Last night's discussion with Ta-Nehisi Coates about his recent novel, The Water Dancer, was riveting! Meghna Chakrabarti plied him with great questions, his candid replies were refreshing, revealing his thoughts on slavery in the US, how it ripped apart the fabric of enslaved families + continues to affect African American families today, Black history is American history, about his own childhood, his relationship with his father, being a father to a son himself + how it all relates to his craft of writing. I was thrilled when Meghna chose my questions at the end of the discussion when it opened up to the audience, I asked about the books + authors that ignited a spark + passion in him to pursue the life of an author. Which Ta-Nehisi said were E L Doctorow's Ragtime, the books of Edwidge Danticat + Colson Whitehead's, The Underground Railroad. Also thrilling we bumped into Meghna Chakrabarti on the street after the event + I got a hug + a chance to gush about her + Ta-Nehisi Coates awesomeness! What an incredible night!