Media highlights
2021: My next book, “Repentance,” a memoir about my father, will be published by Ecco. Stay tuned for further details.
2021: PBS and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences / crowdsourced remix of Margaret Walker’s poem “For My People”
2020: Barack Obama / Favorite Books of 2020
2020: Fresh Air / interview
2020: NewsHour / interview
2020: Amanpour & Company / interview
2020: Articulate / interview
2020: Washington Post / The 10 best books of 2020
2020: New York Times / Dwight Garner’s top ten books of 2020
2020: TIME / The 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2020
2020: L.A. Times / 10 Best Books of 2020
2020: New York Times / 100 Notable Books of 2020
2020: Fresh Air / Fresh Air critic Maureen Corrigan’s Favorite Books of 2020
2020: Slate / The Best Books of 2020
2020: New York Times Book Review / review
2020: New York Times / review
2020: New Yorker / interview
2020: L.A. Times / profile
2020: Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Onward Book Club” / Instagram Live interview
2020: Atlanta Magazine / excerpt and interview
2020: Chicago Magazine / profile
2020: BookPage / interview (cover story)
2020: MSNBC Live with Joshua Johnson / interview
2019: The Believer / cover interview
2018: Vanity Fair / interview
2018: New York Times / review
2018: New York Times / By the Book interview
2018: NPR’s Weekend Edition / interview
2018: NPR / Best Books of 2018
2018: O, The Oprah Magazine / Tracy K. Smith recommends Monument
2018: BuzzFeed / profile
2018: Poetry Foundation / review
2013-2014: NewsHour / Where Poetry Lives: Six Segments
2013: The Diane Rehm Show / interview
2012: On Point / interview
2012: Fresh Air / interview
2007: New York Times Magazine / interview
2006: The State of Things / interview
June 2022
Grand Prix de l’Héroïne-Madame Figaro / Memorial Drive is a 2022 winner in the nonfiction category
August 2021
Prix Médicis / Memorial Drive is long-listed for the 2021 foreign novels category
Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association / Memorial Drive is a finalist for the 2021 Heartland Booksellers Award
Hurston/Wright Foundation for Black Writers / Memorial Drive nominated for 2021 Nonfiction Legacy Award
July 2021
Orion Magazine / Thirteen Essential Poetry Collections That Pass the Test of Time
LARB / essay on The Essential Muriel Rukeyser
New York Times Book Review / The Essential Muriel Rukeyser is an Editors’ Choice
New York Times / New in Paperback: ‘The Pull of the Stars’ and ‘Memorial Drive’
Cleveland Magazine / Why You Need To Add This Year’s Anisfield-Wolf Book Award Winners To Your Reading List
New York Times / review of The Essential Muriel Rukeyser
Book Trib / 10 Independence Day Reads to Celebrate 245 Years
June 2021
WNYC’s All of It w/Alison Stewart / interview
Poetry Foundation / Poetry Off the Shelf interview
Georgia Writers Association / Memorial Drive wins the 2021 Georgia Author of the Year Award for Memoir
Los Angeles Review of Books / Sarah Schulman recommends Memorial Drive
Seattle Times / critic Moira Macdonald’s Paperback Picks
Paperback Paris / What’s New in Paperback This Month: June 2021
BuzzFeed / 18 Great Books You Can Read In Paperback This Month
New York Times / President Obama recommends Memorial Drive on the Ezra Klein Show
Southern Review of Books / interview
May, 2021
Toronto Star / Salman Rushdie recommends Natasha’s work
PBS Chasing the Dream / interview
Chautauqua Foundation / Memorial Drive is one of eight finalists for the 2021 Chautauqua Prize
Northwestern Magazine / Selected new books from Northwestern faculty
April, 2021
ABC News / Two books based on ‘1619 Project’ coming out in November
Rutgers Today / Natasha named commencement speaker
Essence / 20 Poets You Should Know
BTW / The June 2021 Indie Next List Preview
Associated Press / Memorial Drive wins the 2021 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Nonfiction
Washington Post / The top audiobooks of the last year, according to our readers
March, 2021
Clarion Ledger / Natasha Trethewey to receive Mississippi humanities award
Associated Press / Natasha Trethewey to receive Mississippi humanities award
The Guardian / Yaa Gyasi praises Memorial Drive
February, 2021
Person Place Thing with Randy Cohen / interview
SIBA / Memorial Drive wins the 2021 Southern Book Prize in Nonfiction
Nola.com / Black History Month round-up
Black Caucus of the American Library Association / Memorial Drive wins Honor Award
January, 2021
BBC’s Outlook / interview
TODAY Show / Harlan Coben recommends Memorial Drive
Clarion-Ledger / Best Books of 2020
Vogue UK / 12 Brilliant Works By Female Authors Everyone Should Have Read In 2020
Times Literary Supplement / review
December, 2020
Nashville Scene / review
New York Times / mention of Memorial Drive in Times Insider piece
Essence / 2020 Was Lit: The 20 Best Books By Black Authors
Boston Globe / 11 Best Nonfiction Books of 2020
The Undefeated / Our 25 Can’t Miss Books of 2020
The Quarantine Tapes / interview
InStyle / The 20 Best Books of 2020
Publishers Lunch / #2 nonfiction book of aggregated “Best of 2020” books lists
USA Today / Best books of 2020: These 13 titles scored perfect 4-star reviews from USA TODAY’s critics
Wall Street Journal / Yaa Gyasi recommends Memorial Drive
Chicago Tribune / Chicago books and authors in 2020: Our list of 36 suggests it was anything but a slow year
Good Morning America / ‘GMA’ anchors share 2020 book picks for holiday gifting
Atlanta Journal Constitution / AJC critics name 10 best Southern books of 2020
Minneapolis Star Tribune / Good Reads for Winter
Charlotte Observer / Need a good book for the holidays? Here are 11 gems to choose from
BookMarks / The Best Reviewed Books of 2020: Memoir and Biography
Associated Press / Hayes and Trethewey receive Bobbitt poetry awards
Deadline / ‘Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir’ Drama Series Based On Book In Works At Sony Pictures TV
November, 2020
Library Journal / Best Biographies and Memoirs of 2020
Shelf Awareness / 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2020
NPR.org / NPR’s Favorite Books of 2020
Amazon / Best biographies and memoirs of 2020
Washington Post / Best audiobooks of 2020
American Library Association / 2021 Carnegie Nonfiction Medal Shortlist
Minneapolis Star Tribune / Bookmark: How sad books help in a fraught time
Marie Claire / The Best True Crime Books of 2020
Goodreads / Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Memoir & Autobiography
TIME / 100 Must-Read Books of 2020
Austin Chronicle / review
Barnes & Noble / The Best Biographies of 2020
October, 2020
L. A. Times / Gift Guide
American Libraries Magazine / 2021 Carnegie Nonfiction Medal Longlist
Elle Magazine / Best Books of 2020
Brevity / review
CBC’s “Writers and Company” / interview
Austin American Statesman / Texas Book Fest 2020: Our writers recommend these authors
The Bitter Southerner / interview
The Dispatch / coverage of the Welty symposium
Chattanooga Times Free press / review
Financial Times’ Culture Call / interview
BU Today / feature on Lowell Memorial Poetry Reading
The Exonian / feature on Exeter reading and Q&A
Daily Northwestern’s The Monthly / cover interview
AARP.com / Sisters round-up
Columbus Dispatch / spotlight of Eudora Welty keynote
On Being /Pádraig Ó Tuama reads “Miscegenation,” from Native Guard
Jacksonville Free Press / You’ll Love These 7 Books by Black Authors
The Bookstore / book club about MEMORIAL DRIVE
San Francisco Chronicle / spotlight of Litquake event
WGBH / interview
Boston Globe / spotlight of Boston Book Festival event
Ms. Magazine / Rachel Eliza Griffiths names Natasha as one of her inspirations
September, 2020
BuzzFeed / spotlight of Chicago Humanities Festival event w/Sarah M. Broom
WAMC’s The Roundtable / book picks
August, 2020
New Yorker / review
New York Times / Editors’ Choice
PEOPLE / feature
The Atlantic – essay review
NPR 1A / interview
Oprah Magazine / 28 of the Best Books to Read This Summer
Toronto Star / interview
Washington Post / review of audiobook
NY Post – The Best Books of the Week
BuzzFeed / reading by Natasha on IG account
BuzzFeed / excerpt
Vulture / The Best Books of the Year (So Far)
Business Insider / Best Books of August 2020
Lit Hub / recommended by indie bookseller in round-up
Publishers Weekly / bestseller list spotlight
PEN America / podcast interview
Newcity / review
Georgia Public Broadcasting’s “On Second Thought” / interview
Chapter 16 / review
July, 2020
New York Times / Op Ed
New York Times / mentions in By the Book
Entertainment Weekly / review
NPR Weekend Edition Sunday / interview
New York Times / excerpt
NewYorker’s Page-Turner / review
NPR.org / review
Oprahmag.com / What You Should Read This Summer
Elle / excerpt
Elle / Best New Books of Summer 2020
Esquire / interview
USA Today / review
USA Today / 5 Books Not to Miss
Fortune / 7 New Books to Read in July
Town & Country / The Best Books to Read This July
Ms. / July 2020 Reads for the Rest of Us
Parade / July round-up
Washington Post / review
Boston Globe / review
Boston Globe / Globe Picks
Chicago Tribune / profile
San Francisco Chronicle / review
Atlanta Journal Constitution / review
Minneapolis Star Tribune / review
Guardian / interview
Guardian / excerpt
The Times / review
BookPage / starred review
National Book Review / 5 Hot Books
Smithsonian / July round-up
Shondaland / interview
Shondaland / Five Books to Read This July
Bitch / 17 Books Feminists Should Read in July
HelloGiggles / The 10 Best New Books to Read in July
Booklist / starred review
PEN Podcast / interview
NBC NY / Bill’s Books segment
The Millions / Most Anticipated: The Great Second-Half 2020 Book Preview
Los Angeles Review of Books / interview
Lit Hub / Best Reviewed Books of the Week
Lit Hub / 20 new books to keep you company this week
Lit Hub / Most Anticipated Books of 2020, Part 2
Lit Hub / What to Read This Month
Goodreads / 6 Great Books Hitting Shelves This Week
PW Daily / Photo of the Day
Southern Review of Books / The Best Southern Books of July 2020
Shelf Awareness for Readers / interview
Shelf Awareness for Readers / review
Chicago Sun-Times / new books by Chicago writers
Pittsburgh Jewish-Chronicle / summer books preview
Chicago Reader / 25 local books to stock your shelves
Newcity / Lit 50 of 2020 (ranked #1)
Jewish Exponent / Summer Reading List 2020
BTW / announcement of August IndieNext list
Ladders / 5 Books to Read This Summer
InsideHook / 8 Books You Should Be Reading This July
Barnes & Noble / Sarah Broom recommends in Twitter video
The Stacks / Kiese Laymon plugs in podcast interview
What’s Up Moms / summer reading list
Columbia Journal / review
The Stacks / Instagram review
June, 2020
New York Times / 16 Books to Watch for in July
Time / The 12 New Books You Should Read in July
Vogue / 25 New Books by Black Authors to Buy Now
Washington Post / 10 Books to Read in July
Financial Times / essay by Natasha
Amazon Book Review / Editors’ Picks
New York Magazine – 11 Books by Black Authors That You Can Preorder
Parade / 20 Books by Black Female Authors You Don’t Want to Miss
NBC News Digital / 17 movies, shows and books debuting this summer
Bustle / The Most Anticipated Books of July
PopSugar / Summer 2020 Reading List
A.V. Club / July Reading List
Electric Literature / 24 New and Forthcoming Books That Celebrate Black Lives
Kirkus Reviews / 16 Best Books to Read in July
Napa Valley Register / Your July in Books: Black Authors Matter
Augusta Chronicle / By the Book reading list
Shelf Awareness / review
Book Riot / 45 Upcoming Books by Black Authors
AL.com / Carolyn Kellogg’s Reading Recommendations
African American Literature Book Club / 18 Black Nonfiction Books Coming Out Soon
Mother Magazine/ Editors’ Pick
May, 2020
Entertainment Weekly / The summer’s 30 hottest reads
Time / 45 New Books You Need to Read This Summer
New York Magazine / 29 Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Summer
Essence / SummerReads: 14 Books By Black Authors To Add To Your Bookshelf
Publishers Weekly / profile
Town & Country / The Must-Read Books of Summer 2020
Chicago Tribune / Summer 2020 book preview
Atlanta Journal Constitution / 12 Southern books we can’t wait to read this season
Parade / The 26 Best Books to Read This Summer
BuzzFeed / 29 Summer Books You Won’t Be Able To Put Down
Refinery29 / The 25 Books You’ll Want To Read This Summer
Chicago Magazine / The Great Chicago Reading List
Charlotte Observer / We recommend these 10 books for your spring and summer reading pleasure
Boston Herald / Get set for some great summer reading with these new books
Deep South Magazine / Summer Reading List 2020
Lit Hub / Your 2020 Summer Books Preview
April, 2020
Vogue / The 22 Best Books to Read This Summer
Washington Post / video interview for Poetry of Home series
Esquire / Best Books of 2020
Garden & Gun / review
The Crime Lady / praise in Sarah Weinman newsletter
March, 2020
Kirkus / review
January, 2020
The Week / 19 books to read in 2020
Atlanta Journal Constitution / 10 Southern books we can’t wait to read in 2020
BuzzFeed / These Are Our Most Highly Anticipated Books Of 2020
BBC.com / Ten books to read in 2020
Bitch / 17 Memoirs Feminists Should Read in 2020
Library Journal / 2020 Titles To Watch: Your guide to the year’s most anticipated books
BookPage / 2020 preview: Most anticipated nonfiction
Lit Hub / Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2020
December, 2019
Publishers Weekly / review