Jonathan Escoffery’s ‘If I Survive You’ Takes Readers On A Journey Through Identity, Blackness and Miami

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KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 30 September 2022

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jonathan Escoffery’s debut book, “If I Survive You,” presents a series of connected stories about an immigrant family from Jamaica trying to acclimate to life in America. The characters tackle racism, belonging, natural disasters and generational divides. A native of Miami now based in Oakland, Escoffery joins us to talk about storytelling and his decades-long journey to publishing a book. Guests: Jonathan Escoffery, author, his debut short story collection, "If I Survive You," was released in September of 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1:02.5	You might not know that you want to read Jonathan Ascoffery's debut book,
1:03.4	If I Survive You.
1:05.4	Maybe you have never been to Miami.
1:08.8	Maybe you have never thought about the experience of lighter-skinned Jamaicans within the cultural and ethnic mix of South Florida.
1:11.6	But then perhaps you will pick up this book and read its searing opening story, and it will
1:15.6	have you wondering about your own identity. The times people asked you, or maybe you asked,
1:19.6	what are you? And what you might have said in that moment or didn't say. Maybe you don't need to think about your immigrant parents or the color of your
1:27.6	skin or the weird overlapping hierarchies of America. But maybe you do. And we will with Jonathan
	...

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