Dee: I read a few of your interviews and to me you came across very sharp and thoughtful in your responses. When you hang out with your family are you this deep or does this deepness come out only when your nails hit the keyboard?
Olympia: I don't think my family knows who I am. I'm hardly ever "deep" with them; they could very well be unaware of this gift I have from God, unaware of my writing, only the awards and events. I think if they were at my funeral, they'd have to ask the readers, the friends who've passed through my life about who I am. The long life before this one, the hard life before this one, the hurt life before this one. I have, in essence, grown up around them.
Dee: Are you a quiet person or just as loud in speech as in your writing voice? Olympia: I am a private person. My mind carries the loud speech. It writes what I do not shout or scream out into the world with my own human mouth. It is beautiful to carry a shout in your head; no one hears it but the earth.
Dee: What did you plan to do with your criminal justice degree?
Olympia: I wanted to be a cop, do something good for the world. Had no idea that it was in my fingertips.
Dee: I host an online column and forum where I've spoken with many published and self-published writers. Most of them say that the publishing industry is racist? When I read your response on this topic at Mozaicbooks.com I was thrilled. You said, "A writer must first write the novel of his or her life. The novel that causes one to lose sleep and body and pride. The novel that comes straight from the bone. If this is done, when this is done, the doors will open. And he or she will walk through, regardless of what race he or she is." Do you think that some of us writers are too focused in trying to make a profit or a name for themselves instead of putting their focus in their writing?
Olympia: Each writer's story is unique to himself or herself. My focus is ALWAYS on the characters. Nothing else matters. If I think there is racism in the world, my characters tell that story. If there is injustice in the world, I allow the characters to speak. It's not my job to worry about what the world is doing, only to write the story and injustice of the earth through the characters. If you focus on these things while writing, your writing becomes purposeful. Let the characters create the purpose. If they catch on to your internationalisms, they won't come out to play.
