Books by Ashley D. Farmer
“Audley Moore was a Black woman, an incredible leader, but because archives are created—as Derrida talked about—by the people who control the story. So Moore’s archival material was scattered. She also gave things away. Things like that. So the fact that Farmer was able to reassemble all of this information is extraordinary. Such important work. It’s also a very intimate biography. You feel very close to the subject.” Read more...
The Best Biographies: The 2026 NBCC Shortlist
Iris Jamahl Dunkle, Biographer
Interviews where books by Ashley D. Farmer were recommended
-
1
A Perfect Turmoil: Walter E. Fernald and the Struggle to Care for America’s Disabled
by Alex Green -
2
Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood's First South Asian Star
by Mayukh Sen -
3
Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution
by Amanda Vaill -
4
Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audley Moore
by Ashley D. Farmer -
5
Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford
by Carla Kaplan
The Best Biographies: The 2026 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Iris Jamahl Dunkle
The Best Biographies: The 2026 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Iris Jamahl Dunkle
Every year, we ask the chair of the National Book Critics Circle biography committee to talk us through their shortlist of the best new books in the genre. Here, Iris Jamahl Dunkle—the award-winning biographer, poet and critic—introduces us to the winning title, a deeply-researched profile of a special education pioneer, as well as the four runners-up.
