Danzy Senna’s Colored Television is the latest Good Morning America book club selection.
Senna’s novel, published Tuesday by Riverhead, follows Jane, a southern California author whose second novel has been rejected and who scores a deal to write a biracial-themed comedy for a streaming network. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus praised the novel as a “brilliant, of-the-moment, just really almost perfect book.”
ABC journalist Deborah Roberts announced the novel’s selection on Good Morning America, calling it “a biting look at love, ambition, failure, and race in America” and “a glimpse into the harsh world of Hollywood.”
Roberts talked to Senna, asking her what made her want to tackle Hollywood in her latest book.
“I live in L.A., and I’ve lived here for almost 20 years, writing novels,” Senna said. “I’ve been really interested in the manic quality of it, and I thought putting a character who’s sort of desperate into that world … and seeing her believe everything they tell her is a great place to start a story.”
Roberts asked Senna how much of herself is part of the character Jane.
“I always start all of my novels from a kind of autobiographical space,” Senna said. “The really exciting thing about writing fiction is the moment that it becomes not you.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
