American Stories: A Reading Road Trip-Ep 9 U.S. Virgin Islands

Описание: Join PBS Books and the Library of Congress as we visit the U.S. Virgin Islands in our next stop in American Stories: A Reading Road Trip. Join us on February 18th at 8pm ET for a PBS Books Facebook Live event, or on the PBS Books YouTube channel, the PBS app, or pbs.org. Visit pbsbooks.org/readingroadtrip to learn more.

Journey to the Caribbean paradise of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where history drifts on the ocean breeze and stories ripple far beyond the shores. Rooted in generations of oral and written tradition, these narratives stretch from the formidable youth of Alexander Hamilton, who would help shape a nation, to D. Hamilton Jackson, whose fight for a free press forever changed the islands and founded The Herald. This legacy had endured with voices like Dr. Marilyn Krigger, (Race Relations in the U.S. Virgin Islands), and J. Antonio Jarvis, founder of the Daily News and author of The Virgin Islands and Their People, each carrying forward dialogs that continue to define the islands today.

Hear from the writers shaping the U.S. Virgin Islands’ literary present and future. Cadwell Turnbull’s The Lesson uses speculative storytelling to interrogate colonial legacy, power, and resilience, while Tiphanie Yanique, author of Monster in the Middle, brings a lyrical intimacy to island life and its complexities. Angela Golden Bryan’s James and the Fireburn preserves and elevates Crucian storytelling traditions, connecting past and present through story. Discover The Caribbean Writer, the annual journal that amplifies voices from across the islands and the Caribbean diaspora, and explore a literary heritage rooted in memory, imagination, and the enduring power of the written word. Together, these works reflect a profound engagement with history, identity, and place.

The islands may be small, but their devotion to books, history, and cultural memory is immense. Be inspired by statues honoring the Queens of the Fireburn, whose courage helped ignite a labor revolution that reshaped the islands. Wander streets lined with buildings dating back to the 1500s, and explore historic landmarks like Fort Christian on St. Thomas—once a bulwark against pirates. Along the way, step into local bookstores that do far more than sell books; these spaces serve as vibrant cultural hubs, fostering art, conversation, and community while keeping the islands’ stories alive for generations to come.
Explore our website: https://pbsbooks.org
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://pbsbooks.org/subscribe
Join the Readers Club:   / pbsbooksreadersclub  
Support us: https://pbsbooks.org/donate
Find your next book: https://pbsbooks.org/bookshop



#pbsbooks #pbs #author #bookclub #books #readingroadtrip #libraryofcongress #usvirginislands