What do you know about Charlotte’s personality?

I know that she was very loyal to her husband and to her family; that she seems to have been a very intelligent woman; and that she dealt well with adversity. She seems to have been resilient.

What do you admire about her?

I admire those same qualities!

What do you not admire?

I don't really know anything I don't admire about her. Perhaps that she was a beneficiary of the privilege of being born into the aristocracy. I don't think that is to be admired because it just happened to her.

What part does she play in your new book?

Well, in my book she plays a very important part because in my book one of the important things is the nature  of race: what does race mean? Queen Charlotte has an important role because Queen Charlotte is an ancestor of Queen Elizabeth, the current British queen. And if so, then Queen Elizabeth is part black. And then comes the question, what does that mean? I use Queen Charlotte to raise the question: what is race?

Do you believe the research that says she was mixed race?

Yes I do. The reason I think she was is because there is a famous painting by Allan Ramsay, and you could see her dark skin and broader nose, and after she died her personal physician said that she had a "true mulatto face."

Is it significant to you personally that she was mixed race?

Yes, it is significant to me personally being a woman of color. I didn't think that there were that many princesses that were black or part black.  It's fun to know that there are some real black princesses. I enjoy that idea of knowing that there were even some European princesses (I knew there were African princesses).

Do you think she was a heroic figure?

Well, I think one, everyone is a hero in their own lives. Heroism is just the best of ourselves. I do think so. In some ways, she helped preserve the British monarchy by preserving the life and sanity of her husband.

What is the most interesting thing you found out about her?

That she was biracial.

What is the title of your new book, and when is it coming out?

The title of my new book is Pushkin and the Queen of Spades. And it's coming out in May [2004].

Is it for adults? Have you written any books for young adults?

It's for adults. Yes, I have written a children's book, but it hasn't been published. It's called Wonder Words: Amin to Zin.