Interview with Naomi Jackson, author of The Star Side of Bird Hill

Tell us a little bit about your new release, The Star Side of Bird Hill.

The Star Side of Bird Hill is a coming-of-age story set during the summer of 1989 in an insular community in Barbados. It follows two Brooklyn girls – sisters Phaedra, 10, and Dionne, 16 – as they explore the island under the watchful eye of their grandmother, Hyacinth.

What’s rocking your world this month?

Book tour is rocking my world this month! I’ve been thrilled by the positive reception and support I’ve received from booksellers as well as from the schools and organizations with which I am affiliated. After launching Star Side in Brooklyn, my tour has taken me to Rhinebeck, Williamstown, Martha’s Vineyard, South Hadley, and Iowa City. Upcoming tour stops include Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia as well as book signings at the Brooklyn Museum’s Target First Saturdays program and Afro Punk Festival. I can’t wait to head West at the end of August for readings in Los Angeles, Oakland and Seattle. So much to look forward to this fall, especially the Decatur and Brooklyn book festivals in September.

What is the one movie that you can quote the most?

The Color Purple.

What makes your world go round?

Love, laughter, family, and friends.

How do you like to spend a rainy day?

On the couch watching Orange is the New Black.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a doctor because I wanted to help people, especially children. I also wanted to write stories about my family.

What’s your favorite quote from The Star Side of Bird Hill?

“Sweetness, the only thing that has power over you is what you can’t say, even to yourself.”

Do you have a favorite local bookstore we can give a shoutout to?

Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn and Chattel House Books in Barbados.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

The best thing to receive is the free thing freely given.

Author Naomi Jackson. Photo Credit: Lola Flash

Laurie Naomi Jackson is the author of the new book Return to the Dark House.

Connect with Naomi
Author Website
 Twitter