Baldwin, Styron, and Me
with Mélikah Abdelmoumen and Catherine Khordoc
Hosted by Peter Schneider
In Person Streaming Politics Non-Fict History Memoir
What a joy it was to get to know Mélikah and her family through this book. It felt like visiting old friends. Through a personal lens Mélikah also reintroduces an old acquaintance in Baldwin, who I love and admire as deeply as her, and a less familiar character in Styron. In exploring this relationship between two writers, so different yet sharing the experience of writing, she reveals a new way to understand both this moment and our own relations.”
Presented in partnership with Library and Archives Canada and Ottawa Public Library
An unlikely literary friendship from the past sheds light on the radicalization of public debate around identity, race, and censorship. Peter Schneider sits down with author Mélikah Abdelmoumen, and translator Catherine Khordoc for a discussion on their acclaimed book, Baldwin, Styron, and Me.
In 1961, James Baldwin spent several months in William Styron’s guest house. The two wrote during the day, then spent evenings confiding in each other and talking about race in America. During one of those conversations, Baldwin is said to have convinced his friend to write, in first person, the story of the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner. The Confessions of Nat Turner was published to critical acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1968, and also creating outrage in part of the African American community.
Decades later, the controversy around cultural appropriation, identity, and the rights and responsibilities of the writer still resonates. In Baldwin, Styron, and Me, Mélikah Abdelmoumen considers the writers' surprising yet vital friendship from her standpoint as a racialized woman torn by the often unidimensional versions of her identity put forth by today’s politics and media. Considering questions of identity, race, equity, and the often contentious public debates about these topics, Abdelmoumen works to create a space where the answers are found by first learning how to listen—even in disagreement.
Please note: Free tickets are required to attend in person. The event will live-stream from this page. No ticket required to watch online.
Books are available from our friends at Perfect Books.
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