Bryan D. Jackson Author Q & A, Part 1
Here at Gadugi Media, we are preparing for the release of the new adult novel, Cherokee Afternoon! During a recent Q&A, Bryan offered some of his thoughts on his latest book. Here are a few responses, with more to come as the release gets closer.
What led you to create a character like Emmy McNair?
It seemed beyond time to create a vulnerable yet powerful American Indian woman for the present day. Regarding the reality of the high assault rate on Native women, I thought we could use another heroine who represents both a fierce physical force as well as a spiritual one. But the short answer is that the ancestors demanded it. Everything I do in my Cherokee writing is a commission from my ancestors, both lineal and collateral. They make the request. I fulfill it. It is born out of a spiritual encounter that is complex and enduring.
How would you describe Molly McNair’s relationship with her older sister, Emmy?
Molly views Emmy as her protector and advocate. Yet, Molly is an astute seventeen- year-old. She is smart enough to see her sister’s faults, and they have their differences. Their love for each other is one of the things that permits them to overcome their respective obstacles. Molly doesn’t know it, but she has strengths and courage that unfold in the story that rival those of her beloved sister.
Tell us a little more about Emmy’s car, Ned Christie.
Emmy is a throwback. She commands a viper or royal blue 1969 Mustang Mach 1 with a 428 Cobra Jet Engine. You are going to know she is coming. Her electric personality is exemplified in the car. Ned was a Cherokee statesman who was accused in 1887 of killing a Deputy US Marshal. He was a true renegade, like Emmy. Though he spent five years eluding law enforcement, his capture culminated in what was called “Ned Christie’s War.” Later, an eyewitness testified that Ned was innocent, and Ned became a Cherokee folk hero. Ned Christie, the car, is symbolic of who Emmy is at her core.
How did you come to write the story from two separate periods? That is, what was the attraction of that?
This likely stems from the spiritual and space-time relationship that I enjoy with my ancestors. Next to my wife, they are my greatest advocates. This story began initially with the idea of Molly and Mary. Due to a series of reflections and a great deal of imagination, Emmy came to light. These three women represent all that was good and bad about my many grandmothers back through the centuries. They also symbolize the wonderful Cherokee women of today.
Please stay tuned for more insights into the book and the author behind the story.
