In chapter 3, we discuss William Gardner Smith's The Stone Face (1963). while enjoying Ethiopia Koke Washed coffee from Portrait Coffee!
Adam Shatz states that "The Stone Face explores a black exile's discovery of the suffering of others: an injustice perpetrated by his host country, a place he initially mistakes for paradise."
Smith's novel is extremely relevant, especially following the murder of Nahel Merzouk by Paris police in June and the uprisings that followed.
There is a lot in The Stone Face from the Black expatriate community in France to the Algerian war for independence. In this episode, we discuss a wide range of themes in the novel.
You can read more about Matthew's thoughts about the novel on his blog.
You can listen our song choices--Brother Ali's "Before the Called You White" and The Muslims' "Illegals"--on YouTube as well.
