“I’m always growing and learning,” said award-winning actress Keke Palmer during a fireside chat at the Author’s Stageduring a fireside chat at the Author’s Stage during this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture.
In conversation with Nandi Howard, the Vice President of Content at ESSENCE Ventures, Palmer candidly divulged that being a mother is one of her biggest motivating factors. The actress and host shared at the beginning of the moving conversation that she always remembers to put herself first and takes time to smell the flowers of her success. “There’s nothing to prove, [it’s about] continuing to find new ways to do what I love to do,” Palmer added. One new feat is her upcoming book, Master of Me: The Memoir, which will be released on November 19, 2024.
So, why a book now? Keke expressed the following, which was explicit. “It’s always about following my heart, and [at] this point of my life, I felt like there were some new things I wanted to say.” She also mentioned that the way she looks at her career and the workforce for “all of us” landed her in an era where a book is the most impactful way to share her perspective. Palmer noted that entrepreneurship is the “new way of the land” and a way to “find autonomy in the workplace.”
“To feel of value, I wanted to speak to that and talk about how I was able to navigate that with all the corporations I’ve worked with and continue to work with.” She also expressed that she sees herself as a collaborator and partner instead of feeling used.
Master of Me: The Memoir is a title that Palmer said gave her the space to highlight how she feels like a master of her life. “I’ve been able to master myself for my own benefit and not allow people to use me for their benefit,” she said. She says the book alludes to the notion that “if anyone is going to pull my strings, it’s going to be me.”
Keke expounds on standing firmly in who she is: “It doesn’t matter how good you do the things that you’re trying to do–and feel you deserve this or that–it doesn’t mean things are going to go your way.” She adds that she’s had to master her mind and her thoughts in those moments of time when things weren’t going her way. Palmer wanted to share these insights with her fans. The actress also notes that fans can expect religious moments in Master of Me: The Memoir.
“Most of all, I’m just going to be sharing the things that I’ve learned. You’re going to see my personality. I can’t help but be silly. That’s how I deal with life’s struggles–that’s what helps me to get out of my head,” Palmers adds.
