On Witness And Respair

On Witness And Respair by Jesmyn Ward is out now, published May 19, 2026.

See if this book is on Audible

On Witness And Respair

Buy Now on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

On Witness And Respair Release Date: May 19, 2026

Published

The collected creative nonfiction of a singular American writer, Jesmyn Ward, including widely shared classics, three never-before-published speeches, and an introductory essay.

Respair (noun, obsolete), fresh hope after despair.

From the two-time National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Jesmyn Ward, this collection of essays documents more than a decade of work in the life of a singular writer often lauded as “the heir apparent to Toni Morrison” (LitHub). Beginning with her upbringing in a multigenerational household in rural Mississippi, the cradle of both her youth and her gift for storytelling, Ward brings her keen wisdom and hauntingly lyrical prose to a range of topics, following in her grandmother Dorothy’s footsteps when she promises always to “Tell it straight. Tell it all.”

True to her word, in these pages Ward contemplates the writers and novels of her youth and adulthood—the transformative power of discovering Octavia Butler as a twenty-something, the mirror that Richard Wright’s novels held up to her own childhood, and of course, her lifelong love for Toni Morrison. Ward ruminates on her approach to both fiction and life, reflecting on the power of the novel, how to raise a Black son in an era of rising divisiveness and cruelty, as well as her own personal tragedies—including the titular essay of the collection, which tells the story of her partner’s sudden death on the eve of the COVID-19 epidemic. Every bit as piercing and moving as her fiction, On Witness and Respair is a testament to Ward’s powers as “one of America’s finest living writers” (San Francisco Chronicle) and is a monument to hope, beauty, and personal and collective resilience.

Buy Now on Amazon

📚 Ready to read? Secure your copy today and be among the first to enjoy this release.

Reader Anticipation Rating:
[Average Rating: 0]

Genre: Nonfiction

Jesmyn Ward

More books from Jesmyn Ward

🎧 While You Wait for On Witness And Respair

Prefer audiobooks?

Check Audible to see if On Witness And Respair is available to listen to.

Start a free trial and get your first audiobook free.

✔ Listen while commuting or relaxing
✔ Your first audiobook is free with the trial
✔ Cancel anytime

Start Audible Free Trial

Recommended Book Release Guides

Similar Books Liked By Our Readers

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *