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New Books in African American Studies

New Books Network
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African American Studies

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: newbooksnetwork.com Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ge... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1947Founded15 years ago
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HistorySociety & Culture

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Artwork for New Books in African American Studies

Latest Episodes

A cemetery as open-air museum? Historian and award-winning author of Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal, Eric K. Washington thinks so.

In this compelling discussion, Washington talks about his... more

Mark Twain’s Jim, introduced in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), is a shrewd, self‑aware, and enormously admirable enslaved man, one of the first fully drawn Black fathers in American fiction. Haunted by the family he has left behind, Jim acts... more

Youssef J. Carter’s The Vast Oceans: Remembering Allah and Self on the Mustafawiyya Sufi Path (UNC Press, 2026) is a stunning meditation on Black Atlantic Sufism, specifically as it travels between South Carolina and Senegal via the Mustafawiyya Sufi... more

Black Freedom: A Visual History of Juneteenth and Emancipation Days (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2026) is

the first fully illustrated history of Juneteenth and other

Emancipation Day celebrations, told through photographs, art, and an

engrossing narrat... more

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Recent Guests

Dr. Stephanie Coontz
Director of Research and Public Education for the Council on Contemporary Families; Professor Emerita at the Evergreen State College and University
Council on Contemporary Families; Evergreen State College
Episode: Stephanie Coontz, "For Better and Worse: The Complicated Past and Challenging Future of Marriage" (Viking, 2026)
Javier Arbona-Homar
Author of Explosivity: Following What Remains
University of Minnesota Press
Episode: Javier Arbona-Homar, "Explosivity: Following What Remains" (U Minnesota Press, 2025)
Terese Mason Pierre
Author and editor of As the Earth Dreams, Black Canadian Speculative Stories
House of Anansi
Episode: Terese Mason Pierre, "As the Earth Dreams: Black Canadian Speculative Stories" (Spiderline, 2025)
Bruce Dearstyne
Editor of Revolutionary New York, 250 Years of Social Change
Excelsior Editions / SUNY Press
Episode: Bruce Dearstyne, "Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change" (SUNY Press, 2026)
Allyson Nadia Field
Author of Acts of Love, Black Performance and the Kiss That Changed Film History
University of California Press
Episode: Allyson Nadia Field, "Acts of Love: Black Performance and the Kiss That Changed Film History" (U California Press, 2026)
Mollie Barnes
Author of Paper Heroines: Women Writers in Conversation and Community Across the Sea Islands, 1838–1902
University of South Carolina Beaufort
Episode: Mollie Barnes, "Paper Heroines: Women Writers in Conversation and Community Across the Sea Islands, 1838-1902" (U South Carolina Press, 2026)
Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor
Professor of 19th century history and race; author
Smith College
Episode: Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, "Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word and Me" (37 Ink, 2026)
Ronald L. Jackson II
Department Chair of the Department of Communication Studies, University of Miami
University of Miami
Episode: On The State of Black Men's Studies and Black Masculinist Thought Scholarship
Gary Hoover
Professor, Murphy Institute, Tulane University; author of Ladder or Lottery
Tulane University
Episode: Gary Hoover, "Ladder or Lottery: Economic Promises and the Reality of Who Gets Ahead" (U California Press, 2026)

Host

Miranda Melcher
Host of The New Books Network; guides and introduces conversations

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 211 ratings
  • Interesting

    Really interesting episodes and I’m glad to have somewhere to go when I’m either looking for a new book or something new to me.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BreOutside
    United States5 days ago
  • They always feature my fav scholars and thinkers

    Anytime I’m looking to learn more about a new author that I️ come across, chances are, they’ve already been interviewed by you all!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    @bodegaautumn
    United Statesa year ago
  • Varied and interesting

    So many excellent authors discuss their books on this podcast that I wouldn’t have found out about otherwise. Thank you for this great channel of information!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sol na Laje
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • Host needs moderation work

    First, honor and excitement for this podcast — Listened to the “Silencing the Past” Trouillot episode which brought together some stellar scholars to a round table to discuss the impact of the text in our recent years, in and following 2020. Interspersed between scholars’ remarks about the text or social events, McNeil might chime in, “that’s really interesting” or “wow, that’s incredible” or but added so very little in the way of building, or drawing connections between ideas, I found myself sk... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    technique over topics
    United States3 years ago
  • Really

    Are there African Americans who write books on African American history? Really!?!? Do better or end this.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Clone B.
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A few listeners feel hosts could be more concise and less conversational to improve focus and pacing.
Scholarly and author-focused discussions are consistently engaging and informative.
Positive reception overall for access to new scholarship and diverse topics in African American studies.
The show delivers deep dives into new scholarly works with strong archival and methodological framing.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Bruce Dearstyne, "Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change" (SUNY Press, 2026)
Q: How did you come to edit this book? What inspired it?
Bruce Dearstyne explains that Richard Carlin suggested the project after hearing about New York 250 celebrations; the team assembled a lineup of authors who had published with SUNY Press and began excerpting and adapting from their works to create a coherent narrative that begins with the revolution and moves forward.
Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, "Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word and Me" (37 Ink, 2026)
Q: How do you approach teaching and discussing the N-word in classrooms without endorsing its use?
She explains that the goal is to focus on the history and impact of the word, not prescribing usage, and to create spaces for critical discussion about race, power, and memory.
Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, "Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word and Me" (37 Ink, 2026)
Q: What do you hope readers will take away?
Pryor emphasizes that the N-word is not merely a relic but a living part of language that reflects ongoing inequality, and she hopes the book sparks conversations that help people understand the stakes of race and language in their own experiences.
Stephanie Coontz, "For Better and Worse: The Complicated Past and Challenging Future of Marriage" (Viking, 2026)
Q: What shift in your thinking about marriage do you describe across your work, and why does egalitarianism matter for long-term love?
Across my work, I've shifted toward recognizing that equality in partnership—where both people contribute in meaningful ways and share responsibilities—predicts long-term love more reliably than traditional roles. This requires rethinking cultural earworms and economic structures to support people in forming and sustaining egalitarian relationships.
Stephanie Coontz, "For Better and Worse: The Complicated Past and Challenging Future of Marriage" (Viking, 2026)
Q: Can you walk us through what the concept of emotional earworms refers to and how it has evolved over time?
Emotional earworms are the lingering cultural beliefs and reflexes about marriage that get into our heads from nursery rhymes, religious teachings, and laws, shaping our sense of what marriage should be. Over time these beliefs vary across eras, but they persist and influence current discussions about gender roles, love, and how to structure relationships.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in African American Studies

What is New Books in African American Studies about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The channel explores recent scholarly titles in African American studies, history, and culture through in-depth author interviews with an emphasis on how books illuminate race, memory, and democracy. Episodes span topics from Jefferson's conflicted legacy and race to global Black horror cinema, food history in New Orleans, and policing and civil rights, often blending archival methods with critical theory. A notable strength is the breadth of disciplines and geographies, featuring editors, historians, and literary scholars who connect historical events to contemporary issues, making complex scholarship accessible to an educated audience. The show often highlights methodological approaches, cross-cultural comparisons, and the role of public ... more

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New Books in African American Studies launched 15 years ago and published 1947 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in African American Studies?

Recent guests on New Books in African American Studies include:

1. Dr. Stephanie Coontz
2. Javier Arbona-Homar
3. Terese Mason Pierre
4. Bruce Dearstyne
5. Allyson Nadia Field
6. Mollie Barnes
7. Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor
8. Ronald L. Jackson II

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