Zinzi Clemmons Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Zinzi Clemmons is a popular author and editor, who is famous for writing books based on the fiction genre. She hails from Philadelphia, United States, where she has spent most of her years growing up. Author Clemmons says that she has roots in countries like Trinidad and South Africa. Before taking up writing as a career, author Clemmons completed her graduation and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in the subjects of Literary Arts and Critical Theory. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Brown, Clemmons went on to puruse MFA from Columbia in Fiction and passed out with flying colors. Author Clemmons has stated that her writings have appeared in numerous literary magazines such as The Paris Review Daily, Zoetrope, The Common, Transition, etc. In fulfilling her dream of becoming a writer, author Clemmons received a great support and fellowships from Bread Loaf, The MacDowell Colony, Fine Art Work Center located in Provincetown, Kimbilio Center for American African Fiction, etc. Clemmons is the former publisher and co-founder of a literary magazine known as the Apogee Journal. As of today, she is serving as the Contributing Editor at LitHub.com. Besides her writing and editing works, author Clemmons is also involved in teaching creative writing and literature to the aspiring writers at the Occidental College and The Colburn Conservatory. As a writer, Clemmons is famous for her successful debut novel, What We Lose. She is also working on the development of her second book, which is expected to be completed very soon and then published by the Viking publication in the coming months. Author Clemmons is represented at The Wylie literary agency by Jin Auh. Author Clemmons’ mother was a South African, while her father was an American citizen. This is how she was able to hold on to the better parts of both the nations. Author Clemmons is happily married and is currently living with her loving husband in Los Angeles. Clemmons considers herself lucky to have received residence at the Dar al Ma’mun, in Marrakech, Morocco, and a few other literary organizations.

The debut novel written by Zinzi Clemmons is entitled ‘What We Lose’. It is expected to be released by the Viking publishers in 2017. This book falls under a variety of genres such as adult fiction, contemporary, family, adult, literary fiction, cultural, etc. The story presented by author Clemmons in the book tells the life story of a girl named Thandi, who has seen the good and bad in both America and South Africa. At the start of the book, it is depicted that Thandi is brought up in Pennsylvania. After having lived in America for so many years, she begins to think of the childhood of her mother in Johannesburg as both ever present and impossibly distant. Wherever Thandi goes, she is treated as an outsider. She often gets caught between being an American or non-American, and white or black. Disheartened with the way people in America treat her, Thandi makes an attempt to connect with the dislocated pieces of the miserable life that she has. Later, Thandi comes to know that her mother has died due to cancer. The news disheartens her even more as she tries to search for an anchor in the form of something or someone to love. Described in an unsettling and arresting prose, the life of Thandi is seen unfold as the story proceeds further. From losing her beloved mother to learning how to live in the absence of the person who has given shape to her existence profoundly, Thandi goes on to encounter love and romance in her life.

Soon after, she tastes the joy and emotion of becoming a mother herself. Author Clemmons seems to have created a stunning description of how hard it is to continue to live after losing the most important person in life, through emotional and exquisite vignettes. Overall, the book appears to be an intellectual, visceral, and elegiac distillation of the understanding of a young woman about absence and her identity that moves through decades and continents. The readers welcomed the arrival of new virtuosic voice in fiction with this book. The way author Clemmons has described the events in the story, it shows that she possesses rare and haunting power. The book appears to be a stunning description of the life of a young and coming-of-age African-American girl. It seems like a deep meditation on family, country, sex, and race. A number of critics gave amazing reviews of the book and equally praised author Clemmons for her style of writing and character development. The Buzzfeed magazine regarded the novel as a stunning, powerfully moving, and beautifully wrought story. It provides a lasting reflection on womanhood, family, race, loss, and the places that feel like home. Several other critics stated that this debut book of author Clemmons gives the signal of the emergence of a powerful new voice that does not want to be ignored. The ones who have lost either of their parents will get deeply attached to this book’s story. It seems very intimate, surprising, meditative, and thoughtful. The vignettes described by Clemmons seem very heartfelt and absorbing. Even though some of the text feels philosophical, it was still appreciated by everyone who read the book.

Author Clemmons has presented an excellent portrait of the chief character, Thandi, in an intimate way, and her struggle to find the true identity of herself in this selfish world. The thought that people with light black colored skin are seen as well dressed, homeless people, who often manage to pass into the mainstream society and appear acceptable to all others, is very well explained in this story. Author Clemmons has described that in reality there is no such place in this world where such people can feel safe or have some rest. She has offered a fresh view on the topic of how people are often compared on the basis of class and race in America as well as in the post Apartheid era of South Africa. The ones who have lost some precious people from their lives will be able to identify with the truthful and honest descriptions of author Clemmons very easily. Clemmons’ description about life alter in questionable decisions and grief that compel the readers to think about the life’s ups and downs. This novel is highly recommended for all those readers who like to read memoir and fiction. The success of this book provided the much required boost to the career of author Clemmons. It motivated her a lot to focus on developing a few more interesting books in her career. She has taken up one such new novel and is working to finish it as soon as possible so that it can be made available for her eagerly waiting fans.