James Baldwin's Shadow

Also this week: Cindy McCain, critics' picks and more

by Petra Mayer Ulf Andersen/Getty Images Let's kick off this edition of the newsletter with something truly excellent -- our pals at the Throughline history podcast have dedicated an entire episode to the legacy of James Baldwin. They've invited scholar Eddie S. Glaude Jr. to guide us through the meaning and purpose of Baldwin's work, and how it can help us navigate today's reckonings with racism and police brutality. There's no transcript -- you'll need to listen through -- but I promise you that listening to the absolutely magnetic Dr. Glaude is pretty much the best way you can spend your next 46 minutes. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Holiday House Publishing The theme of this week's newsletter seems to be basically "here's a bunch of really great stuff we're excited about," so let's move on to the latest installment of Weekend Edition's lovely series of author/illustrator interviews -- this time with Andrea Wang and Jason Chin, creators of the new picture book Watercress. It's about the universal experience of being embarrassed by your parents -- but also the very specific experience of growing up with Chinese immigrant parents and learning about the country they left behind. As a kid, Wang says she remembers feeling disconnected from her history. Her greatest hope for Watercress is that it inspires families to have conversations that may be difficult. "I think it's really important for families to share what they can," she says. "So that kids know that history and can feel a sense of pride in their culture. No matter where they're from." Netflix If you're a nerd like me, you probably got REAL excited for the arrival of Netflix's Shadow and Bone, the adaptation of the first of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse novels. Show producers made some fairly big changes from the books (Mal is way less of a drip) but most notably they made heroine Alina Starkov biracial; she's played by Chinese English actor Jessie Mei Li. Bardugo tells All Things Considered's Michel Martin that "Shadow and Bone was my first book, and I think I was unconsciously echoing a lot of the fantasy that I had grown up with, which sets a kind of default for straight white characters." So when she met with the showrunners, she told them "you guys can do this better than I did." Hear that whole conversation here! Ben Kirby started out as the anonymous Instagrammer known as PreachersNSneakers, documenting the high-end designer clothes and to-die-for collector sneakers worn by some megachurch pastors. But eventually, he found the anonymity stifling -- so he went public last year in The Washington Post, and has now turned his work into a book.  Our own Andrew Limbong spoke to Kirby -- and dug into the phenomenon of prosperity gospel and pastoral fashion -- you can check out his story here. Finally this week, NPR congressional reporter Claudia Grisales does a deep dive into Stronger, Cindy McCain's memoir of her life with the late Sen. John McCain. Heller McAlpin says Jhumpa Lahiri's new Whereabouts -- which Lahiri wrote in Italian and translated into English herself -- "is the literary equivalent of slow cooking; it demands patience." And Gabino Iglesias says Elissa Washuta's collection of mostly-biographical essays White Magic is "tough to read, but it is also necessary and magical."   I hope books bring you what you need this week! -- Petra Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: books@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Pop Culture, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Books emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy