Open House Of Family, Friends, Food, Piano Lessons, and the Search for a Room of My Own

A warm and seductive meditation on the personal and political from a renowned columnist and "one of the great theorists of race and law" (Henry Louis Gates, Jr.).With her trademark wit and insight, Patricia Williams relates stories from the many facets of her life--as a lawyer, scholar, writer, African-American, descendant of slaves, mother, and single, fifty-something woman--always aware of the ironies inherent in situations where her many identities don't conform to societal expectations. The Open House of Williams's imagination takes us on a funny, often provocative, and entertaining journey which includes Oprah, Williams's Aunt Mary who passed as white, her Best White Friend, and tips on how to eat a watermelon without fear of racial judgment.

Patricia J. Williams, a recipient of the MacArthur "genius" award, is a columnist ("Diary of a Mad Lawyer," The Nation), and a professor of law at Columbia University. Her previous books are Seeing a Color-Blind Future, The Alchemy of Race and Rights, and The Rooster's Egg. She contributes regularly to Ms. and The Village Voice.

"This is a book you'll want to pass along to every bold woman you know."--Michelle Green, People(Critic's Choice, four stars)

"Open House has the freewheeling energy of a private diary that has been shaped by the focused thoughtfulness of a very public-minded soul."--Elle

"Williams's down-to-earth storytelling style, peppered with humor, makes her witty and insightful points accessible and entertaining."--Black Issues Book Review