Black History Month Author Spotlight: Jocelyn Cox

Autherine Publishing is committed to creating more diversity in the publishing industry by supporting both emerging and established authors. In honor of Black History Month, we are amplifying the voices of black authors by featuring 28 emerging authors. Please read their stories and continue to follow their writing journey.

Our Black History Month Author Spotlight is on Jocelyn Cox. Please introduce your book to our audience.

"Jocelyn Learns to Dance" (released June 2020) introduces young readers to Ballet, Modern, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop dance through descriptive words and pictures.

Why was it important for you to write this story?

I wrote this story to depict a Black family, to portray a Black girl as protagonist, and to encourage children's exploration of new activities. I remember how hard my parents worked to make sure I had mirror images in my books, and I wanted to create those images for little Black girls. As a professional dancer (and now professor at Howard University), I've read a lot of books about dance. Throughout my adolescence, many of the children's dance books I read focused on ballet. I wanted to highlight the other dance styles many dancers in America study and enjoy.

Describe your writing process or writing schedule.

Early on, I decided to write about something I was familiar with. The process took about 1 year from start to finish. Then, it took another few months for editing and publishing. I started by analyzing the different dance styles and their basic characteristics. Then, I broke those characteristics down into terms that 3-8 year olds would understand. For example: "lifted" in an adult ballet class might translate as "light" in a child's ballet class.

Who is your favorite black author and how has that author inspired your writing journey?

My black author list is long! But, for the purpose of my project, I enjoyed the dance books by Debbie Allen and Misty Copeland. They both created worlds in their books and I was (even as an adult) invested in their stories.

Share a quote from your book or your favorite black history quote.

My favorite quote from my book: "Go and try something new."

My favorite black history quote: "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." -Frederick Douglass

What words of advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Never stop playing. Play is an important part of the process for all artists. Society tells us to stop playing after a certain age...don't listen.

What has been the most challenging part of the writing or publishing journey?

The most challenging part of this journey has been creating during COVID. I had plans to travel for book readings, visit schools, attend festivals, and ALL of those things were canceled in 2020. My tribe has been awesome, though. I have felt supported and blessed.

What is next on your journey and how can we support your book?

The next step in my journey is getting the book into as many outlets as possible. The feedback has been great. I released a coloring book at the end of the year with a grant from the Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council. Next, I'd like to release an audio book! My book can be purchased at Jocelynecox.com/writer or Amazon. It is available at Washington Dancewear in Maryland (for anyone in the DMV).

Continue to follow Jocelyn’s journey on her website. https://www.jocelyneisaac.com/writer and on Instagram.

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