Who influenced you to write and become an... â€� Naima Coster Q&A

Glenda Nelms asked Naima Coster:

Who influenced you to write and become an author?

Naima Coster My desire to write was born out of my deep love of reading. Every summer, before trips to the Dominican Republic, my parents would buy me a big stack of books to read. I tore through the novels, desperate for more to read before the summer was through. My parents' support of my appetite for books was critical to my decision to try and create books of my own. To this day, the work of other writers continues to inspire me to create. I was also lucky to have amazing English teachers in high school who helped me believe, audaciously, in myself as a writer. They helped me move my love of writing from the margins of my life, where it lived as a hobby, to the center, where it became a point of focus, labor, and great joy. I was eighteen when I finished my first book-length project, "Fifteen," a collection of short stories. It helped me start embracing what it might mean to spend a life writing. Thank you for your question, Glenda!

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