Author Talk With Writer In Residence Casey Gerald

Casey Gerald is the author of “There Will Be No Miracles Here,” a memoir that stands the American Dream narrative on its head, while straddling the complex intersection of race, class, religion and sexuality. TWBNMH was named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR and The New York Times. The book was a finalist for the LAMBDA Literary Award, and a longlist selection for the Carnegie Medal for excellence in Nonfiction. Casey most recently published “The Black Art of Escape” in New York Magazine. The essay reflects on the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans’ arrival in Virginia, in 1619. It reframes that event and the history since, and articulates a new vision for black Americans in the 21st century. The essay was selected by Longform as one of the best essays of 2019. Casey’s two TED Talks have been viewed over five million times, and he has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, PBS, as well as in The Guardian, the New York Review of Books, and other outlets. He lives in Austin, Texas.