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Questions and Answers
A Short Interview with
Aileen Ridings Bennett, author of The Annie Chase Story
ISBN 1-933016-31-0
How long did it take for you to write The Annie Chase Story?
While the characters, Annie and Jessie, were in my mind for several years, I only began to write about them
approximately three years ago. Once the writing commenced, they “led” me through the story. It actually
only took about four or five months to complete the first draft. It took me a much longer time to rewrite
everything in an effort to get it prepared for a publisher. I’ve found that getting a book published is quite
daunting. There were many times that I put “Annie” aside, momentarily questioning whether it was ready or
good enough to be published. But, I kept working and eventually reached completion.
What inspired you to write “Annie”?
Memories played a big part in my inspiration to write about Annie and Jessie and the friendship they shared.
It was impossible for me to write the book without injecting a part of my own life and the friendships I’ve
had along the way. I wanted to portray the importance of friendships, with Annie and Jessie allowing me to
delve into the true meaning of such a relationship and just how far you are willing to go to protect a friend.
What is your storyline source?
When I first began writing the book, Jessie was the main character. It wasn’t until Annie stepped out her
front door to meet Jessie that she became the daughter of a black mother and white father. I then began to
visualize her life as child of mixed race, caught in the cracks of color, and how she must feel not having one
race to claim. As I researched the hardships, Annie began to monopolize the story as a given the choice of
living as white. Thus, it became Annie’s life - her book. I went to bat for her, encouraged her to be the
somebody she so wanted to be, creating her role as first lady, albeit hiding her true ancestry.
Does your book share any resemblance to your own life?
The only part of my life in this book is the reference to “writing in a Blue Horse notebook”, or tablet as I
called it as a child, while “porch visiting”. As with most authors, I became quite involved in the lives of my
characters. I would write from Annie’s perspective and become Annie myself - the same thing with Jessie. I
suppose you could say they developed themselves through me.
At what point in your life did you decide to be a writer?
When I was about 10, I received a book entitled Polly Anna for Christmas. I don’t know if it’s still in print,
but I read that book over and over…and over. At that point, I knew that I someday wanted to write a book
“just like that one”. As simple as it may sound, I love to write. The first time I watched a teacher put cursive
writing on the blackboard, I fell in love with the art of writing. Seeing my words on paper and making up
stories seemed very important to me.
How did a mulatto (Annie) become a character in your book?
The minute she walked out onto her porch to greet Jessie, she became a child of a black woman in my mind.
As I wrote of her being a mulatto, I began to wonder what it was like to be part of two races, without being
able to claim a specific or particular racial identity. I read a great deal, especially about the feeling and
concept of being both white and black. It proved to be an extremely difficult place to be. Often, you’d find
yourself rejected by both groups. To my surprise, research indicates that some 40 percent of the American
“white” population carries black African ancestry.
Is the setting and time frame of the book particularly important to the theme?
Most definitely. When Annie and Jessie are young girls in the late 1930s/early 1940s, racial discrimination is
widespread. “Colored people”, as most southerners referred to them, were afforded few, if any, civil or even
human rights. There were separate and segregated living quarters, bathrooms, water fountains, etc. Prejudice
against blacks was taught to white children, instilled at a very early age. Black Americans lived in a separate
world from white people and were treated very shabbily. As my novel continues into the turbulent 1960s,
integration begins to move forward, albeit with a fight for every step. It was, perhaps, the most raciallycharged
moment in American history. Can you imagine how the country would have reacted had they
discovered, in that historical moment, that the first lady was of both African-American and Caucasian
ancestry?
Is there a message you’re trying to get across in your book?
Yes. I want to stress that friendship comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. True friendships are hard to find at
any age, but I’ve found that many lifelong friendships are established in high school. But, high school
friendships have so many bends and narrows along the way. Learning that someone you’d considered a true
friend has shared one of your innermost secrets with someone else, it’s painful. Disloyalty stinks. Loyalty
means that you’re unswerving in allegiance, and I believe in such loyalty to friends. If my book conveys the
importance of friendship and the honor a friendship deserves, it will make me happy.
What is the most important piece of advice you would give an unpublished or aspiring writer?
In a long-ago creative writing class, my instructor told me that the secret to becoming a writer was to put glue
in your seat. Pardon the pun, but that “stuck” with me as I wrote “Annie”. You must exhibit discipline, you
must stay on task. Perseverance and determination will win the day.
Additionally, I’d like to encourage older writers to finish their novels. I am living proof that you’re never to
old to achieve your dream of becoming a published author.
For More Information, please contact:
Lynn Price, Behler Publications
800-830-2913 (TOLL FREE)
contact: Lynn Price /lynn@behlerpublications.com |
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