Patricia Williams humbly compares herself to a bird that finds random shiny objects and brings them to the nest in the form of notes, newspaper clippings and photographs. “I go after it, write a paragraph about it, and then I string it together like a necklace,” she says. “I’m completely somebody who only understands the world by writing things down.” The result is Williams’ compelling and accessible writings that, like stained glass, join reflections on pivotal contemporary topics, critical and literary theories, empirical and sociological research, and personal narrative with classical legal doctrine.
“All of my writing is informed by my training as a lawyer,” says Williams, a celebrated legal scholar, distinguished professor of law and humanities at Northeastern University, and author of numerous books, essays and articles for leading American publications. This summer, lovers of literary journalism and legal thought will be able to find out what has been on Williams’ mind recently by reading her new book, “The Miracle of the Black Leg: Notes on Race, Human Bodies, and the Spirit of Law.” Published by The New Press and released in June, the book consists of 14 chapters, or essays, both new and partially published previously in Williams’ opinion column in The Nation magazine.
