Author Q&A

Q: What prompted you to write this story? Was there a specific character that worked as initial inspiration, a line you were itching to write that sparked an idea?

A: I swear, the plot just arrived in my mind during a bout of insomnia! Nothing like that has ever happened to me. Smaller details would evolve and change, but I had these core elements: a cursed Harlem Renaissance musician, a free-spirited florist who flees her family for Harlem, destined soulmates, and the brownstone where it all goes down. I wrote the outline in a fever. But I was nervous to share it with my editor, because I thought the mystical elements would sound far-fetched.

Q: The flashbacks to the Harlem Renaissance are filled with so much wonderful, rich detail. What did your research consist of? Was there a fact or story that you discovered and loved but weren’t able to include in the novel?

A: I’m a massive 1920s buff. I love the silent films, the stars, the style, the literature, and especially the Renaissance. I watched endless clips of Ezra’s contemporaries like Duke Ellington and Willie the Lion. I read every book I could get my hands on about the cultural luminaries of the era. My favorites were Yuval Taylor’s Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal and Allon Schoener’s Harlem on My Mind: Cultural Capital of Black America, 1900–1968. There’s so much I wish I could’ve included, like a cameo from Gladys Bentley, the drag king of the Renaissance, or Blanche Dunn, the era’s most glamorous It-girl socialite.

Q: It’s particularly poignant to read about the “Sepia Paradise” of Harlem in the ’20s versus the Harlem of today. What did you want to show in the depiction of this neighborhood and community?

A: Modern Harlem is vibrant and exciting in its own right. But many landmarks of the ’20s have been lost to time, either due to the natural evolution of a city or gentrification. Harlem has seen so many ups and downs over the past century. But the shadow of those Jazz Age sights, sounds, and stars is everywhere, if you really look. I wanted to point out that sometimes history is right under your nose.

Q: Was there a part of the novel that you were most excited to write?

A: I couldn’t wait for the part when Ezra reveals the curse to Ricki. It was the only part of my outline that was a huge question mark, because I couldn’t fathom what it would be like to wake up after transformative sex with your hot new boyfriend, and have him tell you such a wild story! Ricki’s shock and Ezra’s nervousness made for some funny tension, I think.

Q: Ricki’s deep desire to cultivate beauty and to create something of her own is a powerful force throughout the novel. Are there any parts of Ricki that you see in yourself as an artist and creator?

A: Definitely! In my other life, I was a beauty writer for fashion magazines and makeup brands. Like Ricki, I love vintage couture, fashion photography, an exquisite piece of stationery, a lipstick in the perfect shade of sun-kissed coral—I’m inspired by beauty, in all its forms. To me, it’s important to show that it’s valid for Black women to take such things seriously. Growing up, I didn’t see this in media.

Q: Ezra is incredibly romantic and dreamy. How did his character come to be? Was he based on anyone in particular?

A: Ezra isn’t based on anyone, specifically. He’s what I imaged a Renaissance pianist would be like. Someone who went from the depths of rural poverty to the heights of fame—in less than five years. Back then, Black Harlem was heavily populated by people who’d fled the South during the Great Migration. More often than not, they left with the shirts on their backs, headed to an unknown, hyper-modern city with a slew of new social rules they had to learn, fast. It was a terrifying, exciting time. With Ezra, I wanted to explore what happened to someone whose ambition, dreams, and talent were bigger than his surroundings—and how his passionate heart would handle the challenges thrown at him.

Q: Was there any aspect of the writing process that you found particularly challenging?

A: I don’t enjoy writing about Jim Crow America. I dreaded describing the church fire at the hands of the KKK, or the scene with Sonny and the Irishmen and cops. As a Black woman with roots in this country that stretch back for centuries, it’s an inherited-trauma thing. I don’t like to tap into those feelings. But those details were necessary for the story. And it’s the truth of this country.

Q: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is filled with so many pop culture Easter eggs, and with the history of twentieth-century music—Ezra has had a hand in so many seminal songs! How did you choose which songs Ezra would be a part of?

A: Long story short, I grew up in a pop culture house. Movies, TV, and music were a massive part of how my family related to each other. In high school, I bought a big, thick book of all the Billboard number one hits from 1950 to 1992. (It’s falling apart, but I still have it!) For each song, there was a two-page spread explaining its origins: i.e., the recording process, the inspiration, juicy trivia, etc. I loved nerding out over this stuff. I basically memorized the whole book. So, I flipped through my mental Rolodex of hits and landed on ones that I could insert Ezra into. The lyrics of “Voodoo Chile” actually informed the scene when Felice curses Ezra.

Q: Voodoo plays a significant part in this novel and is a part of Eva Mercy’s family history in Seven Days in June. What draws you to write about it?

A: My maternal family is Louisiana French Creole, and thusly, voodoo has always been something I’ve been aware of. I just love the mystery of it, and how it’s such a deeply Black religion, something we owned at a time when this country wanted us powerless. Unfortunately, white supremacist structures decided it was a dark, inherently evil practice, and therefore, voodoo gets a bad rap. But it’s a fascinating aspect of our spiritual history.

Q: What is your favorite love song?

A: Prince’s 1983 cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.” His impassioned voice, her poetic lyrics—beyond romantic.