University of Iowa and Iowa State University alumnus Andrea Lex, an author and writer, recently published her first book, “A Visionary’s Road Map.” The book is a biography written about her mother. Lex encourages people to read the book, mentioning how incredible her mother is and how students and readers everywhere will find inspiration in it.
The Daily Iowan: Can you talk about your upbringing in Ames and how it influenced your writing?
Andrea Lex: In third grade, I started reading a lot. I read all the Nancy Drew mystery books, the Wizard of Oz books, and — later in elementary school — I read Agatha Christie mysteries. I think public television also influenced me when I was little. I really love this one show called Upstairs Downstairs. It was similar to Downton Abbey, because the family and the aristocratic people lived upstairs, and the servants lived downstairs.
Both my parents were also very educated. My dad was a professor at Iowa State; he taught environmental law and community and regional planning, and had a law degree. My mom got her PhD from ISU and started as a high school history teacher in civics, and then later became a political science professor, and started working in Des Moines for the health government.
Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you knew you wanted to be a writer?
As a student here at the UI, I started writing poetry. I have a few published poems. After graduate school at Iowa State, I was a reporter and photographer for a five-day newspaper in Webster City, Iowa. I wrote up to three front-page news articles every day, and had a weekly column where I could write about whatever I wanted to as long as my editor approved. I was writing every day, and I really enjoyed it.
I’ve also worked for nonprofit organizations and some membership organizations. I’ve written grants, annual reports, newsletters, and press releases. After my father passed away, I wanted to write a book about him; he was in World War II. I just couldn’t, and I couldn’t then ask him, “Hey, Dad, what is this about,” because he was gone, so I ended up writing about my mom instead.
What inspired you to write “A Visionary’s Road Map?”
My mom is an amazing person. She’s always been my role model and my friend. We haven’t had a tense or bad relationship, like some mothers and daughters may have. I wanted to write fiction about her, but that didn’t work at all. So, I settled on the biography. My mom is very positive, friendly, non-judgmental, and smart.
Were there any emotional or challenging parts of the writing process, especially since it’s such a personal biography?
Writing this book was very emotional for me. My mom and I went through it together. She’s read it, she likes it, and approves of it. We edited some things out, but she was always there. I often called her to clarify things, and sometimes I talked to her for 20 minutes or half an hour on the phone, just trying to clarify certain things or get more details and elaboration. I definitely feel like this book is a gift to my mother.
Why is it important to you to donate your book to the University Library?
Libraries are important. Reading is so important, and I think a lot of students would enjoy reading my book. My mother always stood up for equality and justice, and she started out as a teacher. Even though she was very, very poor growing up, she paid for her college. She had jobs, she got a few small scholarships, but she paid her way at the University of Wisconsin at Madison for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Everybody who meets my mother thinks she’s just amazing and inspiring. She’s always looked at things very positively, and I think her story will be an inspiration to many students.