Evelyn Grimsby on Growing Up
Sometimes when I get stuck with a story, or when I'm having a little trouble writing, I try to write bits and pieces of conversations to figure out who a character is and how they see the world.
Evelyn's mother, Maeve, spent the first part of her life as a slave, and that experience colored who she was as a parent, and how she raised her daughter. This is another bit of writing that may not actually end up in any of the stories, but it's representative of how Evelyn sees the world.
“When men are boys, they play at battle; they fantasize about all the things they will do and all the laurels they will win. They are told how bright and strong they are. And in every boy’s life, there comes a time when they must choose to stop being a boy and start being a man—to go forth and prove themselves.
“But girls? Girls have to be stronger. Girls have to be smarter. The world tells girls that it will protect them, that they are loved and valued and that they will be kept safe; and there comes a time in each girl’s life when she realizes that isn’t true. She is perhaps twelve or thirteen and her body has begun to change, she will notice all the men and all the boys now look at her a little differently. The girl does not choose to be a woman; the world chooses for her. And from that point on, if she is smart, she knows she is at war.”