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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2021)
September 8, 2021 Author’s Debut Novel Lauded Now an Oprah Winfrey book club pick One of the year’s most anticipated debut novels, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers’ “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois,” is now an Oprah Winfrey book club pick. Published this month, Jeffers’ novel traces centu- ries of Black history through a family in the American South and its contempo- Honorée Fanonne Jeffers and the cover for her debut rary narrator, young Ailey novel “The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois,” an Oprah Paul Garfield. “The Love Winfrey book club pick. Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois,” is named for the canonical Black scholar Oklahoma, she has championed the sto- and activist. ries and achievements of Black women, “I was so enraptured by the story of including Winfrey. this modern Black family, and how au- “I first encountered the beauty, bril- thor Honorée Fanonne Jeffers wove the liance, and empathy of Ms. Oprah Win- larger fabric of historical trauma through frey from afar, by watching her talk show the family’s silence through generations,” on my television in the 1980′s,” Jeffers Winfrey said in a statement. “It’s a com- said in a statement. “She made me be- bination of historical and modern and it lieve that so many great things were consumed me. I look forward to discuss- possible for a young, African American ing with our community of readers and woman like me. That I could do anything speaking with Honorée herself to discuss if I just set my hands, mind, and spirit to the themes that run throughout this spe- the task. As a creative writer, it was my cial novel.” secret dream that I would one day write Jeffers, 54, is already an acclaimed poet a book that this ‘phenomenal woman’ — whose “The Age of Phillis” was on the long to quote from the great poet, Dr. Maya list in 2020 for a National Book Award. A Angelou — would read, enjoy, and pres- professor of English at the University of ent to the members of her book club.” Back to School special edition Page 7 Arts & ENTERTAINMENT Openness and Advocacy Lauded Rapper’s message resonates with youth (AP) — Lil Nas X has been awarded the inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award from the advocacy group The Trevor Project, a nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention and crisis interven- tion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning young people. The group cited Lil Nas X’s “openness about struggling with his sexuality and suicidal ideation, his continued advocacy around mental health issues, and his unapol- ogetic celebration of his queer identity.” “He has done it in a way that has res- onated and impacted communities where these conversations are often taboo, but where they are so needed,” said Amit Pa- ley, Trevor Project executive director. “The fact that he has been so open, so vulner- able about his mental health journey, his thoughts of suicide, he is really helping to destigmatize conversations that are too of- ten shrouded in shame.” In February, Lil Nas X shared a series of intimate TikTok videos documenting his life story, including his battle with depres- sion, anxiety and suicidal ideation during Rapper Lil Nas X his rise to fame. In May, he released a mu- sic video which depicts Lil Nas X uplift- ing a younger version of himself in high school when he was contemplating suicide and struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. “It’s particularly inspiring to see some- one who is Black and LGBTQ and proud and unapologetic,” said Paley. “And to see someone talk about their experiences with depression and anxiety and suicidal ide- ation and to talk about those as part of their art and part of their platform to make other people comfortable talking about the chal- lenges that they are going through.”
