Dancing with Strangers A Memoir

From a renowned editor of The New York Times comes a moving memoir that recounts his life from its start.

Beginning with his turbulent childhood as an African American coming of age in the 1950s and 1960s, Mel Watkins pens a poignant and powerful memoir of his life at all stages, including his relationship with his brother who was addicted to drugs and violence and his connection with his grandmother, who inspired him to reach for the sky.

“Mel Watkins has written a lovely book—warm and smart—that is much more than a memoir. Ohio and its black population have never been better served.” — Toni Morrison

Mel Watkins is a widely known American critic, author, and former staff member of The New York Times, where is was the first African-American editor of the Times Sunday Book Review.