Person
Every book Barry Jenkins recommended on podcasts
Barry Jenkins appeared on The Book Review in an episode titled Barry Jenkins and Meg Wolitzer on Two of This Season's Novels on Screen to discuss his literary influences and the cinematic nature of storytelling. Recalling his undergraduate years, Barry Jenkins shared that a woman he had been dating recommended James Baldwin during the process of breaking up with him, an experience he later realized was meant to signal that he needed to do some growing. Through this breakup, he originally encountered and read both The Fire Next Time and Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. Discussing Giovanni's Room, Barry Jenkins analyzed the cinematic qualities of James Baldwin's writing, noting that the novel takes place entirely within intimate interiors rather than feeling explicitly cinematic in a traditional sense. By connecting his personal history of reading to the structural mastery of James Baldwin, Barry Jenkins illuminated how profound literary encounters during formative years can deeply influence an artist's creative perspective, emotional development, and eventual approach to visual storytelling.
Books recommended by Barry Jenkins
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Giovanni's Room
Giovanni's Room is a 1956 novel by James Baldwin that explores the complex romantic and existential struggles of an American man living in Paris.
Discussed“yeah I first encountered Baldwin as an undergrad a friend or actually a woman who I had been dating kind of in the process of breaking up with me recommended that I read James Baldwin which I realize now was about her telling me I need to do some growing and so I originally read the fire next time in”
Where to get it
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The fire next time
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin is a searing and brilliant collection of essays examining race, religion, and American identity through letters and personal reflection.
Discussed“yeah I first encountered Baldwin as an undergrad a friend or actually a woman who I had been dating kind of in the process of breaking up with me recommended that I read James Baldwin which I realize now was about her telling me I need to do some growing and so I originally read the fire next time in”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Jenkins and Meg Wolitzer on Two of This Season's Novels on Screen | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 3 |