They play into respectability politics and code switch fluently. Nella attends an event Hazel organized at Curl Central, a natural hair cafe, where Hazel announces a joint initiative with Wagner Books owner Richard Wagner to create more equitable hiring practices in publishing. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. In this suspenseful, thought-provoking novel, Nella is a young editorial assistant at a big New York publishing house, eager to make her mark but ever conscious of her status as the lone Black girl at work. Then after a bit, the book took a turn that I wasnt really expecting. One example is the I dont see color comment. And, to me, thats the beauty of this book. I could see her as [other characters] Diana or Kendra Ray, especially Kendra Ray. The most gripping TV drama of the year is happening behind closed doors. At last, she'll have a co-worker she can lean on when it comes to the pressures she's felt, someone to take coffee breaks with and maybe even learn and get promoted with, a true equal. @smileitsjoy, A post shared by joy melody| Reader.Advocate. Visit our corporate site. I love talking to people, but in intimate settings. However, after Ian Turner responds to Marley, she decides to set a date and confront Ian. If you choose the second path, as a young Black woman, you'll own your identity, but you'll never sit in the corner office you'll cause too much friction along the way. They force you to act outside yourself to keep your job. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. Nella is the only black person in an all-white environment. I think what I really found fascinating about Get Out and a lot of Key & Peele sketches is that they're able to get at the ridiculousness of this idea that we're in a postracial society, which is another phrase I think most people dont use anymore for good reason. That is, until Nella starts to receive threatening notes to leave Wagner and she realizes Hazel may not be who she seems. Nella knows that her comfortable yet dull middle-class upbringing doesn't offer her the same advantages as Hazel's cushier background. Kudos to the author for committing to a book that SHE wanted to write." I could go on and on and on about this book because as a Black woman, Ive been where Nella (the main character) has been. Initially the women bond over their shared Black experience. I don't think anyone's actually mentioned that point. This is another question I don't get asked. So when Hazel's in the space, Nella feels like, OK, well, they have someone else who dresses cooler than me, who speaks on these things much more clearly and confidently than I do. Another Country is a 1962 novel by James Baldwin.The novel is primarily set in Greenwich Village and Harlem, New York City, in the late 1950s.It portrayed many themes that were taboo at the time of its release, including bisexuality, interracial couples and extramarital affairs Original Price $18.00". Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. 5-Down, Eight Letters: Show that gave us New New York. The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. Everyone seems to love her. What's a young Black woman to do? New York, Then the notes begin to appear on Nellas desk: LEAVE WAGNER. There can be shades of it. When did you suspect that something was off with Hazel? I also love the Black character in [fictional novel] Needles and Pins, Shartricia. Hazel also ruins Nellas credibility by defending Pins and Needles in a companywide marketing meeting. Someone who told it like it was. Then the unexpected happens as Hazel becomes elevated in the company and Nella is being pushed outbut by who?!! I love hearing people talk about whether or not they saw it coming. That's where it kind of lost me--clever idea, but because I wasn't expecting it it felt a bit over-the-top. It's a love letter to Black women and an . A good twist needs to be set up in the opening pages you need to hold this thing up in front of the reader so its right before their eyes but they cant see it until you pull back the invisible curtain. But this post is about the marketers. If youve read it and want to discuss, send me an email so we can chat! Its one of those comments where you're trying to seem like an ally, but you're also diminishing the facts. "Head officially still spinning from the summer blockbuster that isThe Other Black Girl! Over the next seven days, amidst a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnectbut Evas wary of the man who broke her heart, and wants him out of the city so her life can return to normal. They make a difference into whether or not a place feels inclusive. I was reminiscing about the people I worked with and the office politics. I knew that hair would be the thing that connected Nella to Hazel because Nella had a really complicated relationship with her hair, just like I did. You can follow her on Instagram @paulinajayne15. I feel like I give different answers every single time. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, There are so many different ways to nail a twist, but it starts with believability. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. to support our journalism and get unlimited access to our coverage. Dressed as Karl Lagerfelds beloved cat, Choupette. Whereas diversity is not like that. The latest entry in MacLean's 'Hell's Belles' universe is a delightfully feminist twist on Regency-era romance romps. There are so many other things you're ignoring to make this point. They create imposter syndrome. Wagner Books is so rich for storylines. I tend to prefer twists that are especially bleak, says Harris. The most recent example: The Other Black Girl by first-time author Zakiya Dalila Harris, a former editorial assistant at Penguin Random House. Hazel recommends that Nella share her concerns with her boss, Vera Parini, and the author, Colin Franklin. Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The Other Black Girl! Basically, this book is good and relatable. I couldnt turn the pages fast enough in the second half of the book. You might be able to guess what happens next. This password will be used to sign into all, Photo-Illustration: Vulture and Photo Courtesy of Publisher, Photo: TCD/Prod.DB / Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy Stock Photo, AI Singers Are Unnervingly Good and Already Ubiquitous, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Arrive at the Met Gala Fashionably Late, Melanie Lynskey, Seth Meyers, and More Support WGA Amid Negotiations. The person enjoyed it, but said, I don't know if publishing is ready for it. I tried not to think too much about it. I knew there would be some kind of mind control. The star figured prominently in the Dominion lawsuit. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, its not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, its everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. When Hazel McCall joins the team, Nella is thrilled and eager for the friendship and comradery that will surely come with having 'the other Black girl' on staff. Exactly. Meanwhile, occasional chapters seem to rise out of nowhere, but they are actual plot thickeners, devices that will ultimately take The Other Black Girl out of the realm of "office novel" and into another genre entirely, and finally toward a kind of sad and wholly earned brilliance. Hazel is part of a group distributing hair grease that works as social lubricants. There is a lot I had to cut. Women, Black women especially, arent allowed to get dark there are many amazing writers doing this work, but its not mainstream. The Other Black Girl is availablenow from Atria Books. Instead, she strives for dominance in the workplace and seems to be edging Nella out and alienating her from her boss and her colleagues. It's honestly overwhelming. Conversations where they cant stop dropping the word 'diversity' to the point where it loses all meaning. Thats interesting that you mention the weight of Blackness because isn't that essentially what the grease is supposed to lift? 'Other Black girls' are the ones that are in cahoots with white people. Theyve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust. The Other Black Girl is both a sharp social commentary and a thriller. Do you think that the idea of not being able to put that feeling of racism into words is something Black readers will relate to? Unfortunately I could relate to the isolation, racial microaggressions, and frustration of being the only Black girl in an organization. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. "The premise of this book was quite promising: 26 years old Nella is an editorial assistant tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Plus, it's a 352-page book whose plot starts to kick off at the last 32 pages." My purpose here and my worth here is in question now. I absolutely love books that cover workplace politics and drama, and this was spot on. NOW. One of my favorites is from George A. Romeros Night of the Living Dead. And it was exhausting. A twist fails if you havent sold the character or the world enough. And then one morning, Nella looks through a small crack in a cubicle and sees what she calls "the flash of a brown hand. Nellas boss asks for her opinion on the latest book from the bestselling author Colin Franklin. Bethanne Patrick is a freelance writer and critic who tweets @TheBookMaven. The Potential 2023 WGA Strike for Dummies. The buzziest debut novel of the summer begins with the protagonist, Nella, a beaten-down editorial assistant at a prestigious Manhattan publishing house, catching a comforting and familiar whiff of hair grease. Part 1 ends on a cliffhanger: Is Nellas career at Wagner, like Kendra Raes, now over? Stories so good, you won't need a bookmark. Its such a part of us. Right, and it's not black-and-whiteits a gradient. Nella and Hazel are at the center of Zakiya Dalila Harris's debut novel The Other Black Girl (full disclosure: Harris is the sister of our own Aisha Harris, one of the hosts of Pop Culture Happy Hour). Offline, shes likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop. New York Magazine. So that element was was pretty on point. I was revising that scene last summer, which was when I had edits back at my desk. A heady brew of satire meets thriller, the story escalates from microaggressions to unexpected plot twists that will keep readers guessing until the end. Rent. The book centers on 26-year-old Nella Rogers, an editorial assistant at the fictional publishing house Wagner Books, who's relieved when another Black woman, Hazel, finally starts working at the otherwise all-white company. "She is so curious, she is really just genuinely excited. Was there any awkwardness with writing a book about racial bias within publishing as a former publishing professional? Nella Rogers is an assistant to an editor at the legendary Wagner Books. Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Really intriguing and very original, with some interesting twists that make you question the price of progress and cost of sacrifice in order to get ahead." Once the 'Other Black Girl' Hazel is hired it appears she will have an ally. @bookcooklook, A post shared by holly b | bookcooklook (@bookcooklook) (opens in new tab). Lets discuss the micoaggressions she dealt with on a daily basis. Alsoyou have to stop calling everything under the umbrella of race horrorGet Out. Why didnt I think of this myself? She's tired of being just about the only Black person in the room or really any room at Wagner. Now that the game is out, we know Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has a post-credits scene for players to watch. @this_kat_reads, A post shared by Kat (@this_kat_reads) (opens in new tab). If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the June 7, 2021, issue of But the more we talked about it, I could see it. Wagner surprises Nella by hiring another Black woman named Hazel-May McCall. Mentally, I felt betrayed. I also knew that Hazel would be some kind of robot. The band have become the very thing their critics accuse them of. But after getting to know the main characters, Nella and Hazel, I was left feeling that it also was largely about the power of female friendship and the different ways people navigate the Black experience.