Sorority Sisters

Author Q&A

A Conversation with Tajuana "TJ" Butler, author of SORORITY SISTERS


Q. Are you a member of a sorority?
A. Yes—although SORORITY SISTERS is not autobiographical. As I was writing the novel I thought I was more similar to some characters than others, but that changed by the novel’s end. But I would say there is a little bit of myself in each of the five main characters. However, the experiences are not my own.

Q. Do you think the issues you address in SORORITY SISTERS, such as relationships, sex, class, are regularly faced by women in college?
A. Of course, but I would say that self-discovery is at the core of it all. This is certainly what I witnessed first-hand among my friends and sorors. The college years are a time of immense personal growth. How you relate to others, including your friends and the men in your life; getting people to accept you for who you are; learning what is important to you—you grow from these experiences and discover more about yourself.

Q. The five characters in SORORITY SISTERS are from very different backgrounds. From your own experience, did you find that sororities drew such a diverse crowd?
A. People join sororities for different reasons and in various stages of their life. Some people know instantly that they want to pledge and do so their first year of college like the characters Chancey and Cajen. Or like Tiara, some may want to first adjust to college life and focus on their grades. Others may want to wait and figure out the best fit for them. Stephanie and Malena pledged as seniors, both for very different reasons—one because of insecurity and the other because she had always planned it that way. Because African-American sororities are community based as well as social organizations, different people can find a way to fit into the picture.

Q. What was the Greek scene like on your campus?
A. I attended the University of Louisville, which was a commuter college. The fraternities and sororities were the social base and were very visible and active both on campus and in the community. They provided a lot of the entertainment, brought speakers to campus, and organized minority-oriented seminars. In particular, I remember that our fraternities and sororities held a fundraiser every year to raise funds for a minority student book fund, which benefited freshman who couldn’t afford all of their text books.

Q. Describe your experiences as a member of a sorority.
A. Growing up I saw members of sororities who were actively doing good things for my community. I admired and was very impressed by them and this contributed to my wanting to join. I pledged my particular sorority because I found the members on my campus to be extremely positive with a strong commitment to academic excellence. They were very active on campus, and I felt like I could contribute something and wanted to be a part of it.

I have found the sisterhood to be really beneficial. I moved out to Los Angeles from Atlanta less than a year ago, and recently I met two women who were members of my sorority. They invited me to a local chapter meeting where I really felt welcomed.

One of my line sisters has been there for me through good times and bad. I know that there is always someone I can call or that there will always be someone to support me. Wherever I go, I am among family.

Membership in my sorority has enriched my life and played a big part in preparing me for life beyond college and that was something I wanted to convey in SORORITY SISTERS.