Holding Lightning: The Life, Loves, and Art of Whitney Houston is the first major biography of an artist whose soaring voice defined a generation and helped open the door for Black women in pop music. Lordi moves beyond the familiar narrative of Houston as a tragic figure shaped by others, instead revealing a fiercely self-possessed musician, a woman of fluid sexuality, and a tireless advocate for Black female talent across the entertainment industry. Kirkus Reviews called it a top-tier biography of a once-in-a-generation artist. In this conversation, Lordi and Hadley will discuss Houston’s artistry, her complicated relationship with fame, and her rightful place in the long history of Black celebrity.

Emily Lordi is a writer, cultural critic, and professor of English at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of three books on Black literature and popular music, a writer-at-large for T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and a contributor to NewYorker.com, The Washington Post, and others. She lives in Nashville, TN.

Fredara Mareva Hadley, Ph.D., is an ethnomusicology professor in the music history department at The Juilliard School, where she teaches courses on ethnomusicology and African American music. Her work has been featured in academic journals and press including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Billboard. Her commentary has appeared in documentaries including the PBS docuseries Gospel, Little Richard: I Am Everything, and the Emmy Award–winning docuseries The 1619 Project. Hadley’s upcoming book, I’ll Make Me a World, centers on the musical culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and its impact on Black music and beyond.