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2.5
A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond, as told to Percival Everett & James Kincaid (A Novel) (Akashic Urban Surreal)
ByPublisher Description
Praise for Percival
“If Percival Everett isn’t already a household name, it’s because people are more interested in politics than truth.”—Madison Smartt Bell, author of The Washington Square Ensemble
“Everett’s talent is multifaceted, sparked by a satiric brilliance that could place him alongside Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison . . .”— Publishers Weekly
“I think Percival Everett is a genius. I’ve been a fan since his first novel. He continues to amaze me with each novel—as if he likes making 90-degree turns to see what’s around the corner, and then over the edge . . . He’s a brilliant writer and so damn smart I envy him.”—Terry McMillan, author of Mama
A fictitious and satirical chronicle of South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond’s desire to pen a history of African-Americans—his and his aides’ belief being that he has done as much, or more, than any American to shape that history. An epistolary novel, The 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, kindly family friends, and an aspiring author named Septic. Strom Thurmond appears charming and open, mad and sure of his place in American history.
Percival Everett is the author of 15 works of fiction, among them Glyph , Watershed and Frenzy . His most recent novel, Erasure , won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and did little to earn him friends.
James Kincaid is an English professor at the University of Southern California and has written seven books in literary theory and cultural studies. These books and Kincaid himself have gradually lost their moorings in the academic world, so there was nothing left for him to do but to adopt the guise of fiction writer. Writing about madness comes easy to him.
“If Percival Everett isn’t already a household name, it’s because people are more interested in politics than truth.”—Madison Smartt Bell, author of The Washington Square Ensemble
“Everett’s talent is multifaceted, sparked by a satiric brilliance that could place him alongside Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison . . .”— Publishers Weekly
“I think Percival Everett is a genius. I’ve been a fan since his first novel. He continues to amaze me with each novel—as if he likes making 90-degree turns to see what’s around the corner, and then over the edge . . . He’s a brilliant writer and so damn smart I envy him.”—Terry McMillan, author of Mama
A fictitious and satirical chronicle of South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond’s desire to pen a history of African-Americans—his and his aides’ belief being that he has done as much, or more, than any American to shape that history. An epistolary novel, The 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, kindly family friends, and an aspiring author named Septic. Strom Thurmond appears charming and open, mad and sure of his place in American history.
Percival Everett is the author of 15 works of fiction, among them Glyph , Watershed and Frenzy . His most recent novel, Erasure , won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and did little to earn him friends.
James Kincaid is an English professor at the University of Southern California and has written seven books in literary theory and cultural studies. These books and Kincaid himself have gradually lost their moorings in the academic world, so there was nothing left for him to do but to adopt the guise of fiction writer. Writing about madness comes easy to him.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesA History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond, as told to Percival Everett & James Kincaid (A Novel) (Akashic Urban Surreal) Reviews
2.5
“"A History of the African-American People (Proposed by Strom Thurmond)" by Percival Everett and James Kincaid is an epistolary satirical novel that's funny in its biting absurdity, but ultimately not for me. The premise alone is wild: a fictional "history" dictated by the segregationist Strom Thurmond to a hapless writer, unfolding through ridiculous memos, letters, and increasingly deranged footnotes. It's a deliciously savage takedown of historical revisionism and white supremacist delusion. Everett and Kincaid's deadpan humor shines in the escalating ridiculousness, like Thurmond's oblivious tangents or the writer's increasingly unhinged marginalia, delivering sharp laughs at the expense of ignorance and power. The satire lands some killer blows on American racial politics, using the epistolary format to mimic bureaucratic nonsense while exposing uncomfortable truths about who gets to write history. That said, the relentless irony and fragmented structure felt more clever than captivating for my taste. It prioritizes intellectual jabs over emotional pull or narrative momentum. I'm a fan of Everett's work, but this one was tough to get through. Fans of highbrow absurdity and Everett's precise wit will eat it up, but if you're after something beyond the smirk, it might leave you appreciating the point without fully connecting.”
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I wish I had the vocabulary and wit of Percival Everett. I laughed out loud more to this book than usual. It’s basically a series of letters that tell a story when pieced together, and 90% of the letters are hilarious. The dialogue he gave to Strom Thurmond is the absolute best. Southern and pretty racist but funny at the same time?!? Yes, crazy. Black comedy.”
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