Library Staff Directory
Posted May 13, 2016
Jamaican writer Marlon James (November 24th, 1970) is one contemporary literature’s most brilliant novelists. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, he furthered his education at the University of the West Indies and later earning a master of creative writing from Wilkes University. So far, he has authored three novels, John Crow's Devil, The Book of Night Women, and A Brief History of Seven Killings which was awarded the Man Booker Prize in 2015. He currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he teaches at Macalester College in Saint Paul.
Lilith is born into a life of hardship, pain, and sadness with eerily striking green eyes and a dark power that surrounds her. As a slave on the Montpelier Estate in Jamaica, Lilith soon finds her way from the fields to the “big house” where she is sheltered by a group of women who both fear and revere her. These women, known as the “Night Women,” also invite Lilith to their secret society - a group that is planning to kill their white owners and burn down the plantation in a slave rebellion. However, through trials and tribulations, Lilith begins to question her own identity and desires as her power grows. Told from a powerful female perspective, James’ historical fiction recounts the cruel and violent degradation of human bondage in a beautifully written book that blurs the line between black and white.
A Brief History of Seven Killings
In an epic novel spanning fifteen years, A Brief History of Seven Killings begins with a botched assassination attempt on Bob Marley in Kingston in 1976, travels the drug-ridden streets of New York City during the 80s, and concludes with a radically altered Jamaica in the early 1990s. Told in five sections, James creates a dangerous and violent world told in graphic detail where political turmoil, underworld dealings, and crack houses reign supreme. And, with a cast of over 75 characters - including gang bangers, gunmen, drug lords, corrupt CIA agents, ex-girlfriends, and ghosts - James’ storytelling is oral and lyrical, giving each character a voice, complete with Jamaican patois when necessary. Stylistically complex and ambitious, James’ masterpiece is a stunning illustration of contemporary literature that is sure to stand the test of time.
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