Souljah On

Give Us a Moment

by Deesha Dyer

It's been almost 10 years since we've heard a peep from Sister Souljah. But the author, activist, mother, wife and one-time political firebrand has been everything but stagnant. Known for her outspoken nature and direct realism in life and writing, Sister Souljah became a household name in the literary world when she penned 1994's No Disrespect, which chronicles the struggles of modern African-American women. (She first gained notoriety when Bill Clinton attacked her views during his 1992 presidential campaign in what became known as his "Sister Souljah moment.") While the book was highly successful and helped give a voice to the current generation of black women, it was her 1999 novel The Coldest Winter Ever that catapulted her to star status. From beauty shops to bus stops, young women had the purple and blue novel glued to their hands. Now, she's back with her new book, Midnight: A Gangster Love Story.

Sister Souljah: As many readers and people and fans know, I am a wife and a mother. I take both of these roles very seriously and I put in the amount of time, love and effort that each of these roles actually require and deserve. So, of course this is time consuming. I also ran Daddy's House Social Programs Inc., the charitable wing of Bad Boy Entertainment, for 12 years. In this role I created programs and special events for urban youth, which was a tremendous responsibility. I was in touch with and responsible for hundreds of our community youth. Lastly, I am a very requested speaker on the college and university lecture circuit. So every year from September to May, I am connecting with, teaching and inspiring thousands of college students across the nation from Harvard to Howard and UCLA, and every school in between.

CP: Although many have been waiting for the sequel to TCWE, your new novel isn't what you would call a sequel, so what exactly is it about?

SS: Midnight is my favorite of all three books that I have been blessed to write. One of its main themes is manhood. I think more than ever, we can all use some of that. When a community is losing its men, or men are losing their minds and understanding of their purpose and role, the women will always be angry, unhappy and dissatisfied. I handed Midnight to my son. He read it and it made him a better man.

There are also a few competing themes in Midnight, because as an author I write in layers. This is why I suggest that you read Midnight slowly, read each and every word placed on each and every page and allow your thoughts and feelings to flow.

CP: I know you get asked this a lot, but will there be a sequel to TCWE? Inquiring minds just have to know.

SS: There will be a TCWE film version. I have begun talks in Hollywood recently, after a long pause. I hope to have the deal complete in 2009, as well as the preproduction. There will be a new novel which links Midnight and TCWE. Anyone who does not read Midnight will be missing a huge chunk of the upcoming Santiaga story.

Sister Souljah | Sat., Dec. 20, 1:30 p.m., free, Free Library, Central Branch, 1901 Vine St., 215-686-5322, freelibrary.org