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"Monster in the Middle," by Tiphanie Yanique, was chosen as the USVI's adult Great Read for 2023.
"The novel and short story collection explores intimacy through a generational, historical and societal lens," said Yanique. "It provides a rare look into colonialism in America, as well as the experience of being Black in America and the Caribbean over the past 50 years."
"Monster in the Middle," published in 2021, is featured on numerous best-of-the-year lists and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and the Townsend Prize.
Born and raised in St. Thomas, Yanique, a professor of creative writing and literature at Emory University, now resides in Atlanta. Her writing has won the Boston Review Prize in fiction, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award, a Pushcart Prize, an Academy of American Poet's Prize and two Fulbright Scholarships.
"I’m particularly gratified to be receiving this honor alongside my former student and mentee, Kacen," said Yanique. "Writers often work alone, but finishing a book is the effort of a community. I love Kacen’s books and they have much to teach us about writing beautifully and seriously, especially when it’s for our children.”
For more information, visit tiphanieyanique.com.
The selection process for USVI's Great Reads began in March with CFVI opening a public nomination form for community members to submit book recommendations. Eligible books were required to 1) have been copyrighted and published in the past seven years; 2) be a single publication and not the body of an author's work; 3) be written by an author whose formative years were shaped by the U.S. Virgin Islands, or who lived in the USVI for at least 10 years, or currently lives in the USVI; 4) be a work of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or anthology and celebrate the landscape, sociography or cultural life of the USVI, but is not limited to this focus; 5) be readily available for purchase. CFVI received a total of nine adult book nominations and 13 children/young adult book nominations. All nominations were reviewed and scored by a group of local experts in the literary field who recommended the final selections.
During the 2023 National Book Festival on Saturday, August 12, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., representatives from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and Northern Marianas will staff tables to promote their book selections and other literary works reflective of their unique locations.
For more information about the 2023 National Book Festival, visit https://www.loc.gov/events/2023-national-book-festival.
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