A Conversation with Dr. Tess Chakkalakal

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Exploring the Life and Legacy of Charles W. Chesnutt

Guest: Dr. Tess Chakkalakal
Host: Kenyatta D. Berry

In this episode, Kenyatta D. Berry speaks with Dr. Tess Chakkalakal, a scholar of nineteenth-century African American and American literature, about her new book A Matter of Complexion: The Life and Fictions of Charles W. Chesnutt. Together, they explore Chesnutt’s remarkable career as one of the earliest African American fiction writers to achieve mainstream publication, and how his work continues to challenge and illuminate issues of race, identity, and American history.

Dr. Chakkalakal discusses Chesnutt’s influential novel The Marrow of Tradition, along with his complex portrayals of slavery, marriage, and freedom. The conversation delves into the intersections of literature, politics, and cultural memory, highlighting the importance of reading across genres and time periods to better understand the American story.

They also touch on Dr. Chakkalakal’s broader research, the preservation of historic writers’ homes, and the growing impact of book bans on literary education.

Books and Authors Mentioned

• Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• Paul Laurence Dunbar
• Sutton E. Griggs, Imperium in Imperio
• Charles W. Chesnutt, The Marrow of Tradition
• Judy Blume, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
• Virgil
• Homer
• Alexandre Dumas
• Cicero
• Henry James
• Edith Wharton
• Mark Twain
• William Dean Howells, A Modern Instance
• Brock Clarke
• Dead Writers: A Podcast About Great American Writers and Where They Lived
• Idlewild, Michigan

About the Guest

Dr. Tess Chakkalakal [pronounced “Chah-KAHL-ickle”] is the author of Novel Bondage: Slavery, Marriage, and Freedom in Nineteenth-Century America (University of Illinois Press, 2011), winner of the Robert K. Martin Prize for Best Book on American Literature. She is also co-editor of Jim Crow, Literature, and the Legacy of Sutton E. Griggs and Imperium in Imperio: A Critical Edition. Her newest book, A Matter of Complexion: The Life and Fictions of Charles W. Chesnutt, is available now from St. Martin’s Press.

Dr. Chakkalakal is co-host of the award-winning podcast Dead Writers and serves on the boards of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and the Maine Maritime Museum.

Conversations with Kenyatta features Kenyatta D. Berry. Music for episodes 1-76 is "Good Vibe" by Ketsa, Music for episodes 77+ is “Rheme – Afrobeat x African Instrumental x Reggae Beat,” via Pixabay.

Learn more about Kenyatta and her work at KenyattaBerry.com.

You can also connect with her on social media:
Instagram: @Kenyatta.Berry
Facebook: facebook.com/KenyattaDB

Thanks for listening, we’ll see you next time on Conversations with Kenyatta.

We are dedicated to exploring and discussing various aspects of genealogy, history, culture, and social issues. We aim to shed light on untold stories and perspectives that enrich our understanding of the world.

Disclaimer: All guest opinions expressed in Conversations with Kenyatta are their own and do not reflect the views of Kenyatta D. Berry.

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