Author Tiffany L. Warren is taking a page from history in her latest release. I recently spoke with her about The Unexpected Diva.
Tell me about your latest book.
The Unexpected Diva is the untold story of America’s first Black opera star, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield who went by the stage name, The Black Swan. I call her the Beyoncé of the antebellum, because she toured the country and Canada before the Civil War and sold out shows with her three-octave voice. No one had ever seen anyone like her before, and her fearlessness paved the way for every Black diva that came after.
Why did you decide to write it?
Because Eliza’s story is so triumphant! Set in a time period when there was very little for Black people to find joy about, she carved out an extraordinary existence. And I had never heard of her. I know well our stories of struggle. I know extensively how we were traumatized by human traffickers who did violence to Black bodies. I had never heard of this woman who had been freed from a plantation as a small child and then raised by her former mistress, educated in a Quaker community, and taught to pursue her gifts. Her story is just as important. Because in every iteration of oppression in this country, Black people have found ways to be joyful. I just heard Nikki Giovanni say that in an interview, and it resonated so heavy with me. We always find a way to be joyful. We should remember our joy along with the pain.
Who is your favorite character in the story and why?
Tuh. Eliza for sure. Eliza is a gifted, curvy beauty that grows into her confidence over the course of the novel. I love that she doesn’t allow anyone to dictate her activism. She chooses how she wants to show up and how she wants to pursue greatness. She does not allow anyone to write her story.
When did you fall in love with the written word?
I was so little when I learned to read. Four years old. But, by the time I was ten, I was reading ten books a week. I love being transported to other times, places, and worlds.
If you could pick another profession, what would it be and why?
Well, I have another profession. HA! I am a writer, but I also have worked in emergency management for almost two decades. Before that I was a technology manager.
What would you tell your 16-year-old self?
Listen to your guidance counselors. Take the scholarships.
What books have you read lately and loved?
American Daughters by Piper Huguley, The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate, and Victoria Christopher Murray’s new book Harlem Rhapsody.
What books are you most excited to read next?
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
What’s next for you?
My next historical is about Yolande Du Bois, the only daughter of W.E.B. Du Bois, and her love triangle with jazz great Jimmie Lunceford and Countee Cullen, famed poet of the Harlem Renaissance. It’s called A Wedding in Harlem.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
Only that I am truly excited for readers to learn all about Eliza and that I hope this book sheds light on Black opera artists who need our support.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren.
To learn more about Tiffany L. Warren, connect with her on social media.
Instagram: instagram.com/tiffanylwarren
Facebook: facebook.com/authortiffanylwarren