Race/Related: The nuances of Caribbean cooking

Chefs around the United States are exploring their heritage through food. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP4Q2AWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS9keW5hbWljL3JlbmRlcj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDI0MDEyMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTMwMDAmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcGFpZF9yZWdpPTImcHJvZHVjdENvZGU9UlImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NTg0NyZ0ZT0xJnVyaT1ueXQlM0ElMkYlMkZuZXdzbGV0dGVyJTJGODUxN2ZmNTUtYjRjNS01ZmU2LWI5YzItM2JkMWM2MWY3OWMwJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZaEctqtl_U2GS1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0SyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExMzAwMCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU1ODQ3JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgploRy2q2X9TYZLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~)[Continue reading the main story](#) [Ad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0SZaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTgwJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDI0MDEyMCZ0ZT0xJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwVwNueXRCCmWhHLarZf1NhktSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) [Race/Related](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TAaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3BvdGxpZ2h0L3JhY2U_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyNDAxMjAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTEzMDAwJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTU4NDcmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmWhHLarZf1NhktSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) January 20, 2024 Chef and restaurateur Tavel Bristol-Joseph plates his Guyanese pepperpot at Canje in Austin, Texas. Montinique Monroe for The New York Times Getting specific about island cuisine By Korsha Wilson T Contributor When the chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph was opening [Canje](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly9jYW5qZWF0eC5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExMzAwMCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU1ODQ3JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgploRy2q2X9TYZLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~) in Austin, Texas, in 2021, he did something he had yet to do as a restaurant owner: He decided to tell his own story. Namely, the story of growing up in Georgetown, Guyana, a South American country with deep ties to the Caribbean through food and culture. Ten years earlier, when Mr. Bristol-Joseph moved to Austin, he couldn’t find a single Caribbean restaurant. So for the Canje menu, he added pepperpot, a Guyanese dish of long-simmered beef with earthy spices like cinnamon and allspice, and heat from Guyanese wiri wiri peppers. The only problem was he didn’t have cassareep, a bitter cassava juice that the dish needed to truly taste of Guyana. So, he called his cousin there, and “he put me in touch with another cousin who makes it, and they shipped it to me in Austin,” Mr. Bristol-Joseph said. “I wanted to showcase Caribbean food in the most respectful and authentic way I could’ve.” Mr. Bristol-Joseph knew his pepperpot would not be complete without just the right cassareep. Montinique Monroe for The New York Times About 46 percent of Black immigrants in the United States — some two million people — are from the Caribbean, according to the [Migration Policy Institute](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWlncmF0aW9ucG9saWN5Lm9yZy9hcnRpY2xlL2NhcmliYmVhbi1pbW1pZ3JhbnRzLXVuaXRlZC1zdGF0ZXM_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyNDAxMjAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTEzMDAwJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTU4NDcmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmWhHLarZf1NhktSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~), a think tank that tracks immigration patterns. They come from 13 countries, over an area larger than Texas and Alaska combined, stretching from the Bahamas to South America. Despite that size and diversity, the Caribbean and its cooking are often talked about in broad, regional terms. “The Caribbean is not a monolith. It’s beautifully different, and there’s unity in that diversity,” said Brigid Ransome-Washington, the author of “[Coconut. Ginger. Shrimp. Rum: Caribbean Flavors for Every Season](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2t5aG9yc2VwdWJsaXNoaW5nLmNvbS85NzgxNTEwNzE0OTM5L2NvY29udXQtZ2luZ2VyLXNocmltcC1ydW0vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExMzAwMCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU1ODQ3JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgploRy2q2X9TYZLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~).” But despite that variation, she said, the food is too often translated as “simple, fruit-forward or tourist-friendly fare.” Mr. Bristol-Joseph is among a new guard of chefs around the United States who are exploring the cooking of the Caribbean through the cuisine of individual islands. These chefs, many of whom are first-generation Caribbean Americans with backgrounds in fine-dining kitchens, are getting specific about each island’s unique assemblages of culinary influences — and how all of that is evolving even further. A region of vast cultural exchange, the Caribbean has for centuries been influenced by many groups, from the original Indigenous inhabitants like the Tainos, to colonizing European powers and the enslaved Africans brought to the area by the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the Asian and South Americans who have immigrated. This history as a crossroads helped shape what we call Caribbean food today. Much of the work of introducing these flavors and dishes to the United States was done in the 1970s and ’80s by immigrants who opened takeout restaurants selling plates of comforting fare in Caribbean enclaves in cities like Miami and New York, and by chefs and entrepreneurs like [Norma Shirley](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmV3eW9ya2VyLmNvbS9jdWx0dXJlL2tpdGNoZW4tbm90ZXMvYS1qYW1haWNhbi1jaGVmcy1qb3VybmV5LWhvbWU_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyNDAxMjAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTEzMDAwJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTU4NDcmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmWhHLarZf1NhktSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) and [Lowell F. Hawthorne](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0S-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29sZGVua3J1c3QuY29tL2ZvdW5kZXIvP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExMzAwMCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU1ODQ3JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgploRy2q2X9TYZLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~), the founder of the [Golden Krust](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0S2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29sZGVua3J1c3QuY29tLz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDI0MDEyMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTMwMDAmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NTg0NyZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZaEctqtl_U2GS1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) chain of Jamaican restaurants. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-universal-0) ADVERTISEMENT [Ad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0SZaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTc0MTQ5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDI0MDEyMCZ0ZT0xJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwVwNueXRCCmWhHLarZf1NhktSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) At Kann in Portland, Ore., the James Beard award winning chef Gregory Gourdet, left, serves a version of griyo, one of Haiti’s most beloved dishes. Celeste Noche for The New York Times For the Haitian American chef Gregory Gourdet, the complexities of Caribbean history are best broached through food. At [Kann](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0S1aHR0cHM6Ly9rYW5ucmVzdGF1cmFudC5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExMzAwMCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU1ODQ3JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgploRy2q2X9TYZLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~) in Portland, Ore., Mr. Gourdet showcases Haiti’s history and his memories of visits to the island and his grandmother’s home in New Jersey, where he first ate Haitian dishes. “With so few Haitian restaurants in this country we had to start from the beginning and tell the whole story,” he said. Servers at Kann learn not only its menu of Haitian wood-fired cooking, with ingredients influenced by Oregon’s seasonal bounty, but also the history of the island. They can then walk diners through the importance of dishes like griyo, braised and fried pork pieces, or diri ak [djon djon, a rice dish made with black mushrooms](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly9jb29raW5nLm55dGltZXMuY29tL3JlY2lwZXMvMTAyNDY4OS1kam9uLWRqb24tcmljZS1ibGFjay1tdXNocm9vbS1yaWNlP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExMzAwMCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU1ODQ3JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgploRy2q2X9TYZLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~) grown in northern Haiti. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-universal-0) ADVERTISEMENT [Ad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0SZaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTc3JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDI0MDEyMCZ0ZT0xJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwVwNueXRCCmWhHLarZf1NhktSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) Through this approach, Mr. Gourdet has also learned about his own heritage, after years of working at European and Asian fine-dining restaurants in New York City and Portland. “I was spending so much time learning and cooking other people’s cultures, I wasn’t learning and sharing my own,” he said. The pastry chef Paola Velez, an author and [a founder](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wNy8yMS9kaW5pbmcvYmFrZS1zYWxlLWFjdGl2aXNtLXJhY2lzbS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExMzAwMCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU1ODQ3JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgploRy2q2X9TYZLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~) of [Bakers Against Racism](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0S-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmFrZXJzYWdhaW5zdHJhY2lzbS5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExMzAwMCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU1ODQ3JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgploRy2q2X9TYZLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~), had a similar experience. “I use cooking as a way to find my own identity,” she said of her style, which she calls “Americana with Caribbean influences.” When she was working at a Mediterranean restaurant in Washington, D.C., Greek spoon sweets reminded her of Dominican desserts like dulce de cereza, Caribbean cherries in spiced syrup. At her next restaurant job, at [Kith and Kin](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wNy8wNi9kaW5pbmcva3dhbWUtb253dWFjaGktbGVhdmluZy1raXRoLWFuZC1raW4uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDI0MDEyMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTMwMDAmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NTg0NyZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZaEctqtl_U2GS1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) in Washington, she was able to embrace her heritage more fully, combining Dominican ingredients with classical French techniques in desserts like carrot cake with passion-fruit glaze or plantain sticky buns. Read the rest of the story [here](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TdaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMS8xNi9kaW5pbmcvY2FyaWJiZWFuLWZvb2QtY2hlZnMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDI0MDEyMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTMwMDAmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NTg0NyZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZaEctqtl_U2GS1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD). EDITORS’ PICKS We publish many articles that touch on race. Here are several you shouldn’t miss. [[Students walks in front of Giles Hall, a large red brick building on the Spelman College campus.] Audra Melton for The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMS8xOC91cy9zcGVsbWFuLWRvbmF0aW9uLWhiY3UuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDI0MDEyMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTMwMDAmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NTg0NyZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZaEctqtl_U2GS1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) [Spelman, a Historically Black Women’s College, Receives $100 Million Gift The donation to the private school in Atlanta is believed to be the largest ever to an H.B.C.U. By Stephanie Saul](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMS8xOC91cy9zcGVsbWFuLWRvbmF0aW9uLWhiY3UuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDI0MDEyMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTMwMDAmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NTg0NyZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZaEctqtl_U2GS1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) [[Kaveh Akbar sits in a yellow couch with a white bookshelf behind him. He has a mop of black hair and a beard. ] Vivian Le for The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMS8xOS9ib29rcy9rYXZlaC1ha2Jhci1tYXJ0eXIuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDI0MDEyMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTMwMDAmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NTg0NyZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZaEctqtl_U2GS1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) [What Drives Kaveh Akbar? The Responsibility of Survival Akbar had a raging addiction and little reason to believe his life would turn out well. Now he has a debut novel, “Martyr!,” which makes you want to “get up and yell.” By Elizabeth A. Harris](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMS8xOS9ib29rcy9rYXZlaC1ha2Jhci1tYXJ0eXIuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDI0MDEyMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTMwMDAmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NTg0NyZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZaEctqtl_U2GS1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) [[In a darkly lighted interior scene, a woman with glasses looks down at a stack of paper.] Neon](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMS8xOS9tb3ZpZXMvb3JpZ2luLWFtZXJpY2FuLWZpY3Rpb24uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDI0MDEyMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTMwMDAmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NTg0NyZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZaEctqtl_U2GS1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) [Critic’s Notebook ‘American Fiction,’ ‘Origin’ and the Pressures Black Writers Face The movies explore what happens when authors who focus exclusively on racism in their work push back against political and commercial stresses. 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The Palestinian cause has revived a partnership forged in the civil rights era — and also created new tensions. By Daniel Bergner](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMS8xOC9tYWdhemluZS9ibGFjay1qZXdpc2gtYWN0aXZpc3RzLXBhbGVzdGluZS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExMzAwMCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU1ODQ3JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgploRy2q2X9TYZLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-universal-0) ADVERTISEMENT [Ad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjjscP0SZaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4Njk5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDI0MDEyMCZ0ZT0xJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjQwMTIwVwNueXRCCmWhHLarZf1NhktSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) Invite your friends. 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