McCall and 'Them' in Portmouth

Norfolk native and novelist Nathan McCall will appear at the main branch of the Portsmouth Public Library at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 27 to discuss his latest book, "Them." The event is free and open to the public.

McCall grew up in Portsmouth and graduated from Manor High School and Norfolk State University. He worked as a reporter for The Virginian-Pilot, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Washington Post before moving to Emory University to teach in the African-American Studies Department.

"Them" follows his other two titles, "Makes Me Wanna Holler" and "What's Going On." It takes readers to the old Fourth Ward of Atlanta where urban redevelopment brings an influx of new white residents into a neighborhood rich in black history. McCall blends the resulting conflicts and suspicions - and struggle to find common ground and understanding - into the action of the novel.