Author Talk: Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor in Conversation With Natalie Y. Moore
About this Event
Join Shorefront Legacy Center and Zora's Place for an unforgettable evening with historian and author Dr. Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor as she discusses her powerful new book, .
Dr. Pryor will be joined in conversation by acclaimed journalist, author, and Northwestern University senior lecturer Natalie Y. Moore for a thoughtful discussion exploring language, history, identity, and the enduring legacy of one of America's most influential comedians.
Part memoir and part cultural history, Something We Said traces Dr. Pryor's experience growing up as the daughter of comedy icon Richard Pryor while examining the complicated history and contemporary meaning of the N-word—a word her father helped redefine in American culture. Blending personal storytelling with rigorous historical research, the book invites readers into a nuanced conversation about race, family, language, and the power words hold.
Following the conversation, attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and meet Dr. Pryor during a book signing.
This event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is encouraged, as seating is limited.
If you'd like a signed copy of , simply select the Book + Signing ticket option when registering.
Pre-ordering your book guarantees a copy will be available for Dr. Pryor to sign following the program.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Part memoir by the daughter of the iconic comedian Richard Pryor, part exploration of the historical and contemporary use of the N-word, this hybrid book peels back the curtain on the life of Pryor and interrogates the most perplexing word in the American lexicon, a word he helped popularize.
ABOUT ELIZABETH STORDEUR PRYOR:
Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor is a professor of history at Smith College where she teaches courses on race, slavery and her father, comedic legend Richard Pryor. She is the award-winning author of the article “The Etymology of [N-Word]: Resistance, Language, and the Politics of Freedom in the Antebellum North” and a 2016 book Colored Travelers: Mobility and the Fight for Citizenship before the Civil War. Her viral TED talk on why it's hard to talk about the n-word has been viewed over two million times. is Professor Pryor’s latest book (Simon & Schuster, 2026). A braided narrative that seamlessly integrates the history of the n-word with her own story of growing up half Black, half Jewish and all Pryor. Something We Said peels back the curtain on the life of the iconic comedian and interrogates the most perplexing word in the American lexicon, a word he helped popularize.
ABOUT NATALIE Y. MOORE:
Natalie Y. Moore is a Chicago native and renowned journalist known for her reporting on segregation and inequality. For 17 years, she was a reporter and editor at WBEZ. Moore’s work has been broadcast on the BBC, Marketplace and NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. She is the author of The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation, winner of the 2016 Chicago Review of Books award for nonfiction and a Buzzfeed best nonfiction book of 2016.
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