Intimate Conversation with Sistahs of Urban Literature

Intimate Conversation with Sistahs of Urban Literature
Karen Waiters,  S.O.U.L. President

BPM:  Karen, give us a little history on Sistahs of Urban Literature. 
Sistahs of Urban Literature is a face to face book club that was formed in January 2009 in Winston-Salem, NC. S.O.U.L  enjoys reading different genre of African American authors. Our book club meets once a month at restaurants and coffee shops. Our mission is to continue our appreciation of African American literature and support African American authors. The President is Karen B. Waiters who is also the founder. Lashanda Hanna is the Vice President of the club. We have a total of twelve members which includes the officers.


BPM:  What impact has being in a organized reading group had on your life? 
I have always been avid reader which led me to creating a book club. Being in a book club has allowed me to be exposed to even a larger genre of authors. I have read authors that I have never heard of and I have developed a great appreciation of our African American authors even more. S.O.U.L. has allowed me to meet authors and network with other book clubs. Our book club has allowed me to have a desire to introduce young girls to reading. We are currently organizing a summer book club for girls in 2011. I look forward to continuing to fellowship with a great group of women that I consider friends.


BPM:  What are the key factors that make a book remain on your mind long after you read the last page? 
My favorite genre of books is fiction. I enjoy a story that can invoke many emotions within me. I appreciate the detail information the author has chosen to include in their work in which I can visually place myself there. I have read some exciting prologues alone that have gotten me very interested in what type of story the author is getting ready to tell. A good book is like a movie, if you can still picture the ending and wonder what if or you are still talking about certain characters after you have the read the book. If I am wishing for a part two of an author’s work, they have definitely
done their job.


BPM:  Do you believe a character's culture, sexual orientation or religion is important to understanding their point-of-view in a novel? Why? 
A character’s background tells a lot of how the character is going to react. Culture affects a lot of people’s motive on how they will react to a situation or life in general.


BPM:  How may we find out more about your club?
To find out more about the Sistahs of Urban Literature, our website address is www.soulurblit.com. 
We welcome and encourage interests in our book club.


Submitted by:  Karen Waiters, S.O.U.L. President