I loved Senna's debut novel Caucasia (or From Caucasia with Love as it was published here), which was shortlisted for the IMPAC prize (now the Dublin Literary Award). Her voice and her writing are fantastic; not only does she write a good story but her writing is so clever, sharply observant and topical. I've just found out that she's married to Percival Everett. What a power couple.

Her latest novel Colored People published earlier this month is a satiral drama about the lives of mixed race Jane and her husband Lenny, a struggling artist, and their two children, one of whom may be neurodivergent. Jane is struggling to finish her sprawling "mulatto" novel and can't seem to catch a break. While housesitting for a wealthy friend, Jane ends up working with a Hollywood writer on a biracial comedy which she hopes will be the next big thing, but you always get the feeling that life has other things in store for Jane.

Whilst the story meanders a bit at times, Senna's writing and sharp humour keeps you reading. Her exploration of race, identity, class and power dynamics are as on point as they were in her debut. A really enjoyable novel if you like something literary, meaty and with humour. 4/5 stars

*Many thanks to the publisher Dialogue Books for the advance copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read Senna's previous novels so I had no idea what to expect from this but now I can say that her backlist is now on the tbr!
Colored Television is a dark comedy, sometimes quite cutting at times but also very funny (scene at the party re the Kardashian clan!). It's one not to be taken too seriously but also one that does look at some very current issues .
Our protagonist is a biracial woman and what Senna does well is look at the whole issue surrounding equality in Hollywood and also the general struggle that artists face in the creative industry as well as being a mother and trying to sustain a healthy relationship with her partner.
It will make you laugh out loud and cringe at the same time . Her writing is smart, the characters are well developed and so believable and it's just a joy to read. If you enjoyed Margo's got money troubles then this is one to pick up . I'd love to see a screen adaptation of this !

It's fresh, fun and a good feel good sort of read

Coloured Television
By Danzy Senna

Writer, Jane and her artist husband Lenny are living a life of illusion. They both teach, but tenure is not on the cards for him, however if she could only finish her long awaiting next novel, ten years in the making, there would be some hope for her to secure tenure and finally have done decent money in the bank. They are house sitting, with their 2 kids, in a friend's luxurious house in a swanky neighbourhood, but time, like friend Brett's carefully curated wine collection, is running out, and they can't afford anything in the part of town that offer decent public schools. In a sleight of hand move, Jane connects with just the right person to help her break into lucrative TV writing, but are Jane's ideas to create shows centred around the mixed race experience good enough to cure her and Lennys failure to launch?

This is my first Danzy Senna novel and I honestly can't believe her writing got past me before this. This is the funniest thing I've read all year. Jane's voice is instantly compelling. Everyone knows this person, the one who skates through life, making uncomprehendible decisions, never quite settling into adulthood. I read this book from behind my fingers, because the car crash was always going to happen. It is dark, inevitable, but done with a comedic twist.

I was intrigued to learn that Ms Senna is married to Percival Everett, because her writing has a very similar style to his. She explores themes of cultural appropriation, literary identity, creative agency and the mixed race psyche in such a polished and nuanced way.

I would happily recommend this to almost every reader. It's fully accessible, hugely entertaining and smart to boot.

Publishes today, 3rd September 2024

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy for review purposes.

What a fantastic novel. We follow Jane, a mixed-race woman - a mulatto, as she calls herself - who is teaching creative writing and trying to finish her novel, 10 years in the making, about the Melungeons. Her husband Lemmy is a painter, her son Finn is struggling socially, and they are house-sitting for a fabulously wealthy friend, Brett, staying in his big mansion in LA. Her book is not going well, she is trying to get into TV work, she keeps drinking the expensive wine her friend Brett has collected, and she is worried her big break is never going to happen.

This book was funny and ironic and clever, and ultimately deals with the commodification of Blackness, and the sudden interest, after George Floyd's murder, in Black writers and creators, and the urgency - in culture, and in other places - to capitalize on this interest.

It reminded me of an article in The Guardian, by Yaa Gyasi, published in March 2021, where she writes that "So many of the writers of colour that I know have had white people treat their work as though it were a kind of medicine. Something they have to swallow in order to improve their condition, but they don’t really want it, they don’t really enjoy it, and if they’re being totally honest, they don’t actually even take the medicine half the time. They just buy it and leave it on the shelf. (...) And yet. To see white people holding up Black Lives Matter signs as we marched through a gentrified Brooklyn. To see white parents hoisting children up on their shoulders, chanting Black Lives Matter, when I suspect they’ve done as much as possible to ensure those same children never have to go to school with more than a tasteful smattering of black children."

Free ARC received via Netgalley; Colored Television is coming out on 3 September 2024.

Jane is going on a sabbatical to work on finishing her latest novel, but things don’t work out as hoped. In search of a plan B, she turns to Hollywood.

The story was very interesting, entertaining and easy to follow. It was super sharp and it provides a very gripping commentary on both the literary and television worlds, which are realities that really fascinate me, so it's always fun to read about them. The story takes such an unexpected turn, and once it does I truly couldn't put it down.

Many thanks to Dialogue Books & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Oh baby if you want a book where the protagonist makes the wrong choice at literally every single turn please look no further!!

Jane is a college professor living in LA with her husband & two kids. They’ve been bouncing from crappy apartment to crappy apartment when the opportunity to house sit for Jane’s rich friend presents itself. In this house she finally feels able to finish the novel she’s been working on for 10 years.

Things… do not work out. Instead Jane decides to meet with an in-demand Hollywood producer to develop a show about a biracial family.

This is so sharp & funny & MESSY. So much of the time is spent thinking “Jane please don’t” but alas, Jane does. There is such a great insight into Jane’s experience as a mixed-race woman. I could not wait to see how this one turned out and had a ball reading it. A somewhat anxious ball but a ball nonetheless.

Colored Television is a sharp, darkly comedic look at the complexities of race, identity, and the challenges of making it in the art world. Set in present-day Los Angeles, the story follows Jane, a biracial novelist, and her husband Lenny, both of whom are talented but financially strapped, trying to raise two young kids,

This book is both funny and cringe-inducing in the best ways, offering a clever satire of the entertainment industry and the compromises artists sometimes make. If you enjoyed Yellowface, you’ll likely appreciate Senna’s ability to blend humor with uncomfortable truths. It’s a readable, thought-provoking novel that keeps you entertained while making you think.

A biracial novelist dreams of writing a groundbreaking book but realises it won't sell. To support her family, she turns to Hollywood for financial stability. Disheartened by her publisher's rejection of her manuscript, unsure if they even read it, she finds hope when a Hollywood producer expresses keen interest in her ideas. Amidst financial struggles to support her young family and maintain her marriage, she's drawn in by his promises, striving to provide her children with every opportunity. I read Caucasia a month ago and I really like Senna's writing style and voice. Despite Jane's flawed nature and questionable decisions, her character development captivated me, making the book thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you, Net Galley and Dialogue books, for this advance reading copy.

a novelist finds herself in on the outskirts of hollywood, more specifically television writing, and all the nasty structures that keep the rich and white inside their politically neutral world. there is so much to unpack here: what it means to be a non-white creative and how "representation" comes into play, ownership of abstract intellectual property, the mulatto experience, and more. i loved how observant senna is in her writing, especially in jane's tangents about the various characters in her life, and can personally relate to getting the rug pulled under myself for ideas i put forward but were then taken and claimed by someone else as a bipoc academic. it's easy to get swept up when the rewards of these structures feel in reach for once which is the brilliance and downfall of hoping.

3-3.5 stars.

A novelist and lecturer called Jane finds herself in the world of TV and keeps making bad decisions afterwards.
It was hilarious in most parts, despite my disliking of the finding of a card, which basically serves as the catalyst for the events. I liked the themes, the characterisation, and the journey. The writing style was cool as well, though I liked the dialogue more than the descriptions. The setting and the premise are curious too. I will read this again and recommend it.

Colored Television by Danzy Senna is a relatable novel about the choices made when trying to improve your life and feeling like a fraud and that you're getting everything wrong. It effectively explores issues of race, identity, authorship and creativity, class and privilege, motherhood and relationships.