Nathan McCall (born 1955) is an American author and journalist. He has written in the genres of novel, memoir, biography, and social commentary, often focusing on the

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

experience.

Biography

As the stepson of a Navy man, McCall grew up in various locations, such as

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

, Norfolk, Virginia and the Cavalier Manor section of Portsmouth, Virginia. After serving three years in prison, he studied journalism at

Norfolk State University Norfolk State University (NSU) is a public historically black university in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Virginia High-Tech Partnership. History The institution was founded on September 18, 1935 ...

. He reported for '' The Virginian Pilot-Ledger Star'' and ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'' before moving to ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' In 1989. In his first book, '' Makes Me Wanna Holler'', McCall provides a detailed story of his life of violence and street crime, as well as the hardships he experienced growing up with racial profiling, class differences and peer pressure. He describes, in graphic detail, gang-rapes and violent assaults he participated in during his youth. His second book, '' What's Going On'', used personal essays to discuss some larger issues such as social, cultural, and political tensions that affect the modern day United States. After the success of his books, McCall was in demand as a speaker. He left ''The Washington Post'' for the lecture circuit. Today he continues to write, and holds the post of lecturer in the Department of African-American Studies at

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

. His first novel '' Them: A Novel'', dealing with issues of

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...

in an Atlanta neighborhood, was published in 2007. ''Them'' tells the story of Barlowe Reed, a single, forty-something African-American man, who has to come to terms with the gentrification of his neighborhood, in particular the influx of white people to the area. In an April 2014 interview with ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...

'' magazine, McCall stated that he was amazed that ''Makes Me Wanna Holler'' was still selling after 20 years.

References

External links

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Faculty bio
at Emory University * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McCall, Nathan 1955 births Living people 21st-century American novelists African-American non-fiction writers African-American novelists American male journalists American male novelists American memoirists Norfolk State University alumni The Atlanta Journal-Constitution people Novelists from Virginia American male essayists People from Portsmouth, Virginia 20th-century American essayists 21st-century American essayists Journalists from Virginia 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers 20th-century African-American writers 21st-century African-American people