Tope Folarin, Author of A Particular Kind of Black Man Book

Award-winning writer Tope Folarin presents his debut novel, A Particular Kind of Black Man, which follows Tunde Akinola, a child of Nigerian immigrants for whom small-town Utah has never felt like home. His ever-optimist father clings to his American dream, while Tunde’s mother, lonely in Utah without family and friends, sinks deeper into schizophrenia, and after a harrowing episode that lands them in a homeless shelter, she flees to Nigeria. Tunde is shuffled between foster homes and temporary families but never feels at home again. He spends the rest of his childhood and young adulthood searching for connection that can help make sense of his tumultuous past. In so doing, he discovers something that sends him on a journey away from everything he has known. Cultural critic and Editor of Special Projects at WNYC, Rebecca Carroll, will be joining Tope in conversation for this event.