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Ann Petry (1908-1997), journalist and writer whose debut
novel, “The Street” was the first book by an African American
woman to sell over a million copies, broke barriers with her
poignant story of a single mother in Harlem during World
War II. The novel’s probing story of the relationship between
motherhood and social pressures sets Petry at the heart
of American literature’s focus on place as a defining factor
of identity sharpened through the added lens of race. Her
authentic exploration of Black women’s challenges and
vulnerabilities presaged Gloria Naylor’s “The Women of
Brewster Place,” Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple,” and Toni
Morrison’s “Beloved,” “God Help the Child,” “Paradise,”
and other Morrison classics. Join us for a deep dive into the
tensions and artistic expertise that keep her work relevant to
every breath we take today!