Nafissa Thompson-Spires books in order

Q: "How many books has Nafissa Thompson-Spires written?"

"Nafissa Thompson-Spires has written one books in one series."

Q: "What was Nafissa Thompson-Spires's first book?"

"Nafissa Thompson-Spires's first book is Heads of the Colored People, published in 2018."

Q: "What is Heads of the Colored People about?"

"Heads of the Colored People is a short story collection that explores the lives of Black Americans, particularly those in middle-class and academic settings. The stories examine identity, respectability politics, microaggressions, mental health, and the performance of Blackness in predominantly white spaces. The title references a 19th-century literary series by James McCune Smith, one of the first African American doctors."

Standalone Novels

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
Heads of the Colored People	2018	Buy

Nafissa Thompson-Spires is an American writer and professor whose debut collection, Heads of the Colored People (2018), earned her widespread recognition. The book was longlisted for the National Book Award and won a PEN Open Book Award, among other honors. Thompson-Spires holds an MFA from the University of Illinois and a PhD in English from Vanderbilt University, and she currently teaches creative writing at Cornell University.

Heads of the Colored People brings together stories that focus on Black characters in middle-class, suburban, and academic environments. The collection is sharp, funny, and willing to sit with uncomfortable truths about how race shapes everyday interactions, even in supposedly progressive spaces. Several stories revisit the same characters or settings, giving the book a loosely connected feel. Thompson-Spires writes with a dry wit and a willingness to let her characters be flawed, awkward, and contradictory rather than heroic or aspirational.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Nafissa Thompson-Spires written?

Nafissa Thompson-Spires has written one books in one series.

What was Nafissa Thompson-Spires's first book?

Nafissa Thompson-Spires’s first book is Heads of the Colored People, published in 2018.

What is Heads of the Colored People about?

Heads of the Colored People is a short story collection that explores the lives of Black Americans, particularly those in middle-class and academic settings. The stories examine identity, respectability politics, microaggressions, mental health, and the performance of Blackness in predominantly white spaces. The title references a 19th-century literary series by James McCune Smith, one of the first African American doctors.

Standalone Novels#

Frequently Asked Questions

Standalone Novels