Amy DuBois Barnett’s debut novel just recently dropped, and she’s already taking her talents to television.
Formerly an editor-in-chief for Ebony magazine and Honey, as well as the deputy editor of Harper’s Bazaar, Barnett made history when she became the first Black woman to run a major mainstream magazine in the United States, Teen People.
A trailblazer in her own right, Barnett has taken her experience as a veteran journalist, editor and award-winning C-suite executive to breathe life into the pages of her fiction debut, If I Ruled the World.
“My novel is set in New York City in the late 1990s, early 2000s, and it was a time when hip-hop was really at a zenith of power and cultural influence, and you felt that in the city, you felt the cultural importance of the moment,” Barnett told Blavity. “It was amazing to be not just an observer but a participant, and also somebody who shapes culture. I had a front-row seat to what it feels like to, again, not just be a bystander, but be someone who was moving culture forward in a meaningful way.”
She added, “I think for those of us who were doing so in that period of time, we knew how important it was. We could feel that culture was being created and shaped in that moment. But we also knew that it was a dangerous time. It was a very perilous time. Even as we were experiencing the sort of sexy glamor of power, money and influence, we also understood that for women, there was a danger; it was that mixture that we were experiencing, in the center of the storm, if you will. It felt important and exciting, but it also felt kind of perilous.”
From the pages to the screen
Prior to her book release and tour, news that Hulu landed an adaptation of the work.
It is currently in development as a drama series, and she’s working on the script alongside Lee Daniels.
“I’m thrilled about that because this book really is a peek behind the curtain of one of the most important cultural eras of our time,” Barnett said. “It’s set in New York City in the late 1990s, early 2000s at the intersection of hip-hop magazines at their heyday, and fashion. And, as you know, that’s one of the most important and interesting cultural eras of our time. The book is a behind-the-scenes look at what that era felt like, specifically from the perspective of a woman. Everything that you’re seeing in the news, or seeing on TV with the reckoning that’s happening in the music industry, pun intended, this book is about that era — but again, from the perspective of an ambitious woman.”
“When I was writing it, I could just see the scenes playing across my mind like a movie,” she continued. “I always knew that it should be on screen. And even as I was finishing the editing process with my amazing editor at Flatiron, I was working with my film and TV agent to figure out how we were going to get the book out there in Hollywood, which turned out to be easier than we thought because a book scout discovered the book and it was leaked to a powerful Hollywood executive, who then gave it to Lee Daniels, and they both loved it. We decided we were a dream team, and then we pitched it to Hulu, so we’re in a really good position right now.”
Her dream lead(s)
Although they haven’t begun casting for the series yet, Barnett said two Zs come to mind when thinking of the perfect actor to play the lead role of protagonist, Nikki Rose, a young magazine editor and the only Black editor on staff, as she navigates the tumultuous yet invigorating intersection between hip-hop, editorial and fashion culture in the Y2K era.
“I think Zendaya would be brilliant in this role, but, I don’t know if she’s taking on more TV shows at this time,” Barnett said. “The other Z I have in mind is Zazie Beetz, I just think she was so great in Atlanta, and I just loved her in Deadpool [2] and Bullet Train. I just think she’s a really brilliant actress.”
At the end of the day, the goal is for Nikki’s magnetism from the book to spill over onto the screen, and most importantly, to properly translate the magic from that era.
“I just love this idea of a smart, ambitious, mess woman, who has big dreams, who we root for even as she makes mistakes,” Barnett said. “I think that Nikki is going to be magnetic on screen, and I think she’s a fabulous character, and I just want the core of her to shine through.”
She added, “I also want to make sure that we get the era right, because it’s really important that it looks authentically like the late 1990s and early 2000s — because if we get that wrong, then the whole show won’t work at all.”