By Samantha Neugebauer
This article was originally published in DCTRENDING here.
Stacey Abrams spoke to a packed house at Sixth & I, last week, about her new legal thriller, Rogue Justice; the follow-up to 2021’s While Justice Sleeps. While most folks know Abrams for her time serving in the Georgia House of Representatives as a voting rights activist, and her two Georgia gubernatorial runs, others are drawn to her work as a fiction writer. Abram’s discussion with moderator, Tiffany Cross, comprised not just her writing process, the nation’s current state of division and AI, but also the intricate intertwining of her political and writing careers.
Prior to 2021, Abrams released eight romance novels under the nom de plume, Selena Montgomery. When questioned about potential concerns regarding her political career due to publishing romance novels, Abrams elaborated on the the merits of the romance novel genre and the skillful artistry required of a writer to engage readers throughout the narrative. She takes pride in her novels, and emphasized to the audience that criticizing popular works like romance novels essentially belittles those who genuinely enjoy them. The idea of refraining from demeaning and villifying others unexpectedly became the central theme of the night.
Moreover, Abrams shared how her motivation to write, and to be politically active spring from the same desire to connect with people. In both realms, she expressed, “Be curious. Solve problems. Do Good.” When it comes to writing, doing good doesn’t necessarily imply that the characters always end up as angels. Abrams likes to create characters who embody the intersection of circumstances and the potential for various future pathways. Abrams appreciates that her character’s are willing to make morally upright choices.
In both writing and politics, she contemplates the unasked questions considering the issues that may not be apparent like our environment and judicial system, AI, and our fellow citizens whom might disagree on a fundamental level. In a country as divided as ours, Abrams stressed that we need to remind ourselves that our villains and our heroes are complicated — just like the ones in her books. At one point, Cross asked Abrams if she thought we live in a country with a majority of good people. Abrams responded that she could be having a great conversation with an individual, only to reach a “moment of departure” when the topic shifts to politics and it’s apparent they have different worldviews. However, she assured us that such differences in perspectives doesn’t mean we can’t find common ground. We should collaborate where we can despite our differences in motivations. We need not compromise our values, only our vision, because it’s not always feasible to get all we want simultaneously.
Later in the discussion, Abrams underscored the need for AI regulation — “We need rules,” she stated. She touched upon her love of biographies and urged aspiring writers to read more in this genre in order to learn how people make choices. Throughout the entire program, Abrams had the crowd in stitches. What’s more Abrams, it appears, is gifted with equal measures of grace, intelligence, and humor.
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