(A note from Tommy: This is a replay of our episode with Tayari Jones from back in July. We’re running it again here at the end of the year because Tayari’s novel “An American Marriage” was, by acclamation, one of the best books of 2018. It made the best-of lists by the New York Times, the Washington Post and Time Magazine. And Apple Books named it their book of the year. So if you missed our conversation the first time, or even if you didn’t, I think you’ll enjoy it. As always, thanks for listening, and all of us here at SouthBound wish you a wonderful holiday season.)
Tayari Jones was waiting for her fourth novel to be published when she got the phone call that, in this day and age, most every writer dreams of — a call from Oprah Winfrey to let Jones know that her book, "An American Marriage," would be the next selection in Oprah's Book Club.
When the book came out in February, it went straight to the New York Times’ bestseller lists. "An American Marriage" is the story of what happens to a loving couple who are forced to deal with being apart through no fault of their own. The book is set in the South, specifically in Jones’ hometown of Atlanta, a place she has done a lot of thinking and writing about. After a long time away, she’s getting ready to come back home.
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Show Notes:
- Amazon listing for "An American Marriage"
- Her bio in the New Georgia Encyclopedia
- Her recent essay in The New York Times on Nelson Mandela's prison letters
- Tayari's Twitter @tayari
- Her Instagram, also @tayari
Where to Listen:
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SouthBound is a production of WFAE. Our host is Tommy Tomlinson. Our producer is Nick de la Canal. Our audience engagement manager is Joni Deutsch, and our theme music comes from Josh Turner.