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Tina McElroy Ansa

Tina McElroy Ansa

Tina McElroy Ansa is a novelist, filmmaker, teacher and journalist. But above all, she is a storyteller.

Ms. Ansa calls herself part of a writing tradition, one of those little Southern girls who always knew she wanted to tell stories. She grew up in Middle Georgia in the 1950's hearing her grandfather's stories on the porch of her family home and strangers' stories downtown in her father's juke joint, which have inspired Mulberry, Georgia, the mythical world which is the setting of her four novels, Baby of the Family, Ugly Ways, The Hand I Fan With, and You Know Better.

Ms. Ansa writes magazine and newspaper articles, Op-Ed page pieces and book reviews for the Los Angeles Times, New York Newsday, The Atlanta Constitution, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Charlotte Observer, and the Florida Times-Union. Her articles have also appeared in Essence magazine, The Crisis magazine, Ms. Magazine, America magazine, Student Traveler and Atlanta magazine. Her short fiction has appeared in Callaloo, Shooting Star and Catalyst literary magazines.

Currently, she and her filmmaker husband Jonee’ Ansa are adapting Baby of the Family for a feature film.