Photo by Courtesy Nija Morenike' Matory
Albert Einstein supposedly said, "Insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting different results." In the case of 24-year-old Jackson native Nija Morenike' Matory's new book, "A Taste of Insanity," insanity may be just what the doctor ordered.
Matory has always loved to write. She recalled the memory of her first piece of writing as a second grader at Clausell Elementary when she was 7 years old:
"I wrote an interactive book about nature, with leaves and everything. My teacher, Ms. Mays, bound it up like a book, and I made an A."
From then on, life as Matory knew it was not only experienced, but written.
As a Provine High School student, Matory participated on the robotics team, student council, the book club and other various organizations. The one thing that continued to flourish, even after her high-school days, was her writing.
"I had an audience. All the students and the teachers would read my work, but I didn't have anything published, yet," Matory said.
That changed shortly after she received her bachelor's degree in English from Jackson State University in 2011. During her senior year, Matory wrote a poem titled "Shoeicide" and began to use her middle name, Morenike', as a pseudonym. After graduating, she also co-produced a 10-minute short film under the same name.
"Shoeicide" was the first public work that I've done. It's about domestic violence and HIV in the African American community as well as materialism," Matory said.
During her junior year of college, she joined the MADDRAMA Performance Troupe of Jackson. MADDRAMA is an acronym for Making A Difference Doing Respectable And Meaningful Art. The organization has influenced Matory's success as an author through encouragement and in the filming process of "Shoeicide."
Though MADDRAMA played a role in Matory's success, her inspiration lies elsewhere: her parents, Margaret Bullocks and Norway Matory.
"They started me reading early on," Matory said. She says her and her friends' experiences are inspiration for many of her works.
While currently pursuing her masters at JSU, Matory manages to continue her writing. In "A Taste of Insanity," she captures the essence of a woman at her wits' end. Through the eyes of three very different women, readers catch a glimpse of what it is like facing problems such as substance abuse and infidelity.
"It stems from people that I've encountered from a close distance," she said.
The Circle of Color Book Club hosts a "A Taste of Insanity" book signing Saturday, April 13,, starting at 3 p.m. at Koinonia Coffee House (136 Adams St., 601-960-3008). For more information, contact Margaret Bullocks at 601-750-6511 or [email protected]. To find out more about Morenike', visit her Facebook page or email her at [email protected].
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