National Book Award finalist Angela Flournoy comes to the ALOUD stage for the first time to discuss her much-anticipated novel The Wilderness with Emmy award-winning comedian, actor, and writer Issa Rae (Insecure) and creator and host of The Stacks Traci Thomas.
Flournoy’s poignant story follows five Black women over the course of their twenty-year friendship and explores the complexity of that precarious period between young adulthood and midlife. As she so aptly put, “it’s a kind of a coming-into-middle-age novel.”
“Elegant and unsettling, this novel evades the expected at every turn.” — Kirkus Reviews
Featured Author and Moderator:
Angela Flournoy
Angela Flournoy is the author of The Turner House, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, an Indie Next pick, and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, and she has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Flournoy has taught at the University of Iowa, Princeton University, and UCLA. She lives in New York.
Issa Rae
With her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Issa Rae first received attention for her award-winning web series and the accompanying New York Times best-seller, “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” She created and starred in the Peabody-award-winning HBO series, INSECURE, which garnered her multiple Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominations. Rae has also made her mark on the big screen, co-starring in Greta Gerwig’s BARBIE, which dominated theaters as the biggest box-office hit of 2023, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, Sony’s highest-grossing animated release in history and the award-winning AMERICAN FICTION.
In 2020 Rae formed HOORAE, a multi-faceted media company that develops content across mediums in an effort to continue to break boundaries in storytelling and representation. HOORAE is comprised of HOORAE Media for film, TV and digital; Raedio, the music label, music supervision and “audio everywhere” company; ColorCreative, its management division; and FÊTE its marketing arm.
Rae’s commitment to South LA is evident in both her personal and professional pursuits. After planting roots near her childhood home, Issa set up the HOORAE headquarters in the heart of South LA. Her participation in the non-profit organization Destination Crenshaw furthers her mission of celebrating Black Angelenos and her ownership in Hilltop Cafe + Kitchen provides much-needed jobs and opportunities for local residents as well as a space for creatives to unlock their potential. Additionally, as co-owner of the Black owned and operated vegan hair care line, Sienna Naturals, Rae intends to continue to reimagine Black wellness and beauty. Rae recently launched Viarae Prosecco, a sparkling wine that’s perfect for any occasion and represents the freedom to let loose and be authentic.
Traci Thomas
Traci Thomas is the creator and host of the critically acclaimed literary podcast, The Stacks. She is a passionate champion of books and a deeply curious interviewer. Traci is a monthly contributor on NPR’s Here & Now and the creator of the LAist live literary series, One for the Books.
