Pam Grier's Books That Made a Difference

I haunt bookstores—especially when I'm in other cities. That's how I found Honey, Hush!, a collection of humorous work by African-American women. It's just a delight. You sit down with it and there's something from Zora Neale Hurston, Carolyn Rodgers and Terry McMillan; there are folk stories and poetry—some pieces are light, some deal with what arises from black women's souls.

Reading it, I'd laugh and reflect on when my mom used to invite her friends home. It would be one or two in the morning, and they would bring back chicken and waffles and barbecue. They'd be dancing and laughing and playing cards. The kids would be in the bedroom, and they would wake us up to share their breakfast with them. The book touches on so much—where my great-great-grandmothers have been, where my mom was, where I'm at right now. It's wonderful.