Echo Brown
Echo Unique Ladadrian Brown (April 10, 1984 – September 16, 2023) was an American writer.[1]
Biography[edit]
Brown was born in Cleveland on April 10, 1984.[2][3] Her early life was marked by the challenges of growing up in poverty.[3] She was raised by her seamstress mother and welder stepfather.[2][3] During her senior year of high school, she lived temporarily with an English teacher who recognized her academic potential.[2][3] Despite this, a guidance counselor discouraged her aspirations for Dartmouth College, citing her background.[2] Undeterred, Brown attended Dartmouth, wrote for the student newspaper, and earned a bachelor's degree in government in 2006.[2][3]
After graduation, Brown worked in New York City's Civilian Complaint Review Board, investigating police misconduct, and later served as a legal secretary.[2][3] She briefly enrolled at Columbia Journalism School but subsequently faced a period of depression.[2][3] Moving to California for a change, she engaged in yoga, meditation, and began working at Challenge Day, a nonprofit organization.[2]
Under the guidance of David Ford at the Marsh theater in San Francisco, Brown developed her one-woman show, "Black Virgins Are Not for Hipsters," which debuted in 2015.[2] The performance addressed various societal and personal challenges, including an incident of racial aggression she faced at Dartmouth.[2]
Brown authored two young-adult novels: Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard (2020) and The Chosen One: A First-Generation Ivy League Odyssey (2022), which drew upon her experiences and elements of magical realism.[2]
Echo Brown died on September 16, 2023, due to end-stage renal failure caused by lupus. She was 39 years old.[4]
Bibliography[edit]
- Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard (2020)
- The Chosen One: A First-Generation Ivy League Odyssey (2022)
References[edit]
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (October 2, 2023). "Echo Brown, young adult author and performer, dies at 39". The Philadelphia Tribune.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Langer, Emily (6 October 2023). "Echo Brown, beloved storyteller and voice of black women, dies at 39". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sandomir, Richard (October 2, 2023). "Echo Brown, Young Adult Author and Performer, Is Dead at 39" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Maughan, Shannon (28 September 2023). "Obituary: Echo Brown". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 13 October 2023.