Jabari Asim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jabari Asim
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Asim at the 2022 Texas Book Festival.
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| Born | August 11, 1962 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
| Genre | African American literature |
| Notable works | What Obama Means, The N Word |
Jabari Asim (born August 11, 1962) is an American author, poet, and professor. He teaches writing and literature at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He used to be the main editor for The Crisis magazine. This magazine focuses on politics and culture. It is published by the NAACP, a group that works for equal rights. The famous historian W. E. B. Du Bois started the magazine in 1910.
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About Jabari Asim
Jabari Asim was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1962. He went to public schools there. Later, he studied at Northwestern University.
In 2007, Jabari Asim joined The Crisis magazine. The publisher, Roger Wilkins, said Asim was a great editor and writer. He also said Asim cared a lot about fairness for all people.
Asim was chosen to help pick the best nonfiction books for the 2013 National Book Awards. This is a very important award for books in the U.S. The head of the foundation, Harold Augenbraum, praised Asim for handling tough topics with care.
In 2009, Asim received a special award called a Guggenheim Fellowship. This award is given to talented artists, scientists, and scholars. He was one of only 180 people chosen from almost 3,000 applicants.
From 2008 to 2010, Asim worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He was a scholar who studied African-American topics and journalism.
Before that, Asim spent eleven years (1996–2007) at The Washington Post. He had many jobs there. He was a deputy editor for the book review section. He also edited children's books and poetry. For three years, he wrote a column about politics and social issues. This column was shared with many newspapers. Asim also served as a vice president for the National Book Critics Circle. This group is made up of book critics.
Even before The Washington Post, Asim was the book editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. At that time, he was the only African American person in charge of book coverage at a major newspaper. He also worked as a copy editor and arts editor there.
Jabari Asim now lives near Boston, Massachusetts, with his family. His son, G'Ra Asim, is also a writer and musician.
His Amazing Books
Jabari Asim has written many different kinds of books. He writes nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and books for young readers.
Nonfiction Books
Asim has written several nonfiction books. His book We Can't Breathe: On Black Lives, White Lies and the Art of Survival (2018) is a collection of essays. It was a finalist for an award in 2018.
Fiction Stories
Asim's first fiction book was A Taste of Honey (2009). It is a collection of 16 connected stories. They take place in a made-up town called Gateway in 1968. This book was featured in Essence magazine. It was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award in 2011.
His first full novel, Only the Strong, came out in 2015. His second novel, Yonder, was published in 2022. The New York Times listed Yonder as one of its 100 Notable Books of the Year. It also received an honor from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.
Poetry Collections
Asim's poems have appeared in many poetry books. These include African American Writers: A Literary Reader and Best American Poetry 2021. His first collection of poems, Stop and Frisk, was published in 2020.
Books for Young Readers
Asim has also written books especially for kids. His first novel for young readers was The Road To Freedom (2000).
Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington (2012) was a very popular children's book. It was chosen by School Library Journal and Kirkus as a top book. It also won the Carter G. Woodson Book Award in 2013.
His book Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis (2016) was named a Best Illustrated Children's Book by The New York Times.
