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Author Q&A: Abiola Abrams |
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 The fly-girl author of Dare brings Faust to the masses
By Toccara Castleman
Some people are natural risk takers. Take author Abiola Abrams, who in her debut novel, Dare (Pocket, 2007), boldly attempts to put an urban spin on Faust-a popular German legend from the 1500s. Abrams' novel explores the dynamics of friendship, success, pain, and emotional journey of self-reflection for her protagonist, Maya. Read on to find out more about Abrams' fearless approach and limitless aspirations. We dare you.
Q: Was it a conscious decision for you to turn your book into an urban retelling of Faust, or did it just happen by chance?
It was a combination of both. I wanted to tell the story of Maya Gayle Hope, a woman who at one point loved hip-hop but felt as though hip-hop no longer loved her. Faust is the tale of a scholar who sells his soul to the devil and then is seduced and done in by temptation. This seemed to be the perfect metaphor for a lot of what takes place in the world of entertainment.
Q: How does Dare deal with the theme of being on a personal journey throughout life.
Maya thinks that she's on the road to find true love and discovers that she's on the road to the center of herself. She realizes that the journey is the destination. In other words, there is no place or point where we finally arrive. In that sense, we're always traveling-on to the next goal, next destination, next invention of self.
Q: Why did you choose the title Dare?
It's an acronym for Dreams Are Real for Everyone. I chose it for the title because the book is about daring to write or invent new stories for ourselves, and that's what I want readers to do as well.
Available now where books are sold. More at abiolaabrams.com.
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