Where are you from?: New Jersey

Tell us the story of how you got into writing: I was always writing, to be honest. As a kid, I wrote little books and even raps (about Soap Operas my Mom would watch lol). As I got older, that evolved into a more serious relationship with the written word. I finally decided to pursue it professionally while I was working at a 9-5 job that I hated and needed an outlet. So I started freelance writing on the side. Eventually, it became full-time, then I started writing books, and here we are!

What was your favorite book growing up?: I was a huge fan of the Nancy Drew series, as well as every book by Shel Silverstein. Then I read A Wrinkle In Time and loved it, so that was my favorite for a while. Then it was Wuthering Heights for a long time, but I would say the book that I read over and over again is The Bell Jar.

What is your favorite book as an adult?: Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, Viv Albertine's Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys., and Sara Marcus's Girls To The Front

What is the name of your new book?: I have two:

God Save The Queens: The Essential History of Women In Hip-Hop (out now)
Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah, coming August 17, 2021

What inspired you to write the book?: Both books stemmed from my love of music and wanting to read books that basically never existed about women's contributions to certain aspects of music. It's become my purpose as an author: to write the books I've always wanted to read.

Tell us more about your new book: God Save The Queens: The Essential History of Women In Hip-Hop (out now)
God Save The Queens is the first comprehensive history of how women changed hip-hop culture from Day One. So often we have seen women just playing the back, and this book brings them all to the front. I travel era by era, highlighting the most prominent names and what they've endured on the road to the top. It's a love letter of sorts to women who were trailblazers and never received the credit that they properly deserved.

Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah, coming August 17, 2021
Baby Girl is another love letter to one of music's most captivating icons. Aaliyah was such a force. She was such a survivor, and her story had never properly been told. In my book, I tell her story, but I also discuss her long-lasting impact on music even twenty years later. It's crazy to think that Aaliyah has been gone for nearly two decades, yet her fan base just continues to grow. My book honors her in a way that nothing (or no one) ever has. I really hope everyone loves it.

Where do you go to get into writing mode?: In a pandemic? My kitchen table, next to my window, where I can have a lot of natural light. Under normal circumstances, I love writing in cafes and libraries. I listen to ambient music or white noise, but sometimes I just love complete silence while I write.

Who needs to read this book?: For both books, I feel like the audience is anyone who wants to read true stories about real accomplishments. Sounds vague, but it's true. You don't have to be a fan of Aaliyah or female rappers to understand and appreciate their impact on the world.

Who inspires you?: My Mother, the angel on my shoulder at all times. She passed away two years ago in 2019, before my first book published, but she saw me finish it. Now, she's the reason I write them all.

How important is reading and literacy for youth in this world?: My Mother was a major advocate for child literacy. She developed programs in inner cities to facilitate that mission. In 2020, I had a school named after her where she made the greatest impact—in Paterson, NJ. It's called The Anna Iandoli Early Learning Center. It's because of her that I am also an advocate for youth literacy, and a it's passion I wish to continue to explore in her memory.

What is some advice you would give to someone with a dream to create something they dream of?: Well, they always tell us to write down our dreams, which I consider to be when we are both asleep and awake. Once you do that, they become tangible. So I'd say start there...

Where can people find your new book?: http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Girl-Better-Known-Aaliyah/dp/1982156848/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kath3000

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kath3000

Facebook.com: https://www.facebook.com/kathyiandoli

Website: http://www.kathyiandoli.com

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