I had the privilege of partnering with the first Black woman ever to be appointed to the Supreme Court to write her extraordinary and inspiring memoir. In this intimate account, Justice Jackson chronicles her family’s ascent from segregation to her historic confirmation within the span of one generation.
—Rosemarie Robotham on her website
Understandably, most folks are excited about the launch of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson‘s memoir ☛LOVELY ONE [pub: Random House]. Trust me. I am too. It is the life story of the first Black woman to ever be appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States “in its 233-year history”! And yet, I’m most excited that this “billowingly triumphant American tale of early promise fulfilled” is written with a writer’s writer, an editor extraordinaire and a friend-in-my-head Rosemarie Robotham.
It is Rosemarie’s mastery of prose that breathes life into this book’s retelling of my lived experience … I cannot imagine how such a mammoth undertaking could have come into being without such a brilliant, selfless, and dedicated partner.
—Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
Rosemarie Robotham’s Lovely One Announcement On Instagram
I’ve been an admirer of Rosemarie’s since her editing days at Essence magazine. I’m an admitted masthead follower. When print was the thing, I studied the names, titles, ascensions and movements of all of my faves and Rosemarie paved the way for so many Black women writer/editor/authors such as myself. In fact, her sensuous novel ☛ZACHARY’S WINGS remains forever on my list of love story must-reads.
On December 16, 2020 during the pandemic, I gave Rosemarie her proverbial flowers on Instagram and let the world know, this novel right here, Zachary’s Wings, is one of my inspirations for writing layered love stories. 💐
So yes, while I raise my glass and tip my hat at the extraordinary accomplishments of the “lovely one” that is Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, I’m double fisting with fancy flutes as attention must be paid to the one and only “literary alchemy” that is Rosemarie Robotham as well. Thank you both for illuminating the way. Asé. Asé. 🥂
Lovely One Synopsis from Penguin Random House:
With this unflinching account, Justice Ketanji BrownJackson invites readers into her life and world, tracing her family’s ascent from segregation to her confirmation on America’s highest court within the span of one generation.Named “Ketanji Onyika,” meaning “Lovely One,” based on a suggestion from her aunt, a Peace Corps worker stationed in West Africa, Justice Jackson learned from her educator parents to take pride in her heritage since birth. She describes her resolve as a young girl to honor this legacy and realize her dreams: from hearing stories of her grandparents and parents breaking barriers in the segregated South, to honing her voice in high school as an oratory champion and student body president, to graduating magna cum laude from Harvard, where she performed in musical theater and improv and participated in pivotal student organizations.Here, Justice Jackson pulls back the curtain, marrying the public record of her life with what is less known. She reveals what it takes to advance in the legal profession when most people in power don’t look like you, and to reconcile a demanding career with the joys and sacrifices of marriage and motherhood.Through trials and triumphs, Justice Jackson’s journey will resonate with dreamers everywhere, especially those who nourish outsized ambitions and refuse to be turned aside. This moving, openhearted tale will spread hope for a more just world, for generations to come.
Zachary’s Wings Synopsis from Simon & Schuster:
Zachary’s Wings exquisitely explores a love story between a woman who has been raised to believe self-worth comes from class and material possessions, and a man who wants to show her otherwise.When Zachary and Korie meet, their attraction is immediate and powerful. But their passionate affair becomes increasingly troubled by the unresolved conflicts that plague both their lives. Zach is an amiable social worker from a chaotic working-class family, who bears the emotional burdens of those around him, while Korie is a Jamaican-born, Ivy League-educated reporter with a fiercely competent exterior that masks her inner turmoil. In this masterful and moving first novel, Rosemarie Robotham explores questions of race, class, sexuality, as well as the obstacles imposed by society—and the lovers themselves—as they attempt to claim true and lasting love.
