Photography courtesy Rachel Garlinghouse
"Discovering Your Black Girl Sparkle"
When 13-year-old A. Garlinghouse started drafting writing prompts in January, she set out to write 365 of them—one for every day of the year—to use in a creative and interactive book she could publish to inspire as many Black girls as possible.
By the time she started writing her book in June, Garlinghouse had 403 prompts touching on themes like creating plans, honoring memories, figuring out what empowers you, and celebrating yourself. Garlinghouse completed her project earlier this month, publishing Discovering Your Black Girl Sparkle.
“It's supposed to help teenage girls find and empower themselves,” Garlinghouse said, “because sometimes, it's hard for them to find their way in the world.”
The first-time author originally planned to title her book “Discovering Your Black Girl Magic,” but later changed the wording to “sparkle” after finding out “magic” was taken. Garlinghouse said she didn’t mind the change, because having sparkle means something to her, too.
Photography courtesy Rachel Garlinghouse
A. Garlinghouse
“To have sparkle means you are always improving,” Garlinghouse said. “You just have to improve to make the best of what you’ve got. Right now, I’m improving my writing.”
This past year, the Edwardsville native worked diligently to write and revise Discovering Your Black Girl Sparkle, which is now available as a paperback on Amazon for $12.99. Garlinghouse is promoting it with her own Instagram page, too.
In creating her book, Garlinghouse wanted to include space for her readers to be creative, so there is room for writing and drawing between prompts so that readers can journal their feelings and express themselves.
“I wanted something for teenage girls to write about, so, when they're growing up, they can look back at their past,” Garlinghouse said. “But, sometimes, people can express their emotions by drawing more than they can [by] writing.”
Garlinghouse said her favorite prompts to work through in her book are those that are cinema-related, including favorite flicks and best movie snacks.
“I like to enjoy snacks while I watch movies,” Garlinghouse said. “Yummy and nasty, because who doesn't like good and bad foods?”
In the end, though, what Garlinghouse has enjoyed most about the book writing process is helping others improve themselves, whether through boosting the self-confidence of her peers or encouraging them to do things they otherwise might not have tried without the book's help.
“It's like being a teacher," Garlinghouse said. "You have to educate the people so they can learn just like you. Just follow your dreams, and be confident.”
