The Secret Art Inside 'After Color'
Inside the visual heart of a celebrated artist's coming-of-age novel
Entry No. 002 — The Secret Art Inside After Color
Hello Dear Readers,
One of the most incredible parts of working on Malaika Favorite’s upcoming novel, After Color, has been witnessing how her life as an artist—steeped in vibrant textures and the cultural history of the South—shapes every page. I wanted to give you a small window into the visual world behind the book.
After Color takes place in an alternate Atlanta, Georgia. In 2020, a “color pandemic” rid all humans of color sight. What followed were decades of hysteria, grief, and finally acceptance and even denial that color had ever been real.
Decades later, in 2051, a fifteen-year-old girl named Jade begins to see things she can’t describe, setting off a beautifully told coming-of-age story that is ultimately a celebrated visual artist’s love letter to color, family, and living your truth.
As you might imagine, in a world where no one can still perceive color, paintings become secret histories, arguments, and sometimes acts of rebellion. Here are a few that stayed with me long after reading:
🎨 Whistler’s Arrangement in Gray and Black — You probably know this as the portrait of Whistler’s mother, all muted tones and restraint. But in Malaika’s world, this painting sparks fierce debates: were there ever traces of green and brown in the shadows, or is it all wishful thinking? After all, the title says it all…
🌳 Georgia O’Keeffe’s The Lawrence Tree — A painting of a tree you look up into with pure wonder, pure childhood joy. In the book, a battered art book becomes a family heirloom, connecting generations through color long after the world has gone gray.
💛 Beauford Delaney’s Untitled — Hiding in a grandmother’s closet, wrapped in paper, waiting to shine again. This small painting of wild, joyful yellow becomes one of the first tests of Jade’s miraculous ability to see color in a world where many question if it ever existed at all.
After Color arrives this May, and I can’t wait for you to meet these artworks on the page.
What piece of art has stayed with YOU over the years? Write to me at editor@cosmographiabooks.com and I'll share it in an upcoming issue of the Codex.
🔹 Pre-order After Color now – Pay What You Can ($10–$20)
Be among the first to experience this mesmerizing novel. Choose your price and support the book’s launch!
📅 Save the Date!
Join us for a virtual conversation with Malaika Favorite and Cosmographia Books founding editor Nina Alvarez on May 27 from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. EST, hosted by Writers & Books.
Discover the story behind After Color, hear from Malaika herself, and join a vibrant discussion about art, memory, and resilience.
🎟️ This is a pay-what-you-can event (Free – $20) streamed via Zoom. Get your ticket here.
Until next time, keep seeing the world in all its color.
Nina Alvarez
Publisher & Keeper of the Codex
P.S. We’ve just welcomed our first Founding (Council of the Codex) Member—and I’m so grateful! If you’d like to support The Cosmographia Codex and help us continue sharing behind-the-scenes stories, literary explorations, and the work of boundary-pushing authors, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Every subscription helps sustain this work and keeps our literary map growing.
The Cosmographia Codex is more than a newsletter—it’s a living literary record. A map of the books, ideas, and discoveries shaping Cosmographia Books, a small press with a big map.
