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Although it seems to me that everyone and their mother has been talking about Zendaya lately, which is only natural given that she stars in some of the year’s most anticipated films, from The Drama to The Odyssey, I think my interest in the actress has slowly developed into full-blown fan behavior. How do I know?
Let’s just say that I managed to recount two of her new interviews almost word for word during a single car ride. Indeed, I have been following Zendaya daily for some time now because, over the past few months, the star has not disappointed me with a single appearance, from the incredible fashion looks with which she and Law Roach have outdone themselves this time to her articulate interviews and the warmth she shows in conversation.
The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
“I’m currently on a bit of a Toni Morrison novel marathon,” Zendaya said, naming The Bluest Eye as her favorite. Morrison is a celebrated author who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1993, and the novel in question was her first, published in 1970. Her debut work has been praised for its linguistic richness, which Zendaya also applauded, and the boldness of its vision. Set in the author’s hometown of Lorain, Ohio, the story follows Pecola Breedlove, an eleven-year-old Black girl whose greatest wish is to have blue eyes because she believes that this would finally make her “beautiful” and accepted like the other blond-haired, blue-eyed children around her. At the same time, the novel explores her parents’ youth and their struggle as African Americans in a predominantly white Anglo-Saxon Protestant community. This undeniably difficult novel has been celebrated for its vivid portrayal of fear and loneliness through the eyes of a young girl and is an exceptionally significant work of American literature. The Bluest Eye brings marginalized voices to the forefront, while its exploration of the damaging effects of white beauty standards and the ways in which internalized racism can affect children makes it a work that truly belongs on everyone’s reading list.
Zendaya’s other favorite novel is James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room. This story also gives a voice to marginalized groups, this time focusing on American expatriates in Paris. Against a tense backdrop of romantic relationships and violence, the novel follows David, an American torn between his longing for another man and conventional social expectations. When he meets Giovanni, a young man who works at a Parisian bar, David enters into an intense and complicated relationship that forces him to confront his own desires, fears and social norms. James Baldwin is also known for his brilliant storytelling, and this novel explores the mystery of love while revealing the unspoken complexities of the human heart through a powerful story of passion, death and loss. Once controversial and just as powerful today as when it was first published in 1956, Giovanni’s Room is another major work of American literature that brings desire and identity to the forefront. I think Zendaya’s reading preferences are perfectly clear from these recommendations.
Sula, Toni Morrison
In the interview, alongside her “essential reading,” Zendaya also revealed the book she is currently reading, Sula, another novel by Toni Morrison. Given that I particularly love stories about complex female friendships, this is definitely the first novel on Zendaya’s list that I will read. The story follows two girls from a small town, the bold Sula and her obedient friend. Growing up together, they forge a bond even stronger than the dark secret they must carry with them throughout their lives. Decades later, Sula’s anarchic nature leads to a betrayal that may be impossible to forgive. This is a novel about love and intimacy, and about life in an America where the traces of slavery are still evident. Sula offers another irresistible story about the struggle between societal expectations and the love the heroines long for.