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{{short description|American novelist}}

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{{BLP sources|date=January 2017}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2017}}
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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name = Lolita Files
| name = Lolita Files
|image = Lolita Files.jpg
| image = Lolita Files Press Photo.jpg
|caption =
| caption =
|birth_name =
| birth_name =
|birth_place = [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], <br>United States
| birth_place = [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], U.S.
|death_date =
| death_date =
|death_place =
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|death_cause =
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| nationality = American
|residence = [[Los Angeles]]
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| other_names =
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|nationality = [[African-American]]
| notable_works =
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|other_names =
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| education = [[University of Florida]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])
|notable_works = [https://www.amazon.com/Scenes-Sistah-Lolita-Files/dp/0446674427 ''Scenes from a Sistah'']<br>[https://www.amazon.com/Child-God-Novel-Lolita-Files/dp/0743225910 ''Child of God'']<br>[https://www.amazon.com/sex-lies-murder-fame-A-Novel-Lolita-Files/dp/0060786809 ''sex.lies.murder.fame'']
| employer =
|education = [[Broadcast Journalism]] [[English Literature]] [[Secondary Education]]
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| occupation = {{hlist |[[Author]] |[[Screenwriter]] |[[Film Producer|Producer]]}}
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|alma_mater = [[University of Florida]] ([[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]])
|employer =
| title =
| networth =
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|occupation = {{hlist |[[Author]] |[[Screenwriter]] |[[Film Producer|Producer]]}}
|home_town =
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|title =
| years_active = 1997–present
|salary =
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|networth =
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| spouse =
|years_active = 1997 - present
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| partner =
|predecessor =
|successor =
| children =
|party =
| parents =
|boards =
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| signature =
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| website = {{URL|www.lolitafiles.com/}}
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|spouse =
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|partner =
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|website = {{URL|www.lolitafiles.com/}}
}}
}}


'''Lolita Files''' is an author,<ref name="Lolita Files at Hachette Book Group">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/authors/lolita-files/ |title=Lolita Files at Hachette Book Group | publisher =Hachette Book Group}}</ref><ref name="Lolita Files at Simon & Schuster">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Lolita-Files/1611625 |title=Lolita Files at Simon & Schuster | publisher =Simon & Schuster}}</ref><ref name="Lolita Files at HarperCollins Publishers">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=http://www.harpercollins.com/cr-103572/lolita-files |title=Lolita Files at HarperCollins Publishers | publisher =HarperCollins Publishers}}</ref> screenwriter, and producer.<ref name="Lolita Files at The Internet Movie Database">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3869001/ |title=Lolita Files at The Internet Movie Database | publisher =The Internet Movie Database}}</ref> Among her six bestselling novels are book club favorites ''Scenes from a Sistah''<ref name="Scenes from a Sistah at Amazon.com">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=https://www.amazon.com/Scenes-Sistah-Lolita-Files/dp/0446674427 |title=''Scenes from a Sistah'' at Amazon.com | publisher =Amazon.com}}</ref> and ''Child of God''.<ref name="Child of God at Amazon.com">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=https://www.amazon.com/Child-God-Novel-Lolita-Files/dp/0743225910 |title=''Child of God'' at Amazon.com | publisher =Amazon.com}}</ref> Her sixth novel, ''sex.lies.murder.fame''<ref name="sex.lies.murder.fame at Amazon.com">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=https://www.amazon.com/sex-lies-murder-fame-A-Novel-Lolita-Files/dp/0060786809 |title=''sex.lies.murder.fame'' at Amazon.com | publisher =Amazon.com}}</ref> was optioned for film by Carolyn Folks for Entertainment Studios<ref name="Publishers Weekly">{{cite news | last =Anthony | first =Jason | title =Little, Brown's Big Deal | language = | publisher =Publishers Weekly | date =2007-03-03 | url =http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20070305/1360-little-brown-s-big-deal.html | accessdate =2014-10-07 }}</ref> with Files adapting the screenplay.
'''Lolita Files''' is an American author,<ref name="Lolita Files at Hachette Book Group">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/authors/lolita-files/ |title=Lolita Files at Hachette Book Group | date =27 June 2017 | publisher =Hachette Book Group}}</ref><ref name="Lolita Files at Simon & Schuster">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Lolita-Files/1611625 |title=Lolita Files at Simon & Schuster | publisher =Simon & Schuster}}</ref><ref name="Lolita Files at HarperCollins Publishers">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=http://www.harpercollins.com/cr-103572/lolita-files |title=Lolita Files at HarperCollins Publishers | publisher =HarperCollins Publishers}}</ref> screenwriter, and producer.<ref name="Lolita Files at The Internet Movie Database">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3869001/ |title=Lolita Files at The Internet Movie Database | publisher =The Internet Movie Database}}</ref> Among her six bestselling novels are book club favorites ''Scenes from a Sistah''<ref name="Scenes from a Sistah at Amazon.com">{{cite book | last =Files | first =Lolita |title=''Scenes from a Sistah'' at Amazon.com | date =July 1998 | publisher =Grand Central | isbn =0446674427 }}</ref> and ''Child of God''.<ref name="Child of God at Amazon.com">{{cite book | last =Files | first =Lolita |title=''Child of God'' at Amazon.com | date =4 September 2002 | publisher =Simon & Schuster | isbn =0743225910 }}</ref> Her sixth novel, ''sex.lies.murder.fame''<ref name="sex.lies.murder.fame at Amazon.com">{{cite book | last =Files | first =Lolita |title=''sex.lies.murder.fame'' at Amazon.com | date =10 January 2006 | publisher =Harper Collins | isbn =0060786809 }}</ref> was optioned for film by Carolyn Folks for Entertainment Studios<ref name="Publishers Weekly">{{cite news | last =Anthony | first =Jason | title =Little, Brown's Big Deal | publisher =Publishers Weekly | date =2007-03-03 | url =http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20070305/1360-little-brown-s-big-deal.html | access-date =2014-10-07 }}</ref> with Files adapting the screenplay.


The book [https://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Time-Compton-Gangsta/dp/1984163868/ ''Once Upon A Time In Compton''], by former Compton Gang Unit Detectives [[Timothy M. Brennan and Robert Ladd]], along with Files, about Brennan and Ladd's years in the gang unit, the rise of Gangsta rap, gang wars, the L.A. riots, the investigations of the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., and the fall of the [[Compton Police Department (California)|Compton Police Department]] was published on April 25, 2017.
The book ''Once Upon A Time In Compton'', by former Compton Gang Unit Detectives [[Timothy M. Brennan and Robert Ladd]], along with Files, about Brennan and Ladd's years in the gang unit, the rise of Gangsta rap, gang wars, the L.A. riots, the investigations of the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., and the fall of the [[Compton Police Department (California)|Compton Police Department]] was published on April 25, 2017.


Files has a degree in [[Broadcast journalism|Broadcast Journalism]] from the [[University of Florida]] and is a member of [[Alpha Kappa Alpha|Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.]]
Files has a degree in [[Broadcast journalism|Broadcast Journalism]] from the [[University of Florida]] and is a member of [[Alpha Kappa Alpha]] sorority.


Files lives in [[Los Angeles]], where she writes novels, nonfiction, and writes and produces projects for television, film, and new media.
Files lives in [[Los Angeles]], where she writes novels, nonfiction, and writes and produces projects for television, film, and new media.


⚫
==Early life and education==
==Biography==

⚫
===Early life===

⚫
Lolita Files was born in [[Fort Lauderdale, FL]] to Lillie Belle (née Brackett) (d. 2008) and Arthur James Files, Sr. (d. 1999), She was named by her mother after the [[Stanley Kubrick]] film [[Lolita (1962 film)|''Lolita'']]. She has one older sibling, Arthur James Files, Jr.


⚫
Lolita Files was born in [[Fort Lauderdale, FL]], to Lillie (née Brackett) (d. 2008) and Arthur James Files, Sr. (d. 1999), She was named by her mother after the [[Stanley Kubrick]] film [[Lolita (1962 film)|''Lolita'']]. She has one older sibling, Arthur James Files, Jr.
⚫
An avid reader from an early age, she was heavily immersed in mythology ([[Greek mythology]], [[Roman mythology]], [[Norse mythology]], [[Arthurian legend]]), [[Dante]]'s [[Divine Comedy]], and the works of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. Her love of [[Shakespeare]], [[Toni Morrison]], [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]], [[Zora Neale Hurston]], [[Louise Meriwether]], [[Vladimir Nabokov]], [[Chinua Achebe]], [[Claude Brown]], [[Richard Wright (author)|Richard Wright]], [[Gustav Flaubert]], and Greek playwrights [[Sophocles]], [[Aeschylus]], [[Euripides]], and [[Aristophanes]] would inform and influence much of her work.


⚫
An avid reader from an early age, she was heavily immersed in mythology ([[Greek mythology]], [[Roman mythology]], [[Norse mythology]], [[Arthurian legend]]), [[Dante]]'s [[Divine Comedy]], and the works of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]. Her love of [[Shakespeare]], [[Toni Morrison]], [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]], [[Zora Neale Hurston]], [[Louise Meriwether]], [[Vladimir Nabokov]], [[Chinua Achebe]], [[Claude Brown]], [[Richard Wright (author)|Richard Wright]], [[Gustav Flaubert]], and Greek playwrights [[Sophocles]], [[Aeschylus]], [[Euripides]], and [[Aristophanes]] would inform and influence much of her work.
===Education and corporate career===


Files graduated from [[Dillard High School]] with seven scholarships and attended the [[University of Florida]] at [[Gainesville, FL|Gainesville]]. She briefly worked as a [[stringer (journalism)|stringer]] for the student newspaper, [[The Independent Florida Alligator]], was a member of the University of Florida Gospel Choir,<ref>{{cite web|title=University of Florida Gospel Choir|url=http://www.ufgospelchoir.com/|website=University Gospel Choir}}</ref> and pledged [[Alpha Kappa Alpha|Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.]] (Iota Lambda<ref>{{cite web|title=Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.|url=http://ufakas.tumblr.com/|website=Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> chapter) on the line Rare Creations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Iota Lambda Ivy Vine|url=http://illustriousaka.com/ivy-vine-|website=The Illustrious Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.|accessdate=9 October 2014|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016094529/http://illustriousaka.com/ivy-vine-|archivedate=16 October 2014|df=}}</ref> In her senior year, she was a Senator representing the College of Journalism and Communications<ref>{{cite web|title=University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications|url=http://www.jou.ufl.edu/|website=University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> in [[University of Florida|UF's]] Student Senate.<ref>{{cite web|title=University of Florida Student Government: Legislative Branch|url=http://www.sg.ufl.edu/GovernmentBranches/Legislative/SenateRoster|website=University of Florida Student Government: Legislative Branch|accessdate=8 October 2014|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008162253/http://www.sg.ufl.edu/GovernmentBranches/Legislative/SenateRoster|archivedate=8 October 2014|df=}}</ref>
Files graduated from [[Dillard High School]] with seven scholarships and attended the [[University of Florida]] at [[Gainesville, FL|Gainesville]]. She briefly worked as a [[stringer (journalism)|stringer]] for the student newspaper, [[The Independent Florida Alligator]], was a member of the University of Florida Gospel Choir,<ref>{{cite web|title=University of Florida Gospel Choir|url=http://www.ufgospelchoir.com/|website=University Gospel Choir}}</ref> and pledged [[Alpha Kappa Alpha]] sorority (Iota Lambda chapter).<ref>{{cite web|title=Iota Lambda Ivy Vine|url=http://illustriousaka.com/ivy-vine-|website=The Illustrious Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.|access-date=9 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016094529/http://illustriousaka.com/ivy-vine-|archive-date=16 October 2014}}</ref> In her senior year, she was a Senator representing the College of Journalism and Communications<ref>{{cite web|title=University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications|url=http://www.jou.ufl.edu/|website=University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref> in [[University of Florida|UF's]] Student Senate.<ref>{{cite web|title=University of Florida Student Government: Legislative Branch|url=http://www.sg.ufl.edu/GovernmentBranches/Legislative/SenateRoster|website=University of Florida Student Government: Legislative Branch|access-date=8 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008162253/http://www.sg.ufl.edu/GovernmentBranches/Legislative/SenateRoster|archive-date=8 October 2014}}</ref>


==Career==
After graduating with a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[Broadcast journalism|Broadcast Journalism]], Files returned to [[Fort Lauderdale]], working as a marketing manager for a pharmaceutical company and as a regional property coordinator for Great Atlantic Property Management, a real estate management company based out of [[Newport News, VA]] with commercial and residential properties that spanned the [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern Seaboard]] and parts of the [[Midwest]]. Her experience with the world of property management would later inform her first two novels, ''Scenes from a Sistah'' (1997), and its followup, ''Getting To The Good Part''<ref name="Getting To The Good Part at Amazon.com">{{cite web | last =Files | first =Lolita |url=https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Good-Part-Lolita-Files/dp/0446675482 |title=''Getting to the Good Part'' at Amazon.com | publisher =Amazon.com}}</ref> (1999).
After graduating with a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[Broadcast journalism|Broadcast Journalism]], Files returned to [[Fort Lauderdale]], working as a marketing manager for a pharmaceutical company and as a regional property coordinator for Great Atlantic Property Management, a real estate management company based out of [[Newport News, VA]] with commercial and residential properties that spanned the [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern Seaboard]] and parts of the [[Midwest]]. Her experience with the world of property management would later inform her first two novels, ''Scenes from a Sistah'' (1997), and its followup, ''Getting To The Good Part''<ref name="Getting To The Good Part at Amazon.com">{{cite book | last =Files | first =Lolita |title=''Getting to the Good Part'' at Amazon.com | date =15 January 2000 | publisher =Grand Central | isbn =0446675482 }}</ref> (1999).


From 1992 to 1996, Files was the National Communications Manager for the [[Facilities Management]] division of [[KinderCare Learning Centers]], the nation's largest provider of for-profit child care and early childhood education, then based in [[Montgomery, AL]].
From 1992 to 1996, Files was the National Communications Manager for the [[Facilities Management]] division of [[KinderCare Learning Centers]], the nation's largest provider of for-profit child care and early childhood education, then based in [[Montgomery, AL]].
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===Writing===
===Writing===


In the fall of 1994, Files overnighted two comedic short stories and fifty pages of ''Child of God,'' a dramatic novel she'd been sporadically working on for five years, to literary agency Jay Garon-Brooke Associates, Inc.,<ref>{{cite web|title=Pinder Lane & Garon-Brooke Associates Literary & Media Representation|url=http://www.pinderlaneandgaronbrooke.com/|website=Pinder Lane & Garon-Brooke Associates Literary & Media Representation|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> the agency that represented bestselling author [[John Grisham]]. In her query letter, Files stated she had eight more short stories that went with the two she sent.
In the fall of 1994, Files overnighted two comedic short stories and fifty pages of ''Child of God,'' a dramatic novel she'd been sporadically working on for five years, to literary agency Jay Garon-Brooke Associates, Inc.,<ref>{{cite web|title=Pinder Lane & Garon-Brooke Associates Literary & Media Representation|url=http://www.pinderlaneandgaronbrooke.com/|website=Pinder Lane & Garon-Brooke Associates Literary & Media Representation|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref> the agency that represented bestselling author [[John Grisham]]. In her query letter, Files stated she had eight more short stories that went with the two she sent.


Nancy Coffey, an agent from Garon-Brooke, called the next morning requesting to see the rest of the material. A week later, Files was signed by the agency. {{quote|"Her voice just leapt off the page," Coffey told the ''Miami Herald''. "It was fresh, uplifting and funny."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Doup|first1=Liz|title=Sistah A Dream Come True For Author|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2873700022.html#A|website=Encyclopedia.com|publisher=(Miami Herald, March 19, 1997, page D1)|accessdate=10 October 2014}}</ref>}}
Nancy Coffey, an agent from Garon-Brooke, called the next morning requesting to see the rest of the material. A week later, Files was signed by the agency. {{blockquote|"Her voice just leapt off the page," Coffey told the ''Miami Herald''. "It was fresh, uplifting and funny."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Doup|first1=Liz|title=Sistah A Dream Come True For Author|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2873700022.html#A|website=Encyclopedia.com|publisher=(Miami Herald, March 19, 1997, page D1)|access-date=10 October 2014}}</ref>}}


===''Scenes From A Sistah'' and ''Child of God''===
===''Scenes From A Sistah'' and ''Child of God''===
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After signing with Garon-Brooke, while working on completing ''Child of God,'' Files began writing another novel, ''Scenes from a Sistah,'' completing the first draft in seven days. In February 1996, [[Warner Books]] purchased ''Scenes'' for an advance of $50,000.
After signing with Garon-Brooke, while working on completing ''Child of God,'' Files began writing another novel, ''Scenes from a Sistah,'' completing the first draft in seven days. In February 1996, [[Warner Books]] purchased ''Scenes'' for an advance of $50,000.


{{quote|"It's a Cinderella story," says Caryn Karmatz Rudy, Files' editor at Warner Books. "Most often, you hear about people writing and getting a zillion rejections. But Lolita writes this book, sends it to the agency of the most successful writer in the country, and they take it. Then, we publish it. That's not your typical story."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Doup|first1=Liz|title=First novel realizes longtime dream for writer Lolita Files|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19970328&id=fvgaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ykcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2823,3290882|website=Google News|publisher=(Daily News, March 28, 1997)|accessdate=10 October 2014}}</ref>}}
{{blockquote|"It's a Cinderella story," says Caryn Karmatz Rudy, Files' editor at Warner Books. "Most often, you hear about people writing and getting a zillion rejections. But Lolita writes this book, sends it to the agency of the most successful writer in the country, and they take it. Then, we publish it. That's not your typical story."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Doup|first1=Liz|title=First novel realizes longtime dream for writer Lolita Files|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19970328&id=fvgaAAAAIBAJ&pg=2823,3290882|website=Google News|publisher=(Daily News, March 28, 1997)|access-date=10 October 2014}}</ref>}}


In April 1996, Files left Corporate America for a full-time career as a writer. ''Scenes from a Sistah'' debuted<ref>{{cite web|last1=Winston|first1=Sherri|title=If It's Your Dream, Start Working For It|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-03-26/lifestyle/9703240194_1_dream-chilly-water-room|website=Sun-Sentinel|accessdate=10 October 2014}}</ref> a year later in April 1997 and was an instant hit,<ref>{{cite web|title=Far-fetched Tale That's Packed With Fun|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-04-23/lifestyle/9704220201_1_black-professionals-black-men-bosses|website=Sun-Sentinel|accessdate=9 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Customer Reviews: Scenes From A Sistah|url=https://www.amazon.com/Scenes-Sistah-Lolita-Files/product-reviews/0446674427/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_see_all_top?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=byRankDescending|website=Amazon.com|accessdate=9 October 2014}}</ref> quickly selling out of its first printing and landing on several bestseller lists.
In April 1996, Files left Corporate America for a full-time career as a writer. ''Scenes from a Sistah'' debuted<ref>{{cite web|last1=Winston|first1=Sherri|title=If It's Your Dream, Start Working For It|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-03-26/lifestyle/9703240194_1_dream-chilly-water-room|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015112353/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-03-26/lifestyle/9703240194_1_dream-chilly-water-room|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 15, 2014|website=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=10 October 2014}}</ref> a year later in April 1997 and was an instant hit,<ref>{{cite web|title=Far-fetched Tale That's Packed With Fun|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-04-23/lifestyle/9704220201_1_black-professionals-black-men-bosses|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015081808/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-04-23/lifestyle/9704220201_1_black-professionals-black-men-bosses|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 15, 2014|website=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Customer Reviews: Scenes From A Sistah|url=https://www.amazon.com/Scenes-Sistah-Lolita-Files/product-reviews/0446674427/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_see_all_top?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=byRankDescending|website=Amazon.com|access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref> quickly selling out of its first printing and landing on several bestseller lists.


"Child of God" was published in September 2001, after the release of ''Scenes'' sequel ''Getting to the Good Part'' in 1999 and ''Blind Ambitions,'' in 2000.
"Child of God" was published in September 2001, after the release of ''Scenes'' sequel ''Getting to the Good Part'' in 1999 and ''Blind Ambitions,'' in 2000.
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=== Off Broadway ===
=== Off Broadway ===
In 1998, Files appeared in the play "Sisters Who Get Everything Without Giving Up Anything" at the Homefront Theatre,<ref>{{cite web|title=New York, New Theatre: New Homefront|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/new-york-new-theatre-new-homefront-71585|website=www.playbill.com|accessdate=9 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Playwright Roz Nixon Praises Black Women|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/597447/playwright-roz-nixon-praises-black-women|website=Ebsco|accessdate=9 October 2014}}</ref> playing lead character Rea Montgomery.<ref>{{cite book|title=Forever Sisters: Famous Writers Celebrate the Power of Sisterhood with Short Stories, Essays, and Memoirs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bk6T-x7pHEYC&lpg=PA83&dq=%22Lolita%20Files%22%20and%20%22Superchick%22&pg=PA83#v=onepage&q=%22Lolita%20Files%22%20and%20%22Superchick%22&f=false|website=Google Books|accessdate=9 October 2014}}</ref>
In 1998, Files appeared in the play "Sisters Who Get Everything Without Giving Up Anything" at the Homefront Theatre,<ref>{{cite web|title=New York, New Theatre: New Homefront|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/new-york-new-theatre-new-homefront-71585|website=www.playbill.com|access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Playwright Roz Nixon Praises Black Women|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/597447/playwright-roz-nixon-praises-black-women|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017125033/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/597447/playwright-roz-nixon-praises-black-women|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 October 2014|website=Ebsco|access-date=9 October 2014}}</ref> playing lead character Rea Montgomery.<ref>{{cite book|title=Forever Sisters: Famous Writers Celebrate the Power of Sisterhood with Short Stories, Essays, and Memoirs|isbn = 9780671042165|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bk6T-x7pHEYC&q=%22Lolita%20Files%22%20and%20%22Superchick%22&pg=PA83|access-date=9 October 2014|last1 = O'Keefe|first1 = Claudia|date = April 2000| publisher=Simon and Schuster }}</ref>


== Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' vs Files' ''Child of God'' ==
=== Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' vs Files' ''Child of God'' ===


[[SUNY]] [[Empire State College]] offers an eight-week course, "Exploring The Disciplines: Literature (EDU-232072),"<ref>{{cite web|title=Exploring The Disciplines: Literature (EDU 232072)|url=http://www8.esc.edu/admin/esc/cdl/cdlcat.nsf/all/E69C56DB30161A0E85256CE800503ABC?opendocument|website=SUNY Empire State College|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> centered around the examination of Shakespeare's ''[[Hamlet]]'' and Lolita Files' novel, ''Child of God.''
[[SUNY]] [[Empire State College]] offers an eight-week course, "Exploring The Disciplines: Literature (EDU-232072),"<ref>{{cite web|title=Exploring The Disciplines: Literature (EDU 232072)|url=http://www8.esc.edu/admin/esc/cdl/cdlcat.nsf/all/E69C56DB30161A0E85256CE800503ABC?opendocument|website=SUNY Empire State College|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref> centered around the examination of Shakespeare's ''[[Hamlet]]'' and Lolita Files' novel, ''Child of God.''


Per the course description: {{quote|"Both texts include a similar story-line: a murder, an incestuous relationship, an uneasy resolution at the end. By exploring these texts written over 300 years apart, students will learn about the types of themes, questions, comparisons and insights that literature has to offer."}}
Per the course description: {{blockquote|"Both texts include a similar story-line: a murder, an incestuous relationship, an uneasy resolution at the end. By exploring these texts written over 300 years apart, students will learn about the types of themes, questions, comparisons and insights that literature has to offer."}}


== ''Who Killed Tupac?'' Television Docuseries ==
=== ''Who Killed Tupac?'' television docuseries ===


Files produced and appears as an investigator for [[A&E (TV channel)|A&E]]'s six-part limited series ''Who Killed Tupac?''<ref>{{cite web|title=''Who Killed Tupac?''|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7623616/combined|accessdate=19 November 2017}}</ref> In the series, civil rights attorney [[Benjamin Crump]] leads an in-depth investigation into the unsolved murder of hip-hop artist [[Tupac Shakur]].
Files produced and appears as an investigator for [[A&E (TV channel)|A&E]]'s six-part limited series ''Who Killed Tupac?''<ref>{{cite web|title=''Who Killed Tupac?''|website=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7623616/combined|access-date=19 November 2017}}</ref> In the series, civil rights attorney [[Benjamin Crump]] leads an in-depth investigation into the unsolved murder of hip-hop artist [[Tupac Shakur]].


== Maternal ancestry ==
== Personal life ==


In December 2012, at the urging of actor and activist [[Isaiah Washington]], Files took a [[genealogical DNA test]] through lineage tracing company African Ancestry.<ref>{{cite web|title=African Ancestry|url=http://www.africanancestry.com/home/|website=African Ancestry.com|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> Results came back revealing a direct link of Files' maternal ancestry<ref>{{cite web|title=African Ancestry: How It Works|url=http://www.africanancestry.com/how-it-works/|website=African Ancestry.com|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> to the Brame and [[Balanta people|Balanta]] people of [[Guinea-Bissau]] in [[West Africa]].
In December 2012, Files took a [[genealogical DNA test]] through lineage tracing company African Ancestry.<ref>{{cite web|title=African Ancestry|url=http://www.africanancestry.com/home/|website=African Ancestry.com|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref> Results came back revealing a direct link of Files' maternal ancestry<ref>{{cite web|title=African Ancestry: How It Works|url=http://www.africanancestry.com/how-it-works/|website=African Ancestry.com|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref> to the Brame and [[Balanta people|Balanta]] people of [[Guinea-Bissau]] in [[West Africa]].


== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==
Line 111: Line 104:


=== Novels ===
=== Novels ===
*[https://www.amazon.com/Scenes-Sistah-Lolita-Files/dp/0446674427 ''Scenes from a Sistah'' - [[Warner Books]], April 1997]
*''Scenes from a Sistah'' - [[Warner Books]], April 1997
*[https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Good-Part-Lolita-Files/dp/0446675482 ''Getting to the Good Part'' - [[Warner Books]], January 1999]
*''Getting to the Good Part'' - [[Warner Books]], January 1999
*[https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Ambitions-Novel-Lolita-Files/dp/0684871459 ''Blind Ambitions'' - [[Simon & Schuster]], September 2000]
*''Blind Ambitions'' - [[Simon & Schuster]], September 2000
*[https://www.amazon.com/Child-God-Novel-Lolita-Files/dp/0743225910 ''Child of God'' - [[Simon & Schuster]], September 2001]
*''Child of God'' - [[Simon & Schuster]], September 2001
*[https://www.amazon.com/Tastes-Like-Chicken-Lolita-Files/dp/0743245261 ''Tastes Like Chicken'' - [[Simon & Schuster]], May 2004]
*''Tastes Like Chicken'' - [[Simon & Schuster]], May 2004
*[https://www.amazon.com/sex-lies-murder-fame-A-Novel-Lolita-Files/dp/0060786809 ''sex.lies.murder.fame.'' - [[Amistad (publishing)|Amistad]]/[[HarperCollins]], January 2006]
*''sex.lies.murder.fame.'' - [[Amistad (publishing)|Amistad]]/[[HarperCollins]], January 2006


=== Short stories ===
=== Short stories ===
*[https://www.amazon.com/Black-Silk-Collection-African-American/dp/0446676918 "Roses, Red, Room 416" in the anthology ''Black Silk'' - [[Warner Books]], February 2002]
*"Roses, Red, Room 416" in the anthology ''Black Silk'' - [[Warner Books]], February 2002
*[https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Moods-Erotica-Men-Women/dp/0970819129 "Bobby Q's Sauce" in the anthology ''Twilight Moods'' - Flowers in Bloom Publishing], September 2002
*"Bobby Q's Sauce" in the anthology ''Twilight Moods'' - Flowers in Bloom Publishing, September 2002
*[https://www.amazon.com/Brown-Sugar-When-Opposites-Attract/dp/0743466861/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0VD51JGQK60BCAM328S5 "Standing Room Only" in the anthology ''Brown Sugar 3: When Opposites Attract'' - [[Washington Square Press]], January 2004]
*"Standing Room Only" in the anthology ''Brown Sugar 3: When Opposites Attract'' - [[Washington Square Press]], January 2004
*[http://lolitafiles.com/2014/11/18/appropriate-measures-a-short-story/ "Appropriate Measures" - The Lo Zone], November 2014
*"Appropriate Measures" - The Lo Zone, November 2014


=== Novella ===
=== Novella ===
*[https://www.amazon.com/You-Only-Get-Better-Life%5CThree/dp/0373830599 "Three For The Road" in the anthology ''You Only Get Better'' - [[Kimani Press]], March 2007]
*"Three For The Road" in the anthology ''You Only Get Better'' - [[Kimani Press]], March 2007


=== Nonfiction ===
=== Nonfiction ===
''Once Upon A Time In Compton'' (Tim Brennan & Robert Ladd with Lolita Files) - [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1984163868 Amazon], April 2017
''Once Upon A Time In Compton'' (Tim Brennan & Robert Ladd with Lolita Files) - Amazon, April 2017


=== Producing ===
==Filmography==
=== Producer ===
⚫
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7623616/combined ''Who Killed Tupac?'' (TV Mini-Series, 2017) - [[Television Producer|Producer]]]
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1171222/combined ''Baggage Claim'' (Film, 2013) - [[Associate Producer]]]
*''Uncovered: Killed by Hate'' (TV Series, 2019) - [[Television Producer|Producer]]
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1634508/combined ''Love in the Nick of Tyme'' (Video, 2007) - [[Associate Producer]]]
*''Who Killed Tupac?'' (TV Mini-Series, 2017) - [[Television Producer|Producer]]
⚫
*''HBO First Look: All Eyez on Me'' (TV Series, 2017) - [[Television Producer|Producer]]
*''Baggage Claim'' (Film, 2013) - [[Associate Producer]]
*''Love in the Nick of Tyme'' (Video, 2007) - [[Associate Producer]]


== References ==
== References ==
Line 141: Line 137:
*[http://www.lolitafiles.com Lolita Files' website, "The Lo Zone"]
*[http://www.lolitafiles.com Lolita Files' website, "The Lo Zone"]
*{{IMDb name|3869001}}
*{{IMDb name|3869001}}
*[https://www.amazon.com/Lolita-Files/e/B000AP5JX8 Lolita Files' Books on Amazon.com]
*[https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Lolita+Files Lolita Files at the African American Literature Book Club (AALBC)]
*[https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Lolita+Files Lolita Files at the African American Literature Book Club (AALBC)]
*[http://www.blackhollywoodlive.com/2017/10/04/lolita-files-interview-bhl-conversations/ Lolita Files Interview on Black Hollywood Live Conversations]
*[http://www.blackhollywoodlive.com/2017/10/04/lolita-files-interview-bhl-conversations/ Lolita Files Interview on Black Hollywood Live Conversations]
Line 151: Line 146:
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2001/07/02/judged-by-their-back-covers/705fae36-4870-4342-8cd7-64b53b5658fb/ The Washington Post: Judged by Their Back Covers]
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2001/07/02/judged-by-their-back-covers/705fae36-4870-4342-8cd7-64b53b5658fb/ The Washington Post: Judged by Their Back Covers]
*[https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/16/garden/open-a-book-and-there-s-a-sister-inside.html?scp=3&sq=Lolita%20Files&st=cse The New York Times: Open a Book, and There's a Sister Inside]
*[https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/16/garden/open-a-book-and-there-s-a-sister-inside.html?scp=3&sq=Lolita%20Files&st=cse The New York Times: Open a Book, and There's a Sister Inside]
*[http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-04-23/lifestyle/9704220201_1_black-professionals-black-men-bosses Sun-Sentinel: Far-fetched Tale That's Packed With Fun]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20141015081808/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-04-23/lifestyle/9704220201_1_black-professionals-black-men-bosses Sun-Sentinel: Far-fetched Tale That's Packed With Fun]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Files, Lolita}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Files, Lolita}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American women writers]]
[[Category:African-American screenwriters]]
⚫
[[Category:African-American writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
Line 164: Line 158:
[[Category:University of Florida alumni]]
[[Category:University of Florida alumni]]
[[Category:American women novelists]]
[[Category:American women novelists]]
[[Category:People from Fort Lauderdale, Florida]]
[[Category:Writers from Fort Lauderdale, Florida]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:20th-century American women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American women writers]]
Line 171: Line 165:
[[Category:21st-century American short story writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American short story writers]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Florida]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Florida]]
⚫
[[Category:African-American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American women]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American writers]]

Latest revision as of 10:59, 13 November 2024

Lolita Files
Born
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Florida (BS)
Occupations
Years active1997–present
Websitewww.lolitafiles.com

Lolita Files is an American author,[1][2][3] screenwriter, and producer.[4] Among her six bestselling novels are book club favorites Scenes from a Sistah[5] and Child of God.[6] Her sixth novel, sex.lies.murder.fame[7] was optioned for film by Carolyn Folks for Entertainment Studios[8] with Files adapting the screenplay.

The book Once Upon A Time In Compton, by former Compton Gang Unit Detectives Timothy M. Brennan and Robert Ladd, along with Files, about Brennan and Ladd's years in the gang unit, the rise of Gangsta rap, gang wars, the L.A. riots, the investigations of the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., and the fall of the Compton Police Department was published on April 25, 2017.

Files has a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Florida and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Files lives in Los Angeles, where she writes novels, nonfiction, and writes and produces projects for television, film, and new media.

Early life and education

[edit]

Lolita Files was born in Fort Lauderdale, FL, to Lillie (née Brackett) (d. 2008) and Arthur James Files, Sr. (d. 1999), She was named by her mother after the Stanley Kubrick film Lolita. She has one older sibling, Arthur James Files, Jr.

An avid reader from an early age, she was heavily immersed in mythology (Greek mythology, Roman mythology, Norse mythology, Arthurian legend), Dante's Divine Comedy, and the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Her love of Shakespeare, Toni Morrison, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Zora Neale Hurston, Louise Meriwether, Vladimir Nabokov, Chinua Achebe, Claude Brown, Richard Wright, Gustav Flaubert, and Greek playwrights Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, and Aristophanes would inform and influence much of her work.

Files graduated from Dillard High School with seven scholarships and attended the University of Florida at Gainesville. She briefly worked as a stringer for the student newspaper, The Independent Florida Alligator, was a member of the University of Florida Gospel Choir,[9] and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (Iota Lambda chapter).[10] In her senior year, she was a Senator representing the College of Journalism and Communications[11] in UF's Student Senate.[12]

Career

[edit]

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism, Files returned to Fort Lauderdale, working as a marketing manager for a pharmaceutical company and as a regional property coordinator for Great Atlantic Property Management, a real estate management company based out of Newport News, VA with commercial and residential properties that spanned the Eastern Seaboard and parts of the Midwest. Her experience with the world of property management would later inform her first two novels, Scenes from a Sistah (1997), and its followup, Getting To The Good Part[13] (1999).

From 1992 to 1996, Files was the National Communications Manager for the Facilities Management division of KinderCare Learning Centers, the nation's largest provider of for-profit child care and early childhood education, then based in Montgomery, AL.

Writing

[edit]

In the fall of 1994, Files overnighted two comedic short stories and fifty pages of Child of God, a dramatic novel she'd been sporadically working on for five years, to literary agency Jay Garon-Brooke Associates, Inc.,[14] the agency that represented bestselling author John Grisham. In her query letter, Files stated she had eight more short stories that went with the two she sent.

Nancy Coffey, an agent from Garon-Brooke, called the next morning requesting to see the rest of the material. A week later, Files was signed by the agency.

"Her voice just leapt off the page," Coffey told the Miami Herald. "It was fresh, uplifting and funny."[15]

Scenes From A Sistah and Child of God

[edit]

After signing with Garon-Brooke, while working on completing Child of God, Files began writing another novel, Scenes from a Sistah, completing the first draft in seven days. In February 1996, Warner Books purchased Scenes for an advance of $50,000.

"It's a Cinderella story," says Caryn Karmatz Rudy, Files' editor at Warner Books. "Most often, you hear about people writing and getting a zillion rejections. But Lolita writes this book, sends it to the agency of the most successful writer in the country, and they take it. Then, we publish it. That's not your typical story."[16]

In April 1996, Files left Corporate America for a full-time career as a writer. Scenes from a Sistah debuted[17] a year later in April 1997 and was an instant hit,[18][19] quickly selling out of its first printing and landing on several bestseller lists.

"Child of God" was published in September 2001, after the release of Scenes sequel Getting to the Good Part in 1999 and Blind Ambitions, in 2000.

HodgePodge

[edit]

The short stories that helped Files get signed by the Garon-Brooke literary agency were expanded into HodgePodge, a novel including several characters who feature prominently in the Scenes trilogy (Scenes from a Sistah, Getting to the Good Part, and Tastes Like Chicken). To-date, Files has not chosen to publish the book.

Off Broadway

[edit]

In 1998, Files appeared in the play "Sisters Who Get Everything Without Giving Up Anything" at the Homefront Theatre,[20][21] playing lead character Rea Montgomery.[22]

Shakespeare's Hamlet vs Files' Child of God

[edit]

SUNY Empire State College offers an eight-week course, "Exploring The Disciplines: Literature (EDU-232072),"[23] centered around the examination of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Lolita Files' novel, Child of God.

Per the course description:

"Both texts include a similar story-line: a murder, an incestuous relationship, an uneasy resolution at the end. By exploring these texts written over 300 years apart, students will learn about the types of themes, questions, comparisons and insights that literature has to offer."

Who Killed Tupac? television docuseries

[edit]

Files produced and appears as an investigator for A&E's six-part limited series Who Killed Tupac?[24] In the series, civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump leads an in-depth investigation into the unsolved murder of hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur.

Personal life

[edit]

In December 2012, Files took a genealogical DNA test through lineage tracing company African Ancestry.[25] Results came back revealing a direct link of Files' maternal ancestry[26] to the Brame and Balanta people of Guinea-Bissau in West Africa.

Bibliography

[edit]
Files speaking in Bakersfield, CA in February 2013

Novels

[edit]

Short stories

[edit]
  • "Roses, Red, Room 416" in the anthology Black Silk - Warner Books, February 2002
  • "Bobby Q's Sauce" in the anthology Twilight Moods - Flowers in Bloom Publishing, September 2002
  • "Standing Room Only" in the anthology Brown Sugar 3: When Opposites Attract - Washington Square Press, January 2004
  • "Appropriate Measures" - The Lo Zone, November 2014

Novella

[edit]
  • "Three For The Road" in the anthology You Only Get Better - Kimani Press, March 2007

Nonfiction

[edit]

Once Upon A Time In Compton (Tim Brennan & Robert Ladd with Lolita Files) - Amazon, April 2017

Filmography

[edit]

Producer

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Files, Lolita (27 June 2017). "Lolita Files at Hachette Book Group". Hachette Book Group.
  2. ^ Files, Lolita. "Lolita Files at Simon & Schuster". Simon & Schuster.
  3. ^ Files, Lolita. "Lolita Files at HarperCollins Publishers". HarperCollins Publishers.
  4. ^ Files, Lolita. "Lolita Files at The Internet Movie Database". The Internet Movie Database.
  5. ^ Files, Lolita (July 1998). Scenes from a Sistah at Amazon.com. Grand Central. ISBN 0446674427.
  6. ^ Files, Lolita (4 September 2002). Child of God at Amazon.com. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0743225910.
  7. ^ Files, Lolita (10 January 2006). sex.lies.murder.fame at Amazon.com. Harper Collins. ISBN 0060786809.
  8. ^ Anthony, Jason (2007-03-03). "Little, Brown's Big Deal". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
  9. ^ "University of Florida Gospel Choir". University Gospel Choir.
  10. ^ "Iota Lambda Ivy Vine". The Illustrious Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  11. ^ "University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications". University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  12. ^ "University of Florida Student Government: Legislative Branch". University of Florida Student Government: Legislative Branch. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  13. ^ Files, Lolita (15 January 2000). Getting to the Good Part at Amazon.com. Grand Central. ISBN 0446675482.
  14. ^ "Pinder Lane & Garon-Brooke Associates Literary & Media Representation". Pinder Lane & Garon-Brooke Associates Literary & Media Representation. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  15. ^ Doup, Liz. "Sistah A Dream Come True For Author". Encyclopedia.com. (Miami Herald, March 19, 1997, page D1). Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  16. ^ Doup, Liz. "First novel realizes longtime dream for writer Lolita Files". Google News. (Daily News, March 28, 1997). Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  17. ^ Winston, Sherri. "If It's Your Dream, Start Working For It". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  18. ^ "Far-fetched Tale That's Packed With Fun". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  19. ^ "Customer Reviews: Scenes From A Sistah". Amazon.com. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  20. ^ "New York, New Theatre: New Homefront". www.playbill.com. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  21. ^ "Playwright Roz Nixon Praises Black Women". Ebsco. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  22. ^ O'Keefe, Claudia (April 2000). Forever Sisters: Famous Writers Celebrate the Power of Sisterhood with Short Stories, Essays, and Memoirs. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780671042165. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  23. ^ "Exploring The Disciplines: Literature (EDU 232072)". SUNY Empire State College. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  24. ^ "Who Killed Tupac?". IMDb. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  25. ^ "African Ancestry". African Ancestry.com. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  26. ^ "African Ancestry: How It Works". African Ancestry.com. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Lolita_Files&oldid=1257126737"