I’ve Got Questions for Mary Hill-Wagner

Editor’s Note: This exchange is part of a series of brief interviews with emerging writers of recent or forthcoming books. If you enjoyed it, please visit other interviews in the I’ve Got Questions feature.

Girlz ‘n the Hood by Mary Hill-Wagner
  • What’s the title of your book? Fiction? Nonfiction? Poetry? Who is the publisher and what’s the publication date?

Girlz ‘N the Hood: A Memoir of Mama in South Central Los Angeles, to be published by the Pact Press, an imprint of Regal House Publishing on September 25, 2021.

  • In a couple of sentences, what’s the book about?

This book is about the women and girls of South Central Los Angeles told through my lens and that of my mother. This is a rarely seen view of African American women and girls and how we survive and thrive in the ghetto.

  • What’s the book’s genre (for fiction and nonfiction) or primary style (for poetry)?

This book is a memoir, nonfiction.

  • What’s the nicest thing anyone has said about the book so far?

One reviewer said it was warm and witty and it provides a critical and missing piece of Los Angeles history.

  • What book or books is yours comparable to or a cross between? [Is your book like Moby Dick or maybe it’s more like Frankenstein meets Peter Pan?]

My book is like The Glass Castle because it is a tale of poverty in America and how people survive.

  • Why this book? Why now?

It was time to tell a story about the black women and girls because there are many stories about the men and boys. It is a critical part of who we are as a people and a nation.

  • Other than writing this book, what’s the best job you’ve ever had?

I was a newspaper journalist for 15 years. That was a terrific job! There was something new every day.

  • What do you want readers to take away from the book?

A mother’s love is a powerful force! There are many lessons to learn from people who may not look like you.

  • What food and/or music do you associate with the book?

Motown! Soul Food!

  • What book(s) are you reading currently?

The Bible

Mary Hill-Wagner

Learn more about Mary on her website.

Buy the book from the Publisher (Pact Press/Regal House Publishing), Amazon.com, or Bookshop.org.

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

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