Reading has the power to inspire and uplift, much like the remarkable leaders in our community. In Long Beach Leaders Are Readers, we celebrate the individuals whose dedication and vision shape the city we call home.
This March, in honor of Women’s History Month, we’re proud to feature local author Elise Bryant. An NAACP Image Award-nominated writer, Elise is the author of Happily Ever Afters, One True Loves, Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling, and It’s Elementary. Before becoming a full-time author, she spent years as a special education teacher, bringing the joy of learning to her students. Now, she spends her days reading, writing, and searching for the best desserts, all while raising her two daughters with her husband right here in Long Beach.
Scroll down to see Elise’s recommendation!
Elise’s Recommendation:
Black Girl Power
edited by Leah Johnson
What made you recommend the book Black Girl Power?
Black Girl Power, edited by Leah Johnson, is the book I needed as a kid. Growing up, I was an avid reader, but I rarely saw girls like me in the books available in school or at the library — or if I did, it was a very specific narrative, centered on trauma and loss. I love this short story collection (and I was honored to contribute a story to it) because it celebrates and affirms all the different ways that Black girls can show up in the world and celebrates not just their strength and resilience, but also their joy and softness. It’s empowering for Black girls to see their full humanity reflected in literature, and it also serves as a much needed window for others to inspire understanding and empathy.
Why do you think reading is important?
I think reading helps us to understand ourselves and to understand and develop empathy for others. It is such a gift to be able to hop into someone else’s perspective and see the world as they do — to make us feel more connected and less alone, and to challenge and shift our own perspectives, too. And also, it’s just fun! I carry a book or my Kindle with me wherever I go, so I always have something fun to do.
What’s the last book you read?
I just finished reading Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta, a young adult novel about a Mexican-American girl navigating her senior year in Oakland. I loved the messy, earnest voice, and its honest, authentic portrayal of depression and generational trauma.
What book will you read next?
Next on my TBR list is All This and More by Peng Shepherd. I suggested it for my book club to read, but of course I’ve left it until right before the meeting to start. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure type book for adults, and I’ve heard good things from my friends (who didn’t leave reading it to the last minute like me, ha!).
