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Title details for Colored Television by Danzy Senna - Available

Colored Television

A Novel

by Danzy Senna
Kristen Ariza
Audiobook
1 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 2 copies available
A brilliant dark comedy about love and ambition, failure and reinvention, and the racial- identity-industrial complex from the bestselling author of Caucasia
Jane has high hopes that her life is about to turn around. After a long, precarious stretch bouncing among sketchy rentals and sublets, she and her family are living in luxury for a year, house-sitting in the hills above Los Angeles. The gig magically coincides with Jane’s sabbatical, giving her the time and space she needs to finish her second novel—a centuries-spanning epic her artist husband, Lenny, dubs her “mulatto War and Peace.” Finally, some semblance of stability and success seems to be within her grasp.
But things don’t work out quite as hoped. Desperate for a plan B, like countless writers before her Jane turns her gaze to Hollywood. When she finagles a meeting with Hampton Ford, a hot producer with a major development deal at a streaming network, he seems excited to work with a “real writer,” and together they begin to develop “the Jackie Robinson of biracial comedies.” Things finally seem to be going right for Jane—until they go terribly wrong.
Funny, piercing, and compulsively listenable, Colored Television is Senna’s most on-the-pulse, ambitious, and rewarding novel yet.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    September 3, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593867679
      • File size: 294814 KB
      • Duration: 10:14:11

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 15, 2024
      A struggling Los Angeles novelist succumbs to Hollywood’s siren call in the mordant latest from Senna (Caucasia). Jane, the daughter of an interracial couple, is on a one-year sabbatical from her creative writing professorship. She’s trying to finish her sprawling, long-languishing second novel, a “mulatto War and Peace” about literature’s mixed-race heroines. When her editor reacts to the manuscript with confusion, Jane questions her commitment to an art form that, in her view, has been superseded by prestige television: “Being a novelist in Los Angeles was not unlike being an Amish person.” Concealing her plan from her husband, an abstract painter unwilling to make concessions to the market, Jane successfully pitches an idea for a biracial comedy to Hampton Ford, a Black TV showrunner looking for “diverse content,” and is plunged into the shark-filled waters of Hollywood creators. The novel generates some suspense through Jane’s and Ford’s various ethical lapses, but it’s predominantly carried along by the strength of Senna’s sardonic voice, which homes in on everything from the photogenic qualities of mixed-race children (“No one wants to have white babies anymore”) to the debilitating effects on a writer of leading fiction workshops, which Senna likens to a “series of mini-strokes.” The result is a complex and satisfying portrait of a woman at odds with the categories that define her. Agent: Nicole Aragi, Aragi Inc.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Kristen Ariza lends her expert skills to this intimate character study. The story follows Jane, a biracial author who is struggling with finishing her novel, which she believes to be revolutionary. She moves her family near Hollywood, where she meets a producer who wants to make her book into a television show. Jane is a complex character who is often skeptical, and when she is met with the usual difficulties while navigating Hollywood, she becomes even more suspicious. Ariza narrates Jane's perspective with care, which is imperative for a story grounded in the issues of mixed-race people. The performance will also challenge listeners with the characters' authentic thoughts and emotions. A great listen for fans of contemporary fiction. G.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      March 14, 2025

      Senna's (New People) incisive latest explores the challenges of the creative life and the complexities of artistic ambition, identity, and success. Struggling novelist and creative writing professor Jane, whose family has been at loose ends, finds herself in a seemingly fortunate situation--house-sitting in the Los Angeles hills while on sabbatical. Her cushy new living arrangements give her the space to focus on her second novel, about mixed-race heroines in history. When Jane submits her manuscript, it receives less than favorable responses, forcing her to consider writing for Hollywood instead. A meeting with a prominent producer and an idea for a biracial comedy show seem to signal a turning point, but soon Jane finds herself faced with harsh realities and unexpected challenges. Kristen Ariza narrates, capturing the story's humorous and sharply drawn critique of race, authenticity, and the absurdities of Hollywood. Ariza's well-paced, engaging performance creates a complex portrait of Jane, a woman who is funny and sardonic, insightful, creative, and contemplative. VERDICT A rich blend of humor and social critique, recommended for those who enjoyed Percival Everett's Erasure and R.F. Kuang's Yellowface.--Susan McClellan

      Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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