NEW Book Club: Revolutionary Page Turners

This July, All She Wrote Books is thrilled to host a new in-person BIPOC book club, Revolutionary Page Turners. Led by friend of the store and local DEIB facilitator, Victor Nasir Terry, the book club is so named because Black men loving Black men is revolutionary.

The club's first pick will be the Robert Jones Jr. novel, The Prophets. Mark your calendar for July 18th as we gather at All She Wrote Books to discuss this New York Times Bestseller with "lyricism reminiscent of Toni Morrison".

Tickets are limited to due to capacity at the bookstore, and each ticket will include either:

• a copy of the book club pick; or 
• general admission that includes coffee and pastries.

There are many ways to obtain a copy of the book (aside from your public library) — you can purchase it through allshewrotebooks.com, Bookshop.org, or Libro.fm to help support our work!

Our event has a limited capacity and we want to ensure that as many people as possible are able to attend. By letting us know that you can no longer attend, we can open up your spot to someone on our waitlist who is eager to participate.

"Inclusivity" isn't just a buzzword to us. We make every effort to ensure our space and events are accessible to and for everyone. If you or someone in your party needs accommodations, please email us at info@allshewrotebooks.com.

About the Book:

A singular and stunning debut novel about the forbidden union between two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation, the refuge they find in each other, and a betrayal that threatens their existence.  

Isaiah was Samuel's and Samuel was Isaiah's. That was the way it was since the beginning, and the way it was to be until the end. In the barn they tended to the animals, but also to each other, transforming the hollowed-out shed into a place of human refuge, a source of intimacy and hope in a world ruled by vicious masters. 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, which was once so simple, is seen as sinful and a clear danger to the plantation's harmony.  With a lyricism reminiscent of Toni Morrison, Robert Jones, Jr., fiercely summons the voices of slaver and enslaved alike, from Isaiah and Samuel to the calculating slave master to the long line of women that surround them, women who have carried the soul of the plantation on their shoulders. 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 as “Son of Baldwin”) is a Brooklyn-based writer and public speaker. He is the author of The New York Times bestselling novel, The Prophets, which won the 2022 Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, and was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction. 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. The Prophets was named one of “The 25 Most Influential Works of Postwar Queer Literature” by The New York Times.

Our Book Club Guidelines:

• We strive for a thoughtful and respectful discussion of the featured book and its related themes.
• You do not have to have finished the book to participate, but we ask that you contribute to the discussion in whatever way you feel comfortable.
• We do not tolerate demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.