“Self-Righteousness is Boring” | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Video Description

“Everything’s changed,” says author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. “I’ve changed, and every book is a different person.” It’s true: in the 12 years since the release of her best-seller, Americanah, Adichie has oscillated between beloved novelist, public intellectual, and feminist icon. This spring, however, she’s returned to her true love: fiction. We sat recently to discuss her excellent new book, Dream Count, the decade-long writer’s block she pushed through to publish again, the profound, familial loss that upended her life, and the experience that turned her into a feminist. Then, Adichie reflects on her childhood growing up in the aftermath of the Biafran War, the importance of seeing yourself in literature, her affinity for American universities, and how her racial awakening culminated in Americanah. On the back-half: a wide-ranging, candid exchange around the erosion of free speech and the American left, how she’s grappled with backlash, her case for intellectual curiosity, the prophetic work of W.E.B. Du Bois, and where she finds inspiration for the page. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at [email protected].