When Rob Franklin sat down to draft his first novel, “Great Black Hope,” the Atlanta native was staying in his childhood bedroom, about to celebrate his 26th birthday.
The award-winning writer, poet and teacher now lives in Brooklyn, New York, and teaches writing at the School of Visual Arts.
But while on his book tour in Atlanta, Franklin told WABE’s “Morning Edition” that this fictional but deeply personal novel is a timeless coming-of-age story in some ways. In others, it explores the broader theme of the American Black elite — and how often the young are put in a position to shun their privilege, rebel and ultimately sacrifice themselves.
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