Harare Review of Books

224 pages.

Expected publication date: May 23, 2023 (Chronicle Books)

Non-fiction.

This is the wonderful and heartfelt memoir of Ruth E. Carter on her amazing art and her career as costume designer for just about every great Black movie you can think of, up to and including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I loved the small details about how she met and worked with the likes of Spike Lee, John Singleton, and Ryan Coogler, and her insights into how the Marvel creative machine runs. She is humble about how she achieved her phenomenal success, but the book shows at every point how her immense talent opened doors for her.

She includes some fun stories about working with Black film royalty, including Angela Basset, Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman, and Eddie Murphy. There are also beautiful images from behind the scenes and on set of the various movies she’s worked on, as well as details of her creative processes and techniques for specific films.

This is a fantastic addition to any library, but particularly one of Black art and culture. Carter is also conscious of the present moment of Black creativity and access, and the importance of continuity; she has inspiring words at the end of the book to encourage current and future Black creatives.

Thank you very much to Edelweiss and to Chronicle Books for the privilege.

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