American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 33 (2012) Winner
Touré (Touré Neblett)
トゥーレ（トゥーレ・ネブレット）
Toure Neblett
Pen Names:
Touré（Professional name/pen name used as a journalist and author）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1971-03-20 （Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York
Career
- Occupations
- television host, novelist, journalist, critic, essayist, podcaster, cultural critic
- Active Years
- 1992-
- Affiliations
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee (member), Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, NYU (lecturer/course instructor)
- Memberships
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee
- Influenced By
- figures and ideas from African-American cultural and musical spheres
- Influenced
- younger cultural critics and music journalists
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Academy | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Emory University | — | — | — | 在学〜中退（ジュニア時に中退） | United States |
| Columbia University (MFA program) | School of the Arts | MFA Writing Program | — | 1996（1年間在籍） | United States |
Milton Academy
Country:
United States
Completed preparatory school (specific graduation year not available)
Emory University
Period:
在学〜中退（ジュニア時に中退）
Country:
United States
Founded a Black student newspaper (The Fire This Time) while attending; dropped out after junior year.
Columbia University (MFA program)
School of the Arts
/ MFA Writing Program
Period:
1996（1年間在籍）
Country:
United States
Attended Columbia's MFA writing program for one year
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | NAACP Image Award (nomination) | Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now | Outstanding Literary Work — Non-Fiction | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) | nominated |
| 2001 | Included in The Best American Sports Writing | Rolling Stone article "Kurt is My Co-Pilot" | — | The Best American Sports Writing editorial series | included |
NAACP Image Award (nomination)
2012
Work:
Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now
Category:
Outstanding Literary Work — Non-Fiction
Organization:
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Result:
nominated
Included in The Best American Sports Writing
2001
Work:
Rolling Stone article "Kurt is My Co-Pilot"
Organization:
The Best American Sports Writing editorial series
Result:
included
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Portable Promised Land: Stories
2003 short story collectionA collection of short stories exploring urban life and relationships, often drawing on African-American experiences and cultural themes.
urban liferelationshipsidentity
Soul City: A Novel
2005 novel (African-American utopia)A novel set in an African-American utopia, exploring culture and ideals through the lives of its inhabitants.
utopiacommunityculture
Never Drank the Kool-Aid: Essays
2006 essay collectionA collection of personal and cultural essays addressing pop culture, politics, and social issues; several essays received notable recognition.
pop cultureself-examinationsocial criticism
Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now
2011 non-fiction (cultural criticism)Based on interviews with over 100 prominent African-American figures, the book examines the concept of "post-blackness" and contemporary black identity.
race and identityculturecontemporary history
I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon
2013 non-fiction (biography / music criticism)A study of Prince's music and its religious dimensions, exploring his iconic status and cultural significance; based on lectures delivered at Harvard.
musicreligiositystardom
Bibliography
- The Portable Promised Land: Stories
- Soul City: A Novel
- Never Drank the Kool-Aid: Essays
- Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now
- I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- direct and critical style with frequent references to pop culture and musicconversational voice in essays and interviews
- Recurring Motifs
- race and identitymusic/pop culturecommunity and power structures
Legacy
A prominent cultural and music critic whose work in television, magazines, and books has stimulated discussion on race and music in contemporary culture.
In Popular Culture
- Co-host of MSNBC's The Cycle (2012–2015)
- Served as a pop culture correspondent for CNN
- Hosted and appeared on programs for BET, MTV, and other networks
Quotes
-
On the show, our team, including myself, engaged in edgy, crass banter, that at the time I did not think was offensive for our tight-knit group. I am sorry for my language and for making her feel uncomfortable in any way. As a lead on the show, I should have refrained from this behavior. I have learned and grown from this experience.
Source: Public apology to media (regarding sexual harassment allegation) (2019)
Trivia
- Married novelist Rita Nakouzi in 2005; has two children (son Hendrix and daughter Fairuz).
- Wedding officiant was Rev. Run of Run-DMC; Nelson George served as best man.
- Founded the student newspaper The Fire This Time while at Emory University.
- Began writing career as an intern at Rolling Stone.