Jesmyn Ward on Grief, Hope, and the Art of Witness | Amanpour and Company @AmanpourandCompany
Jesmyn Ward on Grief, Hope, and the Art of Witness | Amanpour and Company  @AmanpourandCompany
Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In her latest collection of essays, two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward reflects on the healing power of storytelling. Speaking to Walter Isaacson, Ward looks back on the fundamental role of her maternal grandmother in the forging of Ward's writing philosophy of "telling it straight, telling it all." The author also discusses her upbringing in the poor Mississippi town of De Lisle, and her own place in the lineage of Mississippi's literary figures. Ward joined the show from Pass Christian, Mississippi.

Originally aired on June 1, 2026

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Jesmyn Ward on Grief, Hope, and the Art of Witness | Amanpour and Company

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