black writers
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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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Jordan Peele Wants to Get Out of a Career in Front of the Camera, He Confirms at Georgia Runoff Fundraiser
February will mark exactly 4 years since the theatrical release of Get Out, Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, which had a unique take on racism in America. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Peele joined Bradley Whitford, who co-starred in his psychological horror hit for a Democratic fundraiser on Sunday night for Tuesday’s Georgia runoff election, facilitated…
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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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'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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Issa Rae and La La Anthony Step Into The Shade Room With Founder Angelica Nwandu to Produce New Horror-Comedy
Pretty much everyone in Black entertainment has stepped into The Shade Room at one point in their careers—and now it looks like a couple of celebs have stepped into the pitch room in front of development executives with the popular blog’s founder. Issa Rae and La La Anthony are producing a horror-comedy called Juju. More…
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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…
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'She's So Real': The Root Presents: It's Lit! and Michaela Angela Davis Discuss The Meaning of Mariah Carey
Fun fact: we highly considered naming this week’s episode of The Root Presents: It’s Lit! “All I Want for Christmas Is [Truth].” After all, our guest this week is veteran fashion stylist, editor, activist, and now author Michaela Angela Davis, who this year helped bring the long-awaited life story of Mariah Carey to the page—and…
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Learn Writing With a Master: Walter Mosley Is Sharing His Creative Process on MasterClass
If you’ve been trying to decipher the mystery behind writing great fiction, let acclaimed mystery writer Walter Mosley be your guide. Actually, Mosley, who this year became the first Black man to receive the National Book Award’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters for lifetime achievement in writing has written far more than mysteries…