{"id":1706,"date":"2010-08-01T19:02:12","date_gmt":"2010-08-02T00:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sistahsontheshelf.com\/blog\/?page_id=1706"},"modified":"2020-06-05T00:59:42","modified_gmt":"2020-06-05T04:59:42","slug":"tonya-hegamin","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.sistahsontheshelf.com\/?page_id=1706","title":{"rendered":"Tonya Hegamin"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>IN TONYA’S OWN WORDS…<\/strong>Tonya Cherie Hegamin is the noted author of the young adult novel M+O 4EVR<\/em> and co-author of the YA poetic novella, PEMBA\u2019S SONG<\/em>.\u00a0 Her praised picture book, MOST LOVED IN ALL THE WORLD<\/em> was featured in USA Today<\/em> and Ebony Magazine<\/em>.\u00a0 MOST LOVED<\/em>received the Christopher Award for \u201caffirming the highest values of the human spirit\u201d and the MLK \u201cKeeper of the Dream\u201d Award. Tonya received her BA in Poetry Writing from the University of Pittsburgh and her MFA in Writing for Children from The New School University. Ms. Hegamin is an alumna of Cave Canem, the first fellowship retreat for African-American poets, and Hedgebrook, a writing retreat exclusively for women.\u00a0 Tonya is the Creative Writing Coordinator at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, NY. Her website is www.tonyacheriehegamin.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How long have you been writing and how did you get started?
\n<\/strong>I\u2019ve been writing since I was a kid.\u00a0 I always knew I wanted to be a writer.<\/p>\n

Give a brief description of your debut novel, M+O 4EVR<\/em>.
\n<\/strong>A YA {young adult} novel that tells a poignant story of unconventional, unconditional love. There are two constants in Opal\u2019s life: her dad\u2019s grungy green baseball cap and Marianne, whom Opal loves as a best friend . . . and more. But nothing stays the same forever. When Opal receives some horrifying news about Marianne, she suddenly must live her life and make decisions based on one person instead of two. With the help of her family, and guided by the story of Hannah, a runaway slave, Opal begins to free herself from the weight of her memories, her ghosts\u2014and her own truth.<\/p>\n

Tell us about\u00a0Opal,\u00a0the protagonist and heroine of M+O<\/em>.
\n<\/strong>O is the romantic dreamer, the loyal friend, a fierce lover and sensitive baby of the family.\u00a0 She\u2019s a secret planner and a wild woods woman.<\/p>\n

Describe the connection between Opal and Marianne.
\n<\/strong>M & O<\/em> are star-crossed!<\/p>\n

Had Opal confessed her love, do you believe Marianne could have been saved? Why was she so afraid to share her feelings?
\n<\/strong>M was on a runaway train with or without O.\u00a0 I\u2019m working on a sequel that will explore her side of the story.\u00a0 Somewhere deep inside, O knows that she can\u2019t save M, even though she tells herself she can.\u00a0 Subconsciously it stops her from sharing the most important feelings in her heart.<\/p>\n

Do you think anything could have saved Marianne?
\n<\/strong>I\u2019m saving that for the sequel!<\/p>\n

Opal, Marianne and their families, as well as the small Pennsylvania town, each contributed to the beauty of this touching story. Where did the idea for these characters originate?
\n<\/strong>I\u2019m a Pennsylvania girl!\u00a0 The characters are all a small (or big!) part of me.\u00a0 I spent so much time getting to know them and mapping out their stories that at times it was as though I was just taking notes as they told their stories.<\/p>\n

Does anything in M+O<\/em> mirror your childhood? Do you identify with Opal or Marianne?
\n<\/strong>They\u2019re both a part of me.\u00a0 I grew up in a small PA town and was often \u201cthe only one\u201d and felt isolated.\u00a0 I loved to go into the woods and create an imaginary world.<\/p>\n

What was the significance of the character Hannah to the novel?<\/strong>
\nHannah and Mine are examples of \u201cUnconventional unconditional love\u201d of their time.\u00a0 I wanted to show folks who had faced what seemed to be insurmountable odds just to live their lives.\u00a0 I wanted M and O to have a remembrance of the past\u2014for M it scared her, but for O it healed her.\u00a0 History always informs the present and future, our interpretation of it makes us strong or weak.<\/p>\n

You have written two other books, Pemba’s Song: A Ghost Story<\/em> and Most Loved in All the World: A Story of Freedom<\/em>, geared toward young audiences. What do you enjoy about writing children\u2019s literature?
\n<\/strong>Writing for kids and teens has limitless possibilities.\u00a0 They suspend their disbelief eagerly.<\/p>\n

What do you hope young women to take away from M+O<\/em>?
\n<\/strong>I want them to know that loving with courage makes life magical.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve said \u201cwriting has been like falling in love.\u201d What did you mean by that statement?
\n<\/strong>Falling in love is intoxicating\u2014that\u2019s like generating an idea for a book and the beginning stages of writing.\u00a0 Staying in love or making a relationship work takes patience and a lot of willingness to understand yourself and to be understood.\u00a0 That\u2019s not as easy as it sounds.\u00a0 Writing and loving require that you let yourself be vulnerable.<\/p>\n

What is a typical day like for you?<\/strong>
\nI have a sporadic schedule and get easily bored by routine.\u00a0 I teach a few days a week, I write a few days a week. In between I\u2019m on the phone and\/or looking out the window.<\/p>\n

What do you do for fun?
\n<\/strong>Lie in bed reading and watching movies; cook for loved ones; hang out with nature.<\/p>\n

What are your favorite books? Favorite authors?
\n<\/strong>Too many to name!<\/p>\n

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
\n<\/strong>Writing full time!<\/p>\n

What motivates you to write?
\n<\/strong>Everything!<\/p>\n

What piece of advice can you share with aspiring writers?
\n<\/strong>I tell my students that writing isn\u2019t easy and not always fun.\u00a0 You have to want it more than anything and still find a way to be ok if it doesn\u2019t amount to much.<\/p>\n

Why do you feel it’s important for black lesbians to read M+O 4EVR<\/em>?
\n<\/strong>Of course, it\u2019s imperative that we see ourselves in what we read but I want them to enjoy the story most of all!<\/p>\n

Reviewed August 2010<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tonya Hegamin’s Reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n