Clint Smith explores how Americans teach and remember slavery in his book “How the Word Is Passed,” and he addresses family history in his collection “Above Ground,” according to the books.
“How the Word Is Passed” looks at how slavery is — and isn’t — taught, the book says. Smith examines sites and narratives that shape public memory, according to the author.
“Above Ground” includes poems to Smith’s children about what their ancestors endured and escaped, the collection says. The poems connect personal history to broader historical forces, according to the book.
Smith spoke about the books and their themes on the public radio program “Fresh Air” in 2021 and again in 2023, the program’s records show.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
