Happy birthday James McBride! Born September 11, James McBride is an award-winning African American author, musician, and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, The Color of Water, published in 1996, has sold millions of copies and spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Considered an American classic, it is read in schools and universities across the United States. His other notable and award-winning novels are:
Happy birthday Kyra Davis Lurie! Born August 23, Kyra Davis Lurie is a New York Times bestselling African American author and screenwriter. She is the author of The Great Mann, So Much For My Happy Ending, the Sophie Katz mystery series, the Just One Night series and the Pure Sin series. Her books have been published in nine languages across 6 continents. Her first historical fiction novel, The Great Mann, is a literary interpretation of the Great Gatsby.
Today’s post feature books written in the 1960s. Some of them are debut novels. I read a couple of them; I want to read a couple more!
Originally published in 1969
Originally published in 1966
Originally published in 1967
Originally published in 1967
Originally published in 1962
Heavenly birthday wishes James McEachin! Born May 20, 1930, James McEachin was an African American actor, author, veteran, and Purple Heart recipient. His memoir, Swing Low My Sweet Chariot was an international best seller. He passed away in 2025. Other notable books:
Belated birthday wishes Christopher Paul Curtis! Born May 10, Christopher Paul Curtis is an award winning children’s book author. His notable books are:
Today at the Detroit Public Library, Vanessa Riley talked about her latest book: Fire Sword and Sea, a historical novel about a black female pirate. In addition to writing historical novels, Vanessa Riley has also written romance and murder mysteries.
Sadeqa Johnson came to Detroit Public Library to talk about her book, Keeper of the Lost Children. The story is centered around three characters who are somehow connected to an orphanage in Germany. History is interwoven as the readers learn about an orphanage that took care of mixed race children (white German women, African American men officers) in occupied Germany. In her talk, Ms. Johnson mentioned a documentary film titled Brown Babies which tells the stories of unwanted biracial and bicultural children.
More specifically Victoria Christoper Murray, the trailblazer Christian fiction writer. She has expanded her writing to include contemporary, teen, and historical fiction novels. Read more about her here. Below are just a few of her works.
