Razor Sharp & Deeply Human

Novels set in 1980s Kingston and late-1950s Hollywood explore violence, secrecy and the consequences of living openly. Marlon James and Rasheed Newson discuss their latest fiction Sunday, November 22 at the Chapman Conference Center at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami. Presented as part of Miami Book Fair, the conversation is moderated by poet and essayist Camonghne Felix.

James’ The Disappearers follows eight gay men brought together by rehearsals for a play in Jamaica, and the survivors’ responses after a violent attack leaves one member dead. James won the Booker Prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings and was a National Book Award finalist for Black Leopard, Red Wolf. His fiction spans Caribbean history, contemporary life and fantasy.

Newson’s There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood traces the rise of a young Black actor and a studio fixer’s later effort to expose those responsible for his death. His debut, My Government Means to Kill Me, was a Lambda Literary Award finalist and a New York Times Notable Book of 2022. Also a television writer and producer, Newson co-developed Bel-Air and has worked on The Chi and Narcos.

Felix is the author of the memoir Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation and the poetry collection Build Yourself a Boat, which was longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award in Poetry. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry and Vanity Fair.

The session takes place in Building 3, second floor, Room 3210. Admission is included with a paid Sunday Street Fair ticket, but a separate event ticket is required. Book copies are not included.