Standup and new CNN star W. Kamau Bell has written his first book, and it’s coming out in May. The book has an impressively long title: The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6’$2 4”, African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama’s Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian. Here’s the logline:
The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell is a humorous, well-informed take on the world today, tackling a wide range of issues, such as race relations; fatherhood; the state of law enforcement today; comedians and superheroes; right-wing politics; left-wing politics; failure; his interracial marriage; white men; his up-bringing by very strong-willed, race-conscious, yet ideologically opposite parents; his early days struggling to find his comedic voice, then his later days struggling to find his comedic voice; why he never seemed to fit in with the Black comedy scene … or the white comedy scene; how he was a Black nerd way before that became a thing; how it took his wife and an East Bay lesbian to teach him that racism and sexism often walk hand in hand; and much, much more.
The book hits stores on Tuesday, May 2nd, but it’s currently available for pre-order over at Amazon. In addition to the book, Bell is currently on tour (more info here), debuts a new season of his podcast Politically Re-Active tomorrow, and is slated to return to CNN for season 2 of his series United Shades of America in late April.
