In this special Member Exclusive episode, Deesha and Dawnie kick off a recurring feature we call Iconic Stories — starting with James Baldwin’s ‘Sonny’s Blues,’ first published in 1957 in the Partisan Review.  They discuss the prevalent themes of family and brotherhood, loss, drug addiction, and music, as well as the broader social and political contexts of Baldwin’s fiction and nonfiction.  Deesha Philyaw: “James Baldwin is the writer that made me want to be a writer.” To get access to the full episode, become an Ursa Member: ursastory.com/join Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned “Sonny’s Blues” (James Baldwin) Going To Meet The Man (James Baldwin) Daddy Was A Number Runner (Louise Meriwether) Go Tell It On The Mountain (James Baldwin) If Beale Street Could Talk (James Baldwin) Between The World And Me (Ta-Nehisi Coates) The Fire Next Time (James Baldwin) “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (Joyce Carol Oates) Toni Morrison His Name Is George Floyd (Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa Listening List: Charlie Parker More from Deesha and Dawnie: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton Executive Producers: Deesha Philyaw, Dawnie Walton, and Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join