Meet our Issue 23 cover star, Sohla El-Waylly! Sohla is a video star, recipe developer, and author of one of the most anticipated cookbooks of the fall, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. Throughout her career and especially with her debut book, the culinary instructor wants to help her audience gain confidence in the kitchen and be equipped to tackle any recipe. In our exclusive Sohla portfolio, you’ll find new photos by Jennifer Livingston, an interview by Cherry Bombe founder Kerry Diamond, and two recipes from Start Here. This issue also includes our Future Of Food 50 List, which celebrates 50 forward-thinking folks who are making the food world a more interesting space and shaping what’s to come. Plus, there are great recipes and stories on the growing mocktail movement, restaurant robots, and more. As always, this issue of Cherry Bombe is printed on beautiful paper by Meridian Printing in Rhode Island and features gorgeous full-page color photos. Cover photo by Jennifer Livingston

Image

Cover

String

ProductOption

Issue Nº 23: The Future Of Food /// Cherry Bombe /// new

Product

MoneyV2

SelectedOption

Magazine

ProductVariant

UnitPriceMeasurement

The Thrifty Baker presents 65 delicious, affordable and impressive recipes, complete with gluten-free options, plus advice, tips and hacks covering many areas of shopping, baking and cooking in general.Filled with clever ideas and useful features, the book is written with a realism and empathy that comes from the heart, from a lived experience. It isn’t just a book of great recipes, but an essential manual for anyone baking today.Since appearing on The Great British Bake Off in 2020 and wowing the judges, Hermine Dossou’s career has gone from strength to strength, but life hasn’t always been easy.As a single mother to her son Steven, she had to learn to budget and make her income stretch, especially when he was young and she could only work part-time. With a limited income, but determined that they should both eat good, nutritious food, she learned how to shop, cook, bake and eat on a tight budget. This included making savings on ingredients and cooking equipment, devising clever, thrifty recipes, planning weekly menus, and running her oven as efficiently as possible to save on energy bills. In the process Hermine has developed a wide-ranging ethos for baking on a budget, a set of values, habits and skills that have at their heart a belief that we can all eat flavourful, nutritious food without spending a fortune on ingredients and energy. And crucially also the knowledge that making our own bakes – whether that’s bread, pies, quiches, desserts, cakes or snacks – can save us considerable sums when times are tough. Hermine still uses these skills to this day and would now like to share with you everything she’s learned about baking on a budget. BIO Hermine Dossou was a semi-finalist in the 2020 series of The Great British Bake Off, Hermine is one of the most talented bakers to have appeared on the show, creating delicious and visually stunning bakes that wowed judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. In addition to earning a ‘Hollywood Handshake’ (for inventing a new bread flavour combination), Hermine was twice crowned Star Baker. Her laid-back charm and infectious laugh won her numerous fans amongst Bake Off’s 10 million-plus viewers, and for many she was ‘the people’s winner’. Born and raised in Benin, West Africa, Hermine always helped her mum to bake for family occasions, and at the age of eight she decided to try baking something for herself, buying the ingredients for a savarin cake. From that moment she was hooked. She moved to the UK in 2001 to pursue her further education and now works as an accountant. She’s a single mum to her son Steven.​ The French influence in Benin has given Hermine a passion for pâtisserie such as intricate mille-feuille, entremets and éclairs. Creative and experimental, she is fascinated by the ‘why’ of baking as well as the ‘how'. Understanding why ingredients and flavours work together helped her through some of the most difficult challenges ever seen on Bake Off. Since her appearance on Bake Off, Hermine has been steadily building her profile. She has worked with brands including Amazon Fresh, Galaxy, Monsoon, Rowse, ProCook and Panasonic, written recipes for Waitrose Weekend and made four appearances on ITV's The Lorraine Show. She has proved a great hit at cookery events, including demos for the Foodies Festivals in Oxford and Cambridge.​ REVIEWS “Baking need not be expensive,” pronounces Great British Bake Off semifinalist Dossou in her slim but satisfying debut. Indeed, she claims the baked goods here top out at 65¢ per serving, with savings deriving not only from the costs of ingredients but from Dossou’s methods: baking a cake that combines chai spices with roasted butternut squash in a shallow pan rather than a loaf pan, for example, saves energy (and cooking time). There’s no skimping on creativity, however: spiral pretzel rolls encase hot dogs, citrusy carrot jam is layered between carrot cake and cream cheese frosting, and soda bread incorporates canned sardines (and, in a waste-not-want-not touch, even uses the oil from the can). Recipes range from the traditional (including buttery palets Bretons) to the newfangled (microwaveable mug cakes), and Dossou puts a fresh twist even on the most familiar favorites: cinnamon rolls, for example, are made with brioche dough. A chapter on pastries features savory options, such as steak and bean pie in puff pastry, alongside the sweet, including a tart with raspberry curd and white chocolate ganache. Sensible instructions—and many suggested variations—are in keeping with the straightforward tone. These thoughtful tips and recipes will have budget-minded bakers eager to try them out." -- Publishers Weekly [H] White Lion Publishing / September 12, 2023 0.9" H x 9.7" L x 7.5" W (1.7 lbs) 176 pages

The Thrifty Baker: Shop, Bake & Eat on a Budget /// Hermine Dossou /// new

Hardcover

The stunning new picture book by presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Christian RobinsonYou’re told thatThis won’t work,But how will you knowIf you never try?Presidential inaugural poet and #1 New York Times bestselling author Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Christian Robinson have created a timeless message of hope.Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change.With intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations, Something, Someday reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact. BIO Amanda Gorman is the youngest presidential inaugural poet in US history. She is a committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice. Amanda’s activism and poetry have been featured on The Today Show, PBS Kids, and CBS This Morning, and in the New York Times, Vogue, Essence, and O, The Oprah Magazine. In 2017, Urban Word named her the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University, she now lives in her hometown of Los Angeles. The special edition of her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” was published in March 2021 and debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Her debut picture book, Change Sings, will be published in September 2021. Please visit theamandagorman.com. Christian Robinson received a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for his art in Last Stop on Market Street. He is the author and illustrator of the picture books Another and You Matter, and he has illustrated many more, including Carmela Full of Wishes, the Gaston and Friends series, School’s First Day of School, and The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade. You can visit Christian at theartoffun.com, or follow him on Twitter @theartoffunnews and on Instagram @theartoffun. REVIEWS ﻿★ ”Gorman immerses readers in the experience, assuring them that they are not alone in their longings for a better world.” -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ “[A] soaring poem about change… Together, the creators chronicle a child trusting their inner voice and working out how to address what feels in need of care, while Robinson’s neighborhood scenes, portraying a community of varying abilities, ages, and skin tones, model collaboration as a means for metamorphosis.” -- Publishers Weekly, starred review★ “The picture book’s second-person point of view invites the audience to feel as if they’re a part of the story and empowered to change something within their community. The use of collage perfectly communicates the idea of what once was trash being transformed anew… This picture book’s timely message about coming together to make a change is a perfect addition to all libraries.” -- School Library Journal, starred review“Award-winning Robinson and lauded poet Gorman are a perfect match, and fans of both will be eager to read their collaboration.” -- Booklist“The text is lyrical but accessible, and Gorman brings a compassionate commiseration and firm determination to her call to action.” -- BCCB [H] Viking / September 26, 2023 ﻿0.2" H x 10.28" L x 8.39" W (0.89 lbs) 40 pages

Something, Someday /// Amanda Gorman, illustrations by Christian Robinson /// new

From the best-selling author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, a searing multi-generational novel—set in the 1980s in racially and politically turbulent Philadelphia and in the tiny town of Bonaparte, Alabama—about a mother fighting for her sanity and survival“[A] powerful book.” —Marilynne Robinson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of GileadFrom the moment Ava Carson and her ten-year-old son, Toussaint, arrive at the Glenn Avenue family shelter in Philadelphia 1985, Ava is already plotting a way out. She is repulsed by the shelter’s squalid conditions: their cockroach-infested room, the barely edible food, and the shifty night security guard. She is determined to rescue her son from the perils and indignities of that place, and to save herself from the complicated past that led them there.Ava has been estranged from her own mother, Dutchess, since she left her Alabama home as a young woman barely out of her teens. Despite their estrangement and the thousand miles between them, mother and daughter are deeply entwined, but Ava can’t forgive her sharp-tounged, larger than life mother whose intractability and bouts of debilitating despair brought young Ava to the outer reaches of neglect and hunger.Ava wants to love her son differently, better. But when Toussaint’s father, Cass, reappears, she is swept off course by his charisma, and the intoxicating power of his radical vision to destroy systems of racial injustice and bring about a bold new way of communal living. Meanwhile, in Alabama, Dutchess struggles to keep Bonaparte, once a beacon of Black freedom and self-determination, in the hands of its last five Black residents—families whose lives have been rooted in this stretch of land for generations—and away from rapidly encroaching white developers. She fights against the erasure of Bonaparte’s venerable history and the loss of the land itself, which she has so arduously preserved as Ava’s inheritance.As Ava becomes more enmeshed with Cass, Toussaint senses the danger simmering all around him—his well-intentioned but erratic mother; the intense, volatile figure of his father who drives his fledgling Philadelphia community toward ever increasing violence and instability. He begins to dream of Dutchess and Bonaparte, his home and birthright, if only he can find his way there. Brilliant, explosive, vitally important new work from one of America’s most fiercely talented storytellers. BIO Ayana Mathis' first novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie was a New York Times best seller, an NPR Best Book of 2013, the second selection for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0. and has been translated into sixteen languages. Her nonfiction has been published in the The New York Times, The Atlantic, Guernica, and RollingStone. Mathis is a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop. She was born in Philadelphia, and currently lives in New York City where she teaches writing in Hunter College’s MFA Program. REVIEWS “Poignant, heartbreaking . . . Mathis skillfully and subtly drops allusions to historical events, sending the reader on a kind of intellectual treasure hunt.” -- The New York Times Book Review“Ten years after The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, Mathis again strikes story-telling gold.” -- People“An ardent, ambitious, and carefully stitched tapestry of a novel, one that deserves and rewards our attention.” -- The Minneapolis Star Tribune“A decade after taking the world by storm with her debut novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie—the 72nd Oprah’s Book Club selection and an instant bestseller—Mathis is back with a highly anticipated and emotionally propulsive follow-up . . . Through a chorus of distinctive and virtuosic voices, we gather the story of a mother, a daughter, and the land that both unites and divides them.” -- Oprah Daily“Shelter without the grace of welcome is exposure to the worst coldness of the world. Loyalty and the offer of comfort satisfy needs we feel in our bones. In The Unsettled, Ayana Mathis brings these extremes of experience intensely to life. This is a fine, powerful book.” -- Marilynne Robinson, author of Gilead [H] Knopf Publishing Group / September 26, 2023 ﻿1.1" H x 9.5" L x 6.3" W (1.32 lbs) 336 pages

The Unsettled /// Ayana Mathis /// new

In this enlightening personal account, one man tells the story of his groundbreaking project to sleep overnight in former slave dwellings that still stand across the country—revealing the fascinating history behind these sites and shedding light on larger issues of race in America. Joseph McGill Jr., a historic preservationist and Civil War reenactor, founded the Slave Dwelling Project in 2010 based on an idea that was sparked and first developed in 1999. Since founding the project, McGill has been touring the country, spending the night in former slave dwellings—throughout the South, but also the North and the West, where people are often surprised to learn that such structures exist. Events and gatherings are arranged around these overnight stays, and it provides a unique way to understand the often otherwise obscured and distorted history of slavery. The project has inspired difficult conversations about race in communities from South Carolina to Alabama to Texas to Minnesota to New York, and all over the United States.Sleeping with the Ancestors focuses on all of the key sites McGill has visited in his ongoing project and digs deeper into the actual history of each location, using McGill’s own experience and conversations with the community to enhance those original stories. Altogether, McGill and coauthor Herb Frazier give readers an important unexpected emersion into the history of slavery, and especially the obscured and ignored aspects of that history. BIO Prior to his current position as founder of the Slave Dwelling Project, Joseph McGill was a field officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He is the former executive director of the African American Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and the former director of history and culture at Penn Center, St. Helena Island, South Carolina. McGill was also a park ranger at Fort Sumter. He appears in the book Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz. He is also a member of the South Carolina Humanities Council Speakers Bureau and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional English from South Carolina State University. Journalist Herb Frazier is the author of Behind God’s Back: Gullah Memories. He is a co-author of We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel with Marjory Wentworth and Dr. Bernard Powers Jr. Frazier’s forthcoming book, Crossing the Sea on a Sacred Song. REVIEWS “Thought-provoking… [Sleeping with the Ancestors] searingly describes dirt-floored cabins besieged by mosquitoes and creaky, airless attics, and it delves into the biographies of the properties’ past inhabitants. As Mr. McGill’s teams spent largely sleepless hours in these quarters, they grew hyper-observant…. Mr. McGill has paid particular attention to brickwork; the clay, he writes, remains textured with ‘finger-shaped impressions’ from enslaved brick makers.” -- The New York Times “In this gripping personal account, Joseph McGill Jr., and Herb Frazier seek to deepen and broaden our understanding of the horrors our African American ancestors endured for generations by chronicling McGill’s experiences sleeping in former slave dwellings. I firmly believe that our history must be told and should be understood if we are to avoid repeating our worst mistakes. Sleeping with the Ancestors will further that goal by serving as a tremendous historical reference from which all can learn.” -- Congressman James E. Clyburn “Scripture teaches to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly (Micah 6:8). Joe McGill walks the walk, and his hands-on, day-and-night journey inspires—one dwelling at a time. Few have done more than this determined South Carolinian to heal the scars of enslavement and lead us back—all of us—to the generations of ancestors whose unpaid labor shaped America. I feel lucky to have slept on some hard floors, seeing him stir the embers, share the meal, and invite the conversations that we all need to have.” -- Peter H. Wood, Duke University historian, author of Black Majority and Strange New Land [H] Hachette Books / June 06, 2023 1.1" H x 10.1" L x 7.1" W (1.25 lbs) 352 pages

Sleeping with the Ancestors: How I Followed the Footprints of Slavery /// Joseph McGill and Herb Frazier

Irresistible Recipes Filled with The Heart & Soul of the SouthDiscover an exciting collection of delightful desserts inspired by Southern baking traditions. Monique McLeod-Polanco’s recipes are brimming with soulful flair and rich flavors while prioritizing simplicity for the home cook. Drawing inspiration from her family’s celebrations and holiday meals, these 60 scrumptious recipes will conjure all the nostalgic flavors from your youth yet dazzle the modern palate. Fall in love with Monique’s fresh approach to the classics, including an outstanding Orange, Bourbon & Pecan Pie and a drool-worthy Coconut Cake with Lime Curd that will impress your family and friends. Recapture the magic of your grandmother’s kitchen in summertime with One-Layer Strawberry Basil Shortcake, or elevate tradi- tional holiday bakes with Browned Butter Sweet Potato Pie that will be the star of your Thanksgiving table. So, grab your whisk and take a trip down South, where the secret ingredient is always love—and a bit of sugar! These showstopping desserts invite you to turn the simple, joyful act of baking into a cause for celebration. BIO Monique McLeod-Polanco is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Peaches 2 Peaches. She has appeared as a guest judge on The Chew, and her recipes have been featured in feedfeed, Bake From Scratch and Kitchn. Her family roots are in the South, and Monique currently lives in Rockland County, New York. REVIEWS ﻿“Monique Polanco is a true powerhouse. Her treasured book contains delectable recipes along with stunning photos fit for any coffee table display.” -- Carla Hall, Food Network chef and author “Monique’s Sweet Soulful Baking is the ultimate cookbook to take your entertaining game to the next level.” -- Jocelyn Delk Adams, author of Grandbaby Cakes and Everyday Grand “Baking is instilled in Monique, and she takes us on a journey of classic and elevated, yet approachable, desserts in her beautiful cookbook.” -- Sally McKenney, author of Sally's Baking Addiction "This beautiful book will have you looking for a reason to celebrate just so you can get baking! From holidays to birthdays, you are in for a memorable treat with Monique's seasonal recipes and family favorites." -- Tessa Huff, author of Layered and Icing on the Cake [P] Page Street Publishing / September 05, 2023 0.5" H x 8.9" L x 7.7" W (0.9 lbs) 168 pages

Sweet Soulful Baking: Recipes Inspired by Southern Roots /// Monique McLeod-Polanco /// new

Paperback

The cofounder of BET and first African American woman billionaire shares her deeply personal journey through love and loss, tragedy and triumph—an inspiring story of overcoming toxic influences, discovering her true self, and at last finding happiness in her work and life.From humble beginnings as a schoolgirl and young violinist in Maywood, Illinois, Sheila Johnson rose to become one of the most accomplished businesswomen in America. A cofounder of Black Entertainment Television, she became an entrepreneur and philanthropist at the highest levels.But that success came at a painful personal cost.Sheila grew up in a middle-class family that encouraged her love of the arts and music. But her idyllic childhood ended at age sixteen when her beloved father announced he was leaving for another woman, an act that shattered her mother and destroyed Sheila’s trust. She vowed she’d never be in her mother’s position—dependent on a man for her sense of self-worth and for financial security. Yet when she was barely out of her teens, Sheila married a man who would take her right down that same unfortunate path.Filled with sharply drawn, emotionally powerful scenes, Walk Through Fire traces the hardships Sheila faced in her marriage and her professional life. Despite her skills as a violinist and music teacher, as well as her obvious entrepreneurial talent, she had to fight to overcome self-doubt and fears of failure. Sheila vividly details her struggles, including battling institutional racism, losing a child, suffering emotional abuse in her thirty-three-year marriage, and plunging into a deep depression with her divorce. And yet, out of that pain came renewed purpose and meaning. In the third act of her life, Sheila Johnson has not only made her mark as the founder of Salamander Hotels & Resorts and the only Black female co-owner of three professional sports teams, she has also, finally, found true love.Walk Through Fire is a uniquely American success story. And it is the deeply personal portrait of one woman who, despite heartache and obstacles, finally found herself and her place in the world. BIO Sheila Johnson is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, cofounder of BET, founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, and the only African American woman to have a principal shareholder stake in three professional sports teams. REVIEWS "This highly readable book will appeal not only to BET fans, but to all women seeking entrepreneurial fulfillment in a male-dominated world. A warmly candid memoir from a successful business icon." -- Kirkus [H] Simon & Schuster / September 19, 2023 ﻿0.85" H x 9.25" L x 6.15" W (0.99 lbs) 256 pages

Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph /// Sheila Johnson /// new

From acclaimed columnist and political commentator Michael Harriot, a searingly smart and bitingly hilarious retelling of American history that corrects the record and showcases the perspectives and experiences of Black Americans. America’s backstory is a whitewashed mythology implanted in our collective memory. It is the story of the pilgrims on the Mayflower building a new nation. It is George Washington’s cherry tree and Abraham Lincoln’s log cabin. It is the fantastic tale of slaves that spontaneously teleported themselves here with nothing but strong backs and negro spirituals. It is a sugarcoated legend based on an almost true story. It should come as no surprise that the dominant narrative of American history is blighted with errors and oversights—after all, history books were written by white men with their perspectives at the forefront. It could even be said that the devaluation and erasure of the Black experience is as American as apple pie. In Black AF History, Michael Harriot presents a more accurate version of American history. Combining unapologetically provocative storytelling with meticulous research based on primary sources as well as the work of pioneering Black historians, scholars, and journalists, Harriot removes the white sugarcoating from the American story, placing Black people squarely at the center. With incisive wit, Harriot speaks hilarious truth to oppressive power, subverting conventional historical narratives with little-known stories about the experiences of Black Americans. From the African Americans who arrived before 1619 to the unenslavable bandit who inspired America’s first police force, this long overdue corrective provides a revealing look into our past that is as urgent as it is necessary. For too long, we have refused to acknowledge that American history is white history. Not this one. This history is Black AF. BIO Michael Harriot is a columnist at theGrio.com where he covers the intersection of race, politics, and culture. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, NBC, BET, and on his mother’s refrigerator. He is a political commentator on MSNBC and CNN and has been honored by the National Association of Black Journalists for commentary, digital commentary, and TV news writing. Michael is the creator and cohost of the podcast Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History, produced in partnership with Pharrel's OTHERtone. His college course “Race: An Economic Construct” was adapted by university economics departments across the country as a model for teaching the combination of history, economics, politics, and class structures. REVIEWS ﻿“A razor-sharp reassessment of American history. . . . Entertainingly colloquial and impressively erudite, this meticulous survey of the American past is an invaluable resource.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) 'Fresh eyes and bold, entertaining language combine in this authoritative, essential work of U.S. history.' -- Kirkus Reviews “A stirring correction of U.S. history. . . . Emphasizing Black survival and resistance, Harriot simplifies complex issues into easily understandable, digestible bites. . . . With blunt, entertaining, irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes laugh-out-loud statements, Harriot provocatively explains how the United States came to be and how money-focused, self-serving intentions made it what it is today.” -- Library Journal “Michael Harriot has done it. Written a book that evokes the full range of human emotions. Laughter. Rage. Sadness. Love (of Black resistance). Hate (of anti-Blackness). More laughter. Constant thinking and connecting and discovering. What an experience. But how can this book be anything less when it is Black AF History.” -- Ibram X. Kendi, Award-winning author “This is history as it should be told: straight, no chaser; unvarnished and unembossed. Michael Harriot, the Samuel L. Jackson of the written word, strikes again, weaving fascinating facts, scathing humor and pieces of his own life story to detail the stony road we trod.” -- Joy Reid, Host of The ReidOut on MSNBC [H] Dey Street Books / September 19, 2023 1.57" H x 9.06" L x 5.98" W (1.36 lbs) 432 pages

Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America /// Michael Harriot /// new

One of Literary Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2023An exuberant collection of two decades of Major Jackson’s passionately intelligent poetry.A preeminent voice in contemporary literature, Major Jackson offers steady miracles of vision and celebrations of language in rapturous, sophisticated poems. Razzle Dazzle traces the evolution of Jackson’s transformative imagination and fierce music through five acclaimed volumes: his Cave Canem Poetry Prize–winning debut, Leaving Saturn (2002), which captures the spirit of resilience in the Philadelphia neighborhoods of the poet’s youth; Hoops (2006), which finds transcendence in the solemn marvels of ordinary lives; Holding Company (2010), which shifts away from narrative to explore the seductive force of art, literature, and music; Roll Deep (2015), which addresses human intimacy, war, and the spirit of aesthetic travel; and his vulnerable, philosophical latest, The Absurd Man (2020). The volume opens with over three dozen new poems that erupt into full-throated song in the face of indignity and invite us into a passionate experience of the world.Taken together, these two decades of writing offer a sustained portrait of a poet “bound up in the ecstatic,” whose buoyant lyricism confronts the social and political forces that would demean humanity. Equally attuned to sensuous connection, metaphysical inquiries, the natural world, and ever-changing urban landscapes, Jackson possesses a sensibility at once global and personal, driven by an enduring conviction in the possibilities of art and language to mark our lives with meaning.Whether addressing racial conflict and the ongoing struggle for human dignity in America, bearing witness to the plight of refugees, or grieving the contradictory nature of humankind, these dexterous poems proclaim the remarkable power of renewal, justice, and accountability. BIO Major Jackson is the author of six volumes of poetry. His honors include a Pushcart Prize, a Whiting Award, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The poetry editor of the Harvard Review and the host of the podcast The Slowdown, Jackson lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he is the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. [H] W.W. Norton & Company / September 05, 2023 ﻿1.2" H x 9.3" L x 6.2" W (1.2 lbs) 288 pages

One of Literary Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2023 An exuberant collection of two decades of Major Jackson’s passionately intelligent poetry. A preeminent voice in contemporary literature, Major Jackson offers steady miracles of vision and celebrations of language in rapturous, sophisticated poems. Razzle Dazzle traces the evolution of Jackson’s transformative imagination and fierce music through five acclaimed volumes: his Cave Canem Poetry Prize–winning debut, Leaving Saturn (2002), which captures the spirit of resilience in the Philadelphia neighborhoods of the poet’s youth; Hoops (2006), which finds transcendence in the solemn marvels of ordinary lives; Holding Company (2010), which shifts away from narrative to explore the seductive force of art, literature, and music; Roll Deep (2015), which addresses human intimacy, war, and the spirit of aesthetic travel; and his vulnerable, philosophical latest, The Absurd Man (2020). The volume opens with over three dozen new poems that erupt into full-throated song in the face of indignity and invite us into a passionate experience of the world. Taken together, these two decades of writing offer a sustained portrait of a poet “bound up in the ecstatic,” whose buoyant lyricism confronts the social and political forces that would demean humanity. Equally attuned to sensuous connection, metaphysical inquiries, the natural world, and ever-changing urban landscapes, Jackson possesses a sensibility at once global and personal, driven by an enduring conviction in the possibilities of art and language to mark our lives with meaning. Whether addressing racial conflict and the ongoing struggle for human dignity in America, bearing witness to the plight of refugees, or grieving the contradictory nature of humankind, these dexterous poems proclaim the remarkable power of renewal, justice, and accountability.
BIO
Major Jackson is the author of six volumes of poetry. His honors include a Pushcart Prize, a Whiting Award, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The poetry editor of the Harvard Review and the host of the podcast The Slowdown, Jackson lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he is the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
[H]  W.W. Norton &amp; Company  /  September 05, 2023
﻿<meta charset="utf-8">1.2" H x 9.3" L x 6.2" W (1.2 lbs) 288 pages

Razzle Dazzle: New and Selected Poems 2002-2022 /// Major Jackson /// new

"Impossible to predict... Your new obsession." —Mark Oshiro, co-author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Sun and the StarThis new middle grade fantasy series follows Keynan's quest to unlock his freestyling magic and unravel the secrets of Peerless Academy.Keynan Masters doesn't know the truth about Peerless Academy. He thinks it's just a fancy art school that can’t teach him anything he doesn’t already know (how to write fire poems) and won’t solve his problems (the massive storms that threaten his home and family).But at Peerless, Keynan discovers: Secret passageways and unexplainable portals A corrupt magic that the school is barely able to contain That he can churn up the magic by putting his poetry to rhythm Together with his crew of new friends, can Keynan prevent the magic from destroying the school—and the world? BIO DaVaun Sanders is an author and editor residing in Phoenix, Arizona. He currently serves as publisher and executive editor for the award-winning FIYAH Literary Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction. His short fiction has appeared in the New York Times bestselling anthology Black Boy Joy and elsewhere. When deadlines are scarce, he enjoys exploring the world with his wife and twins. This is his debut novel. REVIEWS "A magical, musical adventure wrapped around a high-stakes climate-focused mystery. It’s a delight to spend time with Keynan—he’s a character to root for while he learns to trust himself and his magic even as everything he’s ever known shifts around him." -- Eden Royce, author of the Walter Award Honoree, Root Magic"A heartfelt magic school adventure deeply rooted in friendship, history, and hilarious shenanigans, Keynan Masters is a force with its endearing, poetic, electrifying, and unique magic system, terrifying storms, and the courage of one boy to admit that he can't do it all alone." -- Jamar J. Perry, author of Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms"An absolutely charming, hilarious, and adventurous magic school novel about found family, shenanigans, and finding the right words to your own rhythm." -- Van Hoang, author of Girl Giant and the Monkey King [H] Inkyard Press / October 17, 2023 352 pages

Keynan Masters and the Peerless Magic Crew /// DaVaun Sanders /// pre

This rhythmic, joyous picture book from Natalie Daise, the co-star of the hit Nickelodeon show "Gullah Gullah Island," celebrates a special day of father-son cooking, and serves up a love letter to food, family, Gullah Geechee culture, and tradition—and includes the author's own recipe! For fans of Fry Bread, My Papi Has a Motorcycle, and Thank You, Omu!Papa has something special planned for tonight’s family dinner—and Bobo can’t wait! Excited to learn how to make okra stew like his ancestors, Bobo helps Papa pick veggies from the garden, catch shrimp from the creek, rain down rice in the pot, simmer the stew, and even make a tasty side of cornbread. When the stew begins to bubble and pop, Bobo and his family gather around for a mouthwatering feast. BIO Natalie Daise is a magnetic performer, speaker, and artist who has long connected with young people in her community and beyond, sharing Gullah songs and traditions. Best known as the co-star of the hit Nickelodeon show "Gullah Gullah Island," Natalie is embarking on a new form of storytelling with her debut picture book, Okra Stew, and hopes to continue to entertain, educate, empower and inspire. She has been married to Ron Daise, her cheerleader, supporter, and committed partner in creativity and life since 1985. They have two children, Sara and Simeon, by birth, and one, Sabrina, by heart. REVIEWS "A loving family, a verdant garden, and Gullah Geechee traditions are key ingredients to this delightful stew of a story. Delicious from 'dayclean' to 'when the sun red fa down.'" -- Kirkus, starred review [H] Henry Holt & Company / October 10, 2023 ﻿1.0" H x 10.0" L x 10.0" W (1.0 lbs) 40 pages

Okra Stew: A Gullah Geechee Family Celebration /// Natalie Daise /// pre

GMA’s 15 Spectacular New Books to Read in September Ms. Magazine’s September 2023 Reads for the Rest of UsThe Millions “Most Anticipated” Books of 2023LitHub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2023Never-before-seen unpublished works by award-winning American literary icon Ntozake Shange, featuring essays, plays, and poems from the archives of the seminal Black feminist writer who stands alongside giants like Toni Morrison and Alice Walker, curated by National Book Award winner Imani Perry with a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Tarana Burke. In the late ’60s, Ntozake Shange was a student at Barnard College discovering her budding talent as a writer, publishing in her school’s literary journal, and finding her unique voice. By the time she left us in 2018, Shange had scorched blazing trails across countless pages and stages, redefining genre and form as we know them, each verse, dance, and song a love letter to Black women and girls, and the community at large. Sing a Black Girl’s Song is a new posthumous collection of Shange’s unpublished poems, essays, and plays from throughout the life of the seminal Black feminist writer. In these pages we meet young Shange, learn the moments that inspired for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf…, travel with an eclectic family of musicians, sit on “The Couch” opposite Shange’s therapist, and discover plays written after for colored girls’ international success. Sing a Black Girl’s Song houses, in their original form, the literary rebel’s politically charged verses from the Black Arts Movement era alongside her signature tender rhythm and cadence that capture the minutia and nuance of Black life. Sing a Black Girl’s Song is the continuation of a literary tradition that has bolstered generations of writers and a long-lasting gift from one of the fiercest and most highly celebrated artists of our time. BIO Ntozake Shange, author of thirty-six published works, is increasingly recognized as one of America’s greatest writers having, for fifty years, embodied the struggle of women of color for equality and the recognition of their contribution to human culture. Shange’s literary legacy, preserved in the Shange Institute at Barnard College, comprises thirteen plays, seven novels, six children’s books and nineteen poetry collections, the majority of which are published and in print. Her 1974 “choreo-poem,” for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow Is enuf, retains its status as the longest-running play by an African American writer in Broadway history. The 2022 Broadway revival of for colored girls garnered seven TONY Award nominations. She has been posthumously inducted into both the NY State Writers and the Off-Broadway Alliance Halls of Fame, cementing her legacy as one of the most cherished Black feminist writers of our time. Imani Perry (Editor) is the Carol K. Pforzheimer professor at Harvard Radcliffe Institute and professor of African American studies and women and gender studies at Harvard University. She is the author of seven books, including South to America, winner of the 2022 National Book Award. She is a recipient of the Lambda Literary Award and the Hurston Wright Award, and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award, among others. She has written for The New York Times; TheAtlantic; Harpers; O, the Oprah Magazine; New York Magazine; and The Paris Review. Perry earned her PhD in American studies from Harvard University, a JD from Harvard Law School, an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center, and a BA from Yale College in literature and American studies. Tarana J. Burke (Foreword), for more than 25 years as activist, advocate, and author, has worked at the intersection of sexual violence and racial justice. Fueled by commitments to interrupt sexual violence and other systemic inequalities disproportionately impacting marginalized people, particularly Black women and girls, Tarana has created and led various campaigns focused on increasing access to resources and support for impacted communities, including the ‘me too.’ Movement, which has galvanized millions of survivors and allies around the world, and the me too. International nonprofit organization, founded in 2018. Her New York Times bestselling books You Are Your Best Thing and Unbound have illuminated the power of healing, vulnerability, and storytelling in the movement to end sexual violence. [H] Legacy Lit / September 12, 2023 ﻿1.51" H x 9.25" L x 6.43" W (1.53 lbs) 496 pages

Sing A Black Girl’s Song: The Unpublished Work of Ntozake Shange /// Ntozake Shange, edited by Imani Perry, foreword by Tarana Burke /// new

mahogany is about the passing of time and unimaginable loss, strength, humor, and lovemahogany takes its name from the dark wood prized for its durability, workability, and elegant look, and from the Diana Ross movie, whose theme song asks if what lies ahead is what you really want. This book is the third in a trilogy, and like the first two books it is steeped in pop music. Each poem here takes its title from a line of a Diana Ross and The Supremes song, as well as songs from Diana Ross' solo career. Short lines flow down the page like postmodern psalms, connecting dailyness to timelessness, merging the historical and the beloved through reverence for family, music, and the life we actually live. mahogany is a lament for the passing of time and unimaginable loss, and at the same time it models the daily search for joy, and the deep shine that can arise from the darkest times.[sample poem]i'm like a woman who once knew splendor*sometimes i feel like the pink pantherall naked and pinklost in the morass ofdo the best you can todayand nigga heal thy selfour end of winterspirits breaklike old tibetan snowi rememberyou was conflictedand i found myself alonehere on my ancient hurtthe disquieting humof living historydear god, pleaseput my head above my heartwe can only be togetherif the stories are toldplain facesame instrumentjust a couple of coke bottlesfull of gasolinelike god and rainis a waste of timemy mother used to clean housesas a childsome days i can barelyget out of bedin my mindshe's like diana rossscrubbing the white lady's stairsin lady sings the bluesexcept prettierand with green eyesi've just been livingoff of cough dropsand water and angerjust sitting in the whole foodsparking lot eating pineapplei am literallythe definition of "hot mess"pain changes everythingsomebody comeand pick upmy limp bodyoff the groundi am dyinga slow ohio deathwe miss you starmanit's our first sunrise of the burn* "dark side of the world"erica lewis BIO erica lewis (San Francisco, CA) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her books include the precipice of jupiter (2009, with artist Mark Stephen Finein), camera obscura (2010, with artist Mark Stephen Finein), murmur in the inventory (2013); and the first two books of the box set trilogy: daryl hall is my boyfriend (2015) and mary wants to be a superwoman (2017). REVIEWS "To read mahogany is to st/roll with a new friend. The poems are as much tirade as they are tender telling, as much lyric blitz as spoken invitations to a way of surviving..." -- Divya Victor, author of Curb"erica lewis melds the raw emotions of love, loss, death, anxiety, and joy into a solid tribute to black endurance, her daily life and the heart of her history. Her dynamic phrasing riffs on her experiences like a praise song." -- Lyn Ford, storyteller, poet, writer/Ohio Arts Council and the National Association of Black Storytellers"In the tight-lined poems of mahogany, the repetitiveness of longing cycles into the brave insights of despair. After all, 'what is grief' one poem notes, 'if not preserving/love.' Like the Diana Ross's songs through which the poet refracts her own story, intense grief and love turn these poems 'inside out' until, sometimes, 'all that's left is joy'." -- Camille T. Dungy, author of Trophic Cascade [H] Wesleyan University Press / September 05, 2023 0.7" H x 9.4" L x 6.3" W (0.75 lbs) 128 pages [P] Wesleyan University Press / September 05, 2023 0.34" H x 8.99" L x 6.12" W (0.49 lbs) 128 pages

mahogany /// erica lewis /// new

Now a Netflix film starring and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, this is a gripping memoir of survival and perseverance about the heroic young inventor who brought electricity to his Malawian village.When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba’s tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season’s crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family’s life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William’s windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy’s brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William’s story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family. BIO William Kamkwamba is a graduate of Dartmouth College. His memoir The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind was a New York Times Bestseller and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. He divides his time between Malawi and San Francisco, California. Bryan Mealer is the author of Muck City: Winning and Losing in Football’s Forgotten Town and the New York Times bestseller The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which he wrote with William Kamkwamba, in addition to the children’s book of the same title. He’s also the author of All Things Must Fight to Live, which chronicled his years covering the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo for Harper’s and the Associated Press. His work has appeared in the anthology Best American Travel Writing and was chosen for an Overseas Press Club Award Citation. He and his family live in Austin, Texas. REVIEWS "[An] inspiring story of curiosity and ingenuity." -- Publishers Weekly"This book will appeal to adults eager to impart an uplifting Third World human-interest story, but it is also sure to resonate with children who will simply love the curiosity, resilience and resourcefulness of this doughty African youth." -- Wall Street Journal"A powerful, gorgeously illustrated children’s picture book." -- The Boston Globe"This is a dynamic portrait of a young person whose connection to the land, concern for his community, and drive to solve problems offer an inspiring model." -- School Library Journal"Zunon illustrates handsomely, with contrasting cut-paper-collage details and broad, sere landscapes painted in visibly textured oils." -- Kirkus"This picture book in accessible free verse will draw kids who love to construct their own engineering gadgets." -- Booklist [H] Rocky Pond Books / February 05, 2015 1.0" H x 8.5" L x 5.9" W (1.0 lbs) 304 pages [P] Rocky Pond Books / January 05, 2016 0.9" H x 7.5" L x 5.0" W (0.5 lbs) 304 pages

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition /// William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, illustrations by Anna Hymas

An inspiring picture book about how children can combine art and activism in their daily lives.“They say I’m an artist. They say I’m an activist.”When a young boy realizes the scope of inequities in the wider world, he’s seized with the urge to do more. He decides to bring together the different parts of himself—the artist and the activist—to become. . . an Artivist. After his mural goes viral, he sets out to change the world one painting at a time.With inspiring text and stunning illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, The Artivist is a call to action for young readers to point out injustice in their lives and try to heal the broken bones of the world through their art. BIO ﻿Nikkolas Smith is an Artivist, picture book author, and Hollywood film illustrator. He is the author-illustrator of The Golden Girls of Rio and My Hair Is Poofy & That’s Okay. He also illustrated the picture books I Am Ruby Bridges, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: The Courage to Dream, That Flag, and the New York Times bestselling The 1619 Project: Born on the Water. Many of Nikkolas’s viral and globally published sketches that have sparked important conversations and inspired meaningful change are included in his book Sunday Sketch: The Art of Nikkolas. He speaks on his Artivism at conferences, workplaces, and schools around the world, and he also leads workshops about digital painting. Born in Houston, Texas, Nikkolas lives in Los Angeles, California. Learn more here: NIKKOLAS.art REVIEWS * “A powerful read-aloud to share and discuss.” -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review. * “A meaningful portrait of artistic advocacy.” -- Publishers Weekly, starred review. [H] Kokila / September 5, 2023 0.6" H x 10.3" L x 10.3" W (1.25 lbs) 40 pages

The Artivist /// Nikkolas Smith /// new

Zadie Smith is back with her first novel since 2016. A work of historical fiction, Smith takes on the divisive "Tichborne Trial" that took place in Victorian England — and just happens to feature Charles Dickens. A brilliant book about authenticity and belief, this novel was well worth the wait. From acclaimed and bestselling novelist Zadie Smith, a kaleidoscopic work of historical fiction set against the legal trial that divided Victorian England, about who gets to tell their story—and who gets to be believedIt is 1873. Mrs. Eliza Touchet is the Scottish housekeeper—and cousin by marriage—of a once-famous novelist, now in decline, William Ainsworth, with whom she has lived for thirty years.Mrs. Touchet is a woman of many interests: literature, justice, abolitionism, class, her cousin, his wives, this life and the next. But she is also sceptical. She suspects her cousin of having no talent; his successful friend, Mr. Charles Dickens, of being a bully and a moralist; and England of being a land of facades, in which nothing is quite what it seems.Andrew Bogle, meanwhile, grew up enslaved on the Hope Plantation, Jamaica. He knows every lump of sugar comes at a human cost. That the rich deceive the poor. And that people are more easily manipulated than they realize. When Bogle finds himself in London, star witness in a celebrated case of imposture, he knows his future depends on telling the right story.The “Tichborne Trial”—wherein a lower-class butcher from Australia claimed he was in fact the rightful heir of a sizable estate and title—captivates Mrs. Touchet and all of England. Is Sir Roger Tichborne really who he says he is? Or is he a fraud? Mrs. Touchet is a woman of the world. Mr. Bogle is no fool. But in a world of hypocrisy and self-deception, deciding what is real proves a complicated task. . . .Based on real historical events, The Fraud is a dazzling novel about truth and fiction, Jamaica and Britain, fraudulence and authenticity and the mystery of “other people.” BIO Zadie Smith is the author of the novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, NW and Swing Time; as well as a novella, The Embassy of Cambodia; three collections of essays, Changing My Mind, Feel Free and Intimations; a collection of short stories, Grand Union; and the play, The Wife of Willesden, adapted from Chaucer. She is also the editor of The Book of Other People. Zadie Smith was born in north-west London, where she still lives. REVIEWS Mesmerizing . . . Smith weaves Eliza’s shrewd and entertaining recollections of her life, a somber account of Bogle’s ancestry and past, brief excerpts from Ainsworth’s books, and historic trial transcripts into a seamless and stimulating mix, made all the more lively by her juxtaposing of imagination with first-and secondhand accounts and facts. The result is a triumph of historical fiction.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Smith, in her most commanding novel to date, dramatizes with all-too relevant insights crucial questions of veracity and mendacity, privilege and tyranny, survival and self, trust and betrayal . . . Smith is always a must-read, and this spectacularly entertaining and resonant historical novel will have enormous appeal.” -- Booklist (starred review) “The cultural and literary life of Victorian England erupts vibrantly from each page of this extraordinary novel . . . Smith wrestles contemporary themes surrounding women’s independence, racism, and class disparity from centuries-old events . . . Readers of Geraldine Brooks or Hilary Mantel will be enthralled.” -- Library Journal (starred review) [H] Penguin Press / September 05, 2023 1.8" H x 9.2" L x 6.5" W (1.7 lbs) 464 pages

The Fraud: A Novel /// Zadie Smith /// new

***Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize******A Most Anticipated Book in The Rumpus***A resistance group takes America's racial reckoning into its own hands in this powerful, stirringly original debut novel After the murder of an unarmed Black teenager by the hands of the police, protests spread like wildfire in Bliss City, New Jersey. A full-scale resistance group takes control of an abandoned housing project and decide to call it Hush Harbor, in homage to the secret spaces their enslaved ancestors would gather to pray.Jeremiah Prince, alongside his sister Nova, are leaders of the revolution, but have ideological differences regarding how the movement should proceed. When a new mayor with ties to white supremacists threatens the group’s pseudo-sanctuary and locks the city down, the collective must come to a decision for their very survival.Haunting, provocative, heart-pounding and tender, Hush Harbor presents a high-stakes world grounded on the thought-provoking premise: What would you sacrifice in the name of justice? BIO Anise Vance is a writer from the African and Iranian diasporas. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University-Camden. As a Mitchell Scholar, he received an MPhil in Geography from Queen's University Belfast. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and currently lives in North Carolina with his wife and two children. REVIEWS "Throughout, there’s a sense of edgy anticipation, and not just because of the content. Readers will also understand that they are encountering an exciting new voice in literature." -- Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal STARRED review“From the opening chapter of Anise Vance’s Hush Harbor, I was totally engrossed. This powerful narrative strikes like a mighty python, wrapping itself around your heart and refusing to let go. At first, you think it’s the rhythmic tale of race war in America, then you see it’s far more complicated than that. It’s about human suffering and who gives a damn; it asks the question 'Will you fight oppressions that have nothing to do with you?'; It’s a song of redemption for a people and a nation too consumed with themselves to see each other. With this novel, Vance conjures black ancestral texts and voices such as Sutton Griggs’s Emperium in Emperio and Martin Delaney’s Blake. All I can say is, this book is an absolute must-read. ” -- Daniel Black, author of Don’t Cry For Me and Black on Black “An emotional, conceptual, page-turning tour-de-force.” -- Shelf Awareness “A tension wire crackling with electricity, Hush Harbor dazzles with incredible writing and boils with righteous fury. I could not stop reading.” -- Lauren Grodstein, author of Our Short History and A Friend of the Family "Taut, gripping, morally complex, and masterfully executed, Hush Harbor could not be more timely. Anise Vance illuminates America’s racial realities with unflinching, clear-eyed vision while also asking a timeless question. How do we remain humane to those who strip us of humanity? This is a marvelous achievement." -- Ye Chun, author of Hao and Straw Dogs of the Universe [H] Hanover Square Press / September 05, 2023 ﻿ 0.93" H x 9.28" L x 6.35" W (0.87 lbs) 288 pages

Hush Harbor: A Novel /// Anise Vance /// new

“In delicious, decadent prose, Denene Millner does what few authors can–compose a sprawling multigenerational tale that is necessary American reading. One Blood sings the song of the South in a voice that is heartbreaking, hopeful, and resilient. A masterpiece.”–Tara M. Stringfellow, National Bestselling author of MemphisJoin New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner as she explores the lives of three generations of women tied together by love, hope, dreams, ambition...and family secrets in this epic novel.Meet Grace: raised by her beloved grandmother in tension-filled, post-segregation Virginia, Grace is barely a teenager when she loses her grandmother. Shellshocked, she is shipped up North to live with her formidably ambitious Aunt Hattie―a woman who firmly left behind her Southern roots in pursuit of upward mobility. Feeling like a fish out of water in the high society world filled with fancy teas and coveted debutante balls, Grace’s only place of comfort is with the smart, handsome son of one of the society’s grand dames.Meet Delores: beautiful, intelligent and fierce, Delores a.k.a. Lolo has never had it easy. Once she makes it north, she puts aside her dream of being a model to do what she has to do to survive as a woman with little money and no mooring: get married and have a family of her own. When secrets start to spill out and she and her family slowly begin to unravel, Lolo is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her dream intact and those she loves together.Meet Rae: when Lolo’s headstrong daughter, Rae discovers that she is adopted, it’s just one secret among others that her family is keeping. When Rae finds out that she’s about to become a mother herself, she knows that there is an important reckoning that must be faced about herself and her two mothers.Potent, poetic, powerful, told with deep love, and spanning from the Great Migration to the civil unrest of the 1960s to the quest for women’s equality in early 2000s, Denene Millner’s beautifully wrought novel explores three women’s intimate, and often complicated, struggle with what it truly means to be to be family. BIO Denene Millner is a six-time New York Times bestselling author, Emmy Award–nominated TV show host and award-winning journalist who has written thirty-one books, among them Taraji P. Henson’s Around the Way Girl and the picture book Early Sunday Morning. Millner is also the editorial director of Denene Millner Books, an award-winning imprint that has published two Caldecott Honor books, a Newbery Honor Book, the Kirkus Prize for Children’s Literature and a Southern Book Award. A MacDowell Fellow, Millner has written essays for the New York Times, Glamour and NPR, which hosted her critically-acclaimed podcast, “Speakeasy with Denene.” Millner is a graduate of Hofstra University. She lives in Atlanta with her two daughters and their goldendoodle, Franklin REVIEWS “In delicious, decadent prose, Denene Millner does what few authors can--compose a sprawling multigenerational tale that is necessary American reading. One Blood sings the song of the South in a voice that is heartbreaking, hopeful, and resilient. A masterpiece.” -- Tara M. Stringfellow, National Bestselling author of Memphis"One Blood is the haunting, yet wonderfully written story of three women, Grace, LoLo and Rae, who are connected through time, circumstances…and more than just blood. From the first pages, Denene Millner had me captivated with the intimate stories and too many heartbreaking moments of these women as they struggled against every adversity, fighting to find their place and their voice in this world. With prose that was so beautiful, I often paused to read a sentence twice, I was left thinking about these women and how their lives were eternally linked, long after I finished this amazing novel." -- New York Times bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray"Denene Millner is a masterful weaver of words, characters, and worlds. ONE BLOOD is a beautiful, brilliant American epic that speaks to Black motherhood, female relationship, marriage, family, legacy, love and healing. It is simultaneously deeply intimate and grandly sweeping." -- Tarana Burke, New York Times bestselling author of Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement"Clear your calendar before you turn the first page of Denene Miller’s irresistibly engaging One Blood because you won’t be able to put this compulsively readable novel aside once you start. A profound meditation on generational trauma, Miller’s characters leap off the page. Grace, Lolo, and Rae’s stories will become your stories, stories that will linger long after you turn the final page." -- Sarah Bird, author of Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen [H] Forge / September 05, 2023 ﻿1.37" H x 9.55" L x 6.51" W (1.38 lbs) 432 pages

One Blood: A Novel /// Denene Millner /// new

Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize“Once in a while, a writer comes along with a brilliance that stops the breath. Kim Coleman Foote is that writer.” —Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award–winning author of Red at the Bone“A masterpiece. Brilliant, vivid, heartbreaking, epic, beautiful, raw and true . . . This is the American story.” ―Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Less Is Lost“Kim Coleman Foote has the rare talent of completely immersing you in time and place . . . A sweeping yet intimate family saga.” —Sarah Jessica ParkerColeman Hill is the exhilarating story of two American families whose fates become intertwined in the wake of the Great Migration. Braiding fact and fiction, it is a remarkable, character-rich tour de force exploring the ties that bind three generations.In 1916, during the early days of the Great Migration, Celia Coleman and Lucy Grimes flee the racism and poverty of their homes in the post–Civil War South for the “Promised Land” of Vauxhall, New Jersey. But the North possesses its own challenges and bigotries that will shape the fates of the women and their families over the next seventy years. Told through the voices of nine family members—their perspectives at once harmonious and contradictory—Coleman Hill is a penetrating multigenerational debut.Within ten years of arriving in Vauxhall, both Celia and Lucy’s husbands are dead, and they turn to one another for support in raising their children far from home. Lucy’s gentleness sets Celia at ease, and Celia lends Lucy her fire when her friend wants to cower. Encouraged by their mothers’ friendship, their children’s lives become enmeshed as well. As the children grow into adolescence, two are caught in an impulsive act of impropriety, and Celia and Lucy find themselves at irreconcilable odds over who’s to blame. The ensuing fallout has dire consequences that reverberate through the next two generations of their families.A stunning biomythography—a word coined by the late great writer Audre Lorde—Coleman Hill draws from the author’s own family legend, historical record, and fervent imagination to create an unforgettable new history. The result is a kaleidoscopic novel whose intergenerational arc emerges through a series of miniatures that contain worlds. BIO Kim Coleman Foote was born and raised in New Jersey, where she started writing fiction at the age of seven(ish). A recent fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, she has received additional fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Bread Loaf, Phillips Exeter Academy, Center for Fiction, and Fulbright, and residencies at Yaddo, MacDowell, and Hedgebrook, among others. Her fiction and essays have appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2022, The Rumpus, Prairie Schooner, the Missouri Review, the Literary Review, Kweli, and Obsidian. REVIEWS Foote debuts with a gleaming, partly fictionalized account of her family’s history. At the center are Celia Coleman and Lucy Grimes, who meet in the early 1900s on a train leaving the Jim Crow South for New Jersey and become caught in a tragic cycle of domestic violence, alcohol abuse, and poverty. Celia’s husband, Jim, left Alabama and, after establishing himself, sent for Celia and their children to join him. But Jim soon dies, leaving Celia to support her children on a maid’s salary. Celia takes up Jim’s whiskey habit to cope with the cold winters and her own grief, rage, and exhaustion. Lucy—similarly widowed and deeply religious—has a daughter who becomes pregnant by Celia’s son, Jeb—who “unlike Jim, took out his woes on his wife, not his two little sons”—resulting in a marriage that tenuously unites the two families. The women’s will to survive sustains the generations, despite the many dangers they endure—and the ones they themselves inflict. Gripping, poetic, and with a big heart, it’s a memorable work of grim determination and surprising optimism. This is book club gold. -- Publishers Weekly Coleman Hill is a masterpiece. Brilliant, vivid, heartbreaking, epic, beautiful, raw and true; a reading experience unlike anything else. This is the American story.” -- Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Less Is Lost“Once in a while, a writer comes along with a brilliance that stops the breath. Kim Coleman Foote is that writer.” -- Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award–winning author of Red at the Bone“A meaningful deep dive into family and power, love and survival.” -- Shannon Gibney, Star Tribune“A beautiful multigenerational novel.” -- The Root“In this sweeping and astonishing debut, Kim Coleman Foote explores complex questions of legacy and inheritance, reckoning frankly with the violence that has followed the Coleman family from slavery through emancipation and the Great Migration, but holding space for the resilience, storytelling, and second acts that also compose the family history. Coleman Hill is a gorgeous collage of history, memory, and imagination.” -- Danielle Evans, author of The Office of Historical Corrections“Remarkable . . . Three generations come to life in poignant, beautifully rendered scenes . . . a polyvocal symphony.” -- Laura Sackton, Bookpage [H] Sjp Lit / September 05, 2023 1.2" H x 9.1" L x 5.8" W (1.25 lbs) 320 pages

Coleman Hill: A Novel /// Kim Coleman Foote /// new

From the New York Times bestselling creator of the Questioneers, Andrea Beaty, and author Theanne Griffithcomes The Science of Baking (Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files), a nonfiction early-reader book based on the Netflix series!How does a cake bake? What’s the difference between baking soda and baking powder? And why is it so important to measure the different ingredients in a recipe?Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files is the perfect nonfiction resource for all these questions and more. Based on the bestselling series and the Netflix show, this nonfiction series is perfect for the youngest scientists of tomorrow as they learn along with Ada. Designed in a scrapbook format, these books combine art from the show, illustrations, and photography to bring simple science concepts to life. BIO Theanne Griffith is a neuroscientist and the author of the Magnificent Makers chapter book series. Since she was a little girl, she’s loved both storytelling and science, and her books combine those two passions. Griffith received her BA in neuroscience and Spanish from Smith College and earned her doctorate in neuroscience from Northwestern University. She is an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis. Andrea Beaty is the author of the bestselling Questioneers series, among other children’s titles. She lives just outside Chicago.[H] Harry N. Abrams / September 06, 2022 ﻿ 0.4" H x 9.2" L x 6.1" W (0.7 lbs) 80 pages

And if you haven’t yet, join our mailing list below!

Join the BEM Mailing List!