My friend, Timothy Brooks, once told me, “If we do the right thing for the right reason, we end up in the right places surrounded by the right people.” Last week I was reminded of this when I was presented with the opportunity to attend Nicole R. Fleetwood’s book talk on her upcoming memoir Between the River and the Railroad Tracks.
Tuesday, the day of our School of Theater, Film & Television (TFT) orientation, marked my second day in Los Angeles and first time on the UCLA campus. After the full day of orientation, I had forgotten where my bus stop was. Lost in a labyrinth of trees and sculptures, in search of some type of landmark, I spotted a unique but familiar hat rounding the corner. It was Dean Celine! For the moment I forgot that I was lost as I talked to Dean Celine about how excited I was to join the Cinema and Media Studies Master’s program. After hearing some of my interests, the Dean asked if I was free the next day at noon. Without hesitation I told her, “I am if there’s somewhere you think I should be.” She told me about Nicole Fleetwood’s book talk, and when we went our separate ways, I found the bus stop as if I knew where I was headed all along. Divine timing.
The book talk was an enriching experience. Hearing the beautiful anecdotes from Professor Fleetwood's book along with the geographic history of Ohio was insightful and inspiring. Her words were so vivid, they provoked images and memories from my own life. As I listened, I kept thinking “wow, this is what I’m working towards as a storyteller.” Back home in the Bay Area, we referred to people like her as “one of them ones;” a phrase reserved for spectacularly talented individuals.
Hearing about Professor Fleetwood’s journey was just as impactful, especially the parts about her time in the bay area and her friendship with Dean Celine. The two told a story from grad school where a professor claimed Professor Fleetwood wasn’t ready to carry herself at the graduate level, and Dean Celine stepped in to vehemently oppose the claim. As someone who, at first, felt quite out of place at the book talk, surrounded by the department’s senior faculty and staff, it was comforting to hear that our Dean doesn’t support that way of thinking.
As a storyteller identifying as a griot, it was thrilling to hear how Nicole Fleetwood crafted her family’s history into the beautiful story, Between the River and the Railroad Tracks. I was in awe of how she both preserves her family’s history and uses the stories for broader commentary, while depicting an almost tangible world that introduces us to the Second Ward in Hamilton, Ohio. It was amazing, I felt like I could picture each block, corner, and railroad crossing she described in this place I’ve never stepped foot in! I’m not someone in need of additional motivation, but this experience certainly provided it. I left the talk inspired to grow, create with purpose, and pre-order Between the River and the Railroad Tracks.
