A New Podcast Celebrating the 100th Birthday of Legendary Author & Activist, James Baldwin
Vintage Books and the Author Development Team are thrilled to announce the launch of The Baldwin 100, a special limited-edition podcast created in partnership with the Baldwin Family and the Penguin Random House Media team to celebrate the centennial of the birth of iconic Black author and Civil Rights activist, James Baldwin. Hosted by Cree Myles—curator of PRH’s award-winning online community All Ways Black—each episode goes behind the scenes with authors, celebrities, and friends of Baldwin to give the inside scoop on who he was and why he and his works are more relevant than ever today.
This eight-episode series is part of PRH’s yearlong centenary celebration of James Baldwin’s birth (August 2, 2024) and features luminaries such as bestselling author Roxane Gay, Hollywood actor Billy Dee Williams, and Princeton professor and political commentator Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr, among others. In upcoming episodes, find out from Dr. Jessica B. Harris—historian and personal friend of Baldwin—what it was like to be roommates with author Toni Morrison at Baldwin’s house in the south of France and hear him read out loud, for the first time, his iconic novel IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. Discover from Kevin Young, Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, the influences that shaped James Baldwin as a writer and cultural icon. And learn how Baldwin addressed an incredible range of ideas and issues we still grapple with today with a persistent message of hope, justice, and love—and how his words and legacy can help us work toward a better world for everyone.
Check out the debut episode that aired this week with “Son of Baldwin” creator and Putnam author, Robert Jones Jr. to get a taste of what’s to come:
A new episode airs each Tuesday through August 27, 2024, plus a special episode will drop on August 2, the 100th anniversary of James Baldwin’s birth. You can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and please share and spread the word about this terrific series.
Special thanks to Stephanie Bowen on the Author Development team, Shalea Harris and Pat Stango on the PRH Media team, the Vintage team, Cree Myles, and Trevor Baldwin for helping bring this project to reality!
For more information, please contact Stephanie Bowen, or check out JamesBaldwinBooks.com, JamesBaldwin.info, and All Ways Black (Instagram: @AllWaysBlack).