Emanuele Berry

We've arrived at Act 2 of our program, Act 2, The Farce Awakens. One place where you can see this dizzying whiplash is books by Black people and about Black people. After the murder of George Floyd, sales of Black books skyrocketed. Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped from the Beginning, The New Jim Crow, So You Want to Talk About Race were all of a sudden bestsellers.

We've arrived at Act 2 of our program, Act 2, The Farce Awakens. One place where you can see this dizzying whiplash is books by Black people and about Black people. After the murder of George Floyd, sales of Black books skyrocketed. Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped from the Beginning, The New Jim Crow, So You Want to Talk About Race were all of a sudden bestsellers.

For a window of time, people really wanted to hear what Black authors had to say. And then, they dramatically did not want to hear anymore. Not only did sales slow, but there are now efforts to ban many of these books that were so celebrated. Producer Hana Jaffe-Walt spoke with one author who found his book banned, and whose professional arc is sort of a mirror for this backlash. Here's Hana.

For a window of time, people really wanted to hear what Black authors had to say. And then, they dramatically did not want to hear anymore. Not only did sales slow, but there are now efforts to ban many of these books that were so celebrated. Producer Hana Jaffe-Walt spoke with one author who found his book banned, and whose professional arc is sort of a mirror for this backlash. Here's Hana.

Hannah Jaffe-Wall is one of the producers of our show.

Hannah Jaffe-Wall is one of the producers of our show.

We'll be right back. Our managing editor is Sara Abdurrahman, and our senior editor is David Kestenbaum. Help on today's rerun from Angela Gervasi.

We'll be right back. Our managing editor is Sara Abdurrahman, and our senior editor is David Kestenbaum. Help on today's rerun from Angela Gervasi.

Special thanks today to New Leonard Media of Traverse City, Mark L. Wilson, Nicole Hannah-Jones, Orlando Dial, Eve Ewing, Rob Kerr, Sophia Husson, Seven Forsen, Andrea Grace Makuna, Dami Lola Awofisayo, Jewel Coulter, Ami Chum, Michelle Togby, and Gianna Maltby.

Special thanks today to New Leonard Media of Traverse City, Mark L. Wilson, Nicole Hannah-Jones, Orlando Dial, Eve Ewing, Rob Kerr, Sophia Husson, Seven Forsen, Andrea Grace Makuna, Dami Lola Awofisayo, Jewel Coulter, Ami Chum, Michelle Togby, and Gianna Maltby.

Since we first ran this show, Dr. Whitfield, the principal from Texas, has accepted a new position as superintendent of a small public charter school in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Our website, thisamericanlife.org. This American Life is delivered to public radio stations by PRX, the public radio exchange.

Since we first ran this show, Dr. Whitfield, the principal from Texas, has accepted a new position as superintendent of a small public charter school in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Our website, thisamericanlife.org. This American Life is delivered to public radio stations by PRX, the public radio exchange.

To become a This American Life partner, which gets you bonus content, ad-free listening, and hundreds of our favorite episodes of the show right in your podcast feed, go to thisamericanlife.org slash lifepartners. That link is also in the show notes. Thanks as always to our boss, Ira Glass. You know, he's instituted this new rule in the office. He gets to take one bite of anyone's lunch.

To become a This American Life partner, which gets you bonus content, ad-free listening, and hundreds of our favorite episodes of the show right in your podcast feed, go to thisamericanlife.org slash lifepartners. That link is also in the show notes. Thanks as always to our boss, Ira Glass. You know, he's instituted this new rule in the office. He gets to take one bite of anyone's lunch.

And when I told him that was insane, he got pretty upset.

And when I told him that was insane, he got pretty upset.

I'm Emanuel Berry. See, I didn't break the show. Ira Glass will be back next week with more stories of This American Life.

I'm Emanuel Berry. See, I didn't break the show. Ira Glass will be back next week with more stories of This American Life.