In Their Own Voices: Black Authors Narrating Their Own Work

Authors reading their own works is nothing new. For centuries poetry was passed down through an oral tradition. In the nineteenth century numerous writers—including Charles Dickens and Mark Twain—went on enormously popular lecture tours reading their work. Those written words have survived but not the author’s voice. Today it is easy to hear an author’s voice with so many appearing on social media and television, but there is something very personal about listening to authors read their own words. Being able to sense which parts authors emphasize and which parts they seem to particularly relish can give an added dimension to the work.

This minibibliography features Black authors narrating their own work. The books cover a wide range of subject matter and include memoirs by Maya Angelou, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Lenny Kravitz. Among the children’s books are titles by performers like Lupita Nyong’o and Kevin Hart along with Ruby Bridges’ account of being the first African American child to integrate a Louisiana public school. Among the literary works are poetry by Langston Hughes and Amanda Gorman and fiction by Toni Morrison and Terry McMillan. Political works cover the range from Stacey Abrams to Candace Owens.

All titles in this minibibliography can be requested from your local cooperating library. The digital talking book titles can be downloaded through the NLS BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) website. Contact your local cooperating library to register for BARD. Registered users can also download titles on iOS and Android devices using the BARD Mobile app. To find your local cooperating library, go to www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/find-a-local-library or call toll-free 888-NLS-READ (888-657-7323)

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