Echo Brown

Echo Unique Ladadrian Brown (April 10, 1984 – September 16, 2023) was an American writer.[1]

Biography

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, at the age of 39.[4]

Bibliography
  • Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard (2020)
  • The Chosen One: A First-Generation Ivy League Odyssey (2022)

References
  1. Sandomir, Richard (October 2, 2023). "Echo Brown, young adult author and performer, dies at 39". The Philadelphia Tribune.
  2. Langer, Emily (6 October 2023). "Echo Brown, beloved storyteller and voice of black women, dies at 39". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  3. Sandomir, Richard (October 2, 2023). "Echo Brown, Young Adult Author and Performer, Is Dead at 39" – via NYTimes.com.
  4. Maughan, Shannon (28 September 2023). "Obituary: Echo Brown". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
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