BookLife Talks with
Zev Good
Good strongly believes in the need for diverse sto-
ries, and that belief is reflected in his first full-length
novel, which delves into a family dealing with grief
and a surprising announcement from its patriarch.
What inspired the plot of All About the Benjamins?
As with most of what I write, it began with a what-if
and grew from there. I’ve been out since I was five
years old, and I got it in my head that I would marry
Hoss Cartwright from Bonanza when I grew up. But
what if I’d been born earlier, what if my mother
hadn’t been so cool about it, what if I’d gotten mar-
ried and had kids and then came out? As writers, we
live in our heads a lot, so “what if?” is always there
to spark something.
Why or how do you think this book is particularly
relevant now?
There is a tremendous need for these stories, and
we’re seeing them (in Amazon’s Transparent series,
for instance), but there is always room for more.
There are men (and women) in their 50s who are just
coming out, and they’re elated and terrified all at the
same time—that’s the reality, and it’s always been the
reality. And from a legal standpoint, it’s somewhat
easier than it was 30 or 40 years ago, but laws don’t
cover the mental and emotional experience of com-
ing out, so people need to read stories and find
themselves in them.For more, visit booklife.com/goodQ&A SPONSORED
BookLife Talks with
Anece F. McCloud
In her debut memoir, McCloud describes the numer-
ous prejudices she faced, both from inside her com-
munity and from the outside world, growing up in
the rural South during the 1930s and ‘40s.
What drew you to write about your life?
There was one aspect of my life and that of other
African-American people that I felt few members of
the general public knew about. That was the color
caste system that has always existed among black
people themselves. Very few knew about the preju-
dice light-skinned blacks often had against darker-
skinned members of the race. My own experiences
in this culture affected me negatively. At the same
time, those experiences motivated me to be more
interested in being the best in every experience I
encountered. It also gave me the chance as an adult
to assist other young people, both black and white,
which brought me fulfillment and feelings of
self-worth.
How do you imagine readers at this moment will
connect to Seeking Personal Validation?
My book is not just about race relations but about
attending school at all levels, courting and marrying,
being a military wife and living in another country,
having babies, experiencing an illness that had an
effect upon my life and marriage, and working in
two different educational institutions in new types
of positions. Many of the things I wrote about are
experiences other people have had or will have.
Hopefully, they will gain some new insights and
inspiration from reading Seeking Personal Validation.For more, visit booklife.com/mccloudQ&A SPONSORED