For author Tashia Hart, the creation of the book Native Love Jams was a recipe balanced with personal passions, inspiration from dreams, and input from a trusted community of other writers. The 2023 publication from Not Too Far Removed Press is nominated for this year's Minnesota Book Award.
The story ping-pongs back and forth between the perspective of the two star-crossed protagonists, Winnow and Niigaanii. With a focus on foraged food, food trucks, and a familiar surname, Hart notes that both of these characters represent different parts of herself. "In a way, both of the characters are kind of loosely based on... what I think is cool."
The origin of the story stems from Hart's own dreams, some of which she brought to a writing group. For Hart, the support from that group was paramount in bringing the story from her dreams to the page. "Every month I would get feedback... I bet if I didn't have that group, it probably would have taken me another two years to get the story out."
Native Love Jams is available at most booksellers including independent bookstores in the Northland and at Birchbark Books in Minneapolis. You can also find Hart's work online.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
