Happy Anniversary to THE PROPHETS!
Two years ago today, my debut novel, THE PROPHETS, was released.
Hello Family,
On January 5, 2021, G.P. Putnam’s Sons released my debut novel, The Prophets. It was the culmination of a dream that took 14 years to come to fruition.
The Prophets is the story of Samuel and Isaiah, two young men enslaved on a plantation in 19th-century Mississippi, whose love for one another reverberates through time, disrupts the status quo of the ancient and terrible enterprise of slavery, leads to revolutionary action, and strives for internal and external liberation.
Below, I read an excerpt from the book courtesy of Storybound.
One of the most memorable moments of the journey-to-book-release experience was when my editor Sally Kim publicly unveiled the cover of the book for the first time during the 2020 Book Expo Buzz Panel. Those are real tears of joy, y’all!
One of the kindest reviews of The Prophets came from literary artist Danez Smith, who wrote the following for The New York Times:
“[An] often lyrical and rebellious love story embedded within a tender call-out to Black readers, reaching across time and form to shake something old, mighty in the blood. . . The Prophets attempts to give its Black characters and Black audience the same gifts — our right names, our Black knowing, a freedom outside of time and circumstance. . . What a fiery kindness that ending, this book. A book I entered hesitantly, cautiously, I exited anew — something in me unloosed, running. May this book cast its spell on all of us, restore to us some memory of our most warrior and softest selves.”
The most in-depth scholarly analysis of The Prophets that I’ve read was by Steve Bamlett on his blog, Lifelong Learning.
One of my favorite interviews about The Prophets was a conversation with Reggie “I Played Myself for Hating on Cane” Bailey and Akili “By Shading Sula I Shaded Myself” Nazuri of
.The Prophets’ book-twin, also released on January 5, 2021, is Mateo Askaripour’s brilliant Black Buck. As a result of this twist of fate, Mateo and I have become like brothers ourselves. He is someone I care about very deeply and who has been both a balm and a boon to me. His intelligence inspires and his hustle is unmatched. Also, his Mama owes me a plate of ackee and saltfish, and bammy. Love you, Bredren!
Another book-sibling is Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson, which was released a week later on January 12, 2021. During our book events, Sadeqa and I talked often about finding inspiration in historical fiction because there are so many stories that haven’t been told and we found that opening ourselves up to receiving Ancestral testimony is an artistically and spiritually rewarding experience.
And while it comes two years after the births of our books, our other book-sibling is Moonrise Over New Jessup by
, which arrives in stores on January 10, 2023. You can see Jamila and I in conversation during her book tour at the Center for Fiction on February 16, 2023.Speaking of book tours, mine was a surreal experience. At first, I didn’t have any in-person events because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtually all of my events were virtual. Additionally, the day after The Prophets was released, white supremacist capitalist cishetpatriarchs stormed the capital in an attempt to install Pooty Bangs as the permanent dictator of the United States.
Still, I got to meet and know so many other writers, readers, booksellers, and other people digitally (and then in person, once things opened back up) that it totally made up for the deficits. Also, my hubby threw me a socially distanced book-launch party, which set everything off with the right energy.
And it’s wild to me that some celebrities read The Prophets. Wow.
It’s been quite the journey. Two years later and the gratitude continues uninterrupted. I’m currently working on my next novel and I can’t wait for you to read it and I’m looking forward to embarking on a new adventure.
Thank you to the writers who took time out of their busy schedules to blurb, which is to say co-sign, my book. And to everyone who purchased and/or read The Prophets and found value in it: sincerely: thank you.
May the Ancestors love and keep you.
Blessings upon blessings,
Robert