Its original, complicated, humorous, scary, sad and engaging. They just start to get close to each other when a string of uncomfortable events allows Hazel to quickly rise through the ranks. Still, that didn't hinder the amount of praise Harris received for her ability to create an original and deeply relatable novel. The most recent example: The Other Black Girl by first-time author Zakiya Dalila Harris, a former editorial assistant at Penguin Random House. Paulina Jayne Isaac is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. Shani, who attended the event, reports her observations to the Resistance the following day. @scsreads, A post shared by Nnenna (@scsreads) (opens in new tab). It's a love letter to Black women and an . What started out as a slow-burn psychological thriller, morphed into a Jordan Peele-esque social thriller, and I am here for it. 2023 Met Gala Carpet Is Approved by Your Dentist. (@smileitsjoy) (opens in new tab), "'The first sign was the smell of cocoa butter.'. Urgent, propulsive, and sharp as a knife, The Other Black Girl is an electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing. Read an excerpt from Danielle Prescod's new memoir, here, then dive in with us throughout the month. I wont get into all of the details, but he settled out of court. And throughout this book, I really wanted readers to question their own prejudices, their own kind of analysis of certain interactions. So much of this book isnt fiction; being a cis-white female afforded white-privilege, I dont presume to assume I even remotely know what it is like to live in the everyday reality of a person of color, but I believe this mirrors the unacceptable reality that people of color face every day in and out of the workplace. "When you are craving a loveable story with depth and true character developmentthis should be your next read.". Oh, congrats. And I have so many questions about it as well! But the more we talked about it, I could see it. These books give us a record of our times via the moments best comic minds. And while I did find it was a bittooslow-paced at times, I think that was in an effort to not draw away from the truths that the author was writing about. And, to me, thats the beauty of this book. A thrilling realization follows: Nella is no longer the only Black girl at the company. But certain qualities of the novel left me wondering if this over-marketing is simply a move to innocence. The only Black female editor at Wagner Books, Kendra Rae gave an interview in which she critiqued the racist structures within the publishing world. And it was exhausting. Stunned and jealous, Nella confronts Hazel. Get Out also has an amazing twist, with his friend driving up in the cop car at the end. I think at this point everybody knows that's not the thing you say. Why did Hazel go down this path? Thats really exciting! That sets the bar high with the promise of a cultural landmark a novel that's timely, hilarious, witty, mildly terrifying, emotionally textured and conversant on the social and political issues. I love talking to people, but in intimate settings. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google It started as a slow burn as Nellas life as the only Black person at Wagner Books was described. Why was Richard involved as well? And it sets people up who read it expecting that for failure. I grew up with this idea of, You have to literally fight the system or get out in order to be heard. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. So many of us know the feeling of finding that one other person in the school lunchroom, in a college dorm, at our office who understands us, who knows what we're going through, who wants to be our friend and who may make our daily path just a bit easier, with shared looks and laughs and messages. Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. The Other Black Girl is availablenow from Atria Books. Its hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. Harris, who worked as an editorial assistant at Alfred A. Knopf publishing house in Manhattan, draws together elements of literary realism and science fiction horror to deliver a novel in which office politics breed paranoia and natural haircare products condition more than dreadlocks. The Potential 2023 WGA Strike for Dummies. One day, a new assistant starts, who is also black - Hazel. Get ready to turn that frown upside down. In the Epilogue, Nella becomes a Lead Conditioner who arrives in Portland, Oregon to fix Shani. The thing that is really hard for her is the fact that she feels like she has to speak for every Black person, every Black opinion. Bethanne Patrick is a freelance writer and critic who tweets @TheBookMaven. I wanted to plant a moment of horror right at the beginning as a way of pointing to Nellas transformation at the very end. So that element was was pretty on point. Zakiya Dalila Harris: It's funny. But definitely planning to write another book and planning for it to be about Black characters in the U.S. Lastly, between the bidding war and a true taste of financial success, how does it feel to have a bit of a cushion? Nella Rogers wants that one other person in her work life, with an added layer: Nella is Black in the all-white Wagner Books office in (where else?) But this post is about the marketers. Thank you! Thats interesting that you mention the weight of Blackness because isn't that essentially what the grease is supposed to lift? When I first started, it made me feel so nostalgic about my time working in publishing. Harris, who sold her manuscript while she still worked as an editorial assistant at the venerable Alfred A. Knopf, Publishers, in Manhattan (where else? She could have any role. One of my favorites is from George A. Romeros Night of the Living Dead. Nella is 26. And Nella explains to Hazel how to navigate the office culture. One of the best scenes in The Other Black Girl takes place in a salon, with dozens of women of different ages trying out new coiffures. Nella and Hazel are at the center of Zakiya Dalila Harris's debut novel The Other Black Girl (full disclosure: Harris is the sister of our own Aisha Harris, one of the hosts of Pop Culture. Angela BassettI feel like it's clear from the book that I love Angela Bassett. And then one morning, Nella looks through a small crack in a cubicle and sees what she calls "the flash of a brown hand. "This is a satire and a mystery thriller. "Its hard to believe its a debut.". Released this month, the book follows two young. I actually, strangely, had an easy time once it got to the publishing stage. The book is set in the publishing industry, but it holds up a mirror to all of corporate America, displaying the microaggressions and class hierarchies embedded throughout. Zakiya Dalila Harris began writing The Other Black Girl while working as an assistant editor at Knopf Doubleday, and her textured observations of the overwhelmingly white world of publishing,. Nella is excited to get to know her new co-worker and become friends, however, she soon receives a note saying, "Leave Wagner Now.". Unapologetic. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is such an impactful read. Hazel dismisses Nellas concerns, gives her a jar of Smoothd Out hair grease as a peace offering, and invites her to a natural hair party. I mean, it really goes into my own ideas that I have about I mean, it's not only publishing, I think it's a lot of industries that are mostly white where we commodify Blackness, where you only need this one version of this thing for this one purpose. She is being offered opportunities that Nella has never been considered for even though shes worked at Wagner for over two years. That character wasnt written specifically for a Black actor Romero just gave it to the person who was the best for the role but its really interesting to read it in the context of what it means to be a Black man in America. Read an excerpt from the bookhere (opens in new tab). Im torn. A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist. Unaware of this scheme, Nella attends Hazels natural hair party with the intention of learning more about Hazels shady behavior. I'm incredibly proud and fortunate to have worked on this film. Wagner Books is so rich for storylines. Nellas boss asks for her opinion on the latest book from the bestselling author Colin Franklin. Its a commentary on race-relations, and challenges what it means to lobby for and ensure diversity in the workplace, all while keeping you guessing at what will happen next. Someone who rejected what was expected of her as a Black woman in a predominantly white industry.'. Part 1 foreshadows a similar fate for protagonist Nella Rogers, an editorial assistant and the only Black woman who works at Wagner in 2018. And so many people were commenting on the coolness of it. What no one knows is that fifteen years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. They did a good job at making necessary tweaks. I love the meta-sardonicism of a publisher budgeting for a marketing spree on a book that calls out racism in the publishing industry. I thought this novel was amazing! Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity, Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. Not saying we should start prepping but we should start prepping. I just didnt know exactly how. When Hazel McCall joins the team, Nella is thrilled and eager for the friendship and comradery that will surely come with having 'the other Black girl' on staff. I can spread myself a little too thin sometimes with projects, so really just taking it in and working on the Hulu adaptation and getting to spend more time with the characters in that way. Having conversations like this, talking with other Black readers about the book and their own Hazel experiences, their own hair experiences, and their own thoughts on the ending. "The premise of this book was quite promising: 26 years old Nella is an editorial assistant tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. By far one of the best books Ive read so far in 2021. Im always twisting my hair with grease and talking about hair products taking care of Black natural hair is such a big part of my identity. I loved when we found out Hazels locs were fake. The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris Critics' Opinion: Readers' Opinion: First Published: Jun 2021, 368 pages Paperback: Jun 2022, 368 pages Genres Debut Rate this book Write a Review Book Reviewed by: Tasneem Pocketwala Buy This Book About this Book Summary Excerpt Reading Guide Reading Guide Questions Glamour may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Despite her attempts to start conversations about racial bias in Diversity Town Halls, Nella doubts any meaningful change will occur. "This meant one of two things: One of her white colleagues had started using Brown Buttah. Offline, shes likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop. Here, the author walks us through how she approached the ending and what it takes to write a great twist. that put people in situations that seem really everyday and then get weirder and weirder and weirder. I knew there would be some kind of mind control. And that can change depending on what's in vogue, what's popular. But the tide turns when Hazel becomes the office favorite and Nella starts receiving threatening notes urging her to leave Wagner immediately. Its was funny, mysterious, and there was serious social commentary. This novel is full of well-crafted surprises and sucker-punch moments, with pacing that accelerates like a contemporary fiction freight train. 'The Other Black Girl' In This New Thriller May Not Be Your Friend. Eric Garner was on my mind when I saw it, so the fact that the hero doesnt get confronted by a white cop was a moment of comic relief. Thats people being people. There are a lot of things that we can't put into words. Most impressively it changes genre as the narrative progresses. She shares her concerns about how the only black character was written. Microaggressions and glass ceilings make her feel like she can not speak up. I wrote that scene of her in the cubicle at the very beginning of chapter one when I was sitting at my cubicle. Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The Other Black Girl! to support our journalism and get unlimited access to our coverage. Mentally, I felt betrayed. Below is an edited version of our conversation. You have to be thoughtful about how you are speaking with people, how you see the office, because all of those things matter. The Other Black Girl (Atria) by Zakiya Dalila Harris debuted at #6 on The New York Times bestseller list in its first week on sale, and it's no wonder: The book is spot-on for our times.The novel drips with in-the-know wit, skewering "well-meaning" but clueless white book publishing executives while painting the day-to-day experience of BIPOC employees who have managed to penetrate the . New York, Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, shes thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. Book club questions for The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris will unravel all the key plots and character development in this twisty thriller. Nella escapes, but the following day at an important meeting, Nella realizes that Hazel has converted their guest of honor, a famous Black activist. Hazel recommends that Nella share her concerns with her boss, Vera Parini, and the author, Colin Franklin. That's the important, and political, question forming the basis of The Other Black Girl. I have a few qualms that fettered my experience with the novel. Part 3 reveals the ongoing struggle for power between OBGs and the Resistance. Effectively marketed as Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada, the story infuses bits of sci-fi and horror with razor-sharp commentary about trying to ascend the corporate ladder as a woman of color with a truly chilling ending. You have to hypnotize the reader into believing the story is one thing then you change the rules, and thats scary. Starting as a contemporary drama it evolves into a mystery/thriller and then something else (I dont want to give any more away ). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Book Club Questions for Bella Cigna by Wendi Dass, Q&A with Liv Stratman, Author of Cheat Day, Book Club Questions for Leading Men by Christopher Castellani, Preview: The Third Hotel by Laura van den Berg, 10 Book Club Books to Read in Summer 2023, Book Club Questions for Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Review: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Book Club Questions for The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes, Book Club Questions for Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, (Updated April 2023) Reeses Book Club Picks: Entire List, Book Club Questions for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Book Club Questions for Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. The best twists are ones that feel, in retrospect, almost inevitable. And just because these two women are both Black doesn't mean they're alike in any other way, a point Harris and her fellow writers who happen to be Black shouldn't have to make, but still must make, in a world where either could still be referred to as "the other Black girl" in the office. THE OTHER BLACK GIRL By Zakiya Dalila Harris In an interview with BUILD Series, Stephanie Beatriz, who plays Rosa Diaz on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," spoke about her experience auditioning for two. Or perhaps she will only become more human and feel the need to justify her existence with her contributions to the world. I think you need to listen to the person who's being affected by it. Nella and Hazel are at the center of Zakiya Dalila Harris's debut novel The Other Black Girl (full disclosure: Harris is the sister of our own Aisha Harris, one of the hosts of Pop Culture Happy Hour). Review: The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, Interview with Amy Mason Doan, Author of Lady Sunshine. You wait for that moment even after you have been in the sunken place. She also launched and managed the sites virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Someone mentioned to me recently, I thought this was going to be about two Black women being friends and having fun. Its like, Sorry, my bad. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. What's a young Black woman to do? And I realized I wasnt feeling the thriller aspect of the story. Could it be?!! Lets discuss the micoaggressions she dealt with on a daily basis. All in all, I would say that you should check this one out if youre looking for a new thriller to read. (Im notorious for this lol.). hide caption. I worked to make sure that we understood her insecurities and how Hazel stirs them up about not being Black enough and about Nellas desire to be the next big Black editor. Enter new employee Hazel, who is Black, self-possessed and savvy in a way Nella has always aspired to be. Then, once I got it on the other side, people have been so open to it. @lattesandpaperbacks, A post shared by & (@lattesandpaperbacks) (opens in new tab), "Admittedly, this was a #bookstagrammademedoit read. Shes driven and determined to make her mark in the publishing industry and tries not to let the microaggressions and outright racism of her colleagues at times weigh her down. Who did you think were sending those notes to Nella? @turnpageswithmimi, A post shared by Mimi N. (@turnpageswithmimi) (opens in new tab). On what Nella faces every day at Wagner books. There will be spoilers so for more context about the book, check out my spoiler-free review first. It is a slow burn, but the pay off is well worth it. 'Another Girl' releases on Tuesday -- September 14, 2021. Here's what our book club members thought about Colleen Oakley's latest novel. I tend to prefer twists that are especially bleak, says Harris. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Plus, it's a 352-page book whose plot starts to kick off at the last 32 pages." NOW. Like, have to have in multiple formats because I dont want to put it down good. Out for revenge, Shani joins the Resistance, an underground group tracking Hazel and OBGs, or Other Black Girls. OBGs are driven, competitive women who infiltrate corporate workplaces and convert normal Black women into compliant yet materially successful shades of themselves. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. Looking forward to more from @zakiyadalilaharris!" Obviously, the hair grease is how people were gettinglet's say changed, for those who haven't read it yet, which is so creepy. The book started out as a thriller and veered into horror, a la Rosemary's Baby or The Stepford Wives. I didn't want it to just be [publishing magnate] Richard, an evil white man at the topwe've seen that before. This entirely unique genre-bender keeps the reader on its toes as you struggle to comprehend, along with Nella, the horrors. So that scene where Hazel is telling Nella, Don't you want to be free? That scene was me taking my own personality and my own perspective of what it was like to work on my book and feel like it mattered when, on the other side of it, people are dying. She's tired of being just about the only Black person in the room or really any room at Wagner.
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