One of the most original and perceptive contemporary Black voices, Ta-Nehisi Coates comes to the Moss Arts Center
Following the early October release of his much-discussed new book “The Message,” award-winning author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, widely considered to be one of the most original and perceptive Black voices today, comes to the Moss Arts Center on Friday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. to read excerpts of his work, participate in a moderated conversation, and answer audience questions.
“An Evening with Ta-Nehisi Coates” is moderated by Menah Pratt, vice president for strategic affairs and diversity at Virginia Tech, and co-sponsored by the Black Cultural Center, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Department of English, Department of Sociology, Office for Inclusion and Diversity, and University Libraries.
Coates is the author of the New York Times bestseller and National Book Award winner “Between the World and Me.” Called “required reading” by Toni Morrison, the profound work pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, offering a powerful new framework for understanding the nation’s history and current crisis. Coates shares with his son — and readers — the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences.
Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, “Between the World and Me” clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts the present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward.
As a journalist with a career spanning over two decades, Coates has written for various publications, including the Washington City Paper, Village Voice, New Yorker, and New York Times. During his time reporting for The Atlantic between 2008 and 2018, he penned many influential articles and essays, including the 2012 essay “Fear of a Black President,” which won a National Magazine Award, and the influential 2014 piece, “The Case for Reparations.”
His newest book, “The Message,” delves into stories from three resonant sites of conflict to explore how the stories people tell — and the ones they don’t — shape realities.
Coates has authored the bestselling books “The Beautiful Struggle” and “We Were Eight Years in Power,” and has enjoyed a successful run writing Marvel’s “Black Panther” (2016-2021) and “Captain America” (2018-2021) comic series. He is currently writing the screenplays for the upcoming films ”Wrong Answer,” ”Superman,” and the film adaptation of his first fiction novel, ”The Water Dancer.” In the fall of 2022 Coates joined Howard University’s faculty as a writer-in-residence and the Sterling Brown Chair in the Department of English. He has been awarded the Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism, won a 2015 MacArthur Fellowship, and was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
This performance is supported in part by a gift from Mrs. Mary Ann Walker and Dr. Kenneth J. Walker.
Tickets
Tickets are $25 for general admission and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.
Venue and parking information
The performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours.
