Asim on New Book Yonder: Globe’s Black News Hour, Washington Post
Writing, Literature, and Publishing professor and author Jabari Asim joined the Boston Globe’s Black News Hour to discuss his writing and new work Yonder, which follows the lives of six men and women, five of which are enslaved, in the mid-1800s South.
Asim dives into the characters, writing across genres, and the inspiration for writing children’s books.
Listen to the Black News Hour interview.
Asim’s book is also reviewed by The Washington Post. The reviewer, Evangeline Lawson, concluded with the following reflection:
Given the current cultural climate, with people challenging the importance of teaching about slavery within the broader scope of American history, “Yonder” is a well-timed resource. It is not depressing, just beautifully honest — offering hope and empowerment. It is the origin story that many have been deprived of and in some cases didn’t know they needed. It spotlights the voids in their realities by exposing holes and chasms where family and evocations of life experience should be. Despite the agonizing details, learning about them is critical to developing compassion and a deeper understanding of the Black American experience. “Yonder” provides a picture of what it took for an entire population of people to exist here, right now.
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