A new James Baldwin biography asks how the writer’s lovers might’ve shaped him
A new James Baldwin biography asks how the writer’s lovers might’ve shaped him  
Podcast: NPR's Book of the Day
Published On: Wed Oct 22 2025
Description: The scholar Nicholas Boggs has a new perspective on James Baldwin. The new biography Baldwin: A Love Story considers how the writer and Civil Rights leader’s lovers might’ve shaped him. In today’s conversation with NPR’s Michel Martin, Boggs argues Baldwin provided a dynamic model for how we relate to other people – both in platonic and romantic relationships.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy