Read from Chapter 3, "Bozo" from Muscogee Daughter: My Sojourn to the Miss America Pageant by Susan Supernaw:

"On Saturday nights we often visited Jonesy, an old family friend who had a color TV. One night Mom saw the Lennon Sisters perform on The Lawrence Welk Show. That convinced her to make us into a family act. Mom sang soprano in the church choir and understood basic harmony and vocal arrangements. She taught Louise and Judy to sing first and second soprano parts, while Kathy and I, with lower voices, sang the alto parts. A song called “Whispering Hope” was supposed to be our big debut. Instead it was my biggest disaster. We wore blue dresses with a small lace yoke in the front. Another member of the congregation owned a beauty salon and volunteered to give matching haircuts and perms to the Supernaw Sisters. When it came time to perform, my sisters all looked great, with their matching hairstyles and dresses. Although my dress matched the others, however, my hair did not. My baby-fine, thin hair couldn’t handle the chemicals, so the same perm that looked great on them burned my hair, breaking it off and frizzing what remained, turning it a funny orangey color. Hiding my hair under a red baseball cap in embarrassment, I was aghast when Mom said, “You must take off that awful hat. We’re going to sing, you can’t wear it. You must remove it. It doesn’t matter how you look, it’s how you sing.”

Reluctantly I removed my cap only to discover that my hair had straightened a little at the top under the cap but had frizzed up around the bottom. I looked hideous! Mom dragged me next to the stage. My lower lip began to quiver as I frantically fought back tears. As we lined up to perform Judy saw me and laughed, “You look just like Bozo the Clown!”

“See, Mom. I told you so. I look horrible!” I began crying.

“Everyone be quiet. Now Judy, stop teasing Susie. Susie, you still have to sing, so stop crying. Now remember everyone, it’s so important to do your best.” Mom walked out on stage and sat at the piano while the Supernaw Sisters filed out in birth order.

There were gasps and snickers as I entered with red eyes and orange frizzed hair. As I stood in front of the microphone beside my three gorgeous sisters, my lip quivered, and tears started forming again in my eyes. My little hands tightened into fists. The piano played the introduction, and my sisters began singing on cue. While the others sang in beautiful harmony I searched desperately for my note but couldn’t find it! My mouth was open, but my voice froze. I panicked even after hearing my part coming from behind me. Mom was trying to help by singing my part. Her voice was the only one singing my part. I couldn’t do anything but sniff while tears rolled down my cheeks. When they finish singing, during the applause, I bolted off the stage sobbing.

Although no one outside the family said anything to me, it was the last performance of the Supernaw Sisters. It was also the last time kids teased me by calling me Jimmy. They now had a new name for me . . . Bozo."

Susan Supernaw is a computer software, education, and technology consultant. Her manuscript for this book won the First Book Award for Prose from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas under the title “The Power of a Name.”

To read a longer excerpt or to purchase Muscogee Daughter, visit http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Muscogee-Daughter,674680.aspx.