{"id":42036,"date":"2015-07-28T02:49:09","date_gmt":"2015-07-28T02:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mixedracestudies.org\/?p=42036"},"modified":"2015-07-28T03:02:10","modified_gmt":"2015-07-28T03:02:10","slug":"the-book-of-colors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mixedracestudies.org\/wp\/?p=42036","title":{"rendered":"“The Book of Colors”"},"content":{"rendered":"

“The Book of Colors”<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Duke Divinity School News<\/a>
\nDurham, North Carolina
\nWednesday, 2015-05-13<\/p>\n

Ray Barfield<\/a>, associate professor of pediatrics and Christian philosophy at Duke Divinity School<\/a>, has written his first novel, \u201cThe Book of Colors<\/a>,\u201d about a 19-year-old mixed race pregnant girl who faces poverty and finds redemption in an unlikely community of skid row houses near Memphis, Tenn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Published by Unbridled Books<\/a> in May, the book grew from Dr. Barfield\u2019s experience of the importance of story-telling as a physician and teacher. He holds a joint appointment with the Divinity School and Duke University Medical School. At the Divinity School, he is one of the leaders of interdisciplinary initiatives that bring together students and faculty across the humanities, medicine, and theology. Barfield also practices pediatric oncology<\/a> and leads the pediatric palliative care<\/a> program at the medical school.<\/p>\n

The novel\u2019s central character Yslea was raised in a crack-house<\/a> and struggles to express her thoughts, but learns to overcome the pain and suffering she sees around her in her own quiet way. While reeling from the death of her mother, she wanders into a local clapboard community, presided over by an aging, generous woman named Rose and charming young Jimmy, for whom ethics are often an impediment to worldly advancement…<\/p>\n