Azealia Banks Has Been Writing a Book: Here's a Preview

Amidst all the media drama, Azealia Banks has been writing a book. She's shared a snippet of "Idle Delilah."

Dec 21, 2014
Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

While the media spun Azealia Banks' powerful Hot 97 interview, and Iggy Azalea's subsequent response, into a clickbait flame war, Banks has been writing a book. It's called Broke With Expensive Taste (sharing a title with her recent debut album), and last night she shared an excerpt on her Tumblr. She's called it a fable, and it takes place in the antebellum South, featuring Delilah Maisley, whose mother married Luther Luciferian Lynch, a wealthy, white slave-owner. Here's a selection:

Maisley was one of the Lynch family’s eldest and wisest servants, and spent her life raising several generations of Lynch children, including Delilah’s father. Much to Maisley’s surprise, as repayment for her years of loyalty and care, her own son would lose his life to one of the children she spent her lifetime caring for.  When Delilah’s father was just becoming a man, barely old enough to herd cattle or control his own horse, he beat and murdered Maisley’s son for accidentally tipping and spilling a bail of cotton. It had been 23 years since Maisley gathered her son’s body from the bottom of the Artubus tree, or spoke her last word.  Nowadays, she sat quietly, responding gently to requests made of her, and watching little Delilah when Mrs. Lynch was away from the plantation, or otherwise occupied. Ms. Maisley heard everything and saw even more. 

Read the full excerpt of Broke With Expensive Taste on Banks' tumblr.

UPDATE: Banks has confirmed the title of the book on Twitter. This article previously assumed the title of the book was the same as the title of the Tumblr post, Idle Delilah. She also offered more details about the book. 

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