I couldn’t stop staring at it. My very own library card with my very own Monika with a K name. It was 1984, and this was a key to my world. I’d always loved stories, and this little card gave me access to a whole library filled with the likes of Nancy Drew, the Bobbsey twins, Flicka and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
I read almost everything that came across my path including Mississippi Outdoor magazine and best of all, the encyclopedia when I asked my mom questions she couldn’t or didn’t want to answer. In time, I began to write my own stories – often reflecting the tales my grandmother told me or the events and sights I witnessed growing up in Mississippi and North Carolina. I’ve come to understand that storytelling is a tool that places us in the world, helps us understand our world and gives us a peak into the lives of others. That’s why I gravitated towards journalism.
As a student journalist, I loved meeting new people, giving them a podium and finding an angle that made their tales resonate across diverse audiences. As I started to think more about my career, I realized that helping people was a key part. I moved into public relations and went on to study identity – specifically American identities. We are a complex quilt each made up of patches that make our unique selves. I am especially interested in intersectional studies that look at the combined influence of race, class, gender, sexuality and ability. It’s especially interesting to see how these identities play out in the idealized, aspirational communication that is marketing and advertising.
My mission here = take a look at what’s out there and add my two cents highlighting what I like, and, if it’s ill, what I’d prescribe as a fix.