Venise Torriana Berry

Background

Berry was born in 1956, to Virgil Berry and Jean Berry, an artist. She has a brother, Steven Torriano Berry, who is an American film producer, writer, and director.

Education

Berry graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and communications in 1977 and later received a Master of Arts in communications in 1979. She then received a Ph.D. in radio, television, and film from the University of Texas in 1989.

Career

Since the mid-1990s, Berry has enjoyed a dual career as both a professor of mass communication and a novelist whose books have appeared on Essence magazine's Blackboard Bestseller lists. As an academic, Berry's main interest as a researcher and writer has been "in the area of African-American cultural criticism," as she explained to interviewer Evita Castine on the author's website. She continued, "I am very concerned about the images I see in the media when it comes to African-American men and women." Berry has had extensive experience with the media, having worked as a reporter and news director for various radio stations. And sometimes her interest in the media is reflected in the themes and storylines of her novels. For example, the main character in All of Me: A Voluptuous Tale is a reporter whose personal struggles with her weight are exacerbated by the fact that she is on television; and in Colored Sugar Water one of the characters changes her lifestyle when she becomes enamored by a television psychic.

Berry's first novel is So Good, the story of the close relationship between three African-American women living in Washington, D.C., and their relationship problems with men. This story, which reminded some critics of the best-seller Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan, follows the trials and tribulations of sisters Danielle and Lisa and their friend Sundi Karif. All of these women are successful in their own way: Sundi owns her own business; Danielle is a married working mom, and Lisa is studying for her Ph.D. Yet their personal relationships with men seem fraught with problems, and the three women find that their camaraderie can sustain them through their troubles. These include Danielle's feelings of ennui, which lead her to an affair with a coworker; Lisa's emotional struggles after breaking up with her fiancé and Sundi's difficulties with her new Nigerian husband. Although a Publishers Weekly writer felt that sometimes Berry's writing style can be "flat," the critic appreciated how the author "has recreated the subtle complexity of the contemporary African-American professional woman's world, flavored with mother wit and home truths from preceding generations of family." And Booklist contributor Lillian Lewis concluded that "Berry will undoubtedly be recognized for her contribution to the African-American fiction writers' library shelf and for good reason!" A planned sequel for the novel, Still So Good, will pick up the story of these three women ten years after the events in So Good.

With All of Me, Berry draws on her personal experience as a news reporter, as well as on her interest in racialism, the study of how African Americans are negatively influenced by messages broadcast in the media. The novel starts at a hospital, where forty-year-old African American Serpentine Williamson is recovering from a suicide attempt. Berry then goes on to explain how this woman, who seems to have everything, including a television career, talent, and a loving family, could become so depressed that she would try to kill herself. It quickly becomes apparent that the problem is with her body image, and, consequently, her self-image. Because she is over-weight, Serpentine has endured harsh remarks from people ranging from her employers at the station to even, ironically, the president of her own fan club. The serious message in the book is tempered by some humorous moments, Serpentine's appealing personality, and her eventual triumph over those who would destroy her sense of self-worth. "Women of all races will find this book funny, sad, inspiring, and delightful," according to Ellen R. Cohen in a Library Journal review. Although a Publishers Weekly contributor found the "platitudes about the evils of advertising" a bit clichéd, the critic remarked that the depiction of Serpentine's journey to overcome her depression is "poignant and realistic."

With Colored Sugar Water, Berry returns to the theme of how friendship between women can serve as a security net for those going through challenges in their lives. Lucy Merriweather and Adel Kelly are African-American women who first met in college and have maintained their friendship since then. Lucy is bored with her relationship with the sexually unadventurous Spencer, while Adel is having the opposite problem with her immature husband, Thad; Adel is also having a crisis of conscience involving her work at an oil company that she suspects of unscrupulous business dealings. Their lives become complicated on the one hand by a voodoo practitioner named Kuba, who lures Adel into his web via the television, and on the other hand by a white man who is stalking Lucy after she fired him. Although spirituality plays a part in this process - Adel's brush with mysticism and Lucy's more traditional explorations of religion - a Publishers Weekly reviewer asserted, "This is hardly a deep exploration of questions of faith, but those who like their romance weighted with otherworldly significance will find plenty to satisfy them here." On the other hand, Booklist critic Lewis maintained that "Berry has superbly dealt with black spirituality from the organized church and religion to voodoo and fortune-telling."

Achievements

• Berry is an award-winning American novelist. She is best known for her novels about contemporary African-American relationships.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The A to Z of African American Cinema

    (On 4 July 1910, in 100-degree heat at an outdoor boxing r...)

    2009
  • Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema

    (As early as 1909, African Americans were utilizing the ne...)

  • Racialism and the Media

    (Racialism and Media: Black Jesus, Black Twitter, and the ...)

  • The 50 Most Influential Black Films: A Celebration of African-American Talent, Determination, and Creativity

Views

When asked by Castine why she writes about women characters in her novels, Berry replied, "I hope that women can see themselves in my stories and learn something about themselves. We all know women who are like the women in my books. They seem to have it all, but are not satisfied, or they are willing to compromise too much to have a man, any man, or they are not happy with themselves in any number of ways. We all enjoy getting lost inside other people's stories, but at the same time we can learn something about ourselves and the people we love."

Connections

Berry is married and has a daughter, Averi.

Brother:

Steven Torriano Berry

Berry directed Noh Matta Wat!, the first Belizean dramatic television series, which first aired on November 28, 2005.

Daughter:

Averi Berry

References

• Contemporary Authors Volume 221
  2004