The author discusses her novel, which reimagines a vibrant Detroit in the first half of the 20th century, when the Black Bottom neighborhood was a center of African American culture.
Randall’s novel focuses on the real-life Ziggy Johnson, a well-known gossip columnist and owner/emcee of a nightclub that hosted greats like Ethel Waters and Duke Ellington. Organized around 52 famous African American “saints” like Sarah Vaughn, Jackie Robinson and Adam Clayton Powell, it also brings to life the stories of local heroes who will be well known to Detroiters.
Randall is the author of four critically acclaimed novels, including “Pushkin and the Queen of Spades,” “Rebel Yell,” “Ada’s Rules” and New York Times Bestselling “The Wind Done Gone.” A professor and writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt University, Randall is a native of Detroit and a graduate of Harvard. She lives in Nashville.
This event was recorded on September 9, 2020.