Age: 50
male
Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates (/ˌtɑːnəˈhɑːsi/TAH-nə-HAH-see; (born September 30, 1975) is an American author, journalist, and activist. He gained a wide readership as a national correspondent at The Atlantic, where he wrote about cultural, social, and political issues, particularly regarding African Americans and white supremacy. In 2015, Coates received a MacArthur Fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation. His work has been published in numerous periodicals. He has published four nonfiction books: The Beautiful Struggle(2008), Between the World and Me(2015), We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy (2017), and The Message (2024). Between the World and Me won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction. He has also written a Black Panther and Captain America series for Marvel Comics. His first novel, The Water Dancer, was published in 2019. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ta-Nehisi Coates, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Set against the electric nightlife of early 1900s St. Louis, Ragtime Ghosts dives into the short but influential life of Louis Chauvin, a young prodigy who became one of ragtime’s most talented — yet forgotten — voices. As a mixed-race pianist navigating the racially charged clubs of St. Louis, Chauvin faced discrimination, poverty, and health challenges that threatened to silence his brilliance. His natural genius and effortless improvisation would earn him the admiration of peers and audiences alike, yet fame and fortune eluded him. The film opens with Chauvin at his peak, captivating audiences with melodies that float through the streets, even as he grapples with worsening health and the unforgiving constraints of his era. Through powerful performances, viewers experience the allure of ragtime music in its earliest, most passionate form. The story is laced with iconic figures like Scott Joplin, who recognizes Chauvin's gift and fights to preserve his legacy even after Chauvin's untimely death at just 27.
