December 2022
Ta-Nehisi Coates: Between the World and Me
Discussion: December 18th, 5:30-7pm
This month we are reading Ta-Nahesi Coates' Between the World and Me, a book written in the form of a letter to the author's teenage son about the feelings, symbolism, and realities associated with being Black in the United States, and also discussing his article The Case for Considering Reparations.
Here are some questions to get you started. Feel free to bring any additional questions the book raised for you...
What emotions are expressed by Coates in his writing — and what emotions did you feel while reading it? What surprised you most about the book?
The book is written in the form of a letter from Coates to his 15-year-old son. Why do you think Coates chose to structure the book in this way? How did this format affect your reading?
Coates could simply have told a series of stories about struggle and racism, but instead he put the Black body at the center of the narrative. Why do you think he focuses so much on physical bodies?
What do you think of Coates' argument that race comes from racism, not the other way around? Did reading this book influence your perception of race at all? If so, how?
What do you think Coates means by "the Dream" and the "Dreamers"? In what way are Black citizens cut off from that Dream?
There are three clear instances in the book where Coates fears for his life. How has that fear impacted him, and what common elements tie his moments of fear together?
We hear about the life of Prince Jones when Coates speaks to Prince’s mother. In what ways are the experiences of these two men different — and in what ways are they similar?
There are some moments of true joy and light in the book. Which ones did you relate to and how do you think they balanced out the darker themes in the book?
How does Coates’ relationship with books contrast with his attitude toward the classroom? How does his passion for books and writing influence his final advice for Samori?
Do you think Coates leaves his son and the reader with hope for Black Americans and for the state of race relations in the U.S.?
Read Richard Wright’s Poem Between the World and Me. How is the book related to the poem? Why do you think Coates chose the same title for his book?
Read Coates’ article The Case for Considering Reparations. Do you agree with his arguments?
It is worth pointing out that Between the World and Me takes structural and thematic inspiration from James Baldwin's 1963 epistolary book The Fire Next Time. The first essay, in this book "My Dungeon Shook: Letter to my Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation" is written in the form of a letter to Baldwin's 14-year-old nephew and discusses the central role of race in American history. It is not very long and it might be interesting to compare it to Coates' book.