Introduction
Colored Television by Danzy Senna is a sharp, witty exploration of race, ambition, and identity in modern America. Jane, a writer looking for stability, lands a luxurious house-sitting gig in Los Angeles, hoping to finish her epic novel. However, her dream of success unravels when her foray into Hollywood takes an unexpected turn. Teaming up with a hotshot producer, Jane embarks on a project that promises to reinvent the world of biracial comedies—until it all falls apart. With humor, keen insight, and biting commentary, Colored Television offers a fresh and ambitious look at the complex intersections of race, art, and the entertainment industry.
Colored Television (A GMA Book Club Pick) Synopsis
Jane has high hopes that her life is about to turn around. After a long, precarious stretch bouncing among sketchy rentals and sublets, she and her family are living in luxury for a year, house-sitting in the hills above Los Angeles. The gig magically coincides with Jane’s sabbatical, giving her the time and space she needs to finish her second novel—a centuries-spanning epic her artist husband, Lenny, dubs her “mulatto War and Peace.” Finally, some semblance of stability and success seems to be within her grasp.
But things don’t work out quite as hoped. Desperate for a plan B, like countless writers before her Jane turns her gaze to Hollywood. When she finagles a meeting with Hampton Ford, a hot producer with a major development deal at a streaming network, he seems excited to work with a “real writer,” and together they begin to develop “the Jackie Robinson of biracial comedies.” Things finally seem to be going right for Jane—until they go terribly wrong.
Funny, piercing, and page turning, Colored Television is Senna’s most on-the-pulse, ambitious, and rewarding novel yet.
Read Intermezzo By Sally Rooney | Novel Synopsis
More About the Novel

Author: | Danzy Senna |
Publisher: | Riverhead Books |
Genre: | Fiction |
Mode: | Complete |
Themes Explored In The Novel
The themes explored in Colored Television by Danzy Senna include:
- Race and Identity: The novel delves into the complexities of biracial identity and how it intersects with societal expectations and personal ambition.
- Ambition and Reinvention: Jane’s journey highlights the challenges and compromises faced by creatives striving for recognition, especially in the entertainment industry.
- Love and Family Dynamics: The story explores the strains of ambition on relationships, particularly the delicate balance between Jane’s career aspirations and her family life.
- Satire of the Entertainment Industry: Through Jane’s dealings with Hollywood, the novel critiques the commercialization of identity and the superficiality of the media landscape.
- Cultural Commentary: With humor and sharp insight, the narrative addresses broader societal issues, such as tokenism and the commodification of diversity.
Colored Television masterfully intertwines humor and cultural critique to offer a poignant reflection on modern identity and ambition.
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