DEAR READERS, Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love Old Things™️. I’m a classic movie fan, I’m always playing my perfectly curated playlist of 1960s love songs, and I will always watch a period piece. The thing about period pieces is that they so rarely star someone who looks like me. Even more rare is a Black period piece not about slavery or starting a jazz band. I set Dead Dead Girls in the Prohibition era for two reasons: One. I was writing an essay for my senior-year history class about the era, and why Prohibition failed; and two, I really like it. I think it’s my favorite decade in history. There’s something so alive about the decade. Even after a world-changing war, the generation of youth that followed was determined to live their lives the way they wanted to, and there’s something inspirational about that. Along with the fashion, and the music, writing, and art styles that grew from the Harlem Renaissance, I think it is criminally underrated. Something else I love is an unsolved mystery. Who doesn’t relax to true crime documentaries and fall asleep to related podcast episodes? My love of unsolved cases and mysteries has followed me for most of my life. The case in Dead Dead Girls is based on Jack the Ripper, the case we studied in (you guessed it!) my senior-year history class. The real Jack the Ripper remains unsolved. The one thing I need in a book is a main character who is relatable. Growing up in Alberta, I didn’t get many books with main characters who looked like me. I was allowed to be the sassy Black friend or the sidekick. I love detective novels, I love detective shows, but I was hard-pressed to find one that starred someone who looked like me. I did my best to make Lou a whole, well-rounded character, because there is nothing that bugs me more than a character who is flawless and perfect and never makes a mistake. Thank you so much for considering Dead Dead Girls for your book club. I loved writing every word of it, and the fact that I get to share it with the world is nothing short of a dream come true. I hope you love it as much as I do. HAPPY READING, NEKESA AFIA LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT DEAD DEAD GIRLS PLAYLIST? Look no farther. Nekesa Afia’s favorite way to procrastinate is by making playlists and she’s curated the perfect, authentic playlist for your party. MY BABY KNOWS HOW ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET Original Indiana Five Art Tatum DANCING ON THE CEILING/ FIVE MONTHS, TWO WEEKS, OF THEE I SING TWO DAYS Richard Himber and His Orchestra Louis Prima I WANNA BE LOVED BY YOU I WANT TO BE BAD Helen Kane Helen Kane POSITIVELY-ABSOLUTELY JAZZ ME BLUES The Six Jumping Jacks Bix Beiderbecke & His Gang I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT YOU’RE MAKIN’ WHOOPEE IN LOVE WITH ME Eddie Cantor The Jack Payne Orchestra I’M WILD ABOUT THAT THING FIVE FOOT TWO, EYES OF BLUE Bessie Smith Art Landry RUNNING, WILD I’M CRAZY ’BOUT MY BABY Duke Ellington & His Jungle Band Duke Ellington I’M NOBODY’S BABY PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ Marion Harris Jack Livingston Big Band EV’RYTHING IS HOTSY AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ TOTSY NOW Duke Ellington Herb Wiedoeft’s Cinderella Roof Orchestra IT DON’T MEAN A THING (IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING) AIN’T WE GOT FUN Duke Ellington Van & Schenck SOMEBODY STOLE MY GAL AIN’T SHE SWEET Fletcher Henderson Gene Austin (I WOULD DO) ANYTHING FOR YOU DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME Duke Ellington Teddy Ralph and His Orchestra LISTEN ON SPOTIFY LOUISE AND ROSA MARIA’S ULTIMATE PREGAME PLAYLIST Louise and Rosa Maria have pregaming down to an art. Clubs didn’t even open until midnight and Nekesa Afia knows from experience that choosing the right dress, jewelry, and accessories and putting makeup on is nothing short of a sacred ritual. And every ritual needs the perfect playlist. She’s sure that Louise’s taste in music is just as eclectic as hers, albeit in different ways. And with that, Nekesa presents: TRUTH HURTS BOYS Lizzo Lizzo NEW RULES LOVE SHACK Dua Lipa The B-52’s JUICE FERGALICIOUS Lizzo Fergie GOOD AS HELL (REMIX) GLAMOROUS Lizzo feat. Ariana Grande Fergie feat. Ludacris SHUT UP AND DANCE MICKEY Walk the Moon Toni Basil DON’T YOU WANT ME TOXIC The Human League Britney Spears NO DIGGITY THANK U, NEXT Blackstreet feat. Dr. Dre and Ariana Grande Queen Pen HOW TO BE A HEARTBREAKER SHOOP Marina and the Diamonds Salt-N-Pepa DONE. WOMANIZER The Band Perry Britney Spears SHORT SKIRT / LONG JACKET GIRLS CHASE BOYS Cake Ingrid Michaelson GIRLS UGLY HEART The 1975 G.R.L. TIGHTROPE (SOLO VERSION) WANNABE Janelle Monáe Spice Girls LISTEN ON SPOTIFY TALK LIKE THE TWENTIES Want to sound like you’re ready to do the Charleston with Louise and Rosa Maria? Here’s some 1920s slang to add to your vocabulary: APPLESAUCE: Meaningless nonsense. BEE’S KNEES: Great, wonderful, the cat’s pajamas! CABBAGE: Money. CHEATERS: Glasses (the kind you wear). GAMS: Legs, especially on a sheba. GIGGLE WATER: The kind of drink that gets you ossified. GIN MILL: A speakeasy. HOOCH: Homemade or bootlegged alcohol. HOTSY-TOTSY: The bee’s knees. OSSIFIED: Drunk. SHEBA: An attractive woman. SHEIK: An attractive man. SPLIFFICATED: Ossified. SWELL: Hotsy-totsy. WHOOPEE: A good time. ZOZZLED: Splifficated. ABOUT NEKESA AFIA Nekesa (Nuh-kes-ah) Afia (Ah-fee-ah) is a Canadian millennial who is doing her best. When she isn’t writing, she is either sewing, swing dancing, or actively trying to pet every dog she sees. Dead Dead Girls is her debut novel Photo © FizCo Photography
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