The original “flyboy” Greg Tate returns with a masterful collection of his most poignant essays in Flyboy 2: The Greg Tate Reader. Since starting his career at the Village Voice in the 80s, Tate has become one of the most influential writers in Black popular culture. He sat down with Steven Thrasher to discuss the influence of jazz, art, and Black women writers on his work. Learn more about the discussion at Greg Tate: the flyboy goes back to the future.

The Hugo Awards are science fiction’s most coveted awards in the genre, recognizing best novel, best short fiction, and more across a slew of categories. At last weekend’s gala in Kansas City, N. K. Jemisin became the first Black writer to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel for her work The Fifth Season. Learn more about the first Black writer at Okorafor and Jemisin's Hugo Award Win Huge Victory for Black Readers. 

She caught up with Alexandra Alter at the New York Times to discuss her win and diversity in science fiction. Learn more about her conversation at N. K. Jemisin on Diversity in Science Fiction and Inspiration From Dreams. Also bringing home Hugo Award honors that evening, Dr. Nnedi Okorafor won the Best Novella category for Binti, a space tale of race and determination. Dr. Okorafor took a moment to reflect on her upbringing and inspiration in an interview with NPR at Hugo Nominee Nnedi Okorafor: 'I Love Stories — And So I Write Them'.

In Memoriam: Joyce Carol Thomas (1938-2016), award-winning poet, playwright and children’s author. Read more about her at Joyce Carol Thomas, Who Wrote of African-American Life, Dies at 78.

Jacqueline Woodson, author of this summer’s must-read Another Brooklyn, reflects on her favorite stories and getting the Hamilton treatment from Lin-manuel Miranda one day. Read more about the Hamiliton treatment at Jacqueline Woodson: By the Book.

Raoul Peck’s highly-anticipated documentary on James Baldwin will premier at the Toronto International Film Festival next month. Read more about the documentary at Rejoice! There's A James Baldwin Documentary Coming Soon. Peck spent the last six years working on I Am Not Your Negro, building on Baldwin’s last unfinished manuscript Remember This House. Read more about Remember this House at McGraw-Hill Drops Baldwin Sui.

Authors Morgan Park, Danez Smith, Brit Bennett, and Darnell Moore ponder Frank Ocean’s “literary aesthetic” in light of his highly anticipated sophomore release Blonde. Read more about the literary aesthetic at What Kind Of Writer Is Frank Ocean?.