Podcasts about Danzy Senna

James and Melissa discuss Danzy Senna's Colored Television through themes of categorization, integrity, and a brief detour into American Girl Doll lore.Join us next month for Great Big Beautiful Life, our annual return to Emily Henry.

Author Danzy Senna unpacks the struggles of her protagonist to write the quintessential biracial comedy, in her newest (and very meta) novel Colored Television; filmmaker Penny Lane discusses her latest documentary Confessions of a Good Samaritan, which follows her personal quest to donate one of her kidneys to a stranger; and Brazilian rock duo Johnny Franco and His Real Brother Dom perform "We Used to Be Awesome." Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some kind acts from strangers. 

Melissa and James discuss Casey McQuiston's The Pairing through themes of self-discovery, relationships, and cross-cultural encounters. Spiciness warning for the book itself!Join us next month for Colored Television by Danzy Senna.

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 294 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Knitting in Passing In my Travels Events Contest, News & Notes Ask Me Anything On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Stitched by Jessalu Find Stitched by Jessalu at the Fiber Witch Festival Marketplace: April 12-13 in Salem, MA. The Market is 11a-5p Sat & Sunday and market tickets are still available. Pre-purchase or tickets will be available at the door for either day. The 3-5 slot each day is free, so go find Jess and her beautiful bags there!   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Aila's Daisy Socks Yarn: On The Round Nimble Sock (85%/15% SW Merino/Nylon) in the Forage colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 & US 2 Progress: Cast on 60 sts. Worked 1x1 ribbing. Increased up to 64 sts. Switched to US 2 needles for colorwork.  Then decreased back to 60 sts shortly after, a few rows later back to 56 sts. Knit about 2 inches before turning the heels.   How Time Flies Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the How Time Flies Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About the yarn- cream base with pink, green. January 2024 Yarnable Colorway: Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Cold Goat Farm Spinning Project Fiber: Cold Goats Farm; believe it is a merino/mohair batt (8oz) in a natural, undyed cream color Ravelry Project Page Twist direction: singles = Z plied = S This means when I'm spinning, my wheel is spinning clockwise and when plying my wheel is moving counter-clockwise. Progress: 3rd bobbin done and onto the 4th. This is the batt that never ends!   Calendula Christmas Quilt Pattern: Calendula Quilt by Elena Fedotova available on Ravelry for $7.50 US. Yarn: Big Twist Value Solids in Ivory, Deep Red, Varsity Green, Aqua, Medium Rose, Gray Hook:  G (4.0 mm) Ravelry Project Page granny squares- 1 color or 2 (colors on each half a diagonal) I used Canva to help me figure out color placement to extend out the quilt pattern. I am seaming squares using the Mattress Stitch. I started working on this after being inspired by NDJen04's video about her scrappy blanket- you can find that find on YouTube. I had the 2 color (on the diagonal) granny square memorized but totally forgot how to do those. Here's a helpful video I found that helped refresh my memory. Goal: 6 per week Progress: I am still ahead of schedule!   Some Bunny Loves You Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Some Bunny Loves You Colorway (Yarnable April 2023 colorway) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page About the colorway- cream base with speckles of purple, blue, rust. Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link   Inclinations Cowl Inclinations Cowl by Andrea Mowry ($7.00 Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry & her website. Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) Yarn: 2 skeins of handspun Color A: Fiber Addict Designs 100% Merino in the Wild Plum Colorway- Ravelry link. Color B: Candombe, I think the fiber is from Malabrigo- Ravelry link. My Ravelry Project Page Living in my FearLESS Living Fund bag from Stitched by Jessalu. Bags are still available! Check them out.   Dinosaur T-Rex and Pterodactyl Pattern: Dinosaur T-Rex and Pterodactyl by Anita Suriaa- $5.99 crochet pattern on Ravelry Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Worsted Hook: 2.5 mm Progress: I've made T-Rex head and body.   Brainstorming   T Jaik flower crochet patterns- check them out on Ravelry. They are so realistic I didn't think they were actually crochet photos! Teddy Bear Eyeglasses holder by Tanya Naser-  free crochet pattern available on Ravelry. Eme's Very Hungry Caterpillar Socks   From the Armchair The Crash by Freida McFadden.  Amazon Affiliate Link. Colored Television by Danzy Senna.  Amazon Affiliate Link. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai. Amazon Affilitate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Knitting in Passing On Wed night before music rehearsal Megg asked me to help her cast on a Love Bug with Bernat Blanket to practice for school. (free crochet pattern on Ravelry). Yarn has a lot of twist, got all tangly and we stayed after to untangle it together while other cast members performed on stage. On the first night of rehearsal one of my cast-mates asked about my knitting and through that conversation we figured out we've worked together before. She was the choreographer when I was in a production of Crazy for You at a local community college when I was in high school. I wore my Aurealis sweater (Ravelry Project Page) one night to music rehearsal and my friend Deana complimented it and I told her I knit it! Laura's sock drawer! How gorgeous is this?   In My Travels Vegas trip for BOSS Reseller Remix & FearLESS Living Fund 2025 Awards We gave away 2 $5,000 scholarships Mom's friend Crystal got a fearless tattoo on her arm. We enjoyed visiting the Sphere to see the Postcards from Earth documentary. We checked out the Bellagio Conservatory for their beautiful display of Easter decor/flowers. Knitting at craps table with Jeff. The manager told me he doesn't see many firsts anymore but I was the first person he'd ever seen knitting in a casino before. He came back a few minutes later asking what I was making- definitely intrigued. It took until the last day- walking through New York New York to find Wizard of Oz slots Mom loved best. It was obviously a bittersweet trip. Ryan Wilson said it best when he said before talking about 2 winners- in some ways this is the most important year because its the first one without Mom and we're still doing it. If you want to see the awards presentation, here's a link to video on my YouTube channel.   Boston Public Market Fiber Fest- Sunday March 23 from 10a-5p. Free Admission Megg, Riley and I went in the morning. Riley wore her crocheted flowered top (Ravelry Project Page). I wore my Aurealis (Ravelry Project Page)- finally got good FO photos for my Project Pages. I purchased punch needle coasters for my car cup holders from Gina the Botina We also purchased mini skeins from 2 makers- that I sent home with Riley East Coast Yarn Co Wild Violet Fibers Riley picked out a delicious cinnamon roll from Union Square Donuts that we shared. Megg got some cute crafty projects for her kids for Easter/graduations.   Events   Fiber Marketplace- April 5th at the Union Bluff Hotel in York, Maine (kick off party on the 4th at the Yarn Sellar store) Fiber Witch Festival: April 11-13 in Salem, MA Gore Place Sheep Sheering Festival- Saturday April 26 from 10a-5p in Waltham, MA. Connecticut Sheep & Wool: Saturday April 26 from 9a-4p in North Haven, CT Yarncentrick: May 2 in Fredrick, MD Maryland Sheep & Wool: May 3 & 4 in West Friendship, MD New Hampshire Sheep and Wool:  May 10-11 in Deerfield, NH Sheep & Wool Festival at Coggeshall Farm: May 17 in Bristol, RI Massachusetts Sheep & Wool Festival- May 24 & 25 in Cummington, MA   Contest, News & Notes   I heard about GoSadi in Vogue Knitting email. Have you heard of it?   Ask Me Anything Instagram- Knitbakecook- Do you ever have crafting slumps? If so, how do you overcome them? Yes! Sometimes it helps just to lean into that, don't pressure yourself and then lean back in when you get the urge. More often, what works best is to start something new (or pick back up something that is exciting you). Ideally something small like a hat or a toy so you get that dopamine hit of finishing something fun to get those creative juices flowing. Search your Ravelry favorite or queue, browse Instagram or Pinterest and let yourself day dream a little. Creative time should be fun so find the fun and you'll be excited to get back into things. Instagram- ndoyal- When are you coming to the PNW?! I am planning to go to Flock in August. Instagram- nukerklein- Have you been or are you planning to go to VT Sheep & Wool in the fall? This year it's October 4-5 (Dad's birthday- so likely not this year) Check out this vlog from 2024 trip to VT Sheep & Wool. NDoyal- Dates for Splash Pad Sunday June 1 through Thursday July 31st. Would folks be interested if we did Zoom events Sunday 6/1?   On a Happy Note St. Patrick's Day at my cousin's. Emelie "cutting" my hair. Lea made us acrylic pieces with Mom's funeral flowers in them. Keychain, bottle opener and bookmark Riley sleepover- Sample sale (bought matching PJs). Silly pics in the closet before bed. Ushering for Rent at The Company Theatre. Addams Family Musical and Lolita with Megg Dinner with Liz My favorite massage therapist is back at Massage Envy Bike riding with Dan Dinner out at a local Italian place for a friend's birthday. Thrifting and finally watching Kiss Me Kate (movie) with Megg   Quote of the Week One of the pleasures of getting older is that one can get so much nearer to one's own people, and that the dear ones of them become dearer all the time. –Willa Cather   ------ Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

Liz and Sarah are answering all of your questions! What advice do they have for someone new to Hollywood given the state of the industry? Do they receive residuals from TV shows they’ve worked on? What is their opinion about the ongoing legal conflict between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni? Do Jack and Violet listen to the podcast? They discuss all these and more! If you want to see videos of Liz and Sarah answering even more questions every Saturday, sign up for their free weekly Substack newsletter at happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com. Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s newsletter at happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com. Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Side Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/ LINKS: All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert: https://amzn.to/4grtUHy Show Don’t Tell: Stories by Curtis Sittenfeld: https://amzn.to/4jJXJ9q Colored Television: A Novel by Danzy Senna: https://amzn.to/40LcTlS White Lotus Season 3 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwQRkOK5KC4 Love Is Blind Season 8 trailer: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/love-is-blind-season-8-release-date-news Photo: Aakash Dhage For Unsplash+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revisiting the 2024 Portland Book Festival with the "Deceit and Dark Humor" panel, featuring student readings from Writers in the Schools.

Author and psychotherapist Farzana Doctor shares the books that helped shape her as a person and as a writer; Danzy Senna opens up about her novel and GMA Book Club pick Colored Television; Nashlyn Lloyd on taking inspiration from The Creative Act by Rick Rubin; how not to be a bad husband with Ravi Singh; and the one book Jean Mills loves to re-read on this episode of The Next Chapter.Books discussed on this week's show include:Aurat Durbar: Writings by Women of South Asian Origin edited by Fauzia RafiqueGod Loves Hair by Vivek ShrayaMullahs on the Mainframe: Islam and Modernity among the Daudi Bohras by Jonah BlankThe Marrow Thieves by Cherie DimalineInfinite Audition by Charlie PetchThe Creative Act by Rick RubenThe Shell Seekers by Rosamunde PilcherAutopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renee LavoieThree by DA MishaniSee Now Then by Jamaica Kinkaid

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the presidency and post-presidential life of Jimmy Carter; the infighting of Elon Musk v. MAGA; and the possibilities of citizens' assemblies with The New Yorker's Nick Romeo. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: John Dickerson for CBS Mornings: John Dickerson on Jimmy Carter's legacy and a life shaped by faith CBS News: From the archives: Jimmy Carter becomes first president to walk in inaugural parade to White House and WGAL: Harrisburg, 1979: Jimmy Carter visits TMI after partial meltdown  Sam Stein and Jonathan Alter for The Bulwark: Jimmy Carter was a misunderstood President. Here's Why. and His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life by Jonathan Alter Stephen Hess for The Brookings Institution: Jimmy Carter: Why He Failed Todd S. Purdum for The Atlantic: Jimmy Carter Was America's Most Effective Former President and Gal Beckerman: What Made Jimmy Carter Such a Strange President Andrew Prokop for Vox: Elon Musk is on a collision course with Stephen Miller Jonathan Edwards for The Washington Post: MAGA is fighting a ‘civil war' over H-1B visas. Here's what they are. Nick Romeo for The New Yorker: What Could Citizens' Assemblies Do For American Politics? History.com: Ancient Greek Democracy and Simon Hornblower for Britannica: The reforms of Cleisthenes   Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab Bürgerrat: Citizens' assemblies worldwide Here are this week's chatters: Emily: Caucasia: A Novel and Colored Television by Danzy Senna and A Complete Unknown from Searchlight Pictures John: Event Santa Cruz: Dock Ellis No-No Cocktail at Brophy's – Carmel; Patrick Hruby for ESPN: The Long, Strange Trip of Dock Ellis: Meet The Man Behind Baseball's Most Psychedelic Myth.; and Paul Geisler Jr. for the Society for American Baseball Research: Dock Ellis  David: Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story from National Geographic and Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome and Fatherland: A Novel by Robert Harris  Listener chatter from Lawrence in Bowling Green, Ohio: Rhiannon Giddens for Silkroad: American Railroad: A Musical Journey of Reclamation  For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David discuss what President Joe Biden should do in his final two weeks in the Oval Office. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with David Greenberg about his new biography, John Lewis: A Life.  Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jared Downing Research by Julie Huygen Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz Follow @SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the presidency and post-presidential life of Jimmy Carter; the infighting of Elon Musk v. MAGA; and the possibilities of citizens' assemblies with The New Yorker's Nick Romeo. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: John Dickerson for CBS Mornings: John Dickerson on Jimmy Carter's legacy and a life shaped by faith CBS News: From the archives: Jimmy Carter becomes first president to walk in inaugural parade to White House and WGAL: Harrisburg, 1979: Jimmy Carter visits TMI after partial meltdown  Sam Stein and Jonathan Alter for The Bulwark: Jimmy Carter was a misunderstood President. Here's Why. and His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life by Jonathan Alter Stephen Hess for The Brookings Institution: Jimmy Carter: Why He Failed Todd S. Purdum for The Atlantic: Jimmy Carter Was America's Most Effective Former President and Gal Beckerman: What Made Jimmy Carter Such a Strange President Andrew Prokop for Vox: Elon Musk is on a collision course with Stephen Miller Jonathan Edwards for The Washington Post: MAGA is fighting a ‘civil war' over H-1B visas. Here's what they are. Nick Romeo for The New Yorker: What Could Citizens' Assemblies Do For American Politics? History.com: Ancient Greek Democracy and Simon Hornblower for Britannica: The reforms of Cleisthenes   Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab Bürgerrat: Citizens' assemblies worldwide Here are this week's chatters: Emily: Caucasia: A Novel and Colored Television by Danzy Senna and A Complete Unknown from Searchlight Pictures John: Event Santa Cruz: Dock Ellis No-No Cocktail at Brophy's – Carmel; Patrick Hruby for ESPN: The Long, Strange Trip of Dock Ellis: Meet The Man Behind Baseball's Most Psychedelic Myth.; and Paul Geisler Jr. for the Society for American Baseball Research: Dock Ellis  David: Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story from National Geographic and Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome and Fatherland: A Novel by Robert Harris  Listener chatter from Lawrence in Bowling Green, Ohio: Rhiannon Giddens for Silkroad: American Railroad: A Musical Journey of Reclamation  For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David discuss what President Joe Biden should do in his final two weeks in the Oval Office. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with David Greenberg about his new biography, John Lewis: A Life.  Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jared Downing Research by Julie Huygen Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz Follow @SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the presidency and post-presidential life of Jimmy Carter; the infighting of Elon Musk v. MAGA; and the possibilities of citizens' assemblies with The New Yorker's Nick Romeo. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: John Dickerson for CBS Mornings: John Dickerson on Jimmy Carter's legacy and a life shaped by faith CBS News: From the archives: Jimmy Carter becomes first president to walk in inaugural parade to White House and WGAL: Harrisburg, 1979: Jimmy Carter visits TMI after partial meltdown  Sam Stein and Jonathan Alter for The Bulwark: Jimmy Carter was a misunderstood President. Here's Why. and His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life by Jonathan Alter Stephen Hess for The Brookings Institution: Jimmy Carter: Why He Failed Todd S. Purdum for The Atlantic: Jimmy Carter Was America's Most Effective Former President and Gal Beckerman: What Made Jimmy Carter Such a Strange President Andrew Prokop for Vox: Elon Musk is on a collision course with Stephen Miller Jonathan Edwards for The Washington Post: MAGA is fighting a ‘civil war' over H-1B visas. Here's what they are. Nick Romeo for The New Yorker: What Could Citizens' Assemblies Do For American Politics? History.com: Ancient Greek Democracy and Simon Hornblower for Britannica: The reforms of Cleisthenes   Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab Bürgerrat: Citizens' assemblies worldwide Here are this week's chatters: Emily: Caucasia: A Novel and Colored Television by Danzy Senna and A Complete Unknown from Searchlight Pictures John: Event Santa Cruz: Dock Ellis No-No Cocktail at Brophy's – Carmel; Patrick Hruby for ESPN: The Long, Strange Trip of Dock Ellis: Meet The Man Behind Baseball's Most Psychedelic Myth.; and Paul Geisler Jr. for the Society for American Baseball Research: Dock Ellis  David: Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story from National Geographic and Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome and Fatherland: A Novel by Robert Harris  Listener chatter from Lawrence in Bowling Green, Ohio: Rhiannon Giddens for Silkroad: American Railroad: A Musical Journey of Reclamation  For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David discuss what President Joe Biden should do in his final two weeks in the Oval Office. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with David Greenberg about his new biography, John Lewis: A Life.  Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jared Downing Research by Julie Huygen Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz Follow @SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special holiday episode, Megan presents her favorite interviews of 2024, featuring Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television (Riverhead), and J. Drew Lanham, author of Joy Is the Justice We Give Ourselves (Hub City Press).

Pity the novelist. In a year which brought us the unbelievable non-fiction of a second Trump victory and the establishment of Luigi Mangione as an American folk hero, what can novelists do to stretch our imagination? But according to the LA Times literary critic, Bethanne Patrick, novelists do, indeed, still have something to tell us. And to make her case, she discusses her five favorite works of fiction of 2024 from masterful novelists like Percival Everett, Yael van der Wouden and Danzy Senna. Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Bethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 followers. Her work appears frequently in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Washington Post, NPR Books, and Literary Hub. She sits on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and has served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. She is the host of the Missing Pages podcast.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Author Danzy Senna unpacks the struggles of her protagonist to write the quintessential biracial comedy, in her newest (and very meta) novel Colored Television; filmmaker Penny Lane discusses her latest documentary Confessions of a Good Samaritan, which follows her personal quest to donate one of her kidneys to a stranger; and Brazilian rock duo Johnny Franco and His Real Brother Dom perform "We Used to Be Awesome." Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some kind acts from strangers. 

In Episode 184, Susie (@NovelVisits) and I close out the year with our Best Books of 2024 Genre Awards. We reveal our Overall Best Books (Fiction and Nonfiction) and our full breakdown by genre, including: Best Literary Fiction, Best Romance, Best Brain Candy, Best Genre Mash-Up, and more! Plus, we're sharing the winners for these same genres as chosen by the Sarah's Bookshelves Live Patreon community! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Announcements My 2025 Reading Tracker is out! Plus, this year we've added another option — a LITE Tracker. Once again, the Tracker is ONLY available to Superstars patrons (i.e., no longer available as a separate purchase for $14.99 here on my website). Also, to avoid Apple's 30% fee, be sure to join directly from Patreon's site, mobile or desktop. Become a Superstars Patron here! Instructions for how to give an SBL Patreon membership as a gift. Highlights Podcast reflections from 2024 — including top episodes based on download stats. A brief overview of Susie's and Sarah's 2024 year in reading. Our favorite books of the year: overall and by genre, including the SBL Patreon Community's picks. 2024 Genre Awards [16:45] Sarah Leaving by Roxana Robinson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:52] Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [21:21] Anna Bright is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [24:12] The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [28:42] The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [32:26] JFK Jr. by RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:25] Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:42] How To End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [46:11] Real Americans by Rachel Khong | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [50:46] Victim by Andrew Boryga | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [57:26] The God of the Woods by Liz Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [59:40] Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:04:24] Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:07:09] Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:08:47] Susie Wolf at the Table by Adam Rapp | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:59] Sandwich by Catherine Newman | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [22:05] Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:42] What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:43] The Women by Kristin Hannah | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [33:41] The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [38:16] One Day I'll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Woman by Abi Maxwell | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [41:47] Funny Story by Emily Henry | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [47:23] Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [51:54] The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [54:02] The Husbands by Holly Gramazio | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [58:18] Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:00:14] Perris, California by Rachel Stark | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:02:44] Liars by Sarah Manguso | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:05:18] Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:07:09] Patrons James by Percival Everett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [19:55] Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:43] The God of the Woods by Liz Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:16] The Women by Kristin Hannah | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:35] The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:10] Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten | Amazon | Bookshop.org[43:33] Funny Story by Emily Henry | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:59] Annie Bot by Sierra Greer | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [53:28] The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [56;10] You Like It Darker by Stephen King | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [56:39] Victim by Andrew Boryga | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:58] Twenty-Four Seconds From Now by Jason Reynolds | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:01:54] Piglet by Lottie Hazzell | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:03:22] The Husbands by Holly Gramazio | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:06:16] Other Books Mentioned Mercury by Amy Jo Burns [20:10] Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout [20:13] All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker [20:27] The Wedding People by Alison Espach [20:37] We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman [22:17] Bad Blood by John Carreyrou [24:27] She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey [24:40] Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford [28:10] A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey [28:23] Good Material by Dolly Alderton [28:27] The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz [28:57] Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra [31:55] The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean [32:00] Worst Case Scenario by T. J. Newman [32:05] Falling by T. J. Newman [32:20] Drowning by T. J. Newman [32:21] The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali [36:03] Spare by Prince Harry [37:20] The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt [40:00] Challenger by Adam Higginbotham [40:28] The Wives by Simone Gorrindo [44:46] Sociopath by Patric Gagne, Ph.D. [45:09] Consent by Jill Ciment [45:15] The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop [45:21] Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley [45:31] One Way Back by Christine Blasey Ford [45:34] Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner [45:43] There's Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib [45:48] People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry [47:10] Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez [48:51] The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center [48:59] Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood [49:02] Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan [49:34] Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell [49:44] The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard [53:47] The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown [56:12] Bride by Ali Hazelwood [56:27] Diavola by Jennifer Thorne [57:06] We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer [57:11] Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller [59:17] Colored Television by Danzy Senna [59:22] I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue [59:27] We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay by Gary Janneti [59:35] There There by Tommy Orange [1:00:27] Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez [1:01:40] When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson [1:01:59] Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar [1:03:35] Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen [1:03:56] How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica [1:04:11] The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden [1:04:21] Bear by Julia Phillips [1:06:18] The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley [1:06:25] The Fury by Alex Michaelides [1:06:51] The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff [1:08:10] Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver [1:10:27] Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin [1:10:28] Top Podcast Episodes [4:40] Ep. 158: Best Books of 2023 Genre Awards with Susie (@NovelVisits) Ep. 160: The Best Backlist Books We Read in 2023 with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) Ep. 159: Winter 2024 Book Preview with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) Ep. 157: Best Books of 2023 Superlatives with Susie (@NovelVisits) Ep. 164: Winter 2024 Circle Back with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) Ep. 163: Classics & Retellings 101 with Sara Hildreth (@FictionMatters) Ep. 156: 2023 State of the Industry with Sarah Landis (Literary Agent) Ep. 162: BookTok 101 with Leigh Stein (Author & Journalist) Ep. 178: Behind the Scenes of Amazon's Best Books Lists with Al Woodworth, Senior Editor & Manager of Amazon Books Editorial Ep. 179: From Corporate America to Indie Bookstore Owner with Gayle Weiswasser (Co-Founder of Wonderland Books) Ep. 167: Circling Back to 2018 in Books with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide)

Danzy Senna's 'Colored Television' is a dark comedy that explores issues of parenting, art, Hollywood, real estate and the racial-identity industrial complex. There's really not a single aspect of modern life that escapes the author's critical eye or searing wit.

It's getting cold, the election season has been busy, and we're reading books all over the map. Sam's on a philosophical bent and just saw "The Wild Robot"; Hannah's mildly unprepared, but rallies. All told, we tackle: - "The Other Valley," by Scott Alexander Howard, which explores regret, but has some weird world-building.  - "Blood Test," by Charles Baxter, who you should know, and has penned a story about a blood test for propensity for murder.  - "Interview with the Vampire," by Anne Rice, which holds up great and is not an easy book and engages with serious philosophical questions.  - "Colored Television," by Danzy Senna, about middled-aged artists who get to pretend to be rich and make bad choices.  - "The Wild Robot," by Peter Brown, which we talk about mostly because Sam saw the movie. It's not as good as the book. Shocker! And then we finish up with some Christmas stuff because Matt Tavares is coming to the Farms on Dec. 7, which will be great. 

Danzy Senna has written a seriously funny and thought provoking book in Colored Television. It will make you laugh, but also make space for anger, pain and frustration as she skewers race, Hollywood, authentic voice, the publishing industry, the Kardashians, navel gazing, philosophy….you name it, there is satire in this book for everyone. Great writing and a great conversation with the author. We are also joined for our fourth writer in residence conversation with J. Ryan Stradal. He tells us why he is working so hard on the first draft of his new novel. Join us.  Books mentioned in this week's podcast: Colored Television by Danzy Senna Caucasia by Danzy Senna New People by Danzy Senna You are Free: Stories by Danzy Senna Where did you Sleep Last Night by Danzy Senna David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee Colours of the Mountain by Da Chen The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Beloved by Tony Morrison The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Show Notes and Links to Porochista Khanpour's Work   For Episode 258, Pete welcomes Porochista Khakpour, and the two discuss, among other topics, her harrowing departure from Iran to the US at a young age, her voracious reading and writing and storytelling, amazing life experiences that have fed her writing, her love of contemporary stan culture and KPop, how her latest book's release is different, seeds for Tehrangeles, modern wellness and conspiracy theory cultures, her experiences with the real Tehrangeles, the role of the outsider as a writer, and so much about themes and topics related to her novel, like celebrity worship, assimilation, cancel culture, and racism.      Porochista Khakpour was born in Tehran and raised in the greater Los Angeles area. She is the critically acclaimed author of two previous novels, Sons and Other Flammable Objects and The Last Illusion; a memoir, Sick; and a collection of essays, Brown Album. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bookforum, Elle, and many other publications. Her latest book is Tehrangeles. She lives in New York City.   Buy Tehrangeles  Porochista's Official Website Porochista's Wikipedia Page “Writing Iranian America…”-2020 Interview from Columbia Journal   At about 1:45: Pete gets the wrong vegetable in remembering his first exposure to Porochista's excellent work   At about 2:45, Porochista talks about the year in publishing and the ways in which this year's tragedies have been in juxtaposition to careful and affectionate feedback for her novel   At about 7:30, Porochista and Pete discuss some politicians' cowardice and Porochsta's book as a “weird distraction”   At about 10:20, Pete asks Porochista about writing satire in an increasingly off-its-hinges world   At about 13:20, Porochista talks about the 1%, richest of the richest, and how “this sort of madness of wealthy people during the beginning of the pandemic”   At about 15:10, Porochsta gives background on the acquisition of her novel    At about 17:25, The two highlight Danzy Senna's great work   At about 18:20, Porochista cites examples of “dark humor” that at times run through Persian cultures    At about 20:10, Porochista reflects on the idea of “perpetual outsiders” and the effect on writing   At about 21:40, Porochista details her family's fleeing Iran and the traumas and memories that came with her odyssey to arriving in the US   At about 24:30, Porochista traces the way that Iran was often viewed by Americans at the time in which her family arrived in the US   At about 25:15, Porochista responds to Pete's questions about her early reading and writing and language life, both in English and Persian    At about 31:45,    At about 32:50, Porochista talks about she's been described as a “maximalist” and the connection to Persian as her first language   At about 34:35, Porochista talks about representation in the texts she read growing up and her early love of particular works that allowed her to learn about the Western canon in order to enjoy it and resist it   At about 37:30, Porochista charts her reading journey from Faulkner to Morrison to Sartre to the Beat Poets and describes her self-designed silent book reading “retreat”   At about 40:20, Porochista describes her reading and writing as responses to her life experiences and her identity revolving around writing   At about 41:35, Porochista describes transformative and formative texts and mentors and her time at Sarah Lawrence College and Oxford   At about 43:50, Porochista talks about the ways in which her reading was affected by how women writers are often limited, and how this connects to her seeking out adventure and life experience in living as a writer, including her going to William Faulkner Country   At about 49:45, The two make appreciations of James Joyce's work    At about 50:55, Porochista makes a case for contemporary writing as comprising a “golden era”   At about 52:00, Pete wonders if and how Porochsta has been influenced by Bret Easton Ellis and David Foster Wallace   At about 54:45, Porochista talks about ways in which Less than Zero and American Psycho and Donna Tartt's work have affected the sensibility of Tehrangeles and especially its ending   At about 59:15, Porochista talks about “dream” casting in case the novel becomes a movie, including Tara Yummy   At about 1:01:00, Porochista talks about the “twisted logic” found on many of the chat rooms/forums she spent time in for book research    At about 1:04:15, Porochista talks about how Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and Alcott's experience informed the writing of Tehrangeles   At about 1:07:55, The two discuss how Shahs of Sunset affected the novel   At about 1:10:00, Porochista explains her rationale in making the book's reality show producers a collective   At about 1:10:45, Porochista responds to Pete's question about the book's epitaphs     At about 1:13:55, Porochista talks about the book's untranslated Persian section and “progress” in people's understanding   At about 1:15:20, Pete cites and quotes the book's opening litany and the exposition of Book I   At about 1:16:20, Porochista describes a raucous scene where Roxana, a main character, goes through a “zodiac reassignment”   At about 1:17:50, Porochista digs into Roxana's “Secret”   At about 1:19:10, The two lament Kanye West's horrible recent behavior and other misogynists and abusers, in connection with the setting of the book   At about 1:22:30, The two discuss the world of influencers and their effect on younger generations in line with the characters of the book   At about 1:24:20, Pete recounts the Milani family members and their views of the    At about 1:26:00, Porochista recounts inspiration for Violet's sweets diet from an interview with Momofuku's Christina Tosi and Porochista's time at Sarah Lawrence   At about 1:28:00, The two discuss Violet's experience with a racist and demeaning model shoot that plays on her Iranian heritage    At about 1:29:30, Porochista reflects on Tehrangeles culture and its connection to religion    At about 1:30:35, Porochista discusses KPop and “stan culture” and how Mina “found her voice” through these online forums    At about 1:34:20, Porochista talks about purposely focusing on realistic and empathetic portrayals of gender identity    At about 1:38:30, The two discuss Hailey as representative of the intersections between Covid conspiracy theories and racism and “hidden” CA racism and wellness culture   At about 1:40:00, Porochista talks about her own experiences with the “dark wu wu” of the wellness cultures during her own fragile    At about 1:44:00, The two discuss Ali (Al) and his leaving Iran behind and how he seeks Americanization and how he makes his fortune   At about 1:46:15, Porochista likens events of the book, “The World of Al” to the DJ Khaled song    At about 1:48:05, The two discuss Roxana's desire to have a blowout early Covid-era party and how the physical “wings” of the house connect to the sisters' different growing pains and goals and ethics   At about 1:50:40, The two riff on some beautifully absurd scenes in the book, including a pet psychic's appearance    At about 1:51:50, Porochista gives background on deciding to do untranslated Persian in the book and about Homa and the ways she doesn't want to be part of Tehrangeles; also Editor Maria Goldberg Love   At about 1:55:10, Pete asks about the rationale and background for the book's ending using stream of consciousness   At about 1:57:15, Porochista shouts out Golden Hour Books and City of Asylum Books, and other places to buy her book, including Shawnee, Kansas' Seven Stories, run by 17 yr old Halley Vincent   At about 1:59:45, Porochista shouts out the stellar Deep Vellum and Verso and writers like   At about 2:01:05, Porochista talks about exciting upcoming projects    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 259 with Jessica Whipple. Jessica writes for adults and children, and her poetry has been published recently in Funicular, Door Is a Jar, and many more. She has published two children's picture books in 2023: Enough Is… and I Think I Think a Lot.  The episode will air on October 29. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser*This is an abridged version of Traci's live show “One for the Books.” This time, she's joined by two incredible guests, Danzy Senna and Zach Stafford, for a conversation on Danzy's newest book Colored Television, passing narratives, and the word "mulatto". It's an evening filled with big laughs and even bigger questions around what it means to be mixed in America.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2024/10/18/tsu-39-danzy-senna-zach-staffordConnect with Danzy: Facebook | WebsiteConnect with Zach: Instagram | Twitter | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribePurchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Narrator Kristen Ariza lends her expert skills to Danzy Senna's intimate character study. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine's Michele Cobb discuss a story of a professor and struggling writer, Jane. She moves her family near Hollywood, where she meets a producer who wants to make her book into a television show. Jane is a complex character who is often skeptical, and when she is met with the usual difficulties while navigating Hollywood, she becomes even more suspicious. A great listen for fans of contemporary fiction. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile's website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rumaan Alam, author of Entitlement, and Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television, join us live at The Grove to talk about liminal spaces, writing impeccable dialogue, the similarities and differences in their characters and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.  This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.                      New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app   Featured Books (Episode):  Entitlement by Rumaan Alam  Colored Television by Danzy Senna  Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam  Caucasia by Danzy Senna 

Following the false allegations against the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, the city received over 30 bomb threats, saw school closures and even the cancellation of a celebration for diversity in arts and culture. Host Brittany Luse talks to NPR Immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd about what she's learned from her reporting in the region and how all this could tie into a larger Midwest identity crisis.Then, Brittany is joined by Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television, to talk about how she's seen biracial representation change over the last three decades, and what it means to be in the "Not Like Us" era. They dig into her latest novel and its perspective on racial profiteering.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The new novel, "Colored Television" uses fiction and satire to spotlight sensitive and often difficult realities in American life. Jeffrey Brown discussed that with author Danzy Senna for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher talk to Emily Witt about her latest book, Health and Safety: A Breakdown. A personal history that reflects on this past turbulent decade, the book begins right before the election of Donald J. Trump, a time when Witt finds herself ever more drawn to Brooklyn's underground techno music scene. Quitting Wellbutrin in 2012, she'd already started experimenting with psychedelics, but once she's going out dancing all night, her drug use transforms from a focused ritual under the rubric of the vaguely therapeutic to something more like hedonism: a brief accessing of utopia one party at a time. Then she meets a DJ named Andrew who's at the heart of the scene, and the kind of conventional domestic life she thought she was foregoing suddenly comes into focus, before the pandemic and social uprising of 2020 arrive and change everything. Health and Safety is about trying to find different ways to survive, live, and make family, as well as the changing landscape of New York, the ingenuity and creativity of promoters and DJs, and the shaky line between the collective and the individual in a world gone mad. Also, Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television, returns to recommend Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace.

Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher talk to Emily Witt about her latest book, Health and Safety: A Breakdown. A personal history that reflects on this past turbulent decade, the book begins right before the election of Donald J. Trump, a time when Witt finds herself ever more drawn to Brooklyn's underground techno music scene. Quitting Wellbutrin in 2012, she'd already started experimenting with psychedelics, but once she's going out dancing all night, her drug use transforms from a focused ritual under the rubric of the vaguely therapeutic to something more like hedonism: a brief accessing of utopia one party at a time. Then she meets a DJ named Andrew who's at the heart of the scene, and the kind of conventional domestic life she thought she was foregoing suddenly comes into focus, before the pandemic and social uprising of 2020 arrive and change everything. Health and Safety is about trying to find different ways to survive, live, and make family, as well as the changing landscape of New York, the ingenuity and creativity of promoters and DJs, and the shaky line between the collective and the individual in a world gone mad. Also, Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television, returns to recommend Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader we review two new novels that blur the lines between what's real and what's not: Colored Television, by Danzy Senna, and Small Rain, by Garth Greenwell.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new novel, "Colored Television" uses fiction and satire to spotlight sensitive and often difficult realities in American life. Jeffrey Brown discussed that with author Danzy Senna for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Federal Reserve announced a half-a-percentage point cut in interest rates on Wednesday. Mortgage rates had already been falling, but the median home price in LA is $1 million. The attack on Hezbollah, using tampered pagers and walkie-talkies, reveals vulnerabilities in our globalized electronics supply chain. “Colored Television” follows a broke novelist who struggles to write about the mixed race perspective for Hollywood.  Critics review the latest film releases: “The Substance,” “A Different Man,” “In the Summers,” and “The Falling Star.”

Danzy Senna joins The Stacks to discuss her latest novel, Colored Television, a satirical take on one novelist's attempt to leave books behind and strike it rich in Hollywood. Today, Danzy explains why she uses the word "mulatto" in her work, how humor is integral to the mixed experience, and why all her characters make such bad decisions.Don't forget, The Stacks Book Club pick for September is Jazz by Toni Morrison. We will discuss the book on September 25th with Eve Dunbar.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://thestackspodcast.com/2024/09/11/ep-336-danzy-sennaConnect with Danzy: Facebook | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribeSUPPORT THE STACKSJoin The Stacks Pack on PatreonTo support The Stacks and find out more from this week's sponsors, click here.Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Danzy Senna whose new book Colored Television is the latest Good Morning America Book Club pick. They talk about psychics, the Cult of California, author personas, and her writing process. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader, designer Jonathan Adler who shares what he's reading as well as tips to best curate your bookshelf. Check out the Colored Television Spotify PlaylistDanzy Senna is the author of five previous books, including the bestselling Caucasia and, most recently, New People, as well as a memoir. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, she teaches writing at the University of Southern California.Theme song performed by Kyle Sherman Sign up to learn more about OUTspoken at www.weareoutspoken.org Gays Reading is sponsored by Audible. Get a FREE 30-day trial by visiting audibletrial.com/gaysreadingSupport the showWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreadingBOOKS!Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page: https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading MERCH!Purchase your Gays Reading podcast merchandise HERE! https://gaysreading.myspreadshop.com/ FOLLOW!@gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's new memoir, Lovely One, gives us a rare glimpse into her legal mind. And she gets personal about her childhood, marriage and her time as a public defender. Also, we hear from writer Danzy Senna, who writes about the experiences of being biracial in America and the meaning of race itself. Her new novel Colored Television. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's new memoir, Lovely One, gives us a rare glimpse into her legal mind. And she gets personal about her childhood, marriage and her time as a public defender. Also, we hear from writer Danzy Senna, who writes about the experiences of being biracial in America and the meaning of race itself. Her new novel Colored Television. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Kate Wolf talks to Danzy Senna about her latest novel, Colored Television. It follows a writer named Jane Gibson who's finally making headway on her second book, a magnus opus her husband calls the “mulatto War and Peace” that's been nearly a decade in the making. Jane's helped along by her family's stay in the tony, Eastside Los Angeles home of a friend of hers—a former fiction writer who long ago sold out to work in TV. Jane and her husband, Lenny, help themselves to this friend's wine and clothes, and Jane yearns for his financial stability. When her novel is rejected by her agent, she decides to try on his career in Hollywood as well. Colored Television is a hilarious unpacking of class, marriage, race, midlife, exploitation, Los Angeles, and what it takes to be an artist when no one cares about your work. Also, Charlotte Shane, author of An Honest Woman, returns to recommend a trilogy of historical novels by Sharon Kay Penman: Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow, and The Reckoning.

Kate Wolf talks to Danzy Senna about her latest novel, Colored Television. It follows a writer named Jane Gibson who's finally making headway on her second book, a magnus opus her husband calls the “mulatto War and Peace” that's been nearly a decade in the making. Jane's helped along by her family's stay in the tony, Eastside Los Angeles home of a friend of hers—a former fiction writer who long ago sold out to work in TV. Jane and her husband, Lenny, help themselves to this friend's wine and clothes, and Jane yearns for his financial stability. When her novel is rejected by her agent, she decides to try on his career in Hollywood as well. Colored Television is a hilarious unpacking of class, marriage, race, midlife, exploitation, Los Angeles, and what it takes to be an artist when no one cares about your work. Also, Charlotte Shane, author of An Honest Woman, returns to recommend a trilogy of historical novels by Sharon Kay Penman: Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow, and The Reckoning.

The latest novel from author Danzy Senna tells the story of a struggling novelist who seems to land a dream deal with a big streaming network. But as she works with a bigtime producer to develop the "Jackie Robinson of biracial comedies," things start to go horribly wrong. Senna joins us to discuss her novel, Colored Television. Senna will be speaking with Jennifer Egan at the Center for Fiction on Friday evening.

Novelist Danzy Senna spoke with Terry Gross about racial identity, growing up with a Black father and white mother in an era when "mixed-race" wasn't a thing. "Just merely existing as a family was a radical statement at that time," she says. Her new book is Colored Television.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Premier fiction interviewer Elodie Saint-Louis is back in conversation, this time with the amazing Danzy Senna, to talk about Senna's new novel Colored Television.   In this episode, Senna reads from her book, followed by an amazing talk about multicultural identity, Senna's relationship to humor, and who she would choose to soundtrack the novel.   Listen in and then stop by Skylight Books on Wednesday, September 4 to see Senna read in person!   ----------------------------------------------- Produced by Elodie Saint-Louis and Mick Kowaleski Music by Duck the Piano Wire

On our Best September Books episode, Kirkus' editors share their top titles for the month. Then Danzy Senna joins us to discuss her highly anticipated new novel, Colored Television (Riverhead, Sept. 3). “When her second novel hits a wall, a biracial California writer makes a desperate attempt to sta

Novelist Danzy Senna spoke with Terry Gross about racial identity, growing up with a Black father and white mother in an era when "mixed-race" wasn't a thing. "Just merely existing as a family was a radical statement at that time," she says. Her new book is Colored Television.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In fiction and nonfiction, the author Danzy Senna focusses on the experience of being biracial in a nation long obsessed with color lines. Now that Kamala Harris is the Democratic candidate for President, some of Senna's concerns have come to the fore in political life. Donald Trump attacked Harris as a kind of race manipulator, implying that she had been Indian American before becoming Black for strategic purposes.  The claim was bizarre and false, but Senna feels that it reflected a mind-set in white America. “Mixed-race people are sort of up for debate and speculation, and there's a real return to the idea that your appearance is what matters, not what your background is or your identity,” she tells Julian Lucas, who wrote about Senna's work in The New Yorker.  “And if your appearance is unclear to us, then we're going to debate you and we're going to discount you and we're going to accuse you of being an impostor.”  Senna talks about why she describes people like herself and Lucas using the old word “mulatto,” despite its racist etymology. “The word ‘biracial' or ‘multiracial' to me is completely meaningless,” she says, “because I don't know which races were mixing.  And those things matter when we're talking about identity.”  Senna's newest novel, “Colored Television,” follows a literary writer somewhat like herself, trying to find a new career in the more lucrative world of TV.

In fiction and nonfiction, the author Danzy Senna focusses on the experience of being biracial in a nation long obsessed with color lines. Now that Kamala Harris is the Democratic candidate for President, some of Senna's concerns have come to the fore in political life. Donald Trump attacked Harris as a kind of race manipulator, implying that she had been Indian American before becoming Black for strategic purposes.  The claim was bizarre and false, but Senna feels that it reflected a mind-set in white America. “Mixed-race people are sort of up for debate and speculation, and there's a real return to the idea that your appearance is what matters, not what your background is or your identity,” she tells Julian Lucas, who wrote about Senna's work in The New Yorker.  “And if your appearance is unclear to us, then we're going to debate you and we're going to discount you and we're going to accuse you of being an impostor.”  Senna talks about why she describes people like herself and Lucas using the old word “mulatto,” despite its racist etymology. “The word ‘biracial' or ‘multiracial' to me is completely meaningless,” she says, “because I don't know which races were mixing.  And those things matter when we're talking about identity.”  Senna's newest novel, “Colored Television,” follows a literary writer somewhat like herself, trying to find a new career in the more lucrative world of TV.

We're Alone by Edwidge Danticat is a collection of essays that combines personal stories with global themes. Danticat joins us to talk about evolution in storytelling, the role of community in writing, the joy of connection and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.                     New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.           Featured Books (Episode): We're Alone by Edwidge Danticat Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat James by Percival Everett Colored Television by Danzy Senna Caucasia by Danzy Senna

The American novelist draws on her experience growing up in an interracial family in her edgy, prize-winning fiction. Raised with an acute black consciousness, during a time when "'mixed' wasn't an option; you were either black or white," Senna brings an awareness — and astute analysis — of class, race and identity to all her writing. She spoke with Eleanor Wachtel in 2018 about her novel New People and her memoir Where Did You Sleep Last Night? A Personal History.

We have a special edition of The Big Table Podcast on today's episode. Presenting Adaptation, the inaugural event of a new literary salon series and collaboration between USC's Dornsife Experimental Humanities Lab and Soho House. Adaptation will feature conversations between writers and screenwriters discussing the art of adapting books into TV and film. Up first, the Oscar-winning writer-director Cord Jefferson and the USC distinguished professor and novelist Percival Everett. Jefferson adapted Everett's novel Erasure into the Oscar-nominated film, American Fiction, which opened in December 2023. Jefferson went on to win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay a few days after this conversation was recorded. On the episode, Jefferson and Everett discuss the process of taking an experimental and innovative text like Erasure and turning it into something that honors the new form while staying true to the spirit of the original work. This is an initiative of Danzy Senna in collaboration with curator Margot Ross. We thank them both for including us in this incredible new series and for the opportunity to preserve these valuable conversations for posterity. It was a magical night in an intimate room and so we are very glad to be able to share it with a wider audience. MUSIC “I Didn't Know About You” by Thelonious Monk Composed by Bob Russell & Duke Ellington Performed by Thelonious Monk, Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, Ben Riley

Using Lisa Guerrero's 2009 article “Can the Subaltern Shop? The Commodification of Difference in the Bratz Dolls” as a framework, Carrie and Ellie discuss MGA Entertainment's introduction of the Bratz line in 2001 and the alternative vision of femininity and style it offered young girls in the new millennium. Guerrero explores four spaces of critical inquiry: the Bratz' paradoxical investment in racial identities, gender and sexuality politics, the influence of consumerism/commodity culture, and the "street cred" culture that provided white suburban girls a "tourist opportunity of the urban imaginary space." The sisters also contextualize the Bratz line within the y2k emphasis on multiculturalism and the specious understanding of America as a "post-racial society" in the late 20th century. Other topics include the McBling aesthetic, the "browning of America," and (as always) neoliberal postfeminism. Works cited include Danzy Senna's 1998 piece "Mulatto Millennium," Michele Elam's 2011 work The Souls of Mixed Folk: Race, Politics, and Aesthetics in the New Millennium, Molly Rosner's Playing with History: American Identities and Children's Consumer Culture (2021), Walter Johnson's 1996 article “The Strange Story of Alexina Morrison: Race, Sex, and Resistance in Antebellum Louisiana” as well as his 1999 book Soul by Soul: Life Inside the Antebellum Slave Market, and (just barely!) Jill Lepore's 2018 piece in the New Yorker, "Valley of the Dolls: Barbie, Bratz, and the end of originality." Passing narrative films Carrie mentioned were Showboat (1936, 1951), Pinky (1949), and Imitation of Life (1934, 1959).

In this episode we discuss Danzy Senna's first novel, Caucasia. We are in the Unicorn Library with Caucasia by Danzy Senna. This book is part of our June toolkit, please make sure to check out the rest of June's toolkit resources. This stores is told from the perception of Birdie, a white passing mixed-race girl from Boston in the mid-1970's. Birdie and her darker complected older sister Cole are so close they even have their own language. As racial tensions swell in the sister's home time and their parents spilt, the two sisters are separated. Cole goes off with their father (who is black) and Birdie goes with their mother (who is white). The story follows Birdie as she is forced to pass as white while she and her mother are on the run. This heartbreaking and provoking story allows us to ask the hard question about race, identity, and perception. In this episode you'll hear us discuss: Who is Danzy Senna? Seeking parent approval. The dynamics of interracial marriage.  Raising mixed race children. A dive into the identities of the main characters.  Can you love someone when you don't love yourself? What is passing Wanting to be seen What or where or who connects us to our identity  We spend some time in the episode to say Happy Pride!! We also encourage our listeners to support their LGBTQIA2+ family. We then urge you in Getting Mad At The World not to “buy in” to rainbow capitalism.  We end our episode in our Happy Place, hint* Dameca is playing with death, and Dani can't put down the books.  Thanks to Josef Scott of Citizens of Tape City for our theme music and Dollipop Art for our podcast artwork - you can find her on instagram @dollipop.art. We want to hear from you! If you have a question you'd like us to answer or a topic you'd like us to cover on the show, drop us a line at biracialunicorns@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at (505) 585-1808. Like us on facebook or follow us on instagram to join in on the discussion - we're @biracialunicorns. We're now on twitter as @biracialmagic so catch us there too. If you'd like to support the show with some cash money visit us at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/biracialunicorn Please review us wherever you get your podcasts or even better tell your friends to listen. :D Find out more at https://biracialunicorns.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

This month's toolkit we're focusing on identity and appearance. Sometimes your appearance can say a lot about who you are, your history, and your culture but often times for mixed race folx in particular, our appearance may not reflect those things. This month's resources explore some of those ideas. Join us this month (June 2021) or anytime by working through the following resources: Watch: Little White Lies - a documentary by Lacey Schwartz (available with Amazon Prime or various online platforms for rent) Read: Caucasia by Danzy Senna - fiction novel - check your local library Read: When Half is Whole: Learning from the Stories of Multiethnic Asian American Identities by Stephen Murphy-Sigematsu - nonfiction book - check your local library Discuss: Discuss with a family member what your racial /ethnic identity is and what theirs is Thanks to Josef Scott of Citizens of Tape City for our theme music and Dollipop Art for our podcast artwork - you can find her on instagram @dollipop.art. We want to hear from you! If you have a question you'd like us to answer or a topic you'd like us to cover on the show, drop us a line at biracialunicorns@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at (505) 585-1808. Like us on facebook or follow us on instagram to join in on the discussion - we're @biracialunicorns. We're now on twitter as @biracialmagic so catch us there too. If you'd like to support the show with some cash money visit us at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/biracialunicorn Please review us wherever you get your podcasts or even better tell your friends to listen. :D Find out more at https://biracialunicorns.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Friend of the pod, cultural critic, and Northwestern University professor of African American literature Lauren Michele Jackson joins us for our discussion of George Schuyler’s Black No More (1931). If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to read a wacky-ass novel written by a socialist-turned-right-wing nut, have we got the one for you. Schuyler’s novel takes up the story of what might happen if there were a machine that turned black people white (extra-white, in fact) and how various social and political actors would handle it. Spoiler: the KKK doesn’t handle it great. We discuss the terms/objects of satire and whether Schuyler was mostly just being a dick when he wrote this, the notion of the “grift” or confidence scheme, and how the novel puts pressure on “race” as a series of concepts. We read the Penguin edition with an introduction by Danzy Senna. For more context on Schuyler and his contentious relationship with other black writers of the 1920s and ‘30s, you can read Schuyler’s essay “The Negro-Art Hokum” and Langston Hughes’s response, “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.” And, of course, we highly recommend Lauren’s White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue… and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation, published by Beacon Press. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @betterreadpod, and email us nice things at betterreadpodcast@gmail.com. Find Lauren on Twitter @proseb4bros, Tristan @tjschweiger, Katie @katiekrywo, and Megan @tuslersaurus.

A zoom session with Raven Leilani gets us into all sorts of things, from candles to disco to painting to amorality, and how you have to come to the page as though you don't think anyone will read it. Also nail polish. And so much more. Plus, Raven brought us New People by Danzy Senna, which was tense and surprising and similarly casual about breaking and entering. Let's go. contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com music: Disaster Magic (https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when your toddler is a fussy eater? A guide for parents about fussy eating which has been available for over ten years, has just been re-evaluated by 25 mothers. Jenni hears from Amanda, a mother of two daughters, plus one of the academics behind the guide, Claire Farrow, Professor in Children's Eating Behaviour at Aston University, Birmingham. The system of proxy voting for MPs on baby leave is due to expire this summer. Last year, Andrea Leadsom, then Leader of the House of Commons, announced that MPs could take baby leave. Men would get two weeks and women would get six months and they can, if they choose, vote by proxy. So, what is likely to happen now? And what can be done to prevent gender equality in Parliament from being seen as a luxury add-on as the country faces the current health and economic challenges of Covid-19? We hear from Andrea Leadsom MP and Sarah Childs, Professor of Politics and Gender at Royal Holloway, University of London. To everyone else, Terri White appeared to be living the dream. In her thirties, she moved from the UK to New York to edit magazines and went on to become one of Folio's Top Women in US Media. In reality, she was rapidly sliding towards a mental health crisis that would land her in a locked psychiatric ward as her past caught up with her. The now editor-in-chief of Empire magazine describes her time in New York and her traumatic childhood of physical and sexual abuse in a new memoir, 'Coming Undone'. We speak to Dr Janine Bradbury, Senior Lecturer in Literature at York St John University, about the history of 'passing for white' novels and films, many of which offer deeply problematic representations of mixed race women. Books mentioned by Dr Bradbury: The House Behind the Cedars by Charles Chestnutt, Passing by Nella Larsen, Caucasia by Danzy Senna, The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Dianne McGregor

First Draft Episode #246: Edan Lepucki Edan Lepucki, New York Times bestselling author of California and Woman No. 17. Edan’s latest project is Mothers Before, a collection of essays and photographs based on the popular Instagram Mothers Before, which Edan created. She is also the co-host, with fellow writer Amelia Morris, of the podcast Mom Rage. Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode Dan Chaon, author of Ill Will, Await Your Reply, and You Remind Me of Me, was an influential teacher in Edan’s young writing life A breakthrough moment for Edan was drafting a story that mimicked the structure used by Cary Holladay in “Merry-Go-Sorry,” a short story published in Alaska Quarterly Review (read an excerpt of the story, based on the West Memphis 3, here). Cary is also the author of Brides in the Sky: Stories and a Novella and The Quick-Change Artist: Stories. Edan worked at Book Soup, a local bookstore in Los Angeles, Calif. For 45 years, until her recent retirement, Connie Brothers shaped the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, including by calling every accepted writer personally to welcome them to the program. As a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop, Edan is in a position to correct the depiction of the esteemed writing program in HBO’s Girls Frank Conroy, director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, died halfway through Edan’s time at the program. He was replaced by Lan Samantha Chang, who has been credited with a shift in the program’s makeup and away from a once-toxic environment. Raymond Carver, author of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Cathedral, and Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo: A Novel, and Tenth of December: Stories Lorrie Moore, author of Birds of America: Stories and Self-Help and Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? Mary Gaitskill, This Is Pleasure: A Story, Bad Behavior: Stories, and Because They Wanted To Edan founded Writing Workshop L.A. after coming home from Iowa Leslie Parry, author of Church of Marvels, was a classmate of Edan’s at Iowa and one of the earliest authors to help teach at Writing Workshop L.A. Chris Daley was another early writing instructor who now serves as director of Writing Workshop L.A. The UCross Residency program in Wyoming The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Edan’s appearance on The Colbert Report The New York Times profile about Edan’s debut experience with California, written by Brooks Barnes Appearing on Fresh Air with Terry Gross is one of Edan’s life goals Aimee Bender, author of Willful Creatures, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, and The Girl in the Flammable Skirt: Stories Edan’s agent, Erin Hosier “Our Mothers as We Never Saw Them,” a piece Edan wrote for the New York Times that went viral Writers who contributed to Mothers Before include: Brit Bennett (author of The Mothers: A Novel); Jennine Capó Crucet (author of Make Your Home Among Strangers and My Time Among the Whites: Notes From an Unfinished Education); Jennifer Egan (author of A Visit From the Goon Squad and Manhattan Beach: A Novel); Angela Garbes (author of Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through The Science and Culture of Pregnancy); Annabeth Gish; Alison Roman (author of Nothing Fancy: Unfancy Food For Having People Over); Lisa See (author of The Island of Sea Women: A Novel and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan); Danzy Senna (author of Caucasia: A Novel, and New People); Dana Spiotta (author of Eat the Document: A Novel and Stone Arabia: A Novel); and Jia Tolentino (author of Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion). Annie Dillard, author of The Writing Life, as well as Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and An American Childhood Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project: Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun and Better than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits—To Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier LIfe I want to hear from you! Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998. Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone’s an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too;  Michael Dante  DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It’s free!   Rate, Review, and Recommend How do you like the show? Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!

NPR host Sam Sanders on Danzy Senna’s New People, the 2016 election, and how people can surprise us — if we let them. To learn more about the books we discussed in this episode, check out The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, New People by Danzy Senna, and Animal Farm by George Orwell. You can find transcripts of this episode and past ones on LitHub. Check out the podcasts Better at Everything and Grammar Girl, and the audiobook for Nine Perfect Strangers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're looking back on the lessons we've learned from all of our guests and the books that have changed their lives. To learn more about the books we've mentioned in this week's episode, check out Middlemarch by George Eliot, New People by Danzy Senna, The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman, Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace, Who Will Run The Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore, There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, The Karma of Brown Folk by Vijay Prashad, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, and Raymond Carver's Cathedral. You can find transcripts of this episode and past ones on LitHub. This episode is sponsored by Imposter's Lure. You can listen to the new podcast I Love You But I Hate Your Politics on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. You can listen to the new podcast The Girls on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, and check out Courtney Summers' Sadie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been called her finest novel, but what did Laura's book club make of Zadie Smith's Swing Time? In our regular interview we talk to The Divas, a close-knit group of women based in north-west London, about books, friendship and travel. And we finish as always with some fresh recommendations for your next book club read. • Get in touch with us at thebookclubreview@gmail.com, follow us on Instagram @thebookclubreviewpod, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod, or leave us a comment on iTunes. Drop us a line – we'd love to hear from you. Subscribe and never miss an episode. • Our bookseller recommendation comes from Carrie and Becca of The Bookstore Podcast. If you want to hear more check out their show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts: we love it. •
 Books mentioned in this episode were Hot Milk by Deborah Levy, My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, Feel Free by Zadie Smith, You are Free by Danzy Senna and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Plus if you stay listening for our extra bit at the end we discuss The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (we've come up with an ending – be the first to hear it!), Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward, Exit West by Mosin Hamid, Educated by Tara Westover and the collected works of Gerald Durrell. • 
Next up on The Book Club Review is Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien.

From the twice National Book Award–nominated and bestselling author of The Flamethrowers, Rachel Kushner offers a heart-stopping new novel, The Mars Room, that straddles the inside—and outside—of protagonist Romy Hall’s reality: an inmate beginning two consecutive life sentences at Stanville Women’s Correctional Facility, deep in California’s Central Valley, where “you do not see a single star.” With great humor and precision, Kushner moves between Hall’s polar worlds: the severed world of her past in San Francisco with her young son and her present institutional living with its absurdities and the thousands of women hustling for the bare essentials needed to survive. Kushner will discuss this emotionally acute yet unsentimental story with writer Danzy Senna, who frequently writes about race in America.

This week Sonya’s guest is novelist Danzy Senna. Danzy’s works include Caucasia (winner of Whiting Award, LA Times Book of the Year), Symptomatic, Where Did You Sleep Last Night? and You Are Free.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From an author of rare, haunting power, a stunning novel about a young African-American woman coming of age--a deeply felt meditation on race, sex, family, and country.  Raised in Pennsylvania, Thandi views the world of her mother's childhood in Johannesburg as both impossibly distant and ever present. She is an outsider wherever she goes, caught between being black and white, American and not. She tries to connect these dislocated pieces of her life, and as her mother succumbs to cancer, Thandi searches for an anchor--someone, or something, to love. In arresting and unsettling prose, we watch Thandi's life unfold, from losing her mother and learning to live without the person who has most profoundly shaped her existence, to her own encounters with romance and unexpected motherhood. Through exquisite and emotional vignettes, Clemmons creates a stunning portrayal of what it means to choose to live, after loss. An elegiac distillation, at once intellectual and visceral, of a young woman's understanding of absence and identity that spans continents and decades, What We Lose heralds the arrival of a virtuosic new voice in fiction. Praise for What We Lose "Penetratingly good and written in vivid still life, What We Lose reads like a guided tour through a melancholic Van Gogh exhibit--wonderfully chromatic, transfixing and bursting with emotion. Zinzi Clemmons's debut novel signals the emergence of a voice that refuses to be ignored." --Paul Beatty, author of The Sellout  "An intimate narrative that often makes another life as believable as your own." --John Edgar Wideman, author of Writing to Save a Life  "The narrator of What We Lose navigates the many registers of grief, love and injustice, moving between the death of her mother and the birth of her son, as well as an America of blacks and whites and a South Africa of Coloreds. What an intricate mapping of inner and outer geographies! Clemmons's prose is rhythmically exact and acutely moving. No experience is left unexamined or unimagined." --Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland  "Zinzi Clemmons' first book heralds the work of a new writer with a true and lasting voice--one that is just right for our complicated millennium. Bright and filled with shadows, humor, and trenchant insights into what it means to have a heart divided by different cultures, What We Lose is a win, just right for the ages." --Hilton Als, author of White Girls  "I love how Zinzi Clemmons complicates identity in What We Lose. Her main character is both South African and American, privileged and outsider, driven by desire and gutted by grief. This is a piercingly beautiful first novel." --Danzy Senna, author of New People  "It takes a rare, gifted writer to make her readers look at day-to-day aspects of the world around them anew. Zinzi Clemmons is one such writer.What We Lose immerses us in a world of complex ideas and issues with ease. Clemmons imbues each aspect of this novel with clear, nuanced thinking and emotional heft. Part meditation on loss, part examination of identity as it relates to ethnicity, nationality, gender and class, and part intimate look at one woman's coming of age, What We Lose announces a talented new voice in fiction." --Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner House  "Wise and tender and possessed of a fiercely insightful intimacy, What We Lose is a lyrical ode to the complexities of race, love, illness, parenthood, and the hairline fractures they leave behind. Zinzi Clemmons has gifted the reader a rare and thoughtful emotional topography, a map to the mirror regions of their own heart." --Alexandra Kleeman, author of You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine  Zinzi Clemmons was raised in Philadelphia by a South African mother and an American father. She is a cofounder and former publisher of Apogee Journal, a contributing editor to Literary Hub, and deputy editor for Phoneme Media. Her writing has appeared in Zoetrope, The Paris Review Daily, Transition, and the Common. She has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Bread Loaf, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and the Kimbilio Center for African American Fiction. Clemmons lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Event date:  Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - 7:30pm

NPR host Sam Sanders on Danzy Senna’s New People, the 2016 election, and how people can surprise us — if we let them. To learn more about the books we discussed in this episode, check out The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, New People by Danzy Senna, and Animal Farm by George Orwell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jeffery Eugenides and Danzy Senna discuss their newest works at Wordstock: Portland's Book Festival 2017. The discussion, entitled Desperate People, explores questions of content and character, and what happens when both are pushed to the brink.

Real American: A Memoir (Henry Holt & Company) Julie Lythcott-Haims, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult, has written a different kind of book this time out – a deeply personal, biting and affecting account of her life growing up as a biracial black woman in America in Real American: A Memoir Bringing a brisk, poetic sensibility to her prose, Lythcott-Haims stirringly evokes her personal battle with the low self-esteem that American racism routinely inflicts on people of color. The only child of an African-American father and a white British mother, she shows indelibly how so-called "micro" aggressions in addition to blunt force insults can puncture a person's inner life with a thousand sharp cuts. Real American expresses also, through Lythcott-Haims’s path to self-acceptance, the healing power of community in overcoming the hurtful isolation of being incessantly  considered "the other" Real American is a fearless and powerful memoir. Lythcott-Haims’s eloquent words deserve to be studied, memorized, and repeated. Here is a book that should be read again and again, and then once more after that. Praise for Real Americans “A compelling, incisive and thoughtful examination of race, origin and what it means to be called an American. Engaging, heartfelt and beautifully written, Lythcott-Haims explores the American spectrum of identity with refreshing courage and compassion.” —Bryan Stevenson, New York Times bestselling author of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption “Real American is a courageous, achingly honest meditation on what it means to come to consciousness as a mixed race child and adult in a nation where Black lives weren't meant to matter.” —Michelle Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness “Breaks the silence on what it means to grow up mixed-race in America. Her spare but powerful prose has an emotional rawness that will profoundly resonate with all readers and help many feel a little less alone.” ―Heidi W. Durrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky “A cathartic and bold truth-telling.” ―Danzy Senna, bestselling author of Caucasia and New People “A powerful, honest book that should be required reading for everyone.” —Anita Amirrezvani, author of The Blood of Flowers and Equal of the Sun “To write with such an open heart about race and Blackness takes great courage. To do so in prose that is at once elegant and raw takes great talent.” —Ayelet Waldman, bestselling author of Bad Mother and of A Really Good Day “A true achievement . . . so much more than a personal memoir . . . [Lythcott-Haims] channels the shrewdness of Eula Biss and the compassion of Ta-Nehisi Coates.” ―Lee Daniel Kravetz, international bestselling author of Strange Contagion and Supersurvivors “Powerful . . . a memoir that [illuminates] the psychic cost of racism to those who are cast as ‘other.’ The journey of self-healing and the empowerment  . . .  is a story of triumph from which all of us can learn.” —Beverly Daniel Tatum, author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Can We Talk About Race? “Stands for, and stands up for, Americans who are questioned, confronted, disregarded and unnerved by our citizen country . . . Real American will be one of those books that is passed from hand to hand, with passages marked where readers find strong words that speak truth.” ―A.J. Verdelle, author of The Good Negress “. . . shows once again, plainly and unforgettably, that if you are Black in America, it does not matter who you are, racism will come knocking. Lythcott-Haims . . . . Real American is the story of that insidious harm and of a woman who became alert to the American racism within herself and fought back. . . . not only an excellent, satisfying read but a book that can help us “stay woke”—as we must—to the sometimes stealthy and always life-threatening danger of racism, so that we all can fight back.” —U.S.Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) Julie Lythcott-Haims served as dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University, where she received the Dinkelspiel Award for her contributions to the undergraduate experience. She holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard Law School, and an MFA in writing from California College of the Arts. She is a member of the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto, and resides in the Bay Area with her husband, their two teenagers, and her mother.

This week, we chat with Danzy Senna about her novel 'New People.'And as always, we close the show with recommendations: Danzy recommends A Separation by Katie Kitamura. "It was such a pleasurable read but sort of unsettling in all the ways that I like." Danzy has also been reading through novels by French writer Emmanuel Carrère. "Class Trip is an amazing novel." MJ recommends Release by Patrick Ness. The book is a day in the life of a queer kid in Seattle as he is dealing with a going away party, issues at work, etc. "I've been in this queer YA binge, and this book has been so good. It's been so good." And you can read Danzy's essay about Oreo, "An Overlooked Classic About the Comedy of Race," here.

Sam talks to novelist Danzy Senna about her new book, 'New People,' and about race in America, why LA is boring in a good way, black identity, what white people say when they think they're alone, being "professionally black", how her students perform their race, artistic integrity and safe spaces, prestige black TV like 'Atlanta' and 'Insecure', and the election of Barack Obama. If you're in the Washington DC area, catch Sam and Danzy in person at the East City Bookshop in Capitol Hill on Monday, September 18. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders.

In her novel New People, Danzy Senna relishes kicking political correctness to the curb. She believes that irony and humor are more effective than earnestness when writing about race and gender

Cave Canem Award-winning Poet Imani Tolliver joins LARB's Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn to read from, and talk about, her powerful new book, Runaway: A Memoir in Verse. The powerful, emotive conversation (recorded on Imani's birthday!) focuses on the redemptive role that verse, the community of poets, Howard University, The World Stage, coming out, and romantic partnership have all played in Imani's life. All of which gets reflected in her beautifully empowering words. Also, author Danzy Senna returns to recommend Elena Ferrante's The Lost Daughter, a short taught novel written before the more celebrated Neopolitan Novels.

“What are you?” The question can often comes out of nowhere One can be going about her quotidian activities, or she might have just finished a meeting at work. “What are you?” The question is disorienting for most, but for others who are racially ambiguous it is commonplace. The ostensibly benign question suggests that it is about the person being asked. However, one might argue that it is more about the one who does the asking. In The Souls of Mixed Folk: Race, Politics, and Aesthetics in the New Millenium (Stanford University Press, 2011), Michele Elam critically discusses the rise of the Mixed Race Studies. To demonstrate the new sub-genre of cultural studies in both art and academia Elam shows elements of what mixed-racedness looks like in the classroom, as well as in the public sphere here at the turn of the 21st century. One of the contributions of Elam’s Souls makes to Mixed Race Studies is her careful outline of the ways people of mixed biological ancestry have historically worked for the goal of social justice for all oppressed groups; moreover, she shows how those who look at mixed-racedness critically continue to do so. This, despite the trajectory in which some of mixed-race advocates are moving: people of mixed-race backgrounds are a separate group with separate issues, and most importantly, being both black and white–and that is most often the only definition many use of being “mixed”–their experience falls outside the purview of race studies. This notion of being separate and outside is often used to justify a view of race that essentially reifies notions of identity as being defined by blood percentage–a point of view that takes us back, not forward. While those who critically study mixed- raceness see that one’s movement through a society that continues to ask What are you? can result in alternate experiences, many show that the difference can work in a way to help all understand racial oppression. Dr. Michele Elam, Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor in the English Department at Stanford University, falls within the latter group. And, so do Lezley Saar, Danzy Senna, Philip Roth, Aaron McGruder, and Dave Chappelle, to name but a few. A mixed bag, for sure, Elam examines relevant works of the aforementioned artists as she considers the way in which they challenge what is quickly becoming conventional thought on mixed-racedness from the academic classroom to the public sphere. Whether one is fascinated with her critical reading of K-12 textbooks focused on mixed race curriculum or with her reading of artist Lezley Saar’s “Baby Halfie Brown Head”; with her insightful readings of Aaron McGruder’s Boondocks comic strips and/or the unforgettable episode “The Racial Draft” from The Dave Chappelle Show; whether one is interested in the ways that author Colson Whitehead and playwright Carl Hancock Rux ask their audiences to think critically about mixed-racedness in the 21st century one thing is clear: Elam first highlights and subsequently knocks down the notion that “fetishizing the box” of the racial categories on census forms or outlining one’s mixed family tree represents progression towards a most just society in the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What are you?” The question can often comes out of nowhere One can be going about her quotidian activities, or she might have just finished a meeting at work. “What are you?” The question is disorienting for most, but for others who are racially ambiguous it is commonplace. The ostensibly benign question suggests that it is about the person being asked. However, one might argue that it is more about the one who does the asking. In The Souls of Mixed Folk: Race, Politics, and Aesthetics in the New Millenium (Stanford University Press, 2011), Michele Elam critically discusses the rise of the Mixed Race Studies. To demonstrate the new sub-genre of cultural studies in both art and academia Elam shows elements of what mixed-racedness looks like in the classroom, as well as in the public sphere here at the turn of the 21st century. One of the contributions of Elam’s Souls makes to Mixed Race Studies is her careful outline of the ways people of mixed biological ancestry have historically worked for the goal of social justice for all oppressed groups; moreover, she shows how those who look at mixed-racedness critically continue to do so. This, despite the trajectory in which some of mixed-race advocates are moving: people of mixed-race backgrounds are a separate group with separate issues, and most importantly, being both black and white–and that is most often the only definition many use of being “mixed”–their experience falls outside the purview of race studies. This notion of being separate and outside is often used to justify a view of race that essentially reifies notions of identity as being defined by blood percentage–a point of view that takes us back, not forward. While those who critically study mixed- raceness see that one’s movement through a society that continues to ask What are you? can result in alternate experiences, many show that the difference can work in a way to help all understand racial oppression. Dr. Michele Elam, Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor in the English Department at Stanford University, falls within the latter group. And, so do Lezley Saar, Danzy Senna, Philip Roth, Aaron McGruder, and Dave Chappelle, to name but a few. A mixed bag, for sure, Elam examines relevant works of the aforementioned artists as she considers the way in which they challenge what is quickly becoming conventional thought on mixed-racedness from the academic classroom to the public sphere. Whether one is fascinated with her critical reading of K-12 textbooks focused on mixed race curriculum or with her reading of artist Lezley Saar’s “Baby Halfie Brown Head”; with her insightful readings of Aaron McGruder’s Boondocks comic strips and/or the unforgettable episode “The Racial Draft” from The Dave Chappelle Show; whether one is interested in the ways that author Colson Whitehead and playwright Carl Hancock Rux ask their audiences to think critically about mixed-racedness in the 21st century one thing is clear: Elam first highlights and subsequently knocks down the notion that “fetishizing the box” of the racial categories on census forms or outlining one’s mixed family tree represents progression towards a most just society in the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What are you?” The question can often comes out of nowhere One can be going about her quotidian activities, or she might have just finished a meeting at work. “What are you?” The question is disorienting for most, but for others who are racially ambiguous it is commonplace. The ostensibly benign question suggests that it is about the person being asked. However, one might argue that it is more about the one who does the asking. In The Souls of Mixed Folk: Race, Politics, and Aesthetics in the New Millenium (Stanford University Press, 2011), Michele Elam critically discusses the rise of the Mixed Race Studies. To demonstrate the new sub-genre of cultural studies in both art and academia Elam shows elements of what mixed-racedness looks like in the classroom, as well as in the public sphere here at the turn of the 21st century. One of the contributions of Elam's Souls makes to Mixed Race Studies is her careful outline of the ways people of mixed biological ancestry have historically worked for the goal of social justice for all oppressed groups; moreover, she shows how those who look at mixed-racedness critically continue to do so. This, despite the trajectory in which some of mixed-race advocates are moving: people of mixed-race backgrounds are a separate group with separate issues, and most importantly, being both black and white–and that is most often the only definition many use of being “mixed”–their experience falls outside the purview of race studies. This notion of being separate and outside is often used to justify a view of race that essentially reifies notions of identity as being defined by blood percentage–a point of view that takes us back, not forward. While those who critically study mixed- raceness see that one's movement through a society that continues to ask What are you? can result in alternate experiences, many show that the difference can work in a way to help all understand racial oppression. Dr. Michele Elam, Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor in the English Department at Stanford University, falls within the latter group. And, so do Lezley Saar, Danzy Senna, Philip Roth, Aaron McGruder, and Dave Chappelle, to name but a few. A mixed bag, for sure, Elam examines relevant works of the aforementioned artists as she considers the way in which they challenge what is quickly becoming conventional thought on mixed-racedness from the academic classroom to the public sphere. Whether one is fascinated with her critical reading of K-12 textbooks focused on mixed race curriculum or with her reading of artist Lezley Saar's “Baby Halfie Brown Head”; with her insightful readings of Aaron McGruder's Boondocks comic strips and/or the unforgettable episode “The Racial Draft” from The Dave Chappelle Show; whether one is interested in the ways that author Colson Whitehead and playwright Carl Hancock Rux ask their audiences to think critically about mixed-racedness in the 21st century one thing is clear: Elam first highlights and subsequently knocks down the notion that “fetishizing the box” of the racial categories on census forms or outlining one's mixed family tree represents progression towards a most just society in the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

A reading and conversation with Danzy Senna, author of Where Did You Sleep Last Night?, a personal history of her biracial roots: her white blue-blood mother's family (the Howes of Boston) and her black activist father's family, the Sennas. Ms. Senna is also the author of Caucasia and Symptomatic. Professor Roslyn Bernstein and Professor Bridgett Davis offer introductory remarks. A Q&A session and reception follows. This event is sponsored by the Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence program. The event takes place on December 1, 2009, in the Newman Conference Center, Room 750.

A reading and conversation with Danzy Senna, author of Where Did You Sleep Last Night?, a personal history of her biracial roots: her white blue-blood mother's family (the Howes of Boston) and her black activist father's family, the Sennas. Ms. Senna is also the author of Caucasia and Symptomatic. Professor Roslyn Bernstein and Professor Bridgett Davis offer introductory remarks. A Q&A session and reception follows. This event is sponsored by the Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence program. The event takes place on December 1, 2009, in the Newman Conference Center, Room 750.

The award-winning author recently read from this year's Common Read, Caucasia, and her newest book Where Did You Sleep Last Night?: A Personal History.

The award-winning author recently read from this year's Common Read, Caucasia, and her newest book Where Did You Sleep Last Night?: A Personal History.