Jacqueline Session Ausby

Welcome to Dahtruth.com, my space to contemplate, express myself, and own my truth. My name is Jacqueline Session Ausby, but I go by Jacque or Jac. I was born on August 9, 1968, on a hot, smoky summer day—or so my mother says. It seems I was born hot-tempered and challenging. I am the second child of Edwin Session and Willean Jefferson (Session). My parents married young, in a shotgun wedding, and were thrust into an environment they weren’t prepared to handle. They separated after only a few years and never reunited. My father, a rolling stone, disappeared.

Their union brought forth three children: me, Angie Session (McIntyre), and Crystal Session. We grew up without our biological father in a quasi-single-parent home. Eddie Jenkins (aka Hop), my mother’s lifelong companion, stood in as our father. Together, they had my youngest brother, Eric Jenkins. In total, six of us shared a two-bedroom apartment on Jersey Avenue in New Brunswick, NJ.

I am part of a generation that witnessed oppression taking on the form of a serpent—drugs, drugs, and more drugs. Many of my relatives endured more than their fair share of struggles due to substance abuse. The dawn of the 1980s brought forth a generation oppressed mentally, addicted physically, and spiritually lost. Many of my uncles and aunts had their lives cut short by liquor stores and drug dealers. It’s not a unique story; many American Black families share a similar narrative. The mindset to overcome shifted to dependency. People no longer prayed to get to the other side of the mountain; they woke up every day thinking about how to get high.

My neighborhood was downtrodden, desperate, and confused. Hope and salvation came disguised in silver-colored forty-ounce bottles of malt liquor or clear baggies of residue. Devastation rippled through American Black neighborhoods like mine, leaving behind a thick cloud of darkness. But thank God, after darkness, there emerged the sweet dawn. A revolution manifested in the form of music, fashion, and attitude. A light shone on the least of us and sparked the Hip-Hop Generation—the generation to which I belong.

Like many Black females in my community, I had no real identity and no purpose. But as I struggled and survived, I learned. My mother and grandmother said no to death by overcoming horrific obstacles. They tried and failed, but they lived to try and fail again. They lived, loved, lost—but survived. With God’s enlightenment, I came to see that my family’s failures and triumphs gave me power. Their failures gave me strength, and their successes motivated me to achieve.

I graduated high school in 1986 and started college in the late 1990s. I attended the Center of Urban and Theological Studies (CUTS) in Philadelphia, where I studied Theology. John 1:14 set me on fire: “Jesus IS the Word, and the Word became Flesh.” Jesus became flesh to save me. God has taken this little Black girl from the streets of New Brunswick and placed her on a journey to become a writer and glorify Him. I transferred to Eastern University in 2001, received a BA in English Writing, and, finally, in 2017, earned an MA in Creative Writing from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. Today, I am proud to say that I have overcome many obstacles and struggles. I work with a large consulting firm, where my role involves managing lab sessions for CEOs and business unit leaders.

Dahtruth.com is my personal website. It is filled with tales of truth that I have observed on my journey. These stories offer insight into where I came from and what I’ve seen and experienced. Although the pieces I’ve written are fiction, the messages represent truth. In this space, I feature infallible characters on a journey toward righteousness. I showcase “King,” the first series of short stories I’ve written. These stories focus on the lives of the King siblings—three sisters and a brother—who live in the fictitious town of Bethill. The stories delve into their struggles and reveal the undeniable truth: struggle has a profound way of pulling people together.

I also showcase the prologue to a novel I’ve been working on for several years, entitled Curious Case of Dorothy McBride, and preview my most endearing piece of work, The Dansee Sisters, a novel loosely inspired by Chekhov’s play Three Sisters. Additionally, I share my perspectives on topics that cross my mind—because a blog wouldn’t be a blog without a point of view. Lastly, I seek to illuminate the Word of God through my podcast series, Light Conversations, which discusses what is happening in the world of American descendants of slaves.

I lived in Philadelphia for 30 years, but my home is New Jersey. On days when I’m not dreaming of stories or working, I read. My favorite book is the Bible. If you catch me early in the morning, you’ll find me reading and meditating on the Word of God. I believe my purpose in life is to write, and every move I make is motivated by my desire to achieve this goal. My favorite writers are Edward P. Jones, Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and, lately, James Baldwin. I draw inspiration from Gospel and Hip-Hop music. I love politics and believe that when Jesus returns, He will govern as the King of Peace. I pray daily, meditate often, and believe knowledge of self comes from the divine understanding that Jesus Christ is…I Am!

I hope you enjoy my blog. I invite you to click on and read one of my short stories today—and if you can’t finish, there’s always tomorrow!

Peace, Love, and Blessings,

Jacque