Wil Haygood

A Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Humanities fellow and a writer for the Washington Post, Wil Haygood has been described as a cultural historian. He is the author of a trio of iconic biographies. His King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., told the story of the enigmatic New York congressman and was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. That was followed—after publication of a family memoir—by In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr., which was awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor Music Biography Award, the Zora Neale Hurston-Richard Wright Legacy Award, and the Nonfiction Book of the Year Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. In 2009, he wrote Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson, which told the story of the famed New York pugilist known as much for his prowess in the ring as his elegant style outside of it. Haygood is an associate producer of Lee Daniels’ The butler. (added from Simon & Schuster)… (more)

A Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Humanities fellow and a writer for the Washington Post, Wil Haygood has been described as a cultural historian. He is the author of a trio of iconic biographies. His King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., told the story of the enigmatic New York congressman and was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. That was followed—after publication of a family memoir—by In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr., which was awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor Music Biography Award, the Zora Neale Hurston-Richard Wright Legacy Award, and the Nonfiction Book of the Year Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. In 2009, he wrote Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson, which told the story of the famed New York pugilist known as much for his prowess in the ring as his elegant style outside of it. Haygood is an associate producer of Lee Daniels’ The butler. (added from Simon & Schuster)… (more)

OFFSITE EVENT: Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration, Skylight Gallery Saturday, September 21, 3:00 PM A Brooklyn Book Festival Bookend Event A Literary Salon: A Conversation with Authors Wil Haygood and Pamela Newkirk Presented by The Center for Black Literature, in Collaboration with Simon & Schuster Publishers and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp.

Award-winning journalist Wil Haygood and New York University professor Pamela Newkirk will be in conversation to discuss Haywood’s recent book, The Butler: A Witness to History (now a major motion picture), about Eugene Allen, who served eight presidents as the White House’s head butler from 1952 to 1986. A book-signing and reception with light refreshments follow the program; books will be offered for sale by Greenlight Bookstore. Donation: $10 / $30 with book purchase.

Location: Street: 686 Fulton Street City: Brooklyn, Province: New York Postal Code: 11217 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

Wil Haygood discusses Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson.

Wil Haygood discusses his acclaimed new biography, Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson. The legendary Robinson, perhaps the greatest boxer in history, was born in Ailey, Georgia, in Montgomery near Vidalia. Haygood will present a lecture about his book in Vidalia as part of the "We the People" program funded by the Georgia Humanities Council. 7 p.m., Thursday, October 29, Ohoopee Regional Library (Vidalia). (All Georgia Reads/"We the People" program) (jasbro)… (more)

Wil Haygood discusses Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson.

Wil Haygood is the author of a riveting new biography, Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson, perhaps the greatest boxer in history. Haygood's book is "a biography worthy of a great athlete and an important social force," vividly detailing the often controversial life in and out of the ring of the legendary Sugar Ray, who was born in rural Georgia. His story weaves in some of the major figures in 20th century American history including Langston Hughes, Miles Davis and Lena Horne. Haygood previously has written acclaimed biographies of Adam Clayton Powell and Sammy Davis Jr. (jasbro)… (more)