Nyasha Hatendi, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

On this episode of Books That Changed My Life, Chris is joined by actor, writer, director, and producer Nyasha Hatendi. Nyasha’s book, Invisible Man, is one of the most important in American history; Ellison’s first and only novel, it was the first book by a Black author to win the National Book Award. The book catalogues the winding, traumatic life of the titular Invisible Man, a Black man from the South who moves to New York City. Throughout the book, the main character is used, abused, profiled, and discarded by just about everyone he meets. Rich, vivid, challenging, and enlightening, the book serves as a potent meditation on the Black experience in America. The book changed Nyasha’s life by finding him at a particularly vulnerable moment and making him feel seen and understood. Check this episode out for a conversation about one of the great American novels, race relations, individuality, and self-actualization against the odds.