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Tavis Smiley

Biography

Tavis Smiley

Tavis Smiley is the host of PBS's "Tavis Smiley" and Public Radio International's "The Tavis Smiley Show." Smiley is also the bestselling author of 17 books. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Tavis Smiley

Books by Tavis Smiley

My Journey with Maya
by Tavis Smiley with David Ritz - Memoir, Nonfiction

For nearly 30 years, Maya Angelou and Tavis Smiley shared an unlikely, special bond. Angelou was a teacher and a maternal figure to Smiley, and they talked often of art, politics, history, race, religion, music, love, purpose and --- more than anything --- courage. In MY JOURNEY WITH MAYA, Smiley recalls a joyful friendship filled to the brim with sparkling conversation. In Angelou's gardens surrounded by her caged birds, before lectures, sharing meals, and on breaks from it all, they sought each other out for comfort, advice and, above all else, friendship.

Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year
by Tavis Smiley with David Ritz - History, Nonfiction

Martin Luther King, Jr. died in one of the most shocking assassinations the world has known, but little is remembered about the life he led in his final year. New York Times bestselling author and award-winning broadcaster Tavis Smiley recounts the final 365 days of King's life, revealing the minister's trials and tribulations, all of which he had to rise above in order to lead and address the racism, poverty and militarism that threatened to destroy our democracy.