Michele Norris draws from six-word essays in new book on race in America

Michele Norris will be out Jan. 16 with "Our Hidden Conversations," a book about race and identity in America drawn from The Race Card Project, which she created in 2010.

The big picture: Norris, an opinion columnist for the Washington Post, is a well-known voice from her years as an NPR host and journalist.

The backstory: The prompt for the conversations was simple: "Race. Your Story. 6-Words. Please Send."

More than 500,000 people have submitted answers, according to her publisher.
"The stories are shocking in their depth and candor, spanning the full spectrum of race, ethnicity, identity, and class," Simon & Schuster says.
[T]he micro-essays can pack a punch, revealing, fear, pain, triumph, and sometimes humor."

Some examples: "You’re Pretty for a Black girl."

Details: The book's entries are enriched by backstories, photos and heirlooms, Simon & Schuster said in the announcement.

Many answers were submitted by white respondents, helping provide a "rare 360-degree view of how Americans see themselves and one another."