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Black Lotus Is a Woman’s Search for Racial Identity in a Racist World
“‘Passing’ describes the choice to identify as a member of another racial group rather than face social prejudice,” writes Sil Lai Abrams in her memoir, Black Lotus: A Woman’s Search for Racial Identity. “Today the term is used almost exclusively to describe black people who consciously adopt a white identity.” But for Abrams, born to…
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A Black Man’s Coming of Age in the Age of Obama
In the title of his first book, Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching: A Young Black Man’s Education, The Nation contributing writer Mychal Denzel Smith calls to mind three works: Ralph Ellison’s classic Invisible Man, Mos Def’s “Hip-Hop” and Lauryn Hill’s seminal album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. With the eloquence and beauty of…
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Insurrections: Rion Amilcar Scott’s Debut Short Story Collection Hits All the Right Notes
First-time writers are often pushed into writing novels, rather than short story collections, in the belief that novels sell better. But the craft of the short story is an art form unto itself: the ability to create a whole world, rich in plot, characters and a satisfying conclusion, in a confined space. It is not…
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The Fire This Time: Anthology Features a New Generation of Authors Speaking Out on Race
In 2011 Jesmyn Ward won the National Book Award for her novel Salvage the Bones, an exploration of one black family’s experience during the 12 days leading up to, and after, Hurricane Katrina. Ward is also the author of the novel Where the Line Bleeds and the memoir Men We Reaped, a deeply felt accounting…
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Young-Adult Author Jacqueline Woodson on Writing Stories That Appeal to All Ages
Jaqueline Woodson is the author of Brown Girl Dreaming, which won both the 2014 National Book Award and an NAACP Image Award. She is also a two-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award, a four-time winner of the Newberry Honor Award and the recipient of the American Library Association’s Margaret A. Edwards Award. In…
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Meet Yaa Gyasi, the Author of the Slavery Novel Everyone Is Talking About
Yaa Gyasi is having the kind of year every first-time novelist dreams about. The Ghanaian-born, American-raised writer’s debut novel, Homegoing, has been lauded by critics ranging from those writing for the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal. Her book, which sparked a bidding war that led to a seven-figure deal, has landed at the…
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Discovery of Book Published by Black Woman in 1891 Shines Light on 19th-Century Novels by Black Americans
When one thinks of 19th-century America, slavery and the Civil War come to mind. American slavery, as we know, was a heinous, painful institution characterized by terrifying acts of violence. Whether it was the systematic rape of black women, the sale of black children away from their parents, squalid living conditions or enforced hard labor, slavery was…
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Book Review: Terry McMillan Writes What Breaks Her Heart
Terry McMillan is known for such best-selling novels as Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Mama, and A Day Late and a Dollar Short. Her novels deftly explore the inner workings of black women’s lives, and watching McMillan’s characters navigate love, friendship, work and family has been an inspiration for generations of…
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15 New Books by Black Authors to Dive Into This Summer
Summer is just around the corner—and with it comes some time for a restful vacation. Whether you’re stuck on a crowded flight or relaxing on the beach, here are some stellar books published by black authors during the first half of 2016—just in time to take along with you for some exhilarating summer reading. Hope…
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11 Summer Must-Reads for Young Readers
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor. Taylor, one of the first African-American children’s-book authors to gain widespread acclaim, later won the Newbery Medal for the book. Her work was pivotal in empowering black children to see themselves in young adult literature—inspiring…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
