It’s Lit
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8 New Books to Pick Up for Kids and Young Adults (and Less Young Adults Who Like Young Adult Books)
It’s no secret that in recent years, the Young Adult—or “YA”—book category has been booming. But not everyone who browses young adult books is making a purchase for the teen or tween in their life. Half of these titles—some available for pre-order, some already on sale—are as excellent as reading choices for folks over 18…
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Oprah Knows We've Been Going Through It, So Her Latest Book Club Picks Are 7 Books That Help Her Through
There’s been this wild theory going around that now that all of us non-essential workers have been working from home (shout out to the essential workers keeping us all afloat), we have ample free time to engross ourselves in reading. In my case, that would entail finally diving into at least a hundred books I’ve…
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Black Teen Who Recorded George Floyd’s Death to be Honored With PEN Award
Darnella Frazier, the teenager who recorded the footage of George Floyd’s death, will be presented the PEN/Benenson Courage Award in December for capturing the video that acted as a catalyst for what has arguably been the largest and most continuous Black Lives Matter movement push that the nation and the world have seen to date.…
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The Home of Celebrated Poet Lucille Clifton Will Become a Creative Haven in Baltimore
The opening lines of one of Lucille Clifton’s best-known poems read: “Won’t you celebrate with me, what I have shaped into a kind of life? I had no model.” In life, Clifton was a prolific poet and children’s book author who, after being brought to national attention by the likes of Langston Hughes and Ishmael…
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In 2020, a Bright Spot for Black Bookstores
In the midst of this year’s massive, nationwide Black Lives Matter demonstrations, Black bookstores have enjoyed a short-term boost in sales they hope to turn into a longer-term renaissance. A new report from Bloomberg highlights this boom in business for Black bookshops, which currently make up just 8 percent of all independent bookstores. Citing numbers…
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'We Could All Serve to Be Less Patient Black People': The Root Presents: It's Lit! Talks About Race With Ijeoma Oluo
Triumph amid tragedy is always bittersweet—a unique type of survivor’s guilt many of us have become all too familiar with in recent months, as we reconcile profound loss with the rare but very bright spots that have occurred during this incredibly devastating year. It’s a dichotomy bestselling author and 2017 and 2018 The Root 100…
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Let It Rip: This Self-Help Book Is Designed for You to Literally Tear It Up and Feel Good About It
Nicole Russell discovered the power of paper tearing by serendipitous accident. A few years ago, when her younger sister was hurt and angry and needed a healthy way to vent, Russell told her to write down her feelings, empty out everything that was making her upset, and then rip up the page. The suggestion was…
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Here’s an Exclusive Excerpt of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Newest Fiction (You’re Welcome!)
For Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie fans, it’s been a long seven years since Americanah, her last novel, and winner of the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. She’s been active on Instagram and it’s always a joy to revisit her catalog of beautiful writing—Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, The Thing Around Your…
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'We Can't Do This Thing by Ourselves': The Root Presents: It's Lit! Talks Justice With Claudia Rankine
There is the multiverse, and then, there are the multi-versed; award-winning poet, playwright, author, editor, and artist Claudia Rankine, is undoubtedly one of the latter. With seven books, several plays, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, United States Artists, and the National Endowment of the Arts, Rankine, the Frederick…
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Your Library Needs These 5 Books by and About Powerful Black Women
There are books that make you feel great admiration for a woman’s work, books that spark the impetus to tackle an issue, and books that do both. This is a list of those books, written by women who have used their careers, voices and lives to elevate the greater good of all of us. Reclaiming…