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Andra Douglas
Fiction
Sports
Challenged the norms of the Deep South, where football was the “birthright” of males only. Founder of professional women’s football league.
ANDRA DOUGLAS is a native of central Florida and a graduate of Florida State University and Pratt Institute. A national champion athlete in rugby and women’s tackle football, she was the owner of the New York Sharks Women’s Pro Football team for nineteen years and is the founder of the Fins Up! Foundation for Female Athletes. This foundation strengthens young women’s self esteem through participation in team sports. In addition to her love of football, Andra is a professional artist and served as a Vice President/Creative Director at Time Warner and as an independent consultant for the entertainment industry with clients like Disney, Universal Records and BMG Music. Today, she lives with her parrot, ‘Pie’ in New York’s Greenwich Village where she creates mixed-media artwork.
Read BookTrib’s review of her book, Black & Blue.
Find out more at her website: andradouglasart.com
BOOKS:
Black & Blue: Love, Sports and Art of Empowerment (2019)
Biggest literary influencers:
Pat Conroy, Nelson DeMille, Beryl Markham
Last book read:
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.
The book that changed your life:
Conversation with God (1 and 2) by Neal Donald Walsh
First let me say that I am not religious, but I found these books at a time in life when I was more open to ‘hear’ than I sometimes am. At that time, the books – which portray a very different slant on commonly practiced societal and religious standards– spoke to me. The author’s views were very similar to my own, even though I had never organized my thoughts or spoke them aloud. I had never seen anything so complex written about as simply, and I realized I was not alone. Others believe as I do.
Your favorite literary character:
John Sutter in The Gold Coast because he is a witty, smart, successful man who is forced to see other sides of people including those he loves most. Also, he has to look at himself and reassess how he has lived.
Currently working on:
Changing Cadence which is the sequel to Black & Blue. It focuses on the latter part of my 20 years owning the New York Sharks—the aging athlete, the loss of loved ones, societal changes, and the ongoing fight for equality taking place in women’s sports, especially in football. The book will tell the story of how, after the upcoming sale of the team is announced, the Sharks embark on the last year of the team’s existence — which turns into a magical journey of victory and self-growth.
Words to live by:
To quote Shakespeare, “This above all, to thine own self be true.”
Advice to new and aspiring authors:
The hardest part to me was starting the book so I would say — once you have all the ‘ingredients,’ just sit down and begin! Once you get going, it begins to flow.
Articles / Reviews:
Testimonials:
“Black & Blue will strike a chord with anyone who grew up before Title IX, but its poignancy and appeal go beyond that. Andra Douglas covers it all.”
— Billie Jean King, sports icon and social justice pioneer
“[Black & Blue] is an exciting, intriguing, and engaging novel of women who live their dreams to play football… I would recommend this novel as an example of women setting out to do what they wanted, and live their dreams.”
– Linda’s Book Obsession
“Whether you are a fan of football or sports in general you will adore this book. Even if you aren’t a sports fan, this story is still an engaging read.”
— The Nerdy Girl Express
