literature
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PageTurners: Tryin’ to Imagine What (YA Literature) Looks Like
Young adult titles that look at adult themes, fantasy and magic, while Nichole Perkins gives us an anthology of essays inspired by Prince and more.
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The Root Presents: It’s Lit! Revisits In Search of The Color Purple
Nearly 40 years after Alice Walker’s seminal work sparked controversy, we revisit our conversation about the pivotal novel with scholar Salamishah Tillet.
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As the 40th Anniversary of The Color Purple Nears, Alice Walker Gets Candid About Cancellation
The revered, occasionally reclusive and controversial author grants a rare interview to the Banished podcast.
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Yes, a Black Woman Is Directing Film Adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower—Which Is Timely and Relevant AF
Garrett Bradley (Time, Naomi Osaka) will helm the film based on the novel addressing climate change and social inequality.
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Wanna Hear a Story…Based on Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred? Janicza Bravo to Direct Upcoming FX TV Show Pilot
The Zola director will also executive produce the pilot adaptation, with newcomer Mallori Johnson starring.
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Misha Green Shares What Could've Been for Multi-Emmy-Nominated Lovecraft Country, Which Was Canceled
The show creator took to Twitter to share details of the hypothetical second season, which would’ve been dubbed Lovecraft Country: Supremacy.
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Take a Look, It's in a MasterClass Book—LeVar Burton's Storytelling Rainbow!
LeVar Burton joins MasterClass to teach ‘The Power of Storytelling,’ referencing his own career journey.
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'It’s a Cautionary Tale of What Happens if You Don’t Get Free': The Root Presents: It’s Lit! Talks The Secret Lives of Church Ladies With Deesha Philyaw
Amid a year with very few things to celebrate, one of its most celebrated books was Deesha Philyaw’s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. To date, the short story collection has been a 2020 National Book Award finalist, won the 2020 Story Prize, a 2020 L.A. Times Book Prize for first fiction, and the 2021…
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Roxane Gay Is Launching Her Own Imprint at Grove Atlantic
If you’ve been hungry for more work from Roxane Gay, you are soon to be sated. Via a press release provided to The Root, publisher Grove Atlantic has entered into a partnership with the bestselling author of Hunger, Bad Feminist, Difficult Women and other incredible works (as well as meriting her own MasterClass) to form…
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'The Truth Often Gives Fiction a Run for Its Money': The Root Presents: It’s Lit Talks Justice and Romance Novels With Stacey Abrams
Spring is in full swing and a mask-free life is on the horizon—are you feeling that new energy yet? Here at The Root Presents: It’s Lit!, we’re feeling kinda new ourselves, with a new logo that reflects this writer’s new solo status as host of The Root’s literary podcast (we’ll miss you, Danielle!). If you…