The Trayvon Generation
Elizabeth Alexander
(Author)
Description
From a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author and poet comes a galvanizing meditation on the power of art and culture to illuminate America's unresolved problem with race. *Named a Most Anticipated Title of 2022 by TIME magazine, New York Times, Bustle, and more* In the midst of civil unrest in the summer of 2020 and following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, Elizabeth Alexander--one of the great literary voices of our time--turned a mother's eye to her sons' and students' generation and wrote a celebrated and moving reflection on the challenges facing young Black America. Originally published in the New Yorker, the essay incisively and lovingly observed the experiences, attitudes, and cultural expressions of what she referred to as the Trayvon Generation, who even as children could not be shielded from the brutality that has affected the lives of so many Black people. The Trayvon Generation expands the viral essay that spoke so resonantly to the persistence of race as an ongoing issue at the center of the American experience. Alexander looks both to our past and our future with profound insight, brilliant analysis, and mighty heart, interweaving her voice with groundbreaking works of art by some of our most extraordinary artists. At this crucial time in American history when we reckon with who we are as a nation and how we move forward, Alexander's lyrical prose gives us perspective informed by historical understanding, her lifelong devotion to education, and an intimate grasp of the visioning power of art. This breathtaking book is essential reading and an expression of both the tragedies and hopes for the young people of this era that is sure to be embraced by those who are leading the movement for change and anyone rising to meet the moment.
Product Details
Price
$22.00
$20.46
Publisher
Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date
April 05, 2022
Pages
160
Dimensions
5.1 X 7.1 X 0.8 inches | 0.7 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781538737897
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Elizabeth Alexander is a prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author, renowned poet, educator, scholar, and cultural advocate. Her most recent book, The Trayvon Generation (2022), is a galvanizing meditation on the power of art and culture to illuminate America's unresolved problem with race and the challenges facing young Black America. Among the fifteen books she has authored or co-authored, her memoir, The Light of the World, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Biography and the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2015 and her poetry collection American Sublime was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2006. Notably, Dr. Alexander composed and recited "Praise Song for the Day" for President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration. Over the course of an esteemed career in education, she has held distinguished professorships at Smith College, Columbia University, and Yale University, where she taught for fifteen years and chaired the African American Studies Department. Dr. Alexander is currently president of the Mellon Foundation, the nation's largest funder in the arts, culture, and humanities.
Reviews
Praise for Elizabeth Alexander and The Light of the World: [Alexander] seems much like Walt Whitman. She sings the American song.--Maya Angelou
Magnificent.-- First Lady Michelle Obama, from an interview in The Skimm
She shows us how feeding your family and remembering to be aware of the small details of everyday life are the bedrocks of true connection. In this book of prose, each page is a poem.--O, The Oprah Magazine
Elizabeth Alexander creates intellectual magic.--The New York Times Book Review
Elizabeth Alexander is a student, and dare I say, master of the craft. Her work is inspirational in a way that The Great Gatsby...is inspirational, in that it just says so much about who we are.--The Atlantic
This is a gorgeous love story, written by one of America's greatest contemporary poets... Elizabeth Alexander is a prose writer of deep talent and affecting skill.--James McBride, National Book Award-winning author of The Good Lord Bird and #1 New York Times bestseller The Color of Water
Alexander explores tensions inherent in gender and race and expresses the ambivalence of motherhood in jazz-inflected tones.--ELLE
The Light of the World is crushing, lovely, painful, and above all powerful. It is difficult to believe that anyone who has suffered loss will remain unaffected by this marvelous book.--New York Journal of Books
It is both raw and exquisitely crafted, mercilessly direct and sometimes lavishly metaphorical... The Light of the World is, quite simply, a miracle.--Boston Sunday Globe
Professor Alexander is a virtuosic writer and a shrewd analyst of American letters, a polyglot who moves fluently from essay to sonnet, from free verse to drama--and in her teaching, traces equally diverse themes.--The Root
"Punctuated with gripping pieces of art that complement the text. Each piece is compelling in its own right as they entwine with the representation of human experience that Alexander demonstrates for readers... At its core, this is a powerful treatise on the humanity of Black Americans and how it has been denied, how generations of people have persisted despite that fact, and how it continues to be one of the most pressing issues we face as a nation. A dynamic critique on the sprawling effects of racism and its effects on today's youth."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Poet and memoirist Alexander deftly blends family history and cultural criticism in this bittersweet essay collection on race, memory, and memorialization...Alexander is a thoughtful and eloquent chronicler of racial anxiety and pain."--Booklist (starred review)
Praise for The Trayvon Generation: "The Trayvon Generation is definitely essential reading for every generation."--Cosmopolitan
"An essential read for our times by the only person who could've written it so exquisitely."--Ms. Magazine
"Vigorous and inspiring...By capturing the rich spectrum of Black culture in America, Alexander offers hope and instruction for younger generations. The result is a thought-provoking must-read."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A very moving short book that seeks to challenge readers' assumptions about American society; highly recommended for all libraries and for reading groups."--Library Journal (starred review)
"A powerful book which unveils the ways in which race is woven so deeply into the fabric of American culture, and sheds a light on how art can reveal the urgency of this issue."--Town & Country
Magnificent.-- First Lady Michelle Obama, from an interview in The Skimm
She shows us how feeding your family and remembering to be aware of the small details of everyday life are the bedrocks of true connection. In this book of prose, each page is a poem.--O, The Oprah Magazine
Elizabeth Alexander creates intellectual magic.--The New York Times Book Review
Elizabeth Alexander is a student, and dare I say, master of the craft. Her work is inspirational in a way that The Great Gatsby...is inspirational, in that it just says so much about who we are.--The Atlantic
This is a gorgeous love story, written by one of America's greatest contemporary poets... Elizabeth Alexander is a prose writer of deep talent and affecting skill.--James McBride, National Book Award-winning author of The Good Lord Bird and #1 New York Times bestseller The Color of Water
Alexander explores tensions inherent in gender and race and expresses the ambivalence of motherhood in jazz-inflected tones.--ELLE
The Light of the World is crushing, lovely, painful, and above all powerful. It is difficult to believe that anyone who has suffered loss will remain unaffected by this marvelous book.--New York Journal of Books
It is both raw and exquisitely crafted, mercilessly direct and sometimes lavishly metaphorical... The Light of the World is, quite simply, a miracle.--Boston Sunday Globe
Professor Alexander is a virtuosic writer and a shrewd analyst of American letters, a polyglot who moves fluently from essay to sonnet, from free verse to drama--and in her teaching, traces equally diverse themes.--The Root
"Punctuated with gripping pieces of art that complement the text. Each piece is compelling in its own right as they entwine with the representation of human experience that Alexander demonstrates for readers... At its core, this is a powerful treatise on the humanity of Black Americans and how it has been denied, how generations of people have persisted despite that fact, and how it continues to be one of the most pressing issues we face as a nation. A dynamic critique on the sprawling effects of racism and its effects on today's youth."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Poet and memoirist Alexander deftly blends family history and cultural criticism in this bittersweet essay collection on race, memory, and memorialization...Alexander is a thoughtful and eloquent chronicler of racial anxiety and pain."--Booklist (starred review)
Praise for The Trayvon Generation: "The Trayvon Generation is definitely essential reading for every generation."--Cosmopolitan
"An essential read for our times by the only person who could've written it so exquisitely."--Ms. Magazine
"Vigorous and inspiring...By capturing the rich spectrum of Black culture in America, Alexander offers hope and instruction for younger generations. The result is a thought-provoking must-read."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A very moving short book that seeks to challenge readers' assumptions about American society; highly recommended for all libraries and for reading groups."--Library Journal (starred review)
"A powerful book which unveils the ways in which race is woven so deeply into the fabric of American culture, and sheds a light on how art can reveal the urgency of this issue."--Town & Country
