Tina McElroy Ansa was an award-winning author best known for works like “Baby of the Family” and “Ugly Ways,” which explored the Black experience in the American South.
- Died: September 10, 2024 (Who else died on September 10?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 74.
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Tina McElroy Ansa’s legacy
Raised in Macon, Georgia and earning her degree from Spelman College, Tina McElroy Ansa got her start in the literary world as a copyeditor for the Atlanta Constitution. Her first novel, 1989’s “Baby of the Family,” was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and in 2001 it was included as one of the “25 Books Every Georgian Should Read” by the Georgia Center for the Book. The novel was the first in a series of stories set in the fictional town of Mulberry, Georgia.
Ansa’s early success continued with her second novel, “Ugly Ways,” which earned an NAACP Image Award nomination and also made the “25 Books Every Georgian Should Read” list. Its sequel, 2008’s “Taking After Mudear,” earned the same honor. Other novels include “The Hand I Fan With” and “You Know Better.”
In 2007, Ansa founded DownSouth Press, an independent publishing company focused on spotlighting great literature by Black authors. She was also the founder of the Sea Island Writers Retreats on Sapelo Island, Georgia, and, along with Dazon Diallo, created the South African African-American SisterLove Sisters Sharing (SAAASSS) book program, which shares books by African-American authors with readers in South Africa.
She was a writer-in-residence at Spelman College and has been a lecturer at the Author’s Series of the Smithsonian’s African-American Center, the PEN/Faulkner Reading Series, the PEN American Center in New York City, and many others. In addition to her novels, Ansa wrote works that have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Atlanta Constitution, the Chicago Sun-Times, and many others.
Tributes to Tina McElroy Ansa
Full obituary: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
