“Vivid and relatable … like Vanessa herself—funny, charming, and brave.” —Mindy Kaling

“Her writing proves her courage … One of the great voices of her generation.” –Ben Crump, Civil Rights Attorney

“A powerful collection.” –Publishers Weekly

Through a series of extraordinary, incisive, often-humorous and always profound essays, Vanessa Baden Kelly examines what “home” means to a Black millennial woman. What are the consequences of gentrification on the life of a young Black woman, and on her ability to raise a family? What does it mean to be part of a lineage, whether it be passed down by name or through the voices of generations of writers and thinkers? Baden’s essays evolve from personal stories to fully-realized communiques of a generation of Black women who are finding a new sense of both belonging and ostracism in private, work, and public life. In FAR AWAY FROM CLOSE TO HOME, Baden Kelly’s essays examine:

  • The interconnectedness of living in a majority-Black community in South Central Los Angeles’ Crenshaw district;
  • The overwhelming grief and fear of watching young Black boys be buried while raising your own son;
  • The miracle of finding love for love’s sake and love for one’s self when inherited traumas have tried to rob that very idea from you;
  • The murder of Ahmaud Arbery and how a seemingly simple action, such as going for a jog, affects a neighborhood community.

Throughout these essays, Baden Kelly deftly walks a tightrope, embracing her own challenges as she continues the search for a place a millennial Black woman can call “home.”

FAR AWAY FROM CLOSE TO HOME: A Black Millennial Woman in Progress, by Vanessa Baden Kelly

ISBN: 978-1-953103-02-4; $17; May 4, 2021; 240 pages; Three Rooms Press; Trade Paper Original

 


Order FAR AWAY FROM CLOSE TO HOME now:

Directly from Three Rooms Press: Click here

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High Praise for FAR AWAY FROM CLOSE TO HOME

“Vanessa’s stories are so vivid and relatable. Her writing is like Vanessa herself; funny, charming and brave.” —Mindy Kaling, actress, writer, producer, director

“Vanessa was a courageous young organizer. The keen insight and vulnerability of her writing proves her courage extends into her adult life and she will continue to be one of the great voices of her generation.” —Ben Crump, Civil Rights Attorney

“[A] searching debut . . . Full of heartfelt insight, this is a powerful collection.” —Publishers Weekly

“The essays ‘Unreliable Narrator’ and ‘Joggers’ should be used in every writing class and should be required reading for the nation” —The Fish Shelf

“The essays balance a myriad of Baden Kelly’s own experiences as she looks for a space for a Black millennial woman to call home while seeking ways to embrace her own fears, challenges and perceptions of love.” —The Root

“An important story.” —Pop City Life

“In her book of essays, Kelly examines what the idea of home means to the Black millennial woman.” — We Are Entertainment News

“Far Away From Close to Home: A Black Millennial Woman in Progress reveals issues that many of us experience as a Black woman living in America. The book…is a collection of essays, exploring what home means for a Black millennial woman. A simple definition of home is the place Black people in the United States question, is this my home? With the racial uprising of last summer, it kind of made anywhere in America feel unsafe.” Sheen Magazine

A New York Times “New and Noteworthy” selection! “Kelly’s contemplative personal essays draw on current events and cultural criticism to explore the meaning of ‘home’ for Black people.” —The New York Times

“An intimate and perceptive memoir-in-essays . . . Voices raw and usually unspoken truths.” —Booklist

Recent Interviews

And check out these interviews of Vanessa Baden Kelly talking about FAR AWAY FROM CLOSE TO HOME and her acting career beginning as a child on Nickelodeon’s Gullah Gullah Island and, most recently winning an Emmy for her work on Issa Rae’s Giants series. She also provides insight on being a Black up-and-coming screenwriter in Hollywood, working on such shows as TNT’s Animal Kingdom and Mindy Kaling’s forthcoming HBO Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls.

    • Rolling Out Magazine: Vanessa Baden Kelly tackles gender roles and marriage in new book, Video Interview by Stone Mims, February 27, 2021
    • The Hype Magazine: “Live Session with Emmy Award Winner Vanessa Baden Kelly Around Her New Book, Podcast with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Doby
    • The Diversity Hires: “TDH028: Vibin’ with Vanessa Baden-Kelly,” a Podcast with Shu and Sherm, on the theme of transitioning to screenwriting from another career.
    • The Knockturnal: “Vanessa Baden-Kelly Discusses New Book,” Interview by HannahJoy Shareef, March 24, 2021
    • NBC California Live Talk Show: “Vanessa Baden Kelly on a Woman’s Evolution,” Interview by Danielle Nottingham, April 27, 2021
    • KATU 2 ABC Portland: “Actress Vanessa Baden!” Interview by Kara Mack, April 22, 2021

 


An Excerpt from Far Away From Close to Home

The emergence of white girls jogging down Crenshaw was the first sign of trouble.

We had lived in Hyde Park, an area of South Los Angeles that bordered Inglewood, for about two years at that time. I was pregnant. We had every intention of staying in the area, raising our son there, and planting roots. But those damn joggers.

I remember the first time we saw one. Her white earbuds visible as the strawberry blonde ponytail swayed with every counted step, blissfully unaware of the number of Black and brown faces watching her from their driveways or windows or porches. Maybe she wasn’t blissfully unaware. Maybe she was hyper-aware, the headphones a purposeful distraction from what she felt were unwelcoming faces. Perhaps she feared what we all were thinking. Her running in the Crenshaw District would be considered dangerous to anyone who knew her, but maybe she was determined to not let fear of the unknown and preconceived notions of “neighborhoods like this” deter her. And good for her if that were the case. Of course, we are not allowed that same privilege.

From the essay “Joggers” in Far Away From Close to Home by Vanessa Baden Kelly


About Vanessa Baden Kelly

Vanessa Baden Kelly is an Emmy-winning actress, Emmy-nominated writer, and producer. She began her career as a child, starring on Nickelodeon’s Gullah Gullah Island and Kenan and Kel. After departing entertainment, she began organizing in college, co-founding the Student Coalition for Justice (later the base for the Dream Defenders) and continued working in the field. To date, she has led campaigns for The Trayvon Martin Foundation, Community Coalition South LA, and various political campaigns including Obama for America ’08 and the Ndoum Presidential Campaign in Accra, Ghana. Additionally, she is an Ambassador for the RuJohn Foundation. Upon her return to Hollywood, Vanessa has become a successful television writer and producer, writing for shows such as TNT’s Animal Kingdom and Mindy Kaling’s HBO Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls. Vanessa originated the role of Journee as writer/star of the Issa Rae digital series Giants, where she is four times Emmy-nominated and one time Emmy-winning for Best Actress in a Digital Drama. Vanessa is mother to a human son, Ryder, and a dog son named Dude.

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