Watch A Never-Aired TV Profile of Author James Baldwin
In 1979, 20/20 director/producer Joseph Lovett was assigned an interview with author James Baldwin. The interview was conducted by journalist Sylvia Chase and included stops at Lincoln Center to watch a rehearsal of Baldwin’s play, The Amen Corner, and at the Police Athletic League’s Harlem Center. In the interview, Baldwin spoke frankly about what it means to be a Black man and a Black author in America and how he outed himself to the general public with his 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room. But the interview never aired. Evidently, at the time 20/20 thought viewers wouldn’t be interested in a “queer, Black has-been.” Upon discovering the interview would not air, Lovett said he was “stunned… because in my mind James Baldwin was no has-been. He was a classic American writer, translated into every language in the world, and would live on forever, and indeed he has. His courage and his eloquence continue to inspire us today.” On June 24, Joseph Lovett is moderating a free virtual panel called James Baldwin: Race, Media, and Psychoanalysis. The panel will discuss his 20/20 profile of James Baldwin, with psychoanalysts Victor P. Bonfilio and Annie Lee Jones, and Baldwin’s niece, author Aisha Karefa-Smart. You can register here.
HBO Series to Expand on Ronan Farrow’s Bestselling Book Catch and Kill
HBO has announced a docuseries expansion of Ronan Farrow’s bestselling 2019 book Catch and Kill. Farrow’s book uncovered information about the alleged sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer and other major media industry figures. The HBO series Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes will feature six half-hour episodes that will recreate the author’s interviews with whistleblowers, journalists, private investigators, and other sources. But although the series is based on the book, HBO promises never-before-seen footage and new details about Farrow’s investigations. The series will be directed by Emmy winners Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (HBO’s Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking). World of Wonder is producing.
Tails and Tales Program Aims to Bring Pet Lovers Together with Book Lovers
In Florida, the Lake County Animal Shelter is teaming up with the Lake County Library System to bring the Tails and Tales Summer Adoption Program to 16 public libraries. The mobile adoption truck with stop by all 16 libraries in Lake Country to help book worms adopt pets and “gain a FURever reading buddy.” The program hopes to reach pet lovers and readers who might not be able to make it out to the shelter because they live too far away. Library assistant Sarah Clements said, “It’s important to the library because we are partnering with the county to help get those animals adopted and it gets the kids out and to the library to read.” All adoption fees will be waived during the program.
10 Part-Asian Characters in YA Novels Written By Part-Asian Authors
For many part-asian people, the feeling of being trapped between cultures is all too familiar. To learn more about these stories, pick up some excellent YA books featuring part-Asian characters, by part-Asian writers.