Danzy Senna facts for kids

Danzy Senna, born on September 13, 1970, is an American writer. She writes novels and essays. Her work often explores ideas about race, gender, and what it means to be American. She has written six books and many essays. Some of her well-known books include Caucasia (1998) and New People (2017). Her latest book is Colored Television (2024). Her writings have appeared in famous magazines like The New Yorker and The Atlantic. Danzy Senna is also a professor of English at the University of Southern California.

Growing Up and School

Danzy Senna was born and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the middle child of three. Her parents came from very different backgrounds. Her mother, Fanny Howe, is a white poet and novelist from Boston. Her father, Carl Senna, was an editor and teacher. He wrote about racial bias and civil rights. Carl Senna was Black and Mexican. He grew up in Louisiana and Montgomery, Alabama, before moving to Boston.

Danzy's parents got married in 1968. This was the year after marriage between different races became legal in the United States. They divorced in 1976. Danzy and her siblings spent time with both parents. Her father wanted his children to understand their Black heritage. All three children identify as Black.

Danzy went to public schools in Boston. She also attended the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in Roxbury. This school helped Black students learn about the arts. She was part of a program called METCO. This program helped desegregate schools by busing students. Danzy finished high school in 1988.

She went to Stanford University and earned a degree in American Studies. Later, she got her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing. She studied at the University of California, Irvine. While there, she wrote her first novel, Caucasia. This book has won many awards. It is often read in college classes.

After college, Danzy lived in Brooklyn, New York, for many years. The atmosphere there inspired some of her later writing. For example, her book New People is set in 1990s Brooklyn. In 2005, she moved to Southern California, where she lives now. She is married to novelist Percival Everett. They have two children.

Her Books

Caucasia

Caucasia was Danzy Senna's first novel, published in 1998. It tells the story of a young girl named Birdie Lee. Birdie is biracial, meaning she has parents of different races. Her mother takes her into hiding, and Birdie has to live under a new name. The book is about Birdie growing up and trying to find her identity. It also explores her search for her missing family members.

This novel won several awards. It received the Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction. It was also nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction. The American Library Association gave it the Alex Award. Caucasia became a national bestseller. It has been translated into twelve different languages.

Symptomatic

Her second novel, Symptomatic, came out in 2004. This book is a mystery story. It is told by a young woman who moves to New York City. She gets a great job writing for a magazine. But she feels out of place and unsure of herself. She meets an older woman who also has a mixed background. The older woman becomes very interested in her. As this interest turns into an obsession, the narrator tries to understand their relationship. Their lives seem to get out of control.

Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

After her novels, Danzy Senna wrote a memoir in 2009. A memoir is a true story about a part of the author's life. This book is called Where Did You Sleep Last Night?: A Personal History. It shares the story of her parents' marriage. Her mother was a white woman from a well-known Boston family. Her father was African-American and Mexican. He was raised by his Black jazz piano player mother. Danzy remembers her father wanting his children to be proud of their racial background. In the book, she looks back at her parents' divorce. She also explores their family histories.

You Are Free

You Are Free is a collection of short stories by Danzy Senna. It was published in 2011. Kirkus Reviews said these stories were "fresh and insightful." They showed what it was like to be young, smart, and biracial in America. In one story, a woman gets strange letters from a girl who says she is her daughter. This makes the woman think about the life she hasn't lived. Another story is about a new mother hosting an old friend. They both feel pity and envy for each other. The first story in the collection is about a couple whose son gets into a fancy daycare. They had only applied as a joke, and now tensions arise.

New People

Danzy Senna's 2017 book, New People, is about a mixed-race couple named Maria and Khalil. They live in Fort Greene, a neighborhood known for Black artists in the 1990s. They seem like a perfect couple. But Maria becomes very interested in a local Black poet she barely knows. This novel was partly inspired by the Jonestown massacre. The New Yorker praised the book for making fun of the fake artistic scene in Brooklyn. Time magazine named it one of the Top Ten Novels of 2017.

Colored Television

Danzy Senna's newest novel, Colored Television, came out in 2024. It is about a biracial novelist who wants to write a big, important book. But she decides to stop writing novels and try writing for television instead. This book was chosen for the Good Morning America Book Club in September 2024. Critics have praised it highly. The Washington Post said it was very clever. The Los Angeles Times called it "the New Great American Novel." Kirkus Reviews described it as "brilliant" and "almost perfect." Colored Television was also listed as one of the best books of Fall 2024 by Oprah Daily. The New York Times also named it a Notable Book of 2024.

Awards and Recognition

Danzy Senna has received several awards and honors for her writing.

Honors

• 2002: Whiting Award
• 2004: Fellow at the New York Public Library's Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers
• 2017: Dos Passos Prize

Literary Awards

Books Written by Danzy Senna

• Caucasia, 1998. Riverhead Books: New York. ISBN: 9781573220910.
• Symptomatic: A Novel, 2003. Riverhead Books: New York. ISBN: 9781573222754.
• Where Did You Sleep Last Night?: A Personal History, 2009. Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York. ISBN: 9780374289157.
• You Are Free: Stories, 2011. Riverhead Books: New York. ISBN: 9781594485077.
• New People, 2017. Riverhead Books: New York. ISBN: 9781594487095.
• Colored Television, 2024. Riverhead Books: New York. ISBN: 9780593544372.