Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates reveals his most cherished possession
As we look back at the end of 2020—after a brutal election season that not only saw the edges of democracy begin to fray but a man-toddler tantrum his way to a well-deserved time out—it’s only natural to look back at a moment where we had dignified, thoughtful, humane leadership … and hope for more civil days to come.
In our book “What We Keep,” we asked 150 people to share the one object that holds the most emotional significance to them and for the story behind it. Writer and fellow Brooklynite Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose new HBO adaptation of his book “Between the World and Me” has received high praise, offered up this treasured keepsake: a pocket atlas that President Barack Obama inscribed to Coates’ son, encouraging him to “dream big dreams.”
