Everyday People: The Color of Life

by Jennifer Baker (Editor)

In the tradition of Best of American Short Stories and Langston Hughes’s classic The Best Short Stories by Black People comes Everyday People: The Color of Life, a dazzling collection of contemporary short fiction.

This gorgeously wrought anthology represents a wide range of styles, themes, and perspectives on a variety of topics. The carefully selected stories depict moments that linger—moments of doubt, crossroads to be chosen, relationships, epiphanies, moments of loss and moments of discovery. A celebration of writing and expression, Everyday People brings to light the rich tapestry that binds us all.

An eclectic mix of award-winning and critically lauded writers, the contributors include: Mia Alvar, Carleigh Baker, Nana Brew-Hammond, Glendaliz Camacho, Alexander Chee, Junot Díaz, Mitchell S. Jackson, Yiyun Li, Allison Mills, Courttia Newland, Dennis Norris II, Jason Reynolds, Nelly Rosario, Hasanthika Sirisena, and Brandon Taylor.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Race, Essays, Literature, Literary Fiction

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2018

About the author

Jennifer Baker is a publishing professional, creator/host of the Minorities in Publishing podcast, and faculty for Bay Path University's low-res MFA in Nonfiction. Jennifer is the editor of the short story anthology EVERYDAY PEOPLE: THE COLOR OF LIFE (Atria Books, 2018) and the author of the YA novel FORGIVE ME NOT (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023).

In 2017, she was awarded a NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship & Queens Council on the Arts New Work Grant (as well as their award for Artistic Excellence) for Nonfiction Literature. Her writing has appeared in Newtown Literary (for which her short story "The Pursuit of Happiness" was nominated for a 2017 Pushcart Prize). She was previously a contributing editor to Electric Literature and has written for print and online publications. Her website is jennifernbaker.com.

Reviews

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyday People is an anthology of short stories written by people of color about people of color. A lot of the stories were really gripping and it is amazing how writers can compact their words and still create a powerful impact in just a few pages. That is what you will find in this collection. If you want a contemporary, anthology collection that is rich in storytelling and impactful characters and theme then you will not be disappointed. The fourstories that resonated with me the most were A Sheltered Woman by Yiyun Li, High Pursuit by Mitchell S. Jackson, Mine by Alexander Chee, and Last Rites by Dennis Norris II. All four of those stories were just powerful, the words jumping right out at me on the page. Thank you to Atria Books for a free e-arc copy for review.

[Bianca Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyday People is diverse in culture and tone. It accomplished exactly what I was hoping: the exploration of the human experience.

[Tsara Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took my breath away in brilliant and unexpected ways, over and over. Reading so many powerfully crafted stories written directly from (not about) cultures unfamiliar to me felt like experiencing a series of reincarnations. It was dizzying and delightful and eye-opening and awesome!

Everyday People: The Color of Life - A Short Story Anthology is made up of stories that dive deep into expectations, reasons, justifications, self-exploration, insights, hopes, fears, and identity. No two stories feel the same and yet they are all equally moving and engaging.

I am going to keep this book on my desk so I can revisit the stories often. It's fantastic!

[Erika Dreifus]

So pleased to share this Q&A with editor Jennifer Baker: https://wp.me/P4x0h8-bWs.

[Gary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, solid collection featuring some beautiful, fantastic writing.

[Stacie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short story collection. A great mix of stories and cultures all written by very capable authors. There are a quite a few short stories in this collection that I absolutely loved.

Full Disclaimer: The last story is written by Junot Diaz. I did not read that story. Hard pass on that one.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up...
I enjoyed quite a few of these stories and look forward to looking up the author’s other works. This book features short stories by Mia Alvar, Alexander Chee, Junot Diaz, and Jason Reynolds to name a few.

Link ~ 3
A Sheltered Woman ~ 4
High Pursuit ~ 3
Do Us Part ~ 2
Mine ~ 4.5
Wisdom ~ 2.5
Boy/Gamin ~ 3
The Kontrabida ~ 4
The African-American Special ~ 2.5
Long Enough to Drown ~ 2
If a Bird Can Be a Ghost ~ 3
Last Rites ~ 4
Chins and Elbows ~ 2
Surrender ~ 3
The Pura Principle ~ 3

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved a lot of these stories, but especially:
"Link" by Courtia Newland
"Mine" by Alexander Chee
"Boy/Gamin" by Brandon Taylor
"Moosehide" by Carleigh Baker
"Surrender" by Hasanthika Sirisena

But perhaps the best part of this work is the Reading List of Contemporary Works by Women, Nonbinary, and Transgender Writers of Color/Indigenous Writers. It is several pages of listed works, and I used it to add to my TBR pile. (And I'm glad to see that I've already read some works featured in the list.)

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried hard to get thru this collection. It was tough. Only liked a couple of the stories. I do not want anyone else to waste their precious reading hours. So many better books to enjoy not nearly enough time.

[Amanda O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC from the editor*

Everyday People is such a refreshing read: I have never read a more diverse and fascinating collection of short stories. If I could give it a 4.5 I would! It's not only diverse in its authors' race and ethnicity, but also in tone and genre and setting. Besides the first story, which is more magical realism than I care for (I still haven't quite warmed up to that genre), the stories have such great depth and push the boundaries for any reader. I can't express how much I love this and want to see more anthologies like this!

[Jane Filiault · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda mediocre, I enjoyed most of the stories but they haven't really stuck with me a whole lot.

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only enjoyed a handful of the stories. Overall, this book wasn’t for me.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've long appreciated short stories, but they took over my reading pile after I found myself with unpredictable bursts of reading time when I was in the throes of my newborn babies. When my hygiene might be suspect and there may or may not be a well-rounded meal on the table and I might not remember when the floor was tidy enough for me to vacuum thoroughly, I could find satisfaction in beginning and finishing a short story in one sitting. I am past that sleep-deprived state, but I will always have a fondness for short stories.

Everyday People: The Color of Life--A Short Story Anthology is a curated collection of short stories. Many had me highlighting a line or passage (certainly not a given for me), and I would sometimes have to pause mid-paragraph to digest.

In the introduction, we learn the stories have all been written by people of color. And regarding the title Everyday People, Jennifer Baker reveals, "The name of this anthology is not meant to solely focus on the racial composition of the writers or characters but to showcase the larger story and relationships depicted as well as the landscape--be it in New York City, Maine, Alabama, Great Britain, South Korea, Ghana, or Sri Lanka."

My heart would tug as I would become invested in these stories, wishing I could alter outcomes and guarantee happiness. The fact that I was so drawn in speaks to the caliber of the work. They are far reaching. Perhaps we're following a fantastical account of a mental connection that allows individuals to communicate without speaking. Then there's the story of the older woman who enters homes with newborn children to support the families, but only for a fixed amount of time before she takes her leave. And the account of how people get into drugs and prostitution. Or maybe we're reading of the grandmother and granddaughter who can catch ghosts in their hair.

I imagine this title being used as required reading in a college course, leading to rich conversations in class. Some of these stories will make you uncomfortable, but as we wrestle to articulate what wrung us out, there can be insight into ourselves.

For those wanting more, at the close of the book you can find numerous recommendations in "Reading List of Contemporary Works by Women, Nonbinary, and Transgender Writers of Color/Indigenous Writers."

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for my honest review.)

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Did he remember back in Santo Domingo, when he'd sworn to always luchar? Luchar, he'd said to himself, is one of those words that gets twisted in the ears of the un-Spanish as merely 'to wrestle,' 'to struggle,' 'to fight,' 'to go to war.' But to us luchar means 'to survive.' And to help others survive." p. 76 from "Do Us Part" by Nelly Rosario

"I don't think I knew until then what a family was or could be, despite having been in one all this time. That it was something you built to keep what you could of what you loved from the depredations of time and the world..." p. 109 from "Mine" by Alexander Chee

"I busy myself with my daughter to relearn that silence doesn't mean an end." p. 201 from "Long Enough to Drown" by Glendaliz Camacho

Favorite short story: "If a Bird Can Be a Ghost" by Allison Mills

[Anabelle Valladares · Rating 3 out of 5]

a story for everyone
my favorite was a sheltered woman by yiyun li
here's an excerpt: "She could turn herself into her grandmother, for whom sleep had become optional in the end; she could turn herself into her mother, too, eating little because it was Baby who needed nourishment. She could become a fugitive from this world that had kept her for too long, but this urge, coming as it often did in waves, no longer frightened her, as it had years ago. She was getting older, more forgetful, yet she was also closer to comprehending the danger of being herself. She had, unlike her mother and her grandmother, talked herself into being a woman with an ordinary fate. When she moved on to the next place, she would leave no mystery or damage behind; no one in this world would be disturbed by having known her."

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always on the lookout for a great multicultural anthology. I LOVE A Gathering of Flowers. "Almost a Whole Trickster" by Gerald Vizenor is amazing. Harrington's Daughter is great. I love "Young Reverend Zelma Lee Moses." On the other hand, Everyday People is much more uneven. "Do Us Part" is like a contemporary "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" and "If a Bird Can Be a Ghost" is unique and surprising. I would say that "A Sheltered Woman" is a compelling look at maternal roles and unfulfilled lives. And the other stories all have compelling moments, but they lack a certain "wow" factor.

[Tiara Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was not enjoying the start the first story LINK by Courttia Newland was terribly boring and confusing but at the end when i reread it a few times I saw the potential IF it was a full story. Then the story that made me feel the most uncomfortable was Wisdom by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond. It was just kinda awkward and the ending was pretty weird and unrealistic, but after that the stories were amazing and straightforward. I do believe this is a book that I would love to purchase and have in my collection

[Viktoria Mirigliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This body of work is phenomenal, unforgettable characters, heart wrenching tales. The stories are not just written by diverse authors- but are diverse in setting, tone, styles. Following superstitions, crimes, love stories, to the lives and cultures of immigrants in big cities and in nameless towns.

And to make it even better, at the end of it all- there’s a list of contemporary work written by women, non binary, transgender writers of color/indigenous writers. So we can all stop white washing our book shelves.

[Madeline "Fisch" Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always expressing a want to be more intentional with what I read, or even just with the media I consume. My decision to read this book was anything but intentional; I literally chose a random book off the shelf at the library without reading the synopsis or anything. This is probably the most literature by authors of color I've read in my life, and I'm disheartened to think I most likely would never know of these authors without the luckiest book pull of my life. This is your sign to stray from recommended reading. Seek out new voices and new genres!

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the years I’ve developed an appreciation for short stories. I used to resent not having the ending and knowing what happened. Now I can enjoy them from a different place. I’m enjoying not knowing the full stories. Because that’s how life is.

Everyday People is a collection of fourteen short stories by a diverse group of writers of color. While the work can be considered contemporary fiction, the writing spans several different writing styles, experiences and points of view. It’s almost impossible to choose a favorite, but A Sheltered Woman by Yiyun Li is very close. A Chinese woman works taking care of newborn babies and helping their breastfeeding moms. She doesn’t stay past the time she is needed, moving on to another family when the babies are a month old. Her current employer, however, is finding it difficult to accept her new role as a mother.

Other favorites include High Pursuit by Mitchell S. Jackson (something about it just felt like ‘home’), Wisdom by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, and The Kontrabida by Mia Alvar. A great bonus at the end of the book is a Reading List of Contemporary Works by Women, Nonbinary, and Transgender Writers of Color/Indigenous Writers. It’s a very comprehensive list covering many genres that I will revisit again and again.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked most of these, which are a couple of short stories. If you have enough time and "spoons" for all of these people in varying circumstances of life, I think you will like them, as well.

My overall favourite was the second short story, "A Sheltered Woman," but YMMV, your mileage may vary.

I do not remember very much mention of animals or plants. It is all about the interaction between people.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an awesome anthology of diverse and riveting BIPOC narratives that I truly enjoyed stepping into. My singular and largest complaint: the first short story sucks. I was incredibly discouraged while reading it because I found the writing style juvenile, overly descriptive, and needlessly cryptic (and the ending was literally bizarre). Disregarding the first story, I thoroughly reveled in the beautiful diversity of this anthology and the authors' narratives.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another superb collection of short stories featuring writers of minority background.
Stories dove into culture of immigrants, traditions, superstitions, love stories, stereotypes, and family struggles.
Coming from an immigrant family, the importance of retaining traditions helped my family adapt and found similar-like communities, create bonds and networks. Everything is possible if one has a supportive network of friends and supporters.

[J.S. Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of BIPOC authors. Each story drops you into the lives of extraordinary and everyday people around the world, enriching your understanding of humanity, and leaving you wanting more. Revealing the interior of the oft overlooked, many of the characters and situations will stay with me—sparking curiosities and connecting to snippets of my everyday life.

[Rachel Goldstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of stories both realistic and slightly speculative, ranging from sweet to unsettling, and from a fantastic group of diverse (on multiple axes) authors. All the stories are good, but I think my favorites are "Mine" by Alexander Chee and "If a Bird Can Be a Ghost" by Allison Mills.

[bookster95 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Favorite Stories:
"A Sheltered Woman"
"High Pursuit"
"Mine"
"The Kontrabida"
"The African-American Special"
"If a Bird Can Be a Ghost"
"Surrender"

At the end of the book, it has a list of recommendations of other books (Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Children Literature) people should after reading the anthology, which is such a great resource.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this collection. I discovered some new favorite writers (alexander chee and mia alvar!) and was inspired by Jennifer Bakers vision and the variety of the collection. It has become one of my favorite short story anthologies on par with O. Henry, Best American and others. I hope she does a volume two!

[Elliott Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

I loved these tales! Chee, Taylor and Norris especially. And the story about an expat returning to Manila for his father's death was gripping - note to self. Sari-sari store is basically a pulperia jajajaa

[Jp Huerta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories that puts you into the shoes of other ethnicities. The prose of the different authors varies and I’ll admit I skipped a few because of the different styles but overall I enjoyed most of them especially the one with Fortune.

[Miriam James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good collection of stories told by people of colour, which varied a lot but were all interesting. There were a couple of favourites in here where I would have liked to read more, but it was a nice collection.