The world puts you in a box -- geography, social class, family dynamics, gender, all things you’re born into with no say in the matter.  But life gets really interesting when you’re finally able to make choices to fix what feels wrong.  In Nicole Dennis-Benn's novel Patsy she writes about one woman’s journey to live a life that’s in congruence with her values, even at a steep cost to others.

Nicole Dennis-Benn is the author of Here Comes the Sun, a New York Times Notable Book and winner of the Lambda Literary Award. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, she teaches at Princeton and lives with her wife in Brooklyn, New York.

Amanda Stern is Bookable’s host. Founder of the popular literary event series Happy Ending at Joe’s Pub in New York City, Stern is also a writer. Happy Ending ran for more than a decade and was selected as New York’s best book-related series by New York Magazine, The Village Voice and NY Press. The New York Times Magazine singled out Happy Ending as a force keeping “downtown New York alive.”

This episode was produced by Andrew Dunn and Amanda Stern. It was edited, mixed and sound-designed by Andrew Dunn who also created Bookable's chill vibe.  Our host is Amanda Stern. Beau Friedlander is Bookable's executive producer and editor in chief of Loud Tree Media.

Music:

"Books That Bounce" by Rufus Canis, "Uni Swing Vox" by Rufus Canis, "Hear Me Hear Me" by Davy Era, "Heavy Eyelids" by Lullatone, "Night Stroll" by Podium, "Get Away" by Rawsrvnt, "You and Me" by Keen Collective.