:14,399

I don't have an accent, but I can make

some damn good foo I'm not even gonna lie.

:

01:13:15,209 --> 01:13:16,859

My dad has an accent.

:

01:13:18,329 --> 01:13:23,639

He makes foo, he'll wear Ken

Delau, but he's American.

:

01:13:23,924 --> 01:13:26,324

At what point do you

consider yourself American?

:

01:13:26,324 --> 01:13:32,314

And I wanted to explore that and I was

able to explore it in a short story.

:

01:13:33,509 --> 01:13:39,244

And I go back and I read it and I had

I have a really close knit friends that

:

01:13:39,244 --> 01:13:45,484

I allowed to read this, and all of them

were just like, it's so sweet and they

:

01:13:45,609 --> 01:13:46,149

More.

:

01:13:46,599 --> 01:13:46,749

They

:

01:13:46,934 --> 01:13:47,864

Of that story.

:

01:13:47,924 --> 01:13:48,764

But I'm done.

:

01:13:49,004 --> 01:13:53,564

I feel that I completed

what I was looking for.

:

01:13:53,954 --> 01:13:55,064

So the story is done,

:

01:13:55,939 --> 01:13:56,229

Alexandra: Okay.

:

01:13:56,294 --> 01:13:59,894

Nkrumah: you can't discover

what you're looking for.

:

01:13:59,894 --> 01:14:04,484

You can't answer your questions if you're

not willing to write it down first.

:

01:14:05,159 --> 01:14:07,039

I think is the biggest step.

:

01:14:07,519 --> 01:14:08,049

Christine: It's so true.

:

01:14:08,684 --> 01:14:10,814

Nkrumah: the first step's,

always the biggest step.

:

01:14:10,864 --> 01:14:13,354

Let's be real, write it down,

:

01:14:13,509 --> 01:14:13,869

Christine: be real.

:

01:14:14,529 --> 01:14:15,068

Oh yeah.

:

01:14:15,634 --> 01:14:17,974

Nkrumah: And we all, we, I

don't actually, I don't know.

:

01:14:18,004 --> 01:14:21,004

'cause you guys are a bit younger

than I'm, do you guys remember like

:

01:14:21,004 --> 01:14:22,774

the brainstorming bubble things

:

01:14:23,249 --> 01:14:23,469

Christine: Yes.

:

01:14:23,794 --> 01:14:25,684

Nkrumah: like you write something down

:

01:14:25,744 --> 01:14:26,134

Christine: those.

:

01:14:26,224 --> 01:14:26,614

Yes.

:

01:14:26,644 --> 01:14:29,104

Nkrumah: bubble and then you

have all these little offshoots

:

01:14:29,134 --> 01:14:29,554

Christine: Yep.

:

01:14:29,584 --> 01:14:31,024

Nkrumah: more bubbles and Yeah.

:

01:14:31,084 --> 01:14:32,974

That's what writing is

:

01:14:34,189 --> 01:14:34,479

Alexandra: Okay.

:

01:14:34,744 --> 01:14:38,464

Nkrumah: have an idea then it

spins off and all these other

:

01:14:38,794 --> 01:14:39,364

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:14:41,284 --> 01:14:42,034

Spider web.

:

01:14:42,379 --> 01:14:44,479

Nkrumah: So use your

spidey sense, write it down

:

01:14:45,514 --> 01:14:45,844

Christine: it.

:

01:14:45,904 --> 01:14:46,369

Alexandra: Thank you

:

01:14:46,399 --> 01:14:47,359

Nkrumah: to all the things,

:

01:14:48,124 --> 01:14:48,334

Christine: Yeah,

:

01:14:48,429 --> 01:14:48,649

Alexandra: all.

:

01:14:49,084 --> 01:14:49,894

Christine: how I operate.

:

01:14:49,943 --> 01:14:54,943

Not necessarily in terms of the writing

process, but just how I function on a

:

01:14:54,943 --> 01:14:59,374

day-to-day basis is if I'm struggling

with something, I go to my people

:

01:14:59,374 --> 01:15:03,384

and I talk it out and I write it down

and I try and I like instinctually.

:

01:15:03,624 --> 01:15:07,644

It's probably not the best thing,

but I think of every possible

:

01:15:07,644 --> 01:15:11,693

outcome and like how those

outcomes will have their outcomes.

:

01:15:11,693 --> 01:15:14,034

And I just follow that

thread all the way down.

:

01:15:14,424 --> 01:15:17,634

Sometimes it's helpful,

sometimes it's not but.

:

01:15:18,054 --> 01:15:19,209

Nkrumah: and that's the thing.

:

01:15:19,209 --> 01:15:21,489

Like you, that's the thing.

:

01:15:21,489 --> 01:15:26,049

When I, I wrote some, for instance,

Ann began because a friend of mine

:

01:15:26,049 --> 01:15:27,489

was going through an arranged marriage

:

01:15:28,084 --> 01:15:31,714

she was not happy like the night before.

:

01:15:32,979 --> 01:15:35,409

So I just looked at her and I was

like what if we just take off?

:

01:15:35,589 --> 01:15:36,099

What if we just

:

01:15:36,204 --> 01:15:37,284

We don't have to do this?

:

01:15:37,584 --> 01:15:40,314

And for us it's easy.

:

01:15:41,014 --> 01:15:41,794

Let's be real.

:

01:15:41,934 --> 01:15:46,494

We're women in America, you run

away, you're gonna get a job,

:

01:15:46,679 --> 01:15:50,999

Get an apartment, possibly, not

Manhattan, too expensive, but you're

:

01:15:50,999 --> 01:15:55,589

gonna get like an apartment and you're

gonna pretend it's in Manhattan, even

:

01:15:55,589 --> 01:15:58,049

though it's in I don't know, Greensboro.

:

01:15:58,229 --> 01:15:58,379

And,

:

01:16:00,854 --> 01:16:01,074

Christine: Yes.

:

01:16:03,419 --> 01:16:04,379

Oh my gosh.

:

01:16:04,529 --> 01:16:05,729

Nkrumah: Find a new man.

:

01:16:05,849 --> 01:16:08,909

You might have to repair

relations with your family,

:

01:16:09,134 --> 01:16:10,334

But it's doable.

:

01:16:10,479 --> 01:16:13,899

So when I was thinking about

her situation and I was like

:

01:16:13,899 --> 01:16:16,479

what would happen if she ran?

:

01:16:17,409 --> 01:16:18,129

It's doable.

:

01:16:18,129 --> 01:16:19,509

I answered that question.

:

01:16:20,514 --> 01:16:23,274

So then I was like, but what

if she was still property?

:

01:16:24,254 --> 01:16:27,224

What if this was 15 hundreds?

:

01:16:27,924 --> 01:16:30,714

How could she run away

without becoming a prostitute?

:

01:16:31,514 --> 01:16:37,934

She run away without being

snatched up and sold slavery

:

01:16:39,774 --> 01:16:40,064

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:16:40,244 --> 01:16:41,114

Nkrumah: married off to

:

01:16:41,304 --> 01:16:41,424

Christine: I,

:

01:16:41,744 --> 01:16:44,174

Nkrumah: guy with like weird fetishes?

:

01:16:44,274 --> 01:16:49,974

What can we do here where she

runs away and she has this growth?

:

01:16:50,824 --> 01:16:51,724

Where it began.

:

01:16:52,624 --> 01:16:56,943

I was like, okay, so she's gonna,

she's got this opportunity to

:

01:16:56,943 --> 01:16:59,644

marry the nephew of the king

:

01:17:00,514 --> 01:17:02,044

Who wouldn't wanna be a princess.

:

01:17:02,044 --> 01:17:03,124

Let's be real,

:

01:17:03,529 --> 01:17:07,459

Like all these little stories,

all these little girls running,

:

01:17:07,469 --> 01:17:11,549

owned in Elsa and Anna outfits,

they wanna be, they were get.

:

01:17:16,199 --> 01:17:20,909

The little girls forget that being a

princess isn't just marrying the prince.

:

01:17:20,909 --> 01:17:22,559

You gotta fight the dragons

:

01:17:22,674 --> 01:17:24,804

And the evil stepmom's and all

:

01:17:24,909 --> 01:17:25,269

Crap.

:

01:17:25,554 --> 01:17:26,124

Fun.

:

01:17:26,214 --> 01:17:28,254

You ate the dang poison apple.

:

01:17:28,494 --> 01:17:28,844

Christine: Right.

:

01:17:29,329 --> 01:17:31,068

Alexandra: And now you gotta

give yourself the Heimlich,

:

01:17:31,139 --> 01:17:33,359

Nkrumah: yes, it's a struggle.

:

01:17:33,689 --> 01:17:41,349

So you have to work through it, whatever

this, whatever first line you, you

:

01:17:41,349 --> 01:17:44,529

write that first line and then you're

like, okay, this is the situation.

:

01:17:45,279 --> 01:17:46,059

do I fix it?

:

01:17:47,289 --> 01:17:47,769

All right.

:

01:17:48,039 --> 01:17:48,519

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:17:48,879 --> 01:17:49,719

Nkrumah: personality.

:

01:17:51,789 --> 01:17:52,089

Okay.

:

01:17:54,189 --> 01:17:57,129

I feel like if you're a

writer, you've got questions.

:

01:17:57,504 --> 01:17:58,404

That's what you do.

:

01:17:58,434 --> 01:18:02,514

You have questions, you have

situations, you answer the questions,

:

01:18:02,693 --> 01:18:06,084

you move through the situations,

which then lead to other situations.

:

01:18:06,324 --> 01:18:10,193

So Anne's I don't wanna be

a princess, I don't wanna be

:

01:18:10,329 --> 01:18:11,559

To the royal family.

:

01:18:11,619 --> 01:18:13,449

I wanna get the hell out of Dodge.

:

01:18:14,049 --> 01:18:18,759

She has like a Maryanne complex

from Sense and Sensibility where she

:

01:18:18,854 --> 01:18:22,034

Love that's gonna burn

and set her on fire.

:

01:18:22,034 --> 01:18:25,964

She wants that exciting,

like adventurous love.

:

01:18:26,309 --> 01:18:27,299

Needs to simmer down.

:

01:18:29,549 --> 01:18:31,169

Yeah, okay.

:

01:18:31,443 --> 01:18:32,654

Alexandra: Yeah, because sometimes

:

01:18:32,759 --> 01:18:33,629

Nkrumah: be realistic.

:

01:18:33,804 --> 01:18:35,639

Alexandra: that kind of love

just burns the world down,

:

01:18:36,459 --> 01:18:37,568

Christine: Burns you right up.

:

01:18:37,579 --> 01:18:38,719

Nkrumah: To be Juliet?

:

01:18:39,034 --> 01:18:39,304

Christine: Do you

:

01:18:39,384 --> 01:18:39,474

Meet

:

01:18:39,519 --> 01:18:43,479

Alexandra: I have a bone to pick with any,

like people who think Romeo and Julia is

:

01:18:43,479 --> 01:18:46,189

a romance like, that is not a romance.

:

01:18:46,519 --> 01:18:47,359

That is a tragedy.

:

01:18:48,184 --> 01:18:53,764

Nkrumah: I am, I freaking you

brought, this is a cr for me.

:

01:18:53,854 --> 01:18:56,674

I hate Romeo and Juliet.

:

01:18:56,749 --> 01:18:57,469

Alexandra: It's terrible.

:

01:18:58,084 --> 01:18:58,564

Christine: yeah.

:

01:18:58,744 --> 01:18:58,924

Nkrumah: I

:

01:18:59,014 --> 01:18:59,824

Christine: I'm so grateful.

:

01:18:59,824 --> 01:19:02,193

It wasn't the first piece

of Shakespeare I read.

:

01:19:02,193 --> 01:19:03,604

It was like the second or third.

:

01:19:05,414 --> 01:19:08,144

Nkrumah: Let me tell you this is the

reason I'm, I hate Romeo and Juliet.

:

01:19:08,144 --> 01:19:08,864

I hate Romeo.

:

01:19:10,124 --> 01:19:11,234

freaking brilliant.

:

01:19:11,594 --> 01:19:13,004

Can we talk about that for a minute?

:

01:19:13,724 --> 01:19:13,874

Okay.

:

01:19:13,964 --> 01:19:14,594

Christine: She is.

:

01:19:14,844 --> 01:19:15,084

Nkrumah: Okay.

:

01:19:15,084 --> 01:19:17,804

So actually, let's talk

about the stupidity of Romeo.

:

01:19:18,794 --> 01:19:20,714

and let's, and I tried to give him grace.

:

01:19:20,714 --> 01:19:21,674

He's a teenager

:

01:19:22,029 --> 01:19:23,739

We all know what teenage boys are about.

:

01:19:24,279 --> 01:19:32,079

You risk your life to crash a party

because you're in love with Rosalyn.

:

01:19:32,639 --> 01:19:32,929

Alexandra: Yeah.

:

01:19:34,644 --> 01:19:36,084

To then so quickly fall out.

:

01:19:36,549 --> 01:19:40,029

Nkrumah: risk debt this woman.

:

01:19:41,044 --> 01:19:41,334

Okay.

:

01:19:42,204 --> 01:19:44,074

Then you have Juliette's

in this situation.

:

01:19:44,074 --> 01:19:45,934

I don't wanna marry

Paris, blah, blah, blah.

:

01:19:45,934 --> 01:19:48,814

I don't know why she

doesn't, I can't remember.

:

01:19:49,214 --> 01:19:50,264

Was he really that bad?

:

01:19:51,164 --> 01:19:53,174

So she doesn't wanna do all of that.

:

01:19:53,234 --> 01:19:54,284

Oh, what happened?

:

01:19:54,584 --> 01:19:58,799

Oh, I let know, so I get that She

doesn't wanna marry this dude.

:

01:19:59,459 --> 01:20:00,809

She needs a way out.

:

01:20:02,249 --> 01:20:03,148

So what does she do?

:

01:20:04,349 --> 01:20:05,549

goes and sweet talks.

:

01:20:05,549 --> 01:20:08,789

This guy, she knows she's not, is

not supposed to be at the party.

:

01:20:08,789 --> 01:20:09,148

Like,

:

01:20:09,464 --> 01:20:14,023

The corner like creeping and then Juliet,

I'm sorry, why did you pick the creeper?

:

01:20:16,094 --> 01:20:16,604

But

:

01:20:16,634 --> 01:20:16,664

Christine: Oh.

:

01:20:17,144 --> 01:20:19,454

Nkrumah: she had an end game.

:

01:20:19,454 --> 01:20:21,224

She's I'm in this situation.

:

01:20:21,404 --> 01:20:23,384

I want out of this situation.

:

01:20:23,504 --> 01:20:25,124

The creeper's kind of cute.

:

01:20:27,689 --> 01:20:28,529

Alexandra: Oh my gosh.

:

01:20:28,604 --> 01:20:31,574

Nkrumah: I'm a little worried that

you think creepers are hot, but.

:

01:20:31,949 --> 01:20:35,374

Alexandra: I was about to say teenage

hormones taking over no thought.

:

01:20:35,459 --> 01:20:37,919

Nkrumah: I'm like, you're

like, he's dangerous.

:

01:20:37,994 --> 01:20:43,984

He has Kuna in his pocket, like

he probably does the NATO run.

:

01:20:43,984 --> 01:20:45,184

It's really sexy.

:

01:20:45,514 --> 01:20:47,974

So so she's I'm gonna go after that guy.

:

01:20:48,759 --> 01:20:49,049

Christine: yeah.

:

01:20:49,294 --> 01:20:51,484

Nkrumah: now you're pulling

the creeper onto the dance

:

01:20:51,484 --> 01:20:54,934

floor and you're romancing him.

:

01:20:57,514 --> 01:20:58,594

That's brilliant.

:

01:20:59,314 --> 01:21:00,874

have no problem with Juliet

:

01:21:01,229 --> 01:21:07,199

Because you're basically, she has made a

decision, she's going against her family.

:

01:21:07,199 --> 01:21:13,059

She's going against society and granted

she chose a creeper, she has a plan.

:

01:21:13,289 --> 01:21:18,929

Romeo, you just looking for a warm

body at this point, comes up to you

:

01:21:18,929 --> 01:21:23,369

and says, Hey baby, you're cute, and

suddenly you're willing to die for her.

:

01:21:23,539 --> 01:21:24,139

To Rosaline?

:

01:21:24,829 --> 01:21:28,909

Alexandra: I don't, he'd probably

die for a stiff breeze if it got,

:

01:21:30,019 --> 01:21:30,949

Nkrumah: thank you.

:

01:21:31,309 --> 01:21:32,148

Thank you.

:

01:21:32,148 --> 01:21:36,049

I'm just like, worst teenage romance ever.

:

01:21:36,129 --> 01:21:36,419

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:21:37,579 --> 01:21:37,909

Nkrumah: Yeah.

:

01:21:37,909 --> 01:21:39,529

And you died for one another.

:

01:21:39,529 --> 01:21:39,739

What

:

01:21:39,769 --> 01:21:39,949

Alexandra: I know.

:

01:21:40,329 --> 01:21:40,619

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:21:40,699 --> 01:21:42,499

Nkrumah: jumping off

bridges together anymore.

:

01:21:42,679 --> 01:21:46,009

Alexandra: And I'm like, didn't you know

each other for like less than two days?

:

01:21:46,009 --> 01:21:46,159

I.

:

01:21:46,264 --> 01:21:46,474

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:21:46,539 --> 01:21:46,914

Wakes up.

:

01:21:48,414 --> 01:21:51,414

Nkrumah: we know what Ro we, we

know what Romeo's problem is.

:

01:21:51,419 --> 01:21:51,549

We

:

01:21:51,794 --> 01:21:52,484

Problem is.

:

01:21:52,484 --> 01:21:57,574

He needs somebody to hold it and he

finds someone to do that for him.

:

01:21:58,054 --> 01:21:58,354

But

:

01:22:01,174 --> 01:22:02,434

is this still pg?

:

01:22:02,674 --> 01:22:04,534

I didn't say what you

:

01:22:04,909 --> 01:22:05,539

Christine: You didn't.

:

01:22:06,154 --> 01:22:10,384

Nkrumah: I didn't, his sword,

he doesn't have Kuna, but

:

01:22:10,509 --> 01:22:11,129

Christine: Oh my gosh.

:

01:22:11,379 --> 01:22:16,059

Nkrumah: and he found somebody willing and

so because she was willing, he's in love.

:

01:22:16,549 --> 01:22:18,139

Stupid teenage boy.

:

01:22:18,318 --> 01:22:18,609

Christine: Love.

:

01:22:18,679 --> 01:22:18,969

Yeah.

:

01:22:20,279 --> 01:22:20,879

Nkrumah: check.

:

01:22:21,509 --> 01:22:26,909

So I don't know where Juliet

decides to fall into this mania,

:

01:22:27,199 --> 01:22:27,489

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:22:27,539 --> 01:22:31,589

Nkrumah: she gets wrapped up in it

and it's all downhill from there.

:

01:22:31,589 --> 01:22:35,219

You, when you start getting other family

members involved and they're killing

:

01:22:35,219 --> 01:22:37,139

each other and dying, there's a problem

:

01:22:37,244 --> 01:22:42,114

Because me personally, I'm looking

at you like, to I'll be looking

:

01:22:42,114 --> 01:22:43,314

at you like you're gonna go what?

:

01:22:43,314 --> 01:22:44,244

With where, with who?

:

01:22:44,514 --> 01:22:44,934

Imma tell

:

01:22:45,818 --> 01:22:48,009

Alexandra: It's funny even that like

I'm somehow gonna get you locked up in

:

01:22:48,009 --> 01:22:49,389

jail so you don't do something stupid.

:

01:22:49,779 --> 01:22:50,129

Nkrumah: right,

:

01:22:50,734 --> 01:22:51,084

Christine: Right.

:

01:22:51,189 --> 01:22:52,239

Nkrumah: Dave Chappelle over here.

:

01:22:52,239 --> 01:22:53,559

I got snitch energy.

:

01:22:53,648 --> 01:22:57,279

Say it this Sounds crazy.

:

01:22:58,689 --> 01:22:59,309

Christine: Oh my gosh.

:

01:22:59,579 --> 01:22:59,869

Yeah.

:

01:23:00,619 --> 01:23:00,909

Yeah.

:

01:23:01,049 --> 01:23:06,474

And I just love, like, why was the

choice when Juliette wakes up and sees

:

01:23:06,474 --> 01:23:13,189

him dead, like, all right, the, I would

be like, onto the next I dunno what,

:

01:23:13,239 --> 01:23:15,273

Alexandra: You are like,

finally this creeps out of here.

:

01:23:15,934 --> 01:23:16,564

Christine: wow.

:

01:23:17,344 --> 01:23:17,434

Nkrumah: be

:

01:23:17,584 --> 01:23:20,134

Christine: She could have

been like, great, he's gone.

:

01:23:20,854 --> 01:23:23,584

can just dip no one, like I

:

01:23:23,674 --> 01:23:24,664

Alexandra: You'll think I'm dead.

:

01:23:24,664 --> 01:23:25,294

It's fine.

:

01:23:26,014 --> 01:23:26,224

Nkrumah: it

:

01:23:26,404 --> 01:23:27,484

Christine: thought I was dead.

:

01:23:27,964 --> 01:23:28,443

Alexandra: Ugh.

:

01:23:29,494 --> 01:23:30,394

Christine: Come on.

:

01:23:30,604 --> 01:23:33,039

Nkrumah: I would look at him,

be like, yo, that was dumb.

:

01:23:33,814 --> 01:23:34,443

Christine: That was dumb,

:

01:23:34,924 --> 01:23:36,814

Nkrumah: Obviously I

don't want dumb children.

:

01:23:37,234 --> 01:23:42,514

So glad that's over but at this

point everybody thinks you're dead.

:

01:23:42,549 --> 01:23:42,898

Christine: right?

:

01:23:43,329 --> 01:23:43,859

Just go,

:

01:23:43,924 --> 01:23:44,854

Nkrumah: douce out.

:

01:23:45,109 --> 01:23:45,769

Douce out.

:

01:23:45,889 --> 01:23:47,119

But she's probably scared.

:

01:23:47,269 --> 01:23:47,509

She's

:

01:23:47,659 --> 01:23:48,379

Christine: I get that.

:

01:23:48,504 --> 01:23:49,284

Nkrumah: Let's bring it back.

:

01:23:49,314 --> 01:23:49,704

She's not

:

01:23:49,704 --> 01:23:49,994

Christine: okay.

:

01:23:50,339 --> 01:23:52,739

Nkrumah: Anne would've been like, bet.

:

01:23:52,799 --> 01:23:54,329

Is there anything.

:

01:23:54,719 --> 01:23:56,549

A value in this crypt.

:

01:23:56,639 --> 01:23:57,449

Ooh, yes

:

01:23:57,549 --> 01:23:58,148

Christine: yeah.

:

01:23:58,299 --> 01:23:59,199

Nkrumah: sell this.

:

01:23:59,409 --> 01:23:59,859

Christine: Yep.

:

01:24:00,939 --> 01:24:01,239

Nkrumah: dead.

:

01:24:01,239 --> 01:24:02,979

So he's not gonna need those clothes

:

01:24:03,099 --> 01:24:04,029

Christine: Exactly.

:

01:24:04,119 --> 01:24:04,509

Nkrumah: change

:

01:24:04,744 --> 01:24:04,964

Alexandra: he

:

01:24:05,169 --> 01:24:05,619

Nkrumah: a little

:

01:24:05,704 --> 01:24:06,324

Alexandra: has a

:

01:24:06,398 --> 01:24:06,939

Nkrumah: and

:

01:24:07,394 --> 01:24:08,004

Alexandra: I'll take that.

:

01:24:08,619 --> 01:24:11,019

Nkrumah: Sell the

valuables, jump on a ship.

:

01:24:11,229 --> 01:24:11,919

Be gone.

:

01:24:13,184 --> 01:24:13,474

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:24:13,539 --> 01:24:14,318

Nkrumah: not Juliet.

:

01:24:14,394 --> 01:24:15,054

Damsel.

:

01:24:15,594 --> 01:24:16,074

Alexandra: Yeah.

:

01:24:17,124 --> 01:24:20,604

Nkrumah: She's not I can

see later, like Beatrice,

:

01:24:20,989 --> 01:24:24,199

I could see Beatrice and

Madu be like, yeah, I'm out.

:

01:24:24,364 --> 01:24:24,654

Alexandra: Yeah.

:

01:24:25,369 --> 01:24:26,479

Nkrumah: She'd be like, oh, he did.

:

01:24:26,898 --> 01:24:28,068

Oh, I'm out.

:

01:24:28,534 --> 01:24:29,314

Alexandra: And it is like a bummer.

:

01:24:30,318 --> 01:24:30,889

Nkrumah: Yeah.

:

01:24:30,889 --> 01:24:32,119

She'd be like, oh darn.

:

01:24:32,959 --> 01:24:35,059

of fish in the sea and she'd be out.

:

01:24:35,164 --> 01:24:35,454

Christine: Yeah.

:

01:24:35,829 --> 01:24:36,849

Nkrumah: Romeo and Juliet,

:

01:24:39,459 --> 01:24:44,769

the whole star cross lovers crap, not

star cross lover, horny teenagers.

:

01:24:45,068 --> 01:24:45,474

That's what that

:

01:24:45,834 --> 01:24:45,924

Alexandra: Feel

:

01:24:45,964 --> 01:24:46,184

Nkrumah: not

:

01:24:46,344 --> 01:24:46,644

Alexandra: like

:

01:24:46,754 --> 01:24:47,409

Christine: in love.

:

01:24:48,204 --> 01:24:51,714

Nkrumah: I were a teacher, I'd be

like, so now we're gonna read Romeo and

:

01:24:51,714 --> 01:24:53,964

Juliet, a story about horny teenagers.

:

01:24:54,273 --> 01:24:55,864

This is a cautionary tale,

:

01:24:56,224 --> 01:24:56,464

Alexandra: yes.

:

01:24:57,139 --> 01:24:59,239

Christine: Who tragically just

killed themselves for nothing.

:

01:24:59,519 --> 01:24:59,849

Nkrumah: Yes.

:

01:24:59,849 --> 01:25:01,499

This isn't the tale of two families.

:

01:25:01,739 --> 01:25:02,818

This is Tell is stupid.

:

01:25:03,179 --> 01:25:04,229

Just dumber and dumber.

:

01:25:04,409 --> 01:25:07,049

Like dumb and dumber right here

:

01:25:07,134 --> 01:25:07,644

Again.

:

01:25:07,824 --> 01:25:09,564

Just guy and girl, not guy and guy.

:

01:25:09,624 --> 01:25:09,954

Just

:

01:25:10,059 --> 01:25:10,299

It real.

:

01:25:11,034 --> 01:25:11,544

Christine: there you go.

:

01:25:11,844 --> 01:25:14,504

Alexandra: No, I have a love story.

:

01:25:15,744 --> 01:25:16,193

Christine: yeah.

:

01:25:17,079 --> 01:25:19,959

Alexandra: It is like we've even skipped

the dumb, which is dumber and dumbest.

:

01:25:19,959 --> 01:25:20,619

Nkrumah: Dumbest.

:

01:25:21,339 --> 01:25:21,519

is

:

01:25:21,624 --> 01:25:21,834

Christine: Yeah,

:

01:25:21,909 --> 01:25:23,589

Nkrumah: dumbest 'cause I'm sorry.

:

01:25:23,648 --> 01:25:26,979

Like I, I want, and I know there

are people out there who've written

:

01:25:26,979 --> 01:25:32,799

Roslyn's story and I think that's

hilarious because Roslyn's whew.

:

01:25:32,889 --> 01:25:34,749

Oh, dodged the bullets.

:

01:25:35,809 --> 01:25:36,299

Christine: exactly.

:

01:25:36,759 --> 01:25:38,409

Nkrumah: Knew he was a creeper,

:

01:25:38,459 --> 01:25:39,629

Alexandra: you're like,

oh, thank goodness.

:

01:25:39,989 --> 01:25:41,189

Sorry, my cousin had to die.

:

01:25:41,189 --> 01:25:41,339

Oh,

:

01:25:41,389 --> 01:25:43,249

Nkrumah: oh, poor Juliet.

:

01:25:43,519 --> 01:25:44,269

She was dumb

:

01:25:47,359 --> 01:25:48,379

poor Billy Shakes.

:

01:25:48,439 --> 01:25:49,489

That's the one we don't like.

:

01:25:50,859 --> 01:25:52,148

Christine: No, it's funny

you mentioned that 12.

:

01:25:53,004 --> 01:25:56,514

Night is your favorite, because that was

the first piece of Shakespeare I ever

:

01:25:56,514 --> 01:25:58,404

read, and it is to this day my favorite.

:

01:25:58,744 --> 01:25:59,854

So I think that's really fun.

:

01:26:00,724 --> 01:26:01,234

coincidence.

:

01:26:01,354 --> 01:26:05,234

Nkrumah: Yeah, I just, I love that,

you have a fool who's not a fool,

:

01:26:05,579 --> 01:26:09,539

And then a very devout man who is a fool.

:

01:26:09,794 --> 01:26:12,854

All of these little devices and

that's outside of the fact that you

:

01:26:12,854 --> 01:26:15,044

have Viola who's playing Cesario

:

01:26:15,169 --> 01:26:17,359

And Sebastian, who's supposed to be dead.

:

01:26:17,749 --> 01:26:18,979

It's just beautiful.

:

01:26:18,979 --> 01:26:22,039

I love all these little devices

where people come back up and

:

01:26:22,159 --> 01:26:23,659

you're like, whoa, wait a minute.

:

01:26:23,689 --> 01:26:24,469

What's going on?

:

01:26:25,219 --> 01:26:25,669

And.

:

01:26:26,809 --> 01:26:32,269

Oh, somebody else is really

good at that is kde by Voltaire.

:

01:26:32,689 --> 01:26:34,999

So if you've never read

Kde, don't read it.

:

01:26:35,374 --> 01:26:35,664

Alexandra: Okay.

:

01:26:37,504 --> 01:26:39,499

I have not, so it's not on my list now.

:

01:26:39,679 --> 01:26:44,869

Nkrumah: where I'm you don't have to read

it, but there is I gosh, it's on YouTube.

:

01:26:44,929 --> 01:26:48,629

I'm gonna have to send this to you guys

offline, but I think it is a stick figure.

:

01:26:48,629 --> 01:26:49,379

K indeed.

:

01:26:50,184 --> 01:26:54,359

is like the best, it's the

best rendition of Canid

:

01:26:54,404 --> 01:26:54,884

Christine: my gosh.

:

01:26:54,884 --> 01:26:56,714

That's the only way I wanna consume it.

:

01:26:56,773 --> 01:26:57,434

You have to send it.

:

01:26:57,529 --> 01:27:00,679

Nkrumah: 20 minutes

long, but it's hilarious.

:

01:27:01,059 --> 01:27:01,894

Christine: Oh my gosh.

:

01:27:01,969 --> 01:27:03,349

Nkrumah: oh God, this guy's dead.

:

01:27:03,409 --> 01:27:05,239

Oh, house burns down.

:

01:27:05,269 --> 01:27:06,019

Oh my God.

:

01:27:06,068 --> 01:27:06,398

Down

:

01:27:06,443 --> 01:27:07,644

Christine: I can spare 20 minutes.

:

01:27:07,689 --> 01:27:10,919

Nkrumah: And then and then, and it's

literally candidas like this, like where

:

01:27:10,919 --> 01:27:12,568

you're just like, all this tragedy.

:

01:27:12,749 --> 01:27:16,859

And it's all about the, these

tragedies happen for the greater good

:

01:27:17,729 --> 01:27:19,529

Has to happen for the good.

:

01:27:20,249 --> 01:27:22,079

I'm like, does it really?

:

01:27:22,409 --> 01:27:27,599

And so there's like a character who dies

at the very beginning for the good, but

:

01:27:27,599 --> 01:27:30,029

then that character's alive in the middle.

:

01:27:30,029 --> 01:27:32,309

And you're just like, wait,

that person's not dead.

:

01:27:32,639 --> 01:27:33,929

And you're like, oh.

:

01:27:33,929 --> 01:27:37,049

And then all these things happened and

you're like, you didn't die along the way.

:

01:27:37,049 --> 01:27:37,469

You're still alive.

:

01:27:39,119 --> 01:27:43,309

And I, and that was like my favorite

part about Ken Deed is you find these

:

01:27:43,369 --> 01:27:49,039

dead characters who are not dead it

becomes like a soap opera where, days

:

01:27:49,039 --> 01:27:53,029

of our lives, they killed Stefano like

a hundred times, but he's still alive.

:

01:27:54,829 --> 01:27:56,629

I'm like, this guy's better than Houdini.

:

01:27:56,659 --> 01:27:57,349

What the hell?

:

01:27:57,559 --> 01:27:57,849

Like

:

01:27:58,089 --> 01:28:00,398

Alexandra: Stuff it over a

hundred lives, you're just like,

:

01:28:00,443 --> 01:28:01,374

Nkrumah: Yes.

:

01:28:01,674 --> 01:28:02,514

Better than a cat.

:

01:28:03,019 --> 01:28:06,619

We've been, I don't know, 20

years, Stefano's still alive.

:

01:28:09,148 --> 01:28:11,068

I like, this is great.

:

01:28:11,068 --> 01:28:14,789

So I feel like Ken Deed was like

the soap opera from like way back.

:

01:28:15,169 --> 01:28:17,599

I just, I'll have to send it to you.

:

01:28:17,599 --> 01:28:18,859

Stick figure Ken Deed.

:

01:28:19,049 --> 01:28:19,619

Don't read it.

:

01:28:19,619 --> 01:28:20,669

This is so much funnier.

:

01:28:20,804 --> 01:28:21,464

Christine: Oh my gosh.

:

01:28:21,464 --> 01:28:21,884

Can't wait.

:

01:28:22,559 --> 01:28:24,449

Nkrumah: and it's, and then

you, and you're sitting there,

:

01:28:24,454 --> 01:28:26,159

you're like, oh, pen gloss.

:

01:28:26,159 --> 01:28:27,479

Is it really for the good?

:

01:28:27,719 --> 01:28:28,199

I don't know.

:

01:28:29,519 --> 01:28:30,119

Brilliant.

:

01:28:32,759 --> 01:28:33,029

Any

:

01:28:33,034 --> 01:28:33,329

Christine: funny.

:

01:28:35,179 --> 01:28:36,734

Alexandra: I think

you've answered all mine.

:

01:28:37,919 --> 01:28:41,009

Christine: I, yeah, I hope, I would

love to have you back on though.

:

01:28:41,009 --> 01:28:41,639

In the future.

:

01:28:41,639 --> 01:28:44,279

We can talk more and see.

:

01:28:44,329 --> 01:28:49,309

I'm interested to see how our people

who are listening enjoyed this episode.

:

01:28:49,309 --> 01:28:50,359

I had a lot of fun

:

01:28:50,409 --> 01:28:53,334

Alexandra: And maybe we'll

switch to your adult novel.

:

01:28:54,219 --> 01:28:55,794

Nkrumah: There is an adult novel.

:

01:28:56,514 --> 01:28:56,784

Ugh.

:

01:28:57,474 --> 01:29:01,604

And it's not 50 or 60

shades, it's more like 35.

:

01:29:02,324 --> 01:29:05,624

So there's no whips and chains,

but it gets kinda down and dirty.

:

01:29:05,624 --> 01:29:06,134

I like it.

:

01:29:07,084 --> 01:29:08,784

Alexandra: Hey, spice is good spice.

:

01:29:08,844 --> 01:29:11,504

It doesn't matter what size,

shape, form it comes in.

:

01:29:11,534 --> 01:29:11,924

Christine: true.

:

01:29:12,204 --> 01:29:12,929

Doesn't have to be all that.

:

01:29:13,764 --> 01:29:17,664

Nkrumah: it is under my first name

I'm not gonna say what name that is,

:

01:29:17,664 --> 01:29:20,064

but I will tell you the title to,

:

01:29:20,179 --> 01:29:20,469

Christine: Okay.

:

01:29:20,754 --> 01:29:22,704

Nkrumah: get Your Whistles Wet.

:

01:29:23,454 --> 01:29:26,574

And it's called, I Wish I had a Latino.

:

01:29:28,764 --> 01:29:29,934

Yes.

:

01:29:29,964 --> 01:29:31,074

So

:

01:29:31,309 --> 01:29:31,429

Christine: I

:

01:29:31,599 --> 01:29:31,809

Alexandra: it

:

01:29:31,854 --> 01:29:32,094

Christine: had a

:

01:29:32,109 --> 01:29:33,398

Alexandra: out in stores now?

:

01:29:33,398 --> 01:29:36,009

Or like people can

purchase that book already.

:

01:29:36,594 --> 01:29:37,404

Nkrumah: Soon,

:

01:29:37,449 --> 01:29:37,749

Alexandra: Okay.

:

01:29:38,064 --> 01:29:38,964

Nkrumah: Soon.

:

01:29:39,429 --> 01:29:39,489

Alexandra: Okay.

:

01:29:39,499 --> 01:29:39,789

Christine: Okay.

:

01:29:39,834 --> 01:29:45,174

Nkrumah: not under Ina, but I,

but it is under my first name,

:

01:29:45,384 --> 01:29:46,704

which I'm not gonna say here.

:

01:29:46,804 --> 01:29:49,744

You'll just have to check

me out on Instagram at the.

:

01:29:51,749 --> 01:29:52,039

Christine: Okay.

:

01:29:52,129 --> 01:29:53,943

Nkrumah: lead you to the other Instagram.

:

01:29:53,949 --> 01:30:01,068

'cause I do not want my young adult

readers to be like reading Ann

:

01:30:01,068 --> 01:30:04,189

and then all of a sudden they're

like, she did a what in the what?

:

01:30:04,249 --> 01:30:04,699

Okay.

:

01:30:04,909 --> 01:30:05,539

That's not Ann.

:

01:30:07,129 --> 01:30:08,148

That's not Ann.

:

01:30:08,299 --> 01:30:08,839

Christine: That's not.

:

01:30:09,889 --> 01:30:12,439

Nkrumah: so let's keep them separate.

:

01:30:12,439 --> 01:30:13,939

Grown ass woman

:

01:30:14,424 --> 01:30:14,784

Alexandra: Signature?

:

01:30:14,929 --> 01:30:15,169

Nkrumah: keep

:

01:30:15,254 --> 01:30:15,804

Separate.

:

01:30:15,834 --> 01:30:16,434

Okay.

:

01:30:16,559 --> 01:30:17,279

Christine: That's a good plan.

:

01:30:17,279 --> 01:30:17,609

That's a good

:

01:30:17,909 --> 01:30:18,419

Alexandra: Alright.

:

01:30:18,568 --> 01:30:18,779

Christine: it.

:

01:30:19,079 --> 01:30:22,199

Alexandra: When is before,

pass it over to Christine.

:

01:30:22,469 --> 01:30:25,214

When is the release date for Anna Ryland?

:

01:30:26,369 --> 01:30:27,509

Nkrumah: It's still in the works.

:

01:30:27,509 --> 01:30:30,389

I'm hoping that it's gonna be

end of summer, beginning of fall.

:

01:30:30,509 --> 01:30:30,869

Alexandra: Okay.

:

01:30:31,264 --> 01:30:31,554

Christine: Okay.

:

01:30:31,919 --> 01:30:36,119

Nkrumah: for before Christmas because I

want people to be able to get out there

:

01:30:36,119 --> 01:30:37,889

and maybe buy it as Christmas gifts.

:

01:30:38,009 --> 01:30:38,369

Alexandra: Yeah.

:

01:30:38,579 --> 01:30:41,609

Nkrumah: let's try to have that so soon.

:

01:30:41,859 --> 01:30:43,324

My first book and of.

:

01:30:44,244 --> 01:30:47,574

Survivor was published

through my publisher, Anna

:

01:30:47,574 --> 01:30:49,344

Violin is coming out via me.

:

01:30:50,219 --> 01:30:50,559

Christine: okay.

:

01:30:50,724 --> 01:30:53,574

Nkrumah: that on my own

and see how that works.

:

01:30:53,574 --> 01:30:53,844

Why?

:

01:30:53,844 --> 01:30:55,224

Because you should try new things.

:

01:30:55,659 --> 01:30:56,094

Christine: You should,

:

01:30:56,514 --> 01:30:58,874

Nkrumah: same thing with

I wish I had a Latino.

:

01:30:59,054 --> 01:31:01,364

So since I'm working on both

of those books at the same

:

01:31:01,529 --> 01:31:04,289

'Cause they're very different books

and I have to do very different

:

01:31:04,289 --> 01:31:06,359

things for the outing of those books.

:

01:31:06,839 --> 01:31:13,889

And also the, my audio book for Ann

of Survivor is coming out imminently.

:

01:31:14,279 --> 01:31:15,148

So

:

01:31:15,839 --> 01:31:16,189

Christine: Great.

:

01:31:16,499 --> 01:31:19,859

Nkrumah: heard back, this is

coming out through my publisher,

:

01:31:20,354 --> 01:31:20,684

Christine: Okay.

:

01:31:21,419 --> 01:31:24,329

Nkrumah: heard back from them and

they're talking days, not weeks.

:

01:31:24,699 --> 01:31:25,189

Alexandra: Perfect.

:

01:31:25,579 --> 01:31:25,869

Okay.

:

01:31:26,109 --> 01:31:30,249

Nkrumah: We're really looking

forward to the audio book coming out.

:

01:31:30,249 --> 01:31:35,709

And it is not read by me, it's

not read by me, it's read by a

:

01:31:35,709 --> 01:31:37,554

wonderful lady named Natalie Nous.

:

01:31:38,724 --> 01:31:39,534

Did I choose her?

:

01:31:39,534 --> 01:31:41,124

Because she's a Star Trek fan.

:

01:31:41,214 --> 01:31:42,084

I'm just gonna be real,

:

01:31:42,459 --> 01:31:43,419

Christine: There we go.

:

01:31:43,523 --> 01:31:44,364

Nkrumah: love Star Trek.

:

01:31:44,364 --> 01:31:45,144

Full circle.

:

01:31:45,324 --> 01:31:48,534

So Natalie Natis did it because

she's got a very soothing

:

01:31:48,534 --> 01:31:49,974

voice and she loves Star Trek.

:

01:31:51,804 --> 01:31:52,314

Alexandra: Can't wait

:

01:31:53,409 --> 01:31:54,219

Christine: What more do you need?

:

01:31:54,269 --> 01:31:57,119

Nkrumah: What do you mean she

dresses in period clothing?

:

01:31:57,119 --> 01:31:57,359

Maybe

:

01:31:57,409 --> 01:31:58,189

Christine: oh my gosh.

:

01:31:58,459 --> 01:31:59,424

I need to mute this woman.

:

01:32:02,464 --> 01:32:04,264

Nkrumah: But if she was gonna check a box,

:

01:32:04,414 --> 01:32:04,704

Alexandra: here.

:

01:32:04,714 --> 01:32:05,509

There we go.

:

01:32:05,609 --> 01:32:06,719

Nkrumah: She loves Star Trek.

:

01:32:06,719 --> 01:32:10,318

She has a very soothing voice

and she dresses like Jane Austen.

:

01:32:10,619 --> 01:32:11,818

That would be hilarious.

:

01:32:12,568 --> 01:32:12,749

And

:

01:32:12,929 --> 01:32:13,049

Christine: a,

:

01:32:13,199 --> 01:32:17,099

Nkrumah: if you like hear this and

you want to do that, I want pics.

:

01:32:18,659 --> 01:32:19,949

that'd be hilarious.

:

01:32:20,504 --> 01:32:22,784

Alexandra: Like photo

evidence or it did not happen.

:

01:32:23,189 --> 01:32:24,419

Nkrumah: Or it did not happen.

:

01:32:24,629 --> 01:32:25,829

Maybe for Halloween

:

01:32:25,929 --> 01:32:26,169

She

:

01:32:26,209 --> 01:32:27,109

Alexandra: That'd be interesting.

:

01:32:27,429 --> 01:32:28,689

Nkrumah: de Bird or

:

01:32:28,949 --> 01:32:29,689

Alexandra: Oh my gosh.

:

01:32:29,739 --> 01:32:29,889

Nkrumah: be.

:

01:32:32,659 --> 01:32:33,148

Christine: awesome.

:

01:32:33,954 --> 01:32:35,799

Alexandra: I was just like

of all the characters, does

:

01:32:35,799 --> 01:32:37,119

it have to be lady Catherine?

:

01:32:37,469 --> 01:32:37,648

Nkrumah: It's

:

01:32:37,784 --> 01:32:38,294

Christine: Oh my gosh.

:

01:32:38,339 --> 01:32:40,179

Nkrumah: to play the

protagonist all the time.

:

01:32:40,439 --> 01:32:41,019

Alexandra: No, that's true.

:

01:32:41,139 --> 01:32:42,129

Nkrumah: the angsty one.

:

01:32:42,419 --> 01:32:42,659

How

:

01:32:42,704 --> 01:32:43,664

Christine: That can be fun.

:

01:32:46,639 --> 01:32:48,259

Alexandra: and Catherine

Berg is quite angsty.

:

01:32:49,314 --> 01:32:49,534

Nkrumah: Oh

:

01:32:49,844 --> 01:32:51,059

Christine: Oh man, that girl.

:

01:32:51,779 --> 01:32:52,469

Awesome.

:

01:32:52,589 --> 01:32:52,889

Okay.

:

01:32:54,089 --> 01:32:57,629

We're so grateful to Rema for

joining us and reminding us that

:

01:32:57,629 --> 01:32:59,489

stories aren't just entertainment.

:

01:32:59,549 --> 01:33:03,929

They're blueprints for becoming work

is a testament to what happens when

:

01:33:03,929 --> 01:33:08,939

girls are allowed to be bold, messy,

magical, and wholly themselves.

:

01:33:09,419 --> 01:33:13,439

Whether you're a writer, a reader, or

just someone trying to find your voice.

:

01:33:13,469 --> 01:33:19,704

We hope today's episode encourage you to

take up space shrinking and start shaping

:

01:33:19,704 --> 01:33:24,354

your own narrative because the truth

is you don't have to wait to be chosen.

:

01:33:24,654 --> 01:33:26,364

You don't have to wait for permission.

:

01:33:27,144 --> 01:33:28,854

are already the main character.

:

01:33:29,514 --> 01:33:31,644

Until next time, keep telling the truth.

:

01:33:31,884 --> 01:33:34,523

Keep turning the page and

keep looking in the mirror.

:

01:33:35,424 --> 01:33:35,824

Nkrumah: ladies.

:

01:33:35,894 --> 01:33:36,789

This was fun.

:

01:33:37,459 --> 01:33:37,818

Alexandra: Thank you.

:

01:33:38,969 --> 01:33:39,549

Christine: Bye everyone.

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About the Podcast

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The Mirror Project

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About your hosts

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Christine Borowsky

Introducing our enchanting co-host Christine, a nostalgic soul with a creative spark and an infectious optimism. A devourer of books, a music aficionado, and a film buff, she's immersed in the art of storytelling. Nature is her sanctuary, from forests to oceans. Eager for adventure, she's a perpetual learner, finding growth in every experience. Family and friends provide her comfort and joy. Unafraid of uncomfortable conversations, she navigates them with humor, believing they're vital for understanding and growth. Join her and Alexandra on this podcast where creativity meets curiosity, and laughter blends with wisdom.
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Alexandra Montross

Meet Alexandra, the spirited co-host of this captivating podcast, where everyday topics transform into enchanting conversations. With an old soul and a knack for the eclectic, she weaves a unique blend of organization and quirky charm into each discussion. Alexandra's passions span from wellness to metaphysics and dive into the thrilling world of entrepreneurship. Tune in for her lively perspective and insightful takes, adding a touch of magic to every episode alongside Christine. Get ready for a journey where Alexandra's vibrant energy and depth of knowledge create an unforgettable podcast experience.