Actor Omar Epps, widely known for starring in classics such as “Juice,” “Love and Basketball,” and the critically acclaimed series “House,” has released his first memoir. Titled From Fatherless to Fatherhood, the autobiography documents Epps’s humble journey while intimately exploring how various obstacles he faced ultimately led to his success as both an actor and […]
I first met Tayari Jones through her novel The Untelling. I was applying to graduate school for my MFA in Creative Writing and after reading her novels, I knew I wanted to work with her. You can imagine my delight when upon submitting my application to Rutgers, I received a phone call from her personally […]
In his memoir I’m BETTER not BITTER, Anthony Tuggle takes us through his very personal journey with God—a journey that ultimately molded him into the Dynamic Husband, Loving Father, Friend, and Prolific Leader that we see before us today. After receiving the devastating news of kidney failure, and the subsequent trials and tribulations while […]
Last year, we featured Akwaeke Emezi’s debut novel Freshwater in JARO’s curated list of books to read by women of color in 2018. After becoming a finalist for the prestigious PEN/Hemingway Award for a Debut Novel and receiving various other accolades, Freshwater is now in early development for television by FX. According to Variety, who […]
I’ll always find it fascinating how what is meant for you can simply fall onto your lap. At the time, when I was asked to review Keturah Kendrick’s newly released memoir, No Thanks: Black, Female, and Living in the Martyr Free Zone, I was in the midst of being overwhelmed by various responsibilities, and had […]
On May 25, 2020, while handcuffed and lying down with a knee to his neck by a white Minneapolis police officer, George Floyd whispered, “I Can’t Breathe.” Minutes later, he took his last breath. A seventeen-year-old bystander recorded the incident and released the video on social media. Within seconds, the world would see another Black […]
NEW YORK (AP) — A picture book edition of Ibram X. Kendi’s “Antiracist Baby,” one of the country’s top-selling books since the death last month of George Floyd, is coming out July 14. “Antiracist Baby” went on sale this week as a board book and has been part of a wave of works about race […]
There have been a plethora of distinguished books throughout 2020 (view this year’s reading list here), allowing us to escape to different worlds as we grapple with a pandemic and multiple other crises. Now, we’re looking forward to unearthing even more gems in the forthcoming year, especially as multiple writers of color release their debut […]
In the early days of spring, I decided to partake in one of my favorite activities: thrifting for books. Typically, I come across gold in unexpected places, and this particular afternoon was no different. Slightly hidden within the arbitrary shelves of Goodwill, I discovered a pristine copy of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora […]
Tananarive Due, an award-winning author, professor, producer, and horror culture specialist, is receiving long overdue attention for her Black horror novel The Between. Originally published in 1995, the fictional book is being re-released this fall. The Between is Due’s debut novel. It follows Hilton, a man who was saved from drowning by his grandmother as […]