There are three sections, fear, fly, and fortune. Its an epistolary work. Its a series of letters to my sons but of course its also a letter to the larger world. Both about the reality of the terror and anxiety and worry of being a parent to black children come in particularly black boys at this moment. Its also filled with my desire for them to lead a life of beauty and joy. And excellence. And self regard. Much of which i think one finds the lessons for an extraordinary tradition we have to draw from. Where did you come up with the idea to write your sons a letter . I actually have written them letters privately for years but my editor at beacon press, set is this something youd be interested in doing. Initially i think what we both had in mind was something that was probably aba story for them and the world. It became something more sober. I reached into the archives that i had in my mind of the works that for me did that and try to have a conversation both with the past and the pre