Virtual Author Talk: Robert Jones, Jr.

Join us for an engaging hour online with New York Times bestselling author Robert Jones, Jr., as he discusses his debut and award-winning novel, The Prophets, a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction.

The Prophets is a story of love. Isaiah was Samuel’s, and Samuel was Isaiah’s. That was how it was from the beginning and how it was to be until the end. But when an older man—a fellow slave—seeks to gain favor by preaching the master’s gospel on the plantation, the enslaved begin to turn on their own. Isaiah and Samuel’s love, once so simple, is seen as sinful and a clear danger to the plantation’s harmony.

Robert Jones, Jr. fiercely summons the voices of slaver and enslaved alike. As tensions build and the weight of centuries—of ancestors and future generations to come—culminates in a climactic reckoning, The Prophets fearlessly reveals the pain and suffering of inheritance but is also shot through with hope, beauty, and truth, portraying the enormous, heroic power of love.

About the Author: Robert Jones, Jr. (formerly known online as "Son of Baldwin") is a Brooklyn-based, award-winning writer. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Essence, Variety, and The Paris Review, as well as in the critically acclaimed anthologies Four Hundred Souls and The 1619 Project. His latest work can be found in his newsletter, Witness, at robertjonesjr.substack.com. 

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This is part of a series of author talks in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.  See all upcoming talks here.

The Author Talks series is made possible by Friends of the Library.