The Meaning of Michelle
15 Writers on the Iconic First Lady and How Her Journey Inspires Our Own
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A NEW IN NONFICTION PEOPLE PICK | A TIME TOP 10 NONFICTION BOOK OF 2017 | NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2017 BY: The Huffington Post • Glamour • Bustle • RedEye
A Los Angeles Times bestseller
**One of BookRiot's '11 Books to Help Us Make It Through a Trump Presidency'**
**One of The Guardian's Essentials for Black History Month**
“Whenever I think about Michelle Obama, I think, ‘When I grow up, I want to be just like her. I want to be that intelligent, confident, and comfortable in my own skin’.” —Roxane Gay
“Even after eight years of watching them daily in the press, the fact that the most powerful man in the world is a Black man is still breathtaking to me. The fact that he goes home to a tight-knit, loving family headed by a Black woman is soul-stirring. That woman is Michelle. Michelle. That name now carries a whole world of meaning...” —From the Preface by Ava DuVernay
Michelle Obama is unlike any other First Lady in American History. From her first moments on the public stage, she has challenged traditional American notions about what it means to be beautiful, to be strong, to be fashion-conscious, to be healthy, to be First Mom, to be a caretaker and hostess, and to be partner to the most powerful man in the world. What is remarkable is that, at 52, she is just getting started.
While many books have looked at Michelle Obama from a fashion perspective, no book has fully explored what she means to our culture. The Meaning of Michelle does just that, while offering a parting gift to a landmark moment in American history. In addition to a tribute to Michelle Obama, this book is also a rollicking, lively dinner party conversation about race, class, marriage, creativity, womanhood and what it means to be American today.
Contributors include: Ava DuVernay, Veronica Chambers, Benilde Little, Damon Young, Alicia Hall Moran and Jason Moran, Brittney Cooper, Ylonda Gault Caviness, Chirlane McCray, Cathi Hanauer, Tiffany Dufu, Tanisha Ford, Marcus Samuelsson, Sarah Lewis, Karen Hill Anton, Rebecca Carroll, Phillipa Soo, and Roxane Gay
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This charming series of 16 essays about Michelle Obama, deftly assembled by editor Chambers (Mama's Girl), finds inspiration in various facets of the 46th First Lady of the United States as her time in that role draws to a close. Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City, draws parallels between their respective positions in "Two Black First Ladies Walk into a Room." Amherst professor Tanisha Ford ruminates on Obama's evolving sense of style, from J. Crew to Jason Wu, in "She Slays." Chef Marcus Samuelsson shares his excitement in preparing the Obamas' first state dinner in "Cooking with a Narrative" (complete with mouthwatering menu). Rutgers professor Brittney Cooper examines the friendship of Michelle Obama and Beyonc in "Lady O and King Bey." Many of the contributors applaud the validation they feel the Obama administration has given them. In "Crushing on Michelle," Damon Young, founder of the online magazine VSB, contrasts his own generation's experience to that of his young niece and nephew, for whom an African-American president and first lady "is literally all they know." That sense of gratitude resonates through each offering in this compilation, a warm tribute to an inspiring woman of color who has lived in the public eye for more than eight years. This review has been updated: an additional writer was added to the collection of essays.