The one thing Kameelah Martin is sure of is this: There is power in the written word, whether it be a fantastical tale from long ago or a true exploration of our modern times. Martin, who became dean of the Graduate School of the University of Charleston last June, specializes in teaching and researching literary and vernacular traditions, with an emphasis on 20th- and 21st-century prose, as well as African American genealogy. She has served as assistant editor and book review editor of theโฏCollege Language Association Journal. Martin, who previously headed up the Collegeโs African American Studies Program, also co-editedโฏThe Lemonade Reader, which explores the nuances of Beyoncรฉโs 2016 visual album,โฏLemonade. Her Top 10 list (actually 11 titles) reflects the rich culture and history of the African diaspora she is so passionate about. And, fun fact: Her daughter is named after a character in her No. 3 pick!
1. Song of Solomon
ย ย Toni Morrisonย
2. Another Good Loving Blues
ย ย ย Arthur Flowersย
3. Sassafras, Cypress & Indigo
ย ย ย Ntozake Shangeย
4. When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks it Down
ย ย ย Joan Morganย
5. (Tie) The Book of Night Women andโฏBlack Leopard, Red Wolf
ย ย ย both by Marlon Jamesย
6. Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route
ย ย ย Saidiya Hartmanย
7. The Coming
ย ย ย Daniel Blackย
8. Masters of the Dew
ย ย ย Jacques Roumainย
9. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
ย ย ย Malcolm X and Alex Haleyย
10. Are You There God? Itโs Me, Margaret
ย ย ย ย Judy Blumeย
