Writer Acamea Deadwiler chats with me about her memoir, Daddy’s Little Stranger.
Bio:
Acamea Deadwiler is a Pushcart Prize nominated memoirist and essayist who received praise from Publishers Weekly. Her work has appeared in Bellevue Literary Review, North American Review, and Beyond Words Literary Magazine, among other publications. Acamea’s media features include the New York Post, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, and the FOX television network. She is also a TEDx speaker. Currently residing in Nevada, Acamea is an Indiana native. She holds a master’s degree from Valparaiso University and is a fellow in the MFA program at Randolph College.
Welcome, Acamea. Please tell us about your current release.
Daddy’s Little Stranger delves into the captivating journey of a girl’s life, shaped by various forms of neglect amidst the chaos of mental illness, poverty, and violence. A young Acamea was devastated by sudden disconnection from the man she knew as her father, and the rejection from her birth father that followed. Forced to navigate both tense and tender interactions with her mother’s boyfriends, she grows into a woman wrestling with human connection.
Daddy’s Little Stranger is more than a memoir. It is an exploration of longing and our capacity to heal hidden wounds.
What inspired you to write this book?
A little while ago I typed “fatherless daughter” into Google. I intended for this to be the extent of my search, but Google predicted the next word to be “syndrome.” This was so startling, to see it referred to as a syndrome, that I took the bait and hit Enter. The results, though less startling, were concerning.
Every symptom of this apparent syndrome revolved around female sexuality. It was as though promiscuity and romantic relationships with men are the only areas of a girl’s life impacted by not having her father. I don’t fit into this box and know many other women who don’t either. I know there are many other significant effects of growing up fatherless and wanted to write about those factors, for us.
Excerpt from Daddy’s Little Stranger:
I made sure to adorn my feet with the low-top, aerobic-style pink Reeboks my father bought me when we were last together. The sneakers were my proof that he loved me. Maybe he’d see me wearing them and remember.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I first considered myself a writer after I received an assignment to cover the Chicago Bulls for Yahoo Sports. Writing stories, crafting narratives, it all felt so natural. That I loved the process solidified writing as my destined path.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I do write full-time. My workday can get pretty random, in a good way. I appreciate the freedom to deviate from my plan for the day. Yet, I also need to have some structure if I hope to get anything done! I try to schedule any calls or virtual meetings for first thing in the morning. So once that’s done, I can head to a coffee shop or the park for a few hours of writing. Other days, I’ll write in my home office, but it’s something about being outside or in a social setting where I don’t need to be social that inspires me. Coffee is a great motivator as well!
I do a few other things on the side like record a podcast, digital marketing consultations, and editing services. I’m a creative and enjoy anything in that space.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Hmmmm… I would say the fact that I can’t listen to music while I write. I know a lot of writers who do. But unless I’m somewhere like a coffee shop where it kind of fades into the background as white noise, I find music incredibly distracting. I’ll be singing along in my head instead of thinking of what words to type!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I didn’t really know until around high school when I decided I wanted to play in the WNBA. I played college basketball but obviously didn’t make it to the pros. That’s actually what set me on my writing path–needing to find something else I enjoyed.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Just, feel free to find me and say hello. I love connecting with new people.