What Kind of Girl?
Caroline Kautsire
July 1, 2021
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What is Caroline Kautsire’s writing style?
I enjoy narrative writing. I like telling true stories that are honest and provocative for readers to face a reality that isn’t just something you google. I prefer writing non-fiction because I like to draw from my experiences, from my observations of the nuances in life. Although I mostly write non-fiction, I also experiment with fiction when it comes to poetry and flash fiction. I prefer sharing snippets of how the world works and how people think and behave, so that readers can think deeply and critically about why we exist and live the way we do. Could you tell us more about your debut book “What Kind of Girl”? |
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What Kind of Girl? is about how I grew up facing the impossibility of fulfilling both African and Western roles for females. I was an adventurous girl who was always setting out to conquer new worlds on my own. The memoir explores tensions regarding body image, and for me, the expected behaviors for girls were often difficult to execute. So, I strove to be accepted on my own terms. Whenever I acted like a tomboy or rejected a tradition for girls, I heard the questions, “What kind of girl behaves this way?" and “What kind of girl are you?” These skeptical questions fed my insecurity about gender, race, class, language and sexuality, and sometimes made it even harder for me to behave the way I was expected to. Through childhood and adolescence, my struggle to both fit in and stand out as a strong and talented Malawian girl led me, first, to taking ever-escalating risks. Then, when I became alienated from our traditions, I started to live in an imaginative world of music, drama and American television, which actually helped me start the journey that the book depicts.
How do you describe your creative journey now that you are a published author?
As someone who struggled with writing during my younger years, I feel I have come a long way by actually becoming a published author. I have learned that the process of writing is the process of thinking and learning, it is the process of acquiring knowledge rather than dispensing it.
People might think that just because I write, it means I already “know” everything I’m writing about. However, when I write, I learn how to understand the world and my place in it. I embrace the voice that I have and I want to use it for social change, to inspire others, and to speak of hope where there seems to be none.
My writing has become a way of awakening others to what goes unnoticed or what society ignores.
Originally from Malawi, now you are based in Boston where you teach and share your love of writing and literature. How have your life experiences shaped your artistic path and vice versa?
It takes a lot of self-discipline and determination to juggle my professional role as a professor and an author. It requires time management and a resilience that supersedes anything obstacle keeping you from accomplishing your goals. When it came to my dreams, I refused to settle for mediocre or average results.
I choose, instead, to aim for greater things. And with the help of God, I continue to strive for excellence.
People are usually impressed by my journey as a scholar and an artist because I accomplished a lot at such a young age. Now at 34 years old, I can see people enjoy reading the story of a young girl who worked her way up. They are also seeing who I am still becoming because I continue to work hard to promote my work and to collaborate with others who want to make a difference in the world.
Other than books, what else do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy acting. I love to entertain and being on stage is another way to reach people and share something magical. I love spoken word poetry because it entertains and enlightens others. I seek ways to experiment with words until I find the most ideal way to move people. I am also a very athletic person, so working out and basketball are things I enjoy.
It is important to work on mind, body and spirit. Taking care of my body is something I enjoy because it is a vessel that allows me to function and live my best life—if properly cared for.
Can you describe your writing nook or do you write anywhere as long as you get a nudge from your muse?
Firstly, there is no magic portal for inspiration. Instead, I like to think that inspiration comes from everywhere. This means I have chosen to live deeply and with purpose so that I can notice the things in life that are worth writing about.
In feeling alive, I experience an expansion of consciousness, where certain things make me feel more than who I was before. I meditate so that life becomes richer and more than a mundane list of daily routines. Once you have the pieces of life that mediation gives you, then you have stories to share with others.
Did we hear that you are working on a second book. Do you want to share any details about it?
"Some Kind of Girl" is a sequel to my first memoir, "What Kind of Girl" which was published in July of 2020. "Some Kind of Girl" recounts the events which have shaped who I am as a diaspora individual.
Upon arriving in America, I immediately faced the America immigration system, creating the struggle to maintain legal status as a working student. Furthermore, the book illustrates how adjusting to the American culture conjured new complexities to my identity.
I recount how I grappled with race, gender, language, sexuality and God in my effort to be true to myself. In the end, running away from who I was in Malawi only brings me to an America I could not live in without remembering what I learned about well-behaved girls in Malawi.
It is my hope that this memoir will speak to an audience in America, Africa and beyond.
I want readers to know what it’s like to leave one’s homeland behind and to build another home in a foreign land. For young women and any children who do not easily fit into gender categories, this book can help by letting them know they are not alone as they face the awkwardness and complexities of identity.
We have an ongoing campaign titled #BeatTheBlues on ways to prioritize mental health. What does Caroline Kautsire do to #BeatTheBlues?
Because I am now working two jobs without an agent, I have to prioritize my time very carefully. I plan each hour in the day and make sure I have an idea of what I’m going to face each week. Like I said before, tending to your mind, body and spirit is something that can bring balance in your life.
I try to exercise all these parts of me to ensure that I am not overworked or falling behind. I am a person who loves solitude because it is my time to rejuvenate, and I am also someone who loves to spend time with friends, so that I don’t lose my ability to connect with others. Therefore, I am very responsible when it comes to balance because I am aware that mental health is something very fragile, something that needs my attention in a very competitive and busy world.
Do you feel like sharing what books are on your night stand?
Just to mention a few, I have a lot of Chimamanda Adichie’s books like Purple Hibiscus and The Thing Around Your Neck. I have Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Toni Morrison’s Sula and Roxane Gay’s Hunger. These are books that have shaped the way I write and I continue to read as a way to learn how to develop my writing.
What virtual or live events are you looking forward to?
Lately, I have been booked to speak at many libraries in the south shore area of Massachusetts. From July to November, I will do in-person author talks at Brockton Public Library, Hingham Public Library and Milton Public Library. Other institutions like schools, churches and rotary clubs have also booked me for the Summer and Fall of 2021. I’m glad we are moving away from zoom conferences to in-person events, and I look forward to a very eventful season.
How do you describe your creative journey now that you are a published author?
As someone who struggled with writing during my younger years, I feel I have come a long way by actually becoming a published author. I have learned that the process of writing is the process of thinking and learning, it is the process of acquiring knowledge rather than dispensing it.
People might think that just because I write, it means I already “know” everything I’m writing about. However, when I write, I learn how to understand the world and my place in it. I embrace the voice that I have and I want to use it for social change, to inspire others, and to speak of hope where there seems to be none.
My writing has become a way of awakening others to what goes unnoticed or what society ignores.
Originally from Malawi, now you are based in Boston where you teach and share your love of writing and literature. How have your life experiences shaped your artistic path and vice versa?
It takes a lot of self-discipline and determination to juggle my professional role as a professor and an author. It requires time management and a resilience that supersedes anything obstacle keeping you from accomplishing your goals. When it came to my dreams, I refused to settle for mediocre or average results.
I choose, instead, to aim for greater things. And with the help of God, I continue to strive for excellence.
People are usually impressed by my journey as a scholar and an artist because I accomplished a lot at such a young age. Now at 34 years old, I can see people enjoy reading the story of a young girl who worked her way up. They are also seeing who I am still becoming because I continue to work hard to promote my work and to collaborate with others who want to make a difference in the world.
Other than books, what else do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy acting. I love to entertain and being on stage is another way to reach people and share something magical. I love spoken word poetry because it entertains and enlightens others. I seek ways to experiment with words until I find the most ideal way to move people. I am also a very athletic person, so working out and basketball are things I enjoy.
It is important to work on mind, body and spirit. Taking care of my body is something I enjoy because it is a vessel that allows me to function and live my best life—if properly cared for.
Can you describe your writing nook or do you write anywhere as long as you get a nudge from your muse?
Firstly, there is no magic portal for inspiration. Instead, I like to think that inspiration comes from everywhere. This means I have chosen to live deeply and with purpose so that I can notice the things in life that are worth writing about.
In feeling alive, I experience an expansion of consciousness, where certain things make me feel more than who I was before. I meditate so that life becomes richer and more than a mundane list of daily routines. Once you have the pieces of life that mediation gives you, then you have stories to share with others.
Did we hear that you are working on a second book. Do you want to share any details about it?
"Some Kind of Girl" is a sequel to my first memoir, "What Kind of Girl" which was published in July of 2020. "Some Kind of Girl" recounts the events which have shaped who I am as a diaspora individual.
Upon arriving in America, I immediately faced the America immigration system, creating the struggle to maintain legal status as a working student. Furthermore, the book illustrates how adjusting to the American culture conjured new complexities to my identity.
I recount how I grappled with race, gender, language, sexuality and God in my effort to be true to myself. In the end, running away from who I was in Malawi only brings me to an America I could not live in without remembering what I learned about well-behaved girls in Malawi.
It is my hope that this memoir will speak to an audience in America, Africa and beyond.
I want readers to know what it’s like to leave one’s homeland behind and to build another home in a foreign land. For young women and any children who do not easily fit into gender categories, this book can help by letting them know they are not alone as they face the awkwardness and complexities of identity.
We have an ongoing campaign titled #BeatTheBlues on ways to prioritize mental health. What does Caroline Kautsire do to #BeatTheBlues?
Because I am now working two jobs without an agent, I have to prioritize my time very carefully. I plan each hour in the day and make sure I have an idea of what I’m going to face each week. Like I said before, tending to your mind, body and spirit is something that can bring balance in your life.
I try to exercise all these parts of me to ensure that I am not overworked or falling behind. I am a person who loves solitude because it is my time to rejuvenate, and I am also someone who loves to spend time with friends, so that I don’t lose my ability to connect with others. Therefore, I am very responsible when it comes to balance because I am aware that mental health is something very fragile, something that needs my attention in a very competitive and busy world.
Do you feel like sharing what books are on your night stand?
Just to mention a few, I have a lot of Chimamanda Adichie’s books like Purple Hibiscus and The Thing Around Your Neck. I have Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Toni Morrison’s Sula and Roxane Gay’s Hunger. These are books that have shaped the way I write and I continue to read as a way to learn how to develop my writing.
What virtual or live events are you looking forward to?
Lately, I have been booked to speak at many libraries in the south shore area of Massachusetts. From July to November, I will do in-person author talks at Brockton Public Library, Hingham Public Library and Milton Public Library. Other institutions like schools, churches and rotary clubs have also booked me for the Summer and Fall of 2021. I’m glad we are moving away from zoom conferences to in-person events, and I look forward to a very eventful season.