The Talk

Darrin Bell

Narrator William DeMerritt, Darrin Bell, Brittany Bradford, Emyree Zazu Bell

Summary

"The audiobook version of The Talk,...isn’t a graphic novel stripped of its pictures; it’s a radio play that delivers its own powerful aural experience. The production employs music, subtle sound effects and a cast that includes Bell and his little boy. The charming humor and incisive wisdom that elevates the print version of 'The Talk' are amply conveyed by these narrators in an audiobook that’s clearly been designed from the bottom up to exploit the format’s unique advantages. For some listeners, this will be a deeply personal experience; for others, an illuminating lesson in empathy. But no matter who you are, you’re ready to have “The Talk."—The Washington Post“In its audio translation, the highlight is Darrin Bell’s storytelling ability, enriched by a soundscape that includes music, sound effects, and archival audio...a powerhouse audio that should be widely recommended.”—Booklist (Starred Review)This program features multicast narration.Winner of the NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Graphic NovelsWinner of the Libby Award for Best Comic/Graphic Novel of the YearNominated for an Eisner Award for Best Graphic MemoirNamed The Year's Best Graphic Novel by Publishers WeeklyNamed one of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Best Books of 2023Named one of NPR's Books We LoveNamed one of Kirkus' Best 2023 BooksNamed one of the Washington Post's 10 best graphic novels of 2023One of TIME Magazine's Must-Read Books of the YearShortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction 2024Booklist Editors' Choice: Graphic Novels, 2023New York Public Library's Best New Comics of 2023 Top Ten PickChicago Public Library's Best Books of 2023 Top Ten PickNamed one of School Library Journal's Best Graphic Novels of 2023Named one of The Guardian's Best Graphic Novels of 2023Darrin Bell was six years old when his mother told him he couldn’t have a realistic water gun. She said she feared for his safety, that police tend to think of little Black boys as older and less innocent than they really are.In this immersive audiobook adaptation—with wall-to-wall sound design, an expansive music soundtrack, and full-cast narration including the author and his son—Bell uses his sharp humor to examine how The Talk shaped intimate and public moments from childhood to adulthood. While coming of age in Los Angeles—and finding a voice through cartooning—Bell becomes painfully aware of being regarded as dangerous by white teachers, neighbors, and police officers and thus of his mortality. Drawing attention to the brutal murders of African Americans and showcasing revealing insights and cartoons along the way, he brings us up to the moment of reckoning when people took to the streets protesting the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. And now Bell must decide whether he and his own six-year-old son are ready to have The Talk."In The Talk, Bell combines the overtly personal and the sociopolitical in a textured autobiography that blends raw honestly, moving memories and powerful insights on race and police relations.” —The Washington Post A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

Duration: about 3 hours (03:20:33)
Publishing date: 2024-08-27; Unabridged; Copyright Year: — Copyright Statment: —