Carole V. Bell's Blog

Hi. I've been doing a lot of writing and not a lot of blog posting. The good news is I now have a constantly updated portfolio page right on this website that includes brief excerpts and links to ALL of my recent writing and podcasts: portfolio.cvbell.com. The different tabs in the top menu link to sections for interviews, writing about books, and on film and TV. I hope you'll give it a visit.

Hi I've been doing a lot of writing and not a lot of blog posting. The good news is I now have a constantly updated portfolio page right on this website that includes brief excerpts and links to ALL of my recent writing and podcasts: portfolio.cvbell.com. The different tabs link to subsections for interviews, writing about books, and on film and tv I hope you'll give it a visit.

This February I'm basking in the joy of finally writing one of the pieces on Black movie history that I've been thinking about way on the back burner since grad school. If I'm honest, this one made my whole year. I'm proud of this feature I wrote for IndieWire about early Black participation in American film. It's based on copious reading, watching and original interviews with insiders-

NPR's Books We Love has quickly become one of my favorite annual traditions. This year I had the honor of writing about 12 of my absolute faves for this incredible celebration of excellent books including: Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead, The Fraud by Zadie Smith, Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor, and We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian. Each one is a tribute, and the collection is searchable by

A wealth of amazing reads and literary conversations. Being a critic always feel like a privilege, even when deadlines loom one after the other. The past few months have been especially wild, moving from The Enchanters to How to Say Babylon. I've reviewed books by Zadie Smith, James Ellroy, and Safiya Sinclair and spent hours talking with Colson Whitehead and Kennedy Ryan. Also coming soon: a 

 New Year, New Writing I've been making a list....For some people the new year is all about fresh starts and resolutions. To me, a new year means obsessive list making — media to anticipate, watch and read. Start with these selections: the books we can't wait to read in 2023 across genres, new adaptations for the small screen, and a standout historical novel. New Year, New Books and Writing.

 For a bio and links to publications, please visit "Recent Writing." 

A Play for the End of the World by Jai Chakrabarti My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book affected me profoundly. It's beautifully rendered historical fiction that begins in World War II and then jumps to the 1970s. It addresses some of the core themes found in fiction of that post war period—the role of art and love in survival. In Jai Chakrabarti’s debut novel, a

Scandalous by Minerva Spencer My rating: 0 of 5 stars I don’t really have words for how much I hated this. Hated that the author exploits slavery for titillation, playing up the idea of the sexy brute and savage at every turn. I have a pretty thick hide by now and yet this elicited a surprisingly painful reaction. There’s nothing modern about this brutal retread/

The Accidental Diva by Tia Williams My rating: 4 of 5 stars"She was a skittish, trembling Question, and he was the Answer." This is now a Tia Williams stan account. Truly. Her three adult novels share two things in common that I love: sharp humor and excellent contemporary world-building. Williams builds a social environment that is so rich and authentic it gives me a sense