HYPHENED-NATION: Don’t Check the Box by Nicole Draffen @HyphenedNation

About the Author

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐅𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐢-𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐚𝐳𝐳 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨, 𝐢𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.

Qn 1: Can you tell us more about your book What is it about?

Hyphened-Nation discusses the authors experience of being treated as an American, rather than a hyphenated one. The difference was startling, and lead the author on a journey to understand the ‘why’ of this phenomenon. The United States is one of the only nations, that hyphenates citizens by ethnicity before nationality. Those same boxes we allow ourselves to be placed into as hyphenated-Americans, limit our economic, educational, and cultural growth.

Qn 2: Who do you think would be interested in this book, is it directed at any particular market?

The book is for any person who wishes to understand the dangers that lie therein, when you blindly check boxes that have no bearing on who you are as a person. It is a definitive discussion on the importance of self-definition.

Qn 3: Out of all the books in the world, and all the authors, which are your favourite and why?

James Baldwin and Dr. Maya Angelou are my favorite authors. I love a variety of books they have written. It never occurred to me until I became a writer, that writing takes courage. It is very difficult to write your truth. I respect and admire them both for doing just that.

Qn 4: What guidance would you offer to someone new, or trying to enhance their writing?

This is a tough question because each writer uses their own formula. I have a tendency to write 20 rambling pages and reduce it to 1-2 distinct pages of thought. I write like a think, in expansive lines that can go in a million directions, then pinpoint on a definitive train of thought. In my opinion, to effectively write non-fiction, you cannot worry or concentrate on how people will respond. Just speak your truth, and let the chips fall where they may.

Qn 5: Where can our readers find out more about you, do you have a website, or a way to be contacted?

I am on social media and readers can reach me several ways:
https://hyphened-nation.com/
https://twitter.com/HyphenedNation https://www.instagram.com/hyphenednation/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/HyphenedNationDCTB/ https://hyphened-nation.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlVkl_582nA