Into White
Author Randi Pink offers something of a disclaimer with her debut novel.
“It’s ok to squirm in your seat when you’re flipping the page on this book,” says Pink. “It’s ok to feel uncomfortable. It’s ok to put it down a minute and catch your breath.”
That’s because her young adult book is a piercing tale examining race among teens. It’s called “Into White” and comes out Tuesday.
Randi Pink is a Birmingham native. (Full disclosure: Pink works at WBHM). Her story follows Toya, an African-American student at a predominately white high school in Alabama. She prays to become white and it happens. Pink, who is black, talked about the book with WBHM’s Andrew Yeager.
Author Randi Pink’s debut novel is “Into White.”
The inspiration for the book:
“Maybe around 13, 14, I started to question whether it would be a little bit easier to not look the way I look. I’m not exactly sure if I specifically wanted to be in any specific category, but I do know that my mind started to wander. I went to a predominately white school…It’s a shameful thought. Even as a 13, 14-year-old child, I knew that that’s not something I should have been considering. So I buried that.”
Concerns over how it would be received:
“That is something that I had to push down and push to the back of my mind. How is this thing going to be received? How am I going to be perceived as a black woman writing this? I had to hush up those voices if I was going to write something authentic…I knew that I was opening myself up for a fair amount of criticism. And I’m ok with that.”
What she wants to book to do:
“What I do want is for the book to initiate a conversation about the shrapnel we’re dealing with in this post-forced segregation society. What are the real effects psychologically on families, not just black families, all of us? And if it starts some conversation about that, then I’m good.”
An extended interview with Randi Pink:
4 essential conversations every interracial couple should have
For a strong and lasting relationship, don't be afraid to talk about each other's racial differences — and do enjoy the process of creating a new, blended family culture.
Opinion: ‘Free speech doesn’t work just when you agree with it’
NPR's Scott Simon recalls a First Amendment case from the late 1970s involving the rights of a neo-Nazi group to march through a predominantly Jewish suburb of Chicago.
‘Rocky Horror’ is 50! We propose a toast. (You know what to do)
Rocky Horror aficionados used to attend screenings of the film over and over to take notes on the details. Accurately mirroring every line and dance move has gotten easier over time.
NPR-Ipsos poll: Americans don’t broadly support Trump’s National Guard deployments
Americans are concerned about crime, but don't broadly support President Trump's deployment of the National Guard to U.S. cities, according to a new NPR-IPSOS poll.
How a Toledo tattoo artist helps turn scars into art
Brian Finn is a tattoo artist in Toledo, Ohio who has been offering free and discounted tattoos for people covering trauma scars for more than 10 years.
How the beloved state fair grew from livestock showcases to cornucopias of amusement
The state fair dates back to the 1800s, and its agricultural roots go back even further. Ever since, states have been putting their own spin on the annual event while staying true to tradition.
