Alaya Dawn Johnson, ‘Trouble the Saints,’ and Stemming the Tide of White Power

There’s a scene where Phyllis—an assassin in 1940s Harlem—refers to a then-recent author, Zora Neale Hurston. It struck me for a moment that Their Eyes Were Watching God would be “popular” but not yet “famous,” at least not in the context of today where Hurston’s novel is widely known as a classic of its time period. It was one of many moments that pulled me from my modern understanding and helped place me in the wake of the Harlem Renaissance, which was much of the reason I was excited for this interview sponsored by Trouble the Saints’ publisher, Tor Books. Because it also sparked the question: what might I read that people in the future will take for granted as an obvious turning point in Black writing? The simple reminder makes reading books like Trouble the Saints, a historical fiction novel by Alaya Dawn Johnson, a dual experience: on one hand, being transported back in time to feel the Black experience in another context, and on the other, appreciating the still-growing availability of Black historical fiction—particularly non-slave-based ones. I spoke with Alaya on what that experience is like from her perspective as the author, what makes appealing characters, and how the ones in her book, Trouble the Saints, can push back against the tide of white power. Trouble the Saints is available now wherever you get your books, but of course, I recommend your local indie. In the meantime, get started on the first chapter.

The book is set just after the Harlem Renaissanc…