[James McBride James McBride is an author, musician and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, "The Color of Water," rested on the New York Times bestseller list for two years. It is considered an American classic and is read in schools and universities across the United States. His debut novel, "Miracle at St. Anna" was translated into a major motion picture directed by American film icon Spike Lee. It was released by Disney/Touchstone in September 2008. James wrote the script for "Miracle At St. Anna and co-wrote Spike Lee's 2012 "Red Hook Summer." His novel, "Song Yet Sung," was released in paperback in January 2009. His latest novel "The Good Lord Bird," about American revolutionary John Brown, is the winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction.]