About BC WilliamsBrandy Chimelle Williams was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, where the sights and smells of classic New England and the inner city competed to permeate her senses.
During her teens, she was a member of the Southend Community Center's Youth Advisory Board. On two occasions, she served as a representative for her community at the National Neighborhood Conference held in Washington, D.C. After lettering in three sports, actively participating in the student government & working part-time throughout high school, Brandy was prepared to venture off to college. In 1998 she gained acceptance to Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, New York, declaring computer engineering as her major. Soon realizing that she would be better suited for a career that allowed her to return to her roots of public/human service, she abruptly turned her attention to psychology and transferred to Monroe Community College. It was in a creative writing workshop at M.C.C. that she revisited her relationship with the written word. An increased interest in the art led to multiple publications in the school's literary magazine. Brandy went on to have a supporting role in an independent film and was in talks of writing teleplays for a production company before deciding to move to Phoenix, Arizona in 2003. After spending 6 years working in the mental health field, Brandy chose to pursue her passion for writing. She sought out traditional publishing avenues, for her collection of poetry, before taking the risk of self-publishing. Her first collection of poetry, Cornbread Batter [and other beginnings], allows readers to take a peek at what Brandy considers to be "an intricate beading of possibilities" Brandy's second book, Tammy's Blues: Letters from a Mother to a Daughter, contains letters that she received during her childhood, from her mother, Tammy Williams. Tammy was incarcerated and hospitalized while writing the letters, however, they are full of encouragement and humor. The letters are accompanied by their handwritten versions and essays written by Brandy, which help to frame an unconventional parent/child relationship. This book will be sure to offer hope for those struggling to find optimism in a world that is fraught with discouragement. |