(photo by Sylvie Rosokoff)
Welcome Back to Campus Writer-in-Residence
Graduate Ashley C. Ford
Ashley C. Ford is a writer, host, and educator who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband, poet and fiction writer Kelly Stacy, and their chocolate lab Astro Renegade Ford-Stacy. Somebody’s Daughter is her debut memoir. Ford is the former host of The Chronicles of Now podcast, co-host of The HBO companion podcast Lovecraft Country Radio, seasons one & three of MasterCard’s Fortune Favors The Bold, as well as the video interview series PROFILE by BuzzFeed News, and Brooklyn-based news & culture TV show, 112BK.
She was also the host of the first season of Audible's literary interview series, Authorized. She has been named among Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Media (2017), Brooklyn Magazine's Brooklyn 100 (2016), Time Out New York's New Yorkers of The Year (2017), and Variety’s New Power of New York (2019).
The moment Ashley learned that her father was being released from prison after two decades of incarceration, a flood of emotions too profound to name took host in her body. Now, those emotions that span decades of family turmoil are given a voice in SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER, the long-awaited memoir by award-winning writer Ashley C. Ford that chronicles her coming-of-age journey from early childhood through many years of hardship and self-discovery.
WHAT'S BEING SAID ABOUT ASHLEY'S BOOK.
“Layering in the complexities of her relationship with her mother, her changing body and a boyfriend who grows abusive, Ford offers a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story” ―Time Magazine
“In this beautiful, delicate memoir, writer Ashley C. Ford recounts a childhood defined by her incarcerated father's absence...and she starts a journey toward true and powerful selfhood...” ―Elle
“Her writing shines with extraordinary insight and grace, and Somebody’s Daughter is a book so many of you will want to read.” ―Electric Literature
Fall Semester Events Featuring Ashley C. Ford
- Wednesday, September 15: A Reading from Somebody's Daughter, Pruis Hall at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, October 7: A Conversation with President Mearns, Sursa Hall at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, October 8: An Evening with J.R. Jamison and Ashley C. Ford, a conversation with queer writers. Cardinal Hall from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
- Thursday, November 11: Somebody's Daughter Book Club, Student Center Ballroom at 7:30 p.m.
- Ball State Professor Jill Christman will join Ms. Ford to moderate a lively discussion about Somebody's Daughter with questions from our campus and community. Please submit your questions to contribute to the conversation here.
All events are free and open to the public. Ms. Ford will be available to sign books after each event. After 7 p.m., free parking is available in most campus lots and garages. Please remember that masks are required inside all Ball State buildings.
Events will also be livestreamed at bsu.edu/live
Ball State’s Writer-in-Residence program is sponsored by the Office of the President; the English department; the Office of Inclusive Excellence; the Multicultural Center; the African-American Studies Program; Office of Community Engagement; Women's and Gender Studies; and the Shafer Leadership Academy.