A taste of what’s to come….

Breena, why did you write this book? In writing Stand The Storm, I wanted to accomplish a narrative that created a fuller picture of urban enslavement in Washington, D.C. at mid-nineteenth-century. Of course, central to the discussion is the fact that slavery existed in the nation’s capitol, that slaves were worked, corralled, chained, disciplined and sold in the city. The largest domestic, interstate slave trading operation in the country, Franklin and Armfield, was headquartered across the Potomac River from Washington in Alexandria, Virginia. I wanted to show this dangerous panorama and the concerns and pressures of slaves who aspired to self-emancipate. 



Talk to us about the characters. I wanted to create enslaved persons striving and struggling for their literal freedom from bondage and for the freedom to determine their lives. It was important to me to divorce enslavement from the rural romanticism of Gone With The Wind and other depictions of plantation slavery. 



I hear that this story recently became surprisingly personal for you…. Doing research on mid-nineteenth century Washington, D.C. I discovered the singular situation of the compensated emancipation - i.e. slave owners compensated by the Federal Government for freeing their slaves, an ordinance that freed only enslaved persons residing in Washington, D.C., enacted by Abraham Lincoln on April 16, 1862. Now, much to my surprise, I’ve learned facts about my direct ancestor, Alfred Clarke who gained his freedom under this edict along with his mother, Lizzie Clarke and grandmother, Mary Ann Clarke. I’m delighted to learn that an event I’d written about in my fiction had a true historical impact on my family. 



Breena, sewing is rather central to this narrative, isn’t it? I became enthralled by needlework as a profession and avocation for my characters, the Coates family. Learning about enslaved textile workers was eye-opening. Sewing Annie’s almost obsessive attention to her needlework became an entry into her inner mind. It was important to be able to go to a place where she and her son, Gabriel had autonomy. Though they were enslaved, through their artistry at needlework, they could achieve some of their personal aspirations, i.e. their freedom from enslavement. They had created themselves as thinking people and I worked to write from that place, a place that isn’t always recognized on the literary landscape. For me, the question is: How did they feel? When that happened/when they said that/when they did that/when that happened to them.


Can you give us a preview of the March 13 event? I’m honored to have been invited to inaugurate the Canopy Book Club and am excited that arts facilitator Chesray Dolpha will help guide our discussion. Chesray is a native of South Africa and I admire her commitment to social justice and the liberation of Black communities. I’m excited to see what her unique perspective will bring to discussion of the novel. We’ll talk about the American historical past, taking a particular look at Washington, D.C.’s unique history and how that influences today’s city. We’ll talk about Stand The Storm’s characters, The Coates Family. How were the Coates affected by the compensated emancipation plan of Abraham Lincoln? I can’t wait to see what sort of questions readers will ask both before and during our discussion.

Do people need to read the book before March 13? Not necessarily. The discussion will be richer if they’ve read, but we’ll make sure everyone can follow along, even if they haven’t finished the book. For just $10 and shipping, I’ll mail a signed, personalized hardcover copy of the book to anyone who orders at this link. That’s very generous, Breena! I like making it easy for people to get their hands on a good story….