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What led you to write a book at this point in your life?
Bern Nadette-I have been writing
all of my life. I was writing before Good Times. I mean
just writing poetry, writing, short stories, this is something
that I have always done. I chose to do this at this time because
it feels like there are a lot of relationship issues going on.
A lot of people are having problems with relationships and I
feel like this would be great book to write for that.
Speaking of relationships, in the actual book do you tell people
how to salvage relationships or how to spot a bad a bad relationship?
Bern Nadette-It's more or less
how to recognize one.
A bad relationship?
Bern Nadette-Yes, recognize
a bad one and also to recognize when one is good also. I have
it called "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly."
When was the book released?
Bern Nadette-It was released
in June. June 30th.
I've heard about you going to book fairs and just everywhere.
How exactly have you been marketing the book?
Bern Nadette-Well that's how
I've been doing it. I have it on my website ThelmaofGoodTimes.com.
When I go on the radio stations I tell them and they come and
look at it. That's how I've been marketing it. A few times I
put it in some magazines and articles. What's going to happen
is we will get the book out in the distributing arena. Its going
to be in mostly all of the book stores in about a month or so
because I didn't know it was going to take off like it did.
I also saw that you have a poetry book for sale on your site.
Is that something that you are currently promoting or are you
solely focusing on the Situations 101 at this time?
Bern Nadette-I'm promoting
both. I sell them together actually when I'm on my book signings
because men seem to love that little book. It's called For
Men Only. It's poetry for men. Then I have my poster shot
in the back. I sign that and they love that.
Do you have any books you plan to work on in the future?
Bern Nadette-Oh yes, I have
so many. I'm working on something now and I have another three
or four poetry books waiting to put out there. I have one coming
called Secrets From The Soul of a Woman in Love. I have
some really good ones in there.
I know you mentioned your poetry and relationship book, any
fiction books in the works?
Bern Nadette-Yes, I
have two or three I'm working on right now. I'm working on one
now but it seems like everyone likes this relationship book,
the reality book so I'm going to stick with the reality book
and possibly I will be allowed to write a fiction book and have
it be accepted.
Here come a slew of the Good Times questions.
After Good Times ended what were your immediate career plans?
Bern Nadette-Well actually,
I wanted to continue in the business but it was a little slow
at that time. There wasn't much going on. I just continued to
produce plays and I had my children, I had my little girl, and
I continued to produce plays and to be in plays. I continued
to write.
You write stage plays also?
Bern Nadette-I don't write
stage plays but I correct them and edit them. I write a lot of
poetry and short stories.
Between the BET Awards, and the book coming out it seems like
you are in the spotlight more than ever as far as recent years
are concerned. How are you enjoying your return to the spotlight?
Bern Nadette-I really am enjoying
it because I get a chance to have interviews with people like
you, and I'm real excited about that and I thank you for supporting
me.
When I told people I was interviewing you I told them to send
in suggested questions and I was surprised that several people
sent in the following question, so of course I have to ask. Did
you ever consider writing a book about your experience on Good
Times?
Bern Nadette-You know I never
really did, but I've been getting that same question so I think
I'm going to have to write that book because everyone really wants
to know some stuff and I have a lot of stuff to tell.
Here is a beauty question. How do you stay seemingly ageless?
Bern Nadette-Well you know
I do work out. I eat pretty good. I drink a lot of water. I don't
do anything to the extreme.
You've always been such a good role model. No one ever heard any
stories about BernNadette Stanis, Thelma from Good Times going
down a bad spiral, how did you manage to remain such a good role
model over the years?
Bern Nadette-I think it's
due to having the parents that I had. My father was very strict
about education and doing the right thing, coming from a West
Indian background. My father was born in Brooklyn but his mother
and father were from The West Indies. My mom is from Louisiana
so she has that home girl thing and she nurtured her children
very well. I think that it came from my two parents being so strong
and determined that their children were going to make it. Therefore
when I went to Hollywood and did my thing out there I remained
the same person that I was growing up.
Did you ever imagine that thirty years later that Good Times
would still be on TV everyday?
Bern Nadette-Absolutely not.
I had no clue. I was just so happy to be part of the television
world just to get in. I thought, "After the five years that's
going to be the end of that." No. I am so, so happy and blessed
and I thank God everyday for that.
And there are a new generation of fans. My son is five, he calls
it "JJ, Mama and the Sister."
Bern Nadette-That is too cute.
But you are right about that because yesterday I was judging the
gospel choirs for the black colleges and most of the kids there
are 17, 18, 19, 20 and when they finished singing and everything
they formed a line that was so long just to get my autograph.
So I know that I'm popular with the teenagers and I'm very happy
about that. That's a whole new generation for me.
I know you are enjoying your author career but everyone wants
me to ask, do you have any acting plans in the future?
Bern Nadette-You know I do.
People want to see me act again. They say, "You've got to
stay in the acting world," and I say I'm going to do both.
I definitely am going to be acting again very soon.
How did it feel to reunite with Janet Jackson and the Good Times
cast at the BET Awards?
Bern Nadette-Absolutely great.
It was the best. We were all so excited. Janet was excited also
I heard. Of course the three of us were definitely together all
four of us together again.
How long had it been since you all have seen each other?
Bern Nadette-Well at different
times. I have seen all of them three or four times before that
time. I do see Jimmy, I see them all quite often. It was a little
different that we were all together and seeing each other together.
That was different, but I do keep in touch and I do see them.
Related Links
http://www.thelmaofgoodtimes.com/
 Interview
copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2005
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the author of Be
My Sorority Sister Under Pressure and the Unplanned
Pregnancy Book for Teens and College Students. She is the
founder of Thabiz.com and
Imissthe80s.com and
writes for the Rap,
Teen, and 1980s
section at Bellaonline.com. She is an ASCAP member as a writer
and a publisher. Please contact Dorrie for advertising
inquiries, lyric writing inquiries, reprint rights, paying
entertainment jobs, or general comments.
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com
or e-mail her at webmaster@thabiz.com.
May not be reprinted, copied or distributed.
Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, imissthe80s.com
2006
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