Latest news with #TaNehisiCoates
New York Times
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Seeking a ‘Brown Man's Paradise' to Escape the Land of the Free
PEOPLE LIKE US, by Jason Mott Guns are central to 'People Like Us,' Jason Mott's darkly comic and tragic new novel. Close to the book's end, no matter how hard an accidental killer tries to throw away his pistol into a river, it's 'still there, floating, hung in midair like a steel question mark.' Mott's striking metaphor for the consequences of violence in America haunts the protagonists, both Black writers, who feel compelled to carry concealed weapons. The first of them is Soot, a middle-aged 'low-budget, Black Jack London' from North Carolina, who visits a college in Minnesota where several students were killed recently by a lone gunman. Surely Soot ought to know better than to pack a handgun. Not only has he sat through hours of cautionary training films on active shooters, but his own family story is scarred by memories of gun violence. Mott artfully depicts Soot's perplexing attachment to his gun as emblematic of a uniquely American condition, the normalization of 'Second Amendment ornaments' despite their devastating effects. The other writer is named only once; all other mentions are cheekily redacted with black bars. Sometimes, for his own amusement, he assumes the identity of Ta-Nehisi Coates — let's call him Not Coates. Less famous than Coates, he is nonetheless ascendant after winning a National Book Award. On the downside, he's stalked by Remus, a terrifying, spectral mugger of sorts who resembles James Earl Jones and in several encounters rams his hand 'knuckle-deep' into Not Coates's mouth. Remus doesn't want the writer's money; he just threatens to kill Not Coates but doesn't specify when this will happen. Not Coates decides to get out of Dodge, armed with a .45-caliber Colt 1911. James Baldwin, who moved to France in 1948, once wrote that his 'flight had not been to Paris, but simply away from America'; Not Coates, too, flies to 'Euroland' to get away from Remus, a proxy for the existential threat to the Black writer in America. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Associated Press
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Book Review: Jason Mott's 'People Like Us' explores the struggles of semi-fame and American identity
How does one follow up writing 'A Hell of a Book' that wins the National Book Award? If you're Jason Mott, you write a sort-of, not-really, by all legal terms fictionalized — according to the forward — autobiographical story about what life is like as a semi-famous writer. Or actually you write two viewpoints: one about a writer running away from his roots that seem to be choking the life out of him and the other about a writer running to help soothe the roots that made him. The first, a middle-aged man who wrote said award-winning novel, is constantly misrecognized because writers, even award winning ones, don't have status like film stars. Sometimes he goes along with it and he agrees with them, for good reason; there is safety in being someone else. The second is a man who can't seem to outrun what it means to be American or a stalker who threatened to kill him, both showing up, often when least expected. This makes man No. 2 run not only from death and America but to seek out purchasing a gun, because his fame isn't able to protect him. This novel, reminiscent of 'The Invisible Man' and the works of Colson Whitehead and Ta-Nehisi Coates, has an inquisitive stance on things like time travel, sea monsters, death of loved ones and guns, and what each can do to a man, especially those who seem to be the referential mouthpiece of what it means to be an American today. One man meanders through Minnesota, offering support to the masses through speaking engagements. The other lands what seems to be a dream job in 'Europeland.' Through old memories, the drudgery of book tours, the never ending 'what's next' endlessly questioning their creativity, both imagine what could be and what could have been. The flipping between the two men's viewpoints of the world and what it can offer is humorous one moment and tugs at the right heartstrings the next. This roller coaster ride filled with quips and wordplay personalizes some of the most tragic moments in America's recent history. The tragedy and pain through this never ending climb to make sense of all that has come before, and all that will come after, is 'like Sisyphus, a man who never misses leg day.' Filled with highlightable quotes and moments that make you stop and look around to see if anyone else is experiencing what you're reading, Mott's 'People Like Us' echoes the pain and mystery of where life leads, the choices it hands us and the hope and desire for change. ___ AP book reviews:
Associated Press
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
A Bold New Intellectual Platform from Global Producer Desh Amila Debuts in North Jersey
Montclair, NJ July 21, 2025 --( )-- This fall, the newly reimagined Lackawanna Station will become the intellectual epicenter of North Jersey with the launch of the Thinkable Speaker Series—a powerful new platform for live, longform conversation created by internationally acclaimed producer, educator, and storyteller Desh Amila. The inaugural season of this six-part series will bring some of the world's most respected voices in politics, science, culture, and civil society to downtown Montclair for dynamic, in-person discussions. Thinkable is intentionally intimate, deeply engaging, and relentlessly relevant—designed not for mass media consumption, but for real people seeking real substance. 'Montclair is one of the few places in America where intellectual rigor meets cultural relevance,' says Thinkable founder Desh Amila. 'It's affluent, diverse, media-literate, and deeply curious. We're not trying to inject big ideas into the town—they're already here. We're simply giving them a stage.' Each Thinkable event unfolds as a moderated fireside-style conversation with interactive audience Q&A, hosted inside the historic Lackawanna Station—a newly transformed marketplace and cultural hub. The result is a rare opportunity for nuanced discussion, civil disagreement, and transformative dialogue in a setting purpose-built for connection. 2025–2026 Season Lineup October 27, 2025 – Ta-Nehisi Coates National Book Award-winning author and journalist. A leading voice on race, history, and identity. February 18, 2026 – Dr. Cornel West & John Wood Jr. Two of America's most courageous bridge-builders in conversation about justice, truth, and democracy. April 23, 2026 – Steven Pinker Harvard cognitive psychologist and bestselling author known for his work on reason, language, and human progress. March 2026 (tbc) - Richard Dawkins Bestselling author and evolutionary biologist, Dawkins is known for his unflinching take on science, belief, and human nature. In this special Thinkable event, he reflects on the 50-year impact of The Selfish Gene and how its ideas still shape the world today. June 19, 2026 – John McWhorter Economist and linguist in bold dialogue on race, identity, and intellectual freedom in America. July 23, 2026– Masih Alinejad Iranian journalist and women's rights activist, founder of the My Stealthy Freedom movement. 'Bringing Thinkable to Lackawanna Station is a milestone,' says Jason Gleason, VP of Community Development at BDP Holdings, the team behind the redevelopment of the space. 'This partnership exemplifies what we built Lackawanna for—big ideas, bold dialogue, and a public hungry for something real. It's proof that world-shifting conversations can emerge from unexpected places. Something from nothing.' Season passes are available now at Seating is limited. No livestream. No rewind. Be in the room where it happens. About Thinkable & Desh Amila Thinkable is a global event and media platform devoted to elevating public discourse through dynamic live programming and high-impact storytelling. Founded by Desh Amila, a Sri Lanka-born entrepreneur based in Melbourne, Australia, Thinkable builds on over a decade of innovation in thought leadership. Desh previously founded Think Inc., the first touring company to bring renowned global educators and public intellectuals to live audiences, and later launched This is 42, a multimedia platform for complex conversation. His production credits include the award-winning documentaries Better Left Unsaid and Islam and the Future of Tolerance. In 2024, he co-founded Dissident Dialogues, now the largest heterodox intellectual event in the world. With Thinkable, Amila continues his mission to inspire, challenge, and connect through meaningful dialogue. About Lackawanna Station Lackawanna Station is Montclair's newest cultural and commercial destination. A former train terminal turned 1980s mall, the space has been reborn as a vibrant marketplace and creative hub, featuring more than 20 local businesses, food artisans, and art installations. Anchored by Montclair Flea and Ironbound Farm Market, the venue has quickly become a magnet for entrepreneurs, artists, and the intellectually curious. Learn more at Contact Information: The Hip Event Maria Cucciniello Falzo 973-769-2248 Contact via Email Read the full story here: A Bold New Intellectual Platform from Global Producer Desh Amila Debuts in North Jersey Press Release Distributed by
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Zaslav Canceled Black Superman Movie for Being ‘Too Woke'
David Zaslav canceled Warner Bros. Pictures' plans to make a Black movie. Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios have launched a shared universe featuring fan-favorite DC characters, the DCU. Headed by James Gunn and Peter Safran, the first DCU project was 2024's Creature Commandos, while Superman is now playing in United States theaters. Before Gunn and Safran were hired as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios, Warner Bros. had plans to make 'Black Superman in the civil rights era,' according to The Wall Street Journal. The project was being written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav dismissed the idea because he felt the script was 'too woke.' According to a 2021 article from The Hollywood Reporter, J.J. Abrams had signed on to produce the Black Superman movie, while J.D. Dillard, Steven Caple Jr., Regina King, and Shaka King were all being considered to direct. Dillard, however, told The Wrap in 2022 that he was never contacted about potentially helming the film. There still may be some hope for the project, as The Wall Street Journal's article mentions that Gunn and Safran 'could still try to make the movie in the future.' There has been no DCU Black Superman movie formally announced at this time. Following the release of Superman, the next DCU outing will be Peacemaker Season 2, which arrives in August 2025. Following that is Craig Gillespie's Supergirl on June 26, 2026, and James Watkins' Clayface on September 11, 2026, while the Lanterns television series is also expected to premiere at some point in 2026. Other DCU titles that are in development at this time include The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Wonder Woman, Creature Commandos Season 2, Waller, Paradise Lost, Booster Gold, and more. Originally reported by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype. The post David Zaslav Canceled Black Superman Movie for Being 'Too Woke' appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Gizmodo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Report: David Zaslav Pushed Back on Ta-Nahesi Coates' Black ‘Superman' Movie for Being ‘Too Woke'
On the eve of James Gunn's highly anticipated Superman film, the Wall Street Journal released a quantitative report that essentially signaled the film as Warner Bros.' last chance to make its comic book brand soar. No pressure. However, within the lengthy, half-pop culture, half-financial report was the revelation that Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav turned down a script for a Black Superman movie in 2022 because he felt it was too woke. According to the WSJ, the Black Superman script, which was penned by Ta-Nehisi Coates and had producer J.J. Abrams attached as far back as 2021, would've seen the Man of Steel in a tale set in the civil rights era. But the take, which injected an air of excitement among fans online at the time in the wake of Zack Snyder's Justice League, ultimately did not move forward. As the WSJ notes, this period in DC saw Warner Bros. essentially on the verge of its wits' end for how to reboot a cinematic universe. Key focal points for the company were anchoring its cinematic universe in a film that wasn't as grim and gritty as its previous attempts, which were narratively incongruous and failed to captivate audiences at the box office beyond opening weekend. Around the same time, Warner Bros. executives sought a solution by meeting with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige in an attempt to convince him to switch sides. Those talks, according to WSJ, 'fizzled.' Instead, Warner Bros.' attempted headhunting at Marvel would yield fruit in an albeit messy sequence of events when it got Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn to join Team Blue, first as the director of 2021's The Suicide Squad and later as the head of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran. This, as the WSJ states, was a part of Warner Bros.' new strategy to have an executive team oversee all DC media, effectively making them take full responsibility for the superhero brand's fate. Although Coates' Black Superman film ended up not happening, Gunn told io9 back in 2023 he hasn't written out the possibility of a Black Kryptonian film appearing sometime down the road. 'Those two things [Gunn's own Superman movie and a potential future Black Superman project] are totally unrelated,' Gunn explained. 'That's an exciting movie. I know that Chantal Nong, who is the executive on that project, is extremely excited about it. So if it comes in and it's great, which I haven't read the script, and if the timing is right, that could absolutely happen. That's totally unrelated. It would be an Elseworlds tale like Joker.' As for the temperature of DC Studios now, Warner Bros.' strategy moving forward is to present a leaner output of movies and TV shows with narrative unity. In the Gunn-Safran era, the modus operandi will be to release one animated and two live-action films a year as well as TV show spin-offs on HBO Max, a strategy backed up by the WSJ's reporting. But the buck, both literally and figuratively, rests on the caped shoulders of Gunn's Superman movie to steer the ship toward sunnier horizons for Warner Bros. Although Gunn initially turned down DC's proposal to direct a Superman film in 2018, he would later find the spark to helm a movie that he hopes will resonate with people and appeal to today's audience. So far reviews have been mixed on the film, with our own Germain Lussier giving the movie a glowing review, and it's predictably already entered the culture wars. But the brass tacks of the film's financial takeaway place the scales significantly enough away from its accolades to offset whatever cultural cache the film garners as the latest iteration of a pop culture icon. With a reported budget of $225 million, the David Corenswet-led film doesn't just have to gross more than $500 million globally to please Warner Bros. executives (a cash point WSJ notes is a fraction of the size of Marvel's blockbuster films), it also has to fly under the scrutiny of being box office pocket watched in comparison to Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which releases July 21. Hopefully, Superman's tagline, 'Look up,' will also encompass its box office takeaway needle soaring to new heights for DC Studios. Gizmodo has reached out to Warner Bros. for comments regarding points raised by the WSJ report, and will update this post if we hear back. Superman is in theaters now. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
