literature
-
'Writing to Make a Difference in This World,' Roxane Gay Launches a MasterClass
“You don’t need to be brave when you’re writing; you need to acknowledge that you’re terrified—and do it anyway,” so says author-educator-activist Roxane Gay, who has arguably produced some of the bravest writing of the past decade. Whether deconstructing (and humorously challenging) what it means to be a feminist in Bad Feminist, or plumbing the…
-
The Root Jams Weekly (9/25/2020): 'It's Lit'
Today, The Root launches its new weekly podcast, “It’s Lit,” that centers Black literature and will feature some of the culture’s best and brightest authors. The podcast is hosted by The Root’s editor-in-chief, Danielle Belton, and The Glow Up’s managing editor, Maiysha Kai. To celebrate the launch, we’re dropping a playlist full of our favorite…
-
The Difference Between a ‘Karen’ and a ‘Becky,’ Explained
Merriam-Webster defines “Becky” as “a white woman who is ignorant of both her privilege and her prejudice.”
-
Colin Kaepernick Launches Book Publishing Company, Reveals Plans to Release Memoir in 2020
I’ve said for a while now that I can’t wait to read the inevitable Colin Kaepernick memoir about the trials and tribulations he’s faced throughout his life, and apparently the exiled quarterback can no longer wait, either. Variety reports that the untitled memoir will be released sometime this year as part of a multi-project deal…
-
Ta-Nehisi Coates Announces The Water Dancer Book Tour
After attempting to deliver us all from evil with the beautifully written Between the World and Me, and his essay collection, We Were Eight Years in Power, award-winning author Ta-Nehisi Coates—who arguably may be the greatest essayist of our time—is veering into fiction to anoint us all with his debut novel, The Water Dancer, on…
-
A New Toni Morrison Documentary Gives the World’s Greatest Living Writer Her Flowers, and Plants New Seeds
Toni Morrison had to figure out a way to talk to Muhammad Ali. It was the mid-’70s and at the time, she was his editor, tasked with bringing his autobiography to the world. But Ali wouldn’t speak to her—deferring instead to whatever man was in the room. Her longtime friend, author and activist Angela Davis,…
-
Phenomenal Woman: Maya Angelou’s Legacy Will Be Adapted for the Stage
The miraculous life and words of Maya Angelou are being made into a one-woman show that producers hope to bring to Broadway, Deadline reports. Her only son, Guy Johnson, is working on the project, which is being led by Angelou’s former representative David Michael Rich and Hollywood and Broadway producer J. Todd Harris. Maya Angelou—recipient…
-
Thespian Heaven: Phylicia Rashad and André Holland to Perform Toni Morrison at New York City's 92Y
This is a trio that needs to go on tour: On May 23, one of the most coveted tickets of the New York City theatrical season won’t be for any Broadway show, but for famed cultural center 92Y (not to be confused with the YMCA), which will host acclaimed actors Phylicia Rashad and André Holland…