Thomas Chatterton Williams

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Thomas Chatterton Williams
Thomas Chatterton Williams, photographed by Dominique Nabokov
Thomas Chatterton Williams, photographed by Dominique Nabokov
Born1981 (age 38–39)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationCritic, author
LanguageEnglish
ResidenceParis, France
NationalityAmerican
EducationUnion Catholic Regional High School
Alma materGeorgetown University
New York University
Home townFanwood, New Jersey, U.S.
SubjectRace, identity
Notable worksLosing My Cool (2010)
Self-Portrait in Black and White (2019)
Notable awardsBerlin Prize
Years active2007–present[1]
SpouseValentine Faure[2]
Children2
Website
www.thomaschattertonwilliams.com

Thomas Chatterton Williams (born 1981) is an American cultural critic and author.[1] He is the author of the 2019 book Self-Portrait in Black and White. He is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine.[3]

He is a 2019 New America Fellow[4] and a Berlin Prize recipient.[5]

Early life and education[edit]

Thomas Chatterton Williams was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1981,[6] to a black father, Clarence Williams, and a white mother, Kathleen.[7][2] He was named after the English poet Thomas Chatterton.[7] He was raised in Fanwood, New Jersey[7] and attended Union Catholic Regional High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.[8] Williams graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. He also completed a master’s degree from New York University's Cultural Reporting and Criticism program.[1]

Career[edit]

Williams released his second book, Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race, on October 15, 2019.[9][10][11][12] Williams appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher on October 18, 2019 to promote the book.[13]

Williams was a member of the jury for the 2019 American Library in Paris Book Award.[14]

In 2020, he and 152 others published "A Letter on Justice and Open Debate", an open letter defending free speech, in Harper's Magazine.[15]

Personal life[edit]

Williams married Valentine Faure in France in 2011.[2] He currently lives in Paris, France with Faure, their daughter Marlow, and their son Saul.[16]

Bibliography[edit]

  • Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race. W. W. Norton & Company. 2019. ISBN 978-0-393-60886-1.
  • Losing My Cool: How a Father's Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-Hop Culture. The Penguin Press. 2010. ISBN 978-1-59420-263-6.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Thomas Chatterton Williams, Penguin Random House author page. Retrieved 19-Nov-19,
  2. ^ a b c Williams, Thomas Chatterton (September 22, 2019). "Shades of Meaning". The New York Times Magazine. pp. 46–51, 56–57.
  3. ^ Solomon, Andrew (October 14, 2019). "How Moving to France and Having Children Led a Black American to Rethink Race". The New York Times Book Review. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  4. ^ "Thomas Chatterton Williams". New America. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  5. ^ "Announcing the 2017-18 Class of Berlin Prize Fellows". American Academy in Berlin. May 10, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  6. ^ Martin, Michel (June 15, 2010). "Father-Son Bond Inspires Memoir Of Love And Reflection". Tell Me More. NPR. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c Walsh, Jeremy (August 19, 2010). "Fanwood author finds father's voice leads him out of trouble". The Star-Ledger. NJ.com. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  8. ^ Thomas Chatterton Williams (October 15, 2019). Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race. W. W. Norton. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-393-60887-8.
  9. ^ "Self-Portrait in Black and White". W. W. Norton & Company. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  10. ^ Sewell, Summer (October 15, 2019). "Is it time to unlearn race? Thomas Chatterton Williams says yes". The Guardian. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  11. ^ Friedersdorf, Conor (November 5, 2019). "Unraveling Race". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  12. ^ Lozada, Carlos (October 11, 2019). "How to become an ex-black man". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  13. ^ Stockly, Ed (October 17, 2019). "What's on TV Friday, Oct. 18: 'Charmed' on the CW". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  14. ^ Lemasson, Pauline (March 11, 2019). "A Jury for the 2019 Book Award". American Library in Paris. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  15. ^ Schuessler, Jennifer; Harris, Elizabeth A. (7 July 2020). "Artists and Writers Warn of an 'Intolerant Climate.' Reaction Is Swift". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  16. ^ Williams, Thomas Chatterton (September 17, 2019). "My Family's Life Inside and Outside America's Racial Categories". The New York Times. Retrieved November 19, 2019.

External links[edit]


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