TueNight 10: Taiia Smart Young

By TueNight Crew

Age: 46

Basic bio: Taiia (Tee-eye-yah) is an award-winning author, content creator, writing coach and speaker. She loves connecting with teens about life, love and the pursuit of happiness. Her book, Famous! How to Be the Star of Your Show: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Embracing Her Fabulous Self, reminds young women “to believe in their flyness.” Her favorite T-shirt says: “The dopest writers are from Brooklyn.”

Beyond the Bio: “I finally feel super comfortable in my skin. I know who I am, and I’m not ashamed that I love me something fierce.”

1. On the nightstand: Prayers for Difficult Times, essential oils and a talisman my grandmother gave me.

2. Can’t stop/won’t stop: Wearing red lipstick, inserting classic movie lines into daily conversation, going to therapy, laughing at myself and talking about the importance of HBCUs

3. Jam of the minute: “Talk” by Khalid.

4. Thing I miss: The Golden Age of hip-hop, lyricists and brilliant flows.

5. 80s crush: Ralph Tresvant from New Edition.

6. Current crush: Lena Waithe, Ava DuVernay and Robin Thede.

7. Will whine about: Long lines. I will leave any store if the line is obscene, which is why Instacart is bae.

8. Will wine about: I wish I could impress a sommelier, but I cannot because I’m about that tequila life. Herradura silver, preferred.

9. Best thing that happened recently: My husband built my dope ass office. Being married to a carpenter has its privileges.

10. Looking forward to: Planning and hosting my next Write & Sip