Heads of the Colored People: Stories

Nafissa Thompson-Spires

Jul 2018 · Highbridge Audio · Narrated by Adenrele Ojo

About this audiobook

A stunning new talent in literary fiction, Nafissa Thompson-Spires grapples with black identity and the contemporary middle class in these compelling, boundary-pushing vignettes. Each captivating story plunges headfirst into the lives of new, utterly original characters. Some are darkly humorous-from two mothers exchanging snide remarks through notes in their kids' backpacks, to the young girl contemplating how best to notify her Facebook friends of her impending suicide-while others are devastatingly poignant-a new mother and funeral singer who is driven to madness with grief for the young black boys who have fallen victim to gun violence, or the teen who struggles between her upper middle class upbringing and her desire to fully connect with black culture. Thompson-Spires fearlessly shines a light on the simmering tensions and precariousness of black citizenship. Her stories are exquisitely rendered, satirical, and captivating in turn, engaging in the ongoing conversations about race and identity politics, as well as the vulnerability of the black body. Boldly resisting categorization and easy answers, Nafissa Thompson-Spires is an original and necessary voice in contemporary fiction.

Ratings and reviews

Really informative, fun, and definite. I had a ball. I felt I learned a lot. The writing was sound and the reading is right. ❤️⚡

is nice too

About the author

Nafissa Thompson-Spires earned a doctorate in English from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Illinois. Her work has appeared in Story Quarterly, Lunch Ticket, and The Feminist Wire, among other publications. She is a 2016 fellow of the Callaloo Writer's Workshop.

Adenrele Ojo is an actress, voice-over artist, writer, producer, and photographer. Her voice can be heard on many audiobooks, and she is the recipient of several AudioFile Earphones Awards. A native Philadelphian, she currently lives in Los Angeles.