Elsie B. Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elsie B. Washington
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| Born | Elsie Bernice Washington December 28, 1942 New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 5, 2009 (aged 66) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist, journalist |
| Alma mater | City College of New York |
| Period | 1980 |
| Genre | romance |
| Notable works | Entwined Destinies |
Elsie Bernice Washington (born December 28, 1942 – died May 5, 2009) was an American writer. She is famous for her 1980 book, Entwined Destinies. This book is thought to be the first romance novel written by an African-American author. It also featured African-American characters.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elsie Washington was born in New York on December 28, 1942. Her parents were Samuel Washington and Kathleen Peterson Erby.
She went to the City College of New York. There, she studied English and earned a bachelor's degree.
Writing Career
After college, Elsie Washington started her career as a writer. She later became an editor for several well-known magazines and newspapers. These included The New York Post, Essence, Life, and Newsweek.
Entwined Destinies
Her only novel, Entwined Destinies, came out in 1980. Dell Publishing released it as part of their "Candlelight Romance" series. Elsie Washington used the pen name Rosalind Welles for this book.
The story is about an African-American magazine reporter. She finds true love with an African-American oil executive. In 2002, a magazine called Black Issues Book Review said it was the "first known romance featuring African-American characters written by an African-American author."
This book helped open the door for many other authors. By the time Washington passed away, many publishers were creating books focused on black romance. Writers like Rochelle Alers, Beverly Jenkins, and Sandra Kitt became popular.
In 1996, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper called Washington the "mother of the African-American romance." Her work helped start a big change in romance novels that featured different cultures.
Other Works
Elsie Washington also wrote two non-fiction books. In 1974, she co-wrote Sickle Cell Anemia with Anthony Cerami.
In 1996, she published The Uncivil War: The Struggle Between Black Men and Women. She also wrote an article for Essence magazine in 1998. In it, she discussed how some people felt pressure to change their appearance to fit certain beauty standards.
Later Life and Death
Elsie Washington lived in Yonkers, New York. She passed away in Manhattan on May 5, 2009, at age 66. She had been ill with multiple sclerosis and cancer. Her parents and brother survived her.
