New Yorker Briefly Noted: Belafonte Biography, Santa Cruz Memoir, Dublin Novel, Motherhood Horror
The Newer's Briefly Noted features reviews of four recent publications. 'Daylight Come' by Joshua Jelly-Schapiro (Penguin Press) chronicles the life of Harry Belafonte, who passed away in 2023, depicting him as 'our first post-racial pop star.' Born in Harlem in 1927, Belafonte celebrated his Caribbean roots while intertwining his entertainment career with activism. 'Scavenging Beauty' by Angelica Glass (Riverhead) is a memoir detailing her experiences walking through Santa Cruz County and reflecting on her traumatic childhood. In 'Dooneen' by Keith Ridgway (New Directions), set in a car-free Dublin, Bartholomew Port returns amidst a populist revolt. 'Queen Mab' by Emily McBride (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) explores graduate student Madeleine's decision to have a child, merging body horror with fairy-tale motifs.
Key facts
- Harry Belafonte died in 2023
- Belafonte was born in Harlem to Jamaican parents in 1927
- Belafonte refused to perform in segregated venues
- Angelica Glass walked every street in Santa Cruz County over seven years
- Glass was a former child-welfare social worker
- Keith Ridgway's novel 'Dooneen' is set in a Dublin with cars banned and teleportation
- Emily McBride is a translator based in Barcelona
- Queen Mab features a 23-year-old graduate student who decides to have a baby
Entities
Artists
- Harry Belafonte
- Joshua Jelly-Schapiro
- Angelica Glass
- Keith Ridgway
- Emily McBride
Institutions
- Penguin Press
- Riverhead
- New Directions
- Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- The New Yorker
Locations
- Harlem
- Jamaica
- Santa Cruz County
- California
- Dublin
- London
- Barcelona