At the New York Times, Lovia Gyarkye revisits the work of Louise Meriwether, whose 1970 novel, Daddy Was a Number Runner, offered a nuanced portrait of African American life during the Great Depression. “More than 50 years later,” Gyarkye writes, “the themes Meriwether explored in her bracing coming-of-age novel have never been more relevant or radical. And the way she navigated her art and career can offer lessons too, especially to Black artists eager to balance their creative ambition with their commitments to community.”
The Resonating Work of Louise Meriwether
