Above and beyond being a writer, Charles Blount sees himself as an African-American writer and part of a tradition that is “always about sharing, sacrificing and standing for what you believe in, and knowing that you might have to be the one to step up and do it.”
McDaniel has also published two books, including the 2014 poetry and short-story hybrid Misty’s Blues, and is currently at work on a novel. “My community, the African-American community, has been supportive,” she says. “You have to build up your fan base — you have to leave your readers wanting more.”
