The Black Body

“Meri Danquah has taken the race debate to another level, deeper and more provocative than we've gone before.”—Danzy Senna, author of Where Did You Sleep Last Night? and Caucasia

“This singularly brave book recounts with poignancy, wit and fierce passion the ways that Americans, black and white, have come to understand the 'black body.'...An utterly compelling collection.”—Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon

“A bold, cutting-edge and ultimately uplifting anthology destined to become a classic in African-American literature. There is a hunger for redemption in these ethereal essays that is triumphant.”—Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior and Rosa Parks

What does it mean to have, or to love, a black body? Taking on the challenge of interpreting the black body’s dramatic role in American culture are thirty black, white, and biracial contributors—award-winning actors, artists, writers, and comedians—including voices as varied as President Obama’s inaugural poet Elizabeth Alexander, actor and best-selling author Hill Harper, political strategist Kimball Stroud, television producer Joel Lipman, former Saturday Night Live writer Anne Beatts, and singer-songwriter Jason Luckett.

Ranging from deeply serious to playful, sometimes hilarious, musings, these essays explore myriad issues with wisdom and a deep sense of history. Meri Nana-Ama Danquah’s unprecedented collection illuminates the diversity of identities and individual experiences that define the black body in our culture.

With contributions by: Elizabeth Alexander, Stephanie Covington Armstrong, Tonita Austin-Hilley, Anne Beatts, Annie Burrows, Kenneth Carroll, Nzingha Clarke, Werner Disse, Lynell George, David Goldsmith, Hill Harper, Peter J. Harris, Susan Hayden, Carolyn L. Holbrook, Kenji Jasper, Brent Jennings, A. Van Jordan, Steven Kotler, Joel Lipman, Philip Littell, Jason Luckett, Susan E. Matus, Tajamika Paxton, S. Pearl Sharp, Kimball Stroud, Greg Tate, Kenny White, Gail Wronsky, and Yolanda Young.

Meri Nana-Ama Danquah's previous work includes the groundbreaking memoir Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression and two critically acclaimed anthologies, Becoming American and Shaking the Tree. She earned an MFA in creative writing and literature from Bennington College. She divides her time between Los Angeles, California, and Accra, Ghana.