05/2009

The New Black Memoir: An Interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates
A New ‘Toon: Robert Truillo on graphic artist Dawud Anyabwile
Every Woman: An Interview with Goretti Kyomuhendo

The New Black Memoir: An Interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates
by Abdul Ali
When Ta-Nehisi Coates sat down to write The Beautiful Struggle, he broke new ground for young memoirists whose work challenge what a black story can be in this contemporary moment where a black male can conceivably top the New York Times bestselling list and be President of the United States at the same time.

Excerpt
The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coayes

A New ‘Toon: Robert Truillo on graphic artist Dawud Anyabwile
I discovered Dawud Anyabwile’s work about two years ago while researching illustrations that were representative of African Americans and Latinos in contemporary comics and graphic novels.

Every Woman: An Interview with Goretti Kyomuhendo
by Beatrice Lamwaka
Ugandan writer Goretti Kyomuhendo is one of the founding members of FEMRITE, the Ugandan Women Writers’ Association and Publishing House where she worked as the programme coordinator for ten years (1997-2007). FEMRITE was created out of a belief that gender-defined support is essential to developing new voices.

Excerpt
Waiting: A Novel of Uganda at War by Goretti Kyomuhendo

Junot’s Oscar
An Interview with Junot Diaz by Alison Isaac
When Junot Díaz published his first book, Drown, it was met with critical acclaim from countless media sources. Described as “mesmerizingly honest,” “powerful” and “convincing,” Díaz’s work has been published in The New Yorker, GQ, The Paris Review and African Voices (among others).