Scholars are all too familiar with academic writing in the university. But what about academic fiction? Moreover, what academic fiction was penned by notable Black writers, such as W.E.B. DuBois, and how is this genre explored in more popular forms of media such as the 1990's show, "A Different World," or the film and subsequent series, "Dear White People"? Prof. Mark Anthony Neal discusses these themes with Dr. Lavelle Porter, assistant professor of English at New York City College of Technology, CUNY and the author of the new book, "The Blackademic Life: Academic Fiction, Higher Education, and the Black Intellectual," published by Northwestern University Press.

Find Dr. Porter's book here: https://nupress.northwestern.edu/content/blackademic-life

You can also follow Dr. Porter on his site: https://lavelleporter.com/

Read the review of Porter's book by Debarati Biswas at Public Books here: https://www.publicbooks.org/how-to-subvert-the-capitalist-white-supremac...

Left of Black is a web series featuring interviews with Black Studies scholars created and hosted by James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African and African American Studies Mark Anthony Neal and produced by the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University.