Overview

""[A]n outrageously funny satire of race relations and racism, US history, contemporary sexual mores and behavior, academia, and the publishing industry . . . It could become a cult-classic . . . Highly recommended.""-Library Journal ""The story's epistolary format allows novelist Everett and literary theorist Kincaid to write in a chorus of richly individuated voices, by turns-and often simultaneously-sardonic, hysterical, obsequious, and threatening, aware of their own hypocrisies but unwilling to renounce them. The result is a truly funny send-up of the corrupt politics of academe, the publishing industry, and politics, as well as a subtle but biting critique of racial ideology."" -Publishers Weekly In A History of the African-American People [Proposed], Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Percival Everett (James) and James Kincaid present a fictitious chronicle of former South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond's desire to pen a history of African Americans-his and his aides' belief being that he had done as much, or more, than any American to shape that history. An epistolary novel, A History follows the letters of loose-cannon congressional office workers, insane interns at a large New York publishing house, and disturbed publishing executives, along with homicidal rival editors and kindly family friends. Strom Thurmond appears charming and open, mad and sure of his place in American history.

Full Product Details

9781636142845

Table of Contents

Reviews

The story's epistolary format allows novelist Everett and literary theorist Kincaid to write in a chorus of richly individuated voices, by turns--and often simultaneously--sardonic, hysterical, obsequious, and threatening, aware of their own hypocrisies but unwilling to renounce them. The result is a truly funny send-up of the corrupt politics of academe, the publishing industry, and politics, as well as a subtle but biting critique of racial ideology.-- ""Publishers Weekly"" This is the funniest novel I've read in years! I had trouble reading it because I had to stop to laugh out loud so often.--Clarence Major, author of Configurations We can only hope that fine literary excursions such as this Everett and Kincaid novel will help demolish all ghettos, real and symbolic.-- ""Chicago Tribune"" A History of the African-American People . . . is billed as a novel, but a moment's inspection is all you need to see that it is really a full-out spoof.-- ""New York Times""

A History of the African-American People . . . is billed as a novel, but a moment's inspection is all you need to see that it is really a full-out spoof.-- ""New York Times"" The story's epistolary format allows novelist Everett and literary theorist Kincaid to write in a chorus of richly individuated voices, by turns--and often simultaneously--sardonic, hysterical, obsequious, and threatening, aware of their own hypocrisies but unwilling to renounce them. The result is a truly funny send-up of the corrupt politics of academe, the publishing industry, and politics, as well as a subtle but biting critique of racial ideology. -- ""Publishers Weekly"" This is the funniest novel I've read in years! I had trouble reading it because I had to stop to laugh out loud so often. --Clarence Major, author of Configurations We can only hope that ?ne literary excursions such as this Everett and Kincaid novel will help demolish all ghettos, real and symbolic. -- ""Chicago Tribune""

Author Information

PERCIVAL EVERETT is a distinguished professor of English at the University of Southern California. His most recent books include James (Pulitzer Prize winner, #1 New York Times bestseller, National Book Award winner, Kirkus Prize winner), Dr. No (finalist for the NBCC Award for Fiction and winner of the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award), The Trees (finalist for the Booker Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction), and Telephone (finalist for the Pulitzer Prize). American Fiction, the feature film based on his novel Erasure, was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, the writer Danzy Senna, and their children. James Kincaid is an English professor masquerading as an author (or the other way around). He's published two novels, a couple dozen short stories, and ever so many nonfiction articles, reviews, and books, including long studies of Dickens, Trollope, and Tennyson, along with two books on Victorian and modern eroticizing of children.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available