black books matter
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PageTurners: We’re in for a Helluva Literary Year
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to find joy in reading again. I had this same goal last year–and let’s face it, every year for a while now–and even felt the hope of achieving that goal when we all went into lockdown, assuming I would have plenty of time to read and get back…
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After Writing a New Chapter for Georgia, Stacey Abrams Is Publishing a New Legal Thriller
One of the most fun facts about Stacey Abrams, the attorney, political powerhouse, voting rights activist and former (and possibly future) gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, is that she’s also a prolific author. In fact, over the past two decades, she’s quietly written eight popular romance novels under the pseudonym “Selena Montgomery” in addition to her…
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'Suddenly, You See the Story More Clearly': The Root Presents: It's Lit Talks Transcendent Writing With Yaa Gyasi
“I always say, writing a first novel, you feel like you’re writing in the dark, unsure of whether or not your book will ever see the light of day,” says author Yaa Gyasi, who has written not one but two bestsellers since 2016, when her debut novel Homegoing was published by Penguin Random House. An…
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'We Just Basically Share One Brain': The Root Presents: It’s Lit! Gets Collaborative With Maika and Maritza Moulite
If you weren’t one of the millions resigned to spend New Year’s Eve alone this year (thanks again, COVID), you may have placed special significance on who joined you to welcome in 2021, a year we hope will guide us out of the darkness, despair and disillusionment of that year (come through, Age of Aquarius!).…
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The Root Presents It's Lit!: What We Read to Get Us Through 2020
Merry Christmas or whatever you’re celebrating this holiday weekend, Bibliophiles! Understandably, you may not be able to celebrate in person with loved ones this year, but we hope you’re still finding comfort and joy—perhaps in the pages of a good book? There may not have been much to celebrate in 2020, but there was an…
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'We Write to Tell the Truth': The Root Presents: It's Lit! Talks the Poetic Justice of 2020 With Nikki Giovanni
Of all the adjectives we’d use to describe 2020, “good” wouldn’t exactly top the list. But as this most eventful year comes to a close, hosting literary icon and activist Nikki Giovanni on our new podcast, The Root Presents: It’s Lit! will undoubtedly be one of its high points. Ironically, to hear the legendary poet…
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OK, Are We Ready to Talk About Jenna Bush Hager Hosting 'A Celebration of Toni Morrison'?
“Say what, now?” has been the typical (if not most explicit) response to an announcement made this week that Jenna Bush Hager, former first daughter-turned-Today with Hoda and Jenna co-host, would be hosting “A Celebration of Toni Morrison” on the morning show December 21, 2020. Yes, you heard that right: Jenna “My Dad Is George…
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Got 99 Problems, but a Book Ain't One: Jay-Z's Roc Nation and Random House to Launch 'Roc Lit 101'
If the ongoing pandemic has reignited your passion for reading (or simply deepened it), say no more, Fam. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has already Decoded his lyrics in book form, but now, the company he founded will add to its (and his) multimedia entertainment empire, announcing a new publishing partnership with Random House, a division of…
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'It's Not That Much to Write a Novel': The Root Presents It's Lit! Unlocks the Mystery of Writing With Walter Mosley
Walter Mosley may be best known for writing mysteries—though his bestselling Easy Rawlins series are among the dozens of works across genres that he’s produced in the past 30 years. But the prolific author doesn’t believe there’s any mystery to writing—or any core requirements to become a writer. “I think that, you know, because the…
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Authors Raven Leilani, James McBride, and Editor Chris Jackson Win Honors From the Center for Fiction
Toni Morrison would be proud. The Center for Fiction’s Annual Awards Benefit was dedicated to the memory of the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, who died in August 2019. But the virtual event, emceed by comedian, author and Insecure co-star Yvonne Orji on Thursday night, also subtly celebrated Black voices, lives and creativity, as evidenced by several…