Podcast
Fresh Air
The debut novel follows a young Oakland woman navigating trauma and police exploitation, drawing from real cases that inspired the story.
She earned critical acclaim a few years ago at just 19 for her New York Times best-selling debut novel, Nightcrawling.
— Episode: Best Of: A 'Failed' Child Star / A Novel...
Episode: Best Of: A 'Failed' Child Star / A Novel About Pre...
The debut novel follows a young Oakland woman navigating trauma and police exploitation, drawing from real cases that inspired the story.
She earned critical acclaim a few years ago at just 19 for her New York Times best-selling debut novel, Nightcrawling.
She was named Oakland, California's Youth Poet Laureate. Her 2024 poetry collection, Woke Up No Light, wrestles with girlhood, reparations, and desire. She also co-wrote and starred in the documentary short, When I Write It, which was featured in the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. And her best-selling debut, Nightcrawling, was inspired by real cases of young women in Oakland who were assaulted and exploited by police.
When I hear about someone working at that level it shows kind of a deep love for the craft but it also suggests that you're creating first and foremost for yourself. Is that true for you? ... I didn't show my work to really anyone and so it was entirely for me and that was I think a really sacred experience ... I felt like an entirely different person ... it was almost like having my 17 year old diary published and memorialized for the rest of my life.