Chanel Miller on the "immense relief" of going public

Also this week: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Hollywood letters, critics' picks and more [Chanel Miller]( Elias Williams for NPR After four years in the shadow of Brock Turner, the man who sexually assaulted her, the woman once known in the media as "Emily Doe" has taken her name back. In her new memoir, Know My Name, Chanel Miller has introduced herself to a world that knew her only as a victim at the heart of a nationwide criminal justice controversy — or, in some cases, labeled her much worse. And she tells NPR that that moment, when at last she revealed her identity, came as "an immense relief." Hear more -- and find links to our coverage -- [here](. Our critic Annalisa Quinn calls Know My Name "devastating, immersive" -- find her full review [here.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ta-Nehisi Coates]( Gabriella Demczuk/New York Times Ta-Nehisi Coates' new novel, The Water Dancer, was inspired tales he heard as a child about Harriet Tubman rescuing escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad. Coates tells NPR's Fresh Air that he was struck by some of the more surreal aspects of her story. "It just seemed wild," he says. "Who is this person who has fainting spells and yet has never lost a passenger? Who is this black woman in the 19th century who, when somebody is scared and wants to turn back pulls out a gun and made threats, 'You ain't turning back!'? Who is this person who just strides through history?" Coates read one biography of Tubman in which the biographer admitted that historians aren't quite sure how she managed to lead so many people to freedom. "Whenever I hear, 'We don't know how this happens,' my mind starts turning, you know? I start imagining things," he says. In The Water Dancer, his mind turned to magic -- the story follows a free black man who discovers that his memories of his mother can power a kind of teleportation ability that can help enslaved people to freedom. Hear his full conversation with Terry Gross [here.]( [Letters from Hollywood, by Rocky Lang and Barbara Hall]( Ingrid Bergman was a so-so typist. Katharine Hepburn's signature was indecipherable. Marlene Dietrich signed her letter to Ernest Hemingway as "Your Kraut." A collection of letters, memos, telegrams and other written communiques from the golden age of Hollywood are collected in a new book. Letters from Hollywood, edited and compiled by Barbara Hall and Rocky Lang, is a delicious peek into very famous people's private lives. Our own Susan Stamberg talked to the authors -- you can find her report [here.]( Finally this week, critic Michael Schaub praises Maaza Mengiste's [gorgeous writing]( in The Shadow King. Heller McAlpin says essayist Leslie Jamison is "[incapable of being uninteresting.]( And our comics critic Etelka Lehoczky has a trio of sharp [young adult graphic novels]( to kick-start your fall reading. [The Shadow King, by Maaza Mengiste]( [Make it Scream, Make it Burn, by Leslie Jamison]( [Stargazing, by Jen Wang]( — Happy reading! --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [books@npr.org](mailto:books@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Pop Culture, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Books emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](