A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond, as told to Percival Everett & James Kincaid (A Novel)

by Percival Everett, James Kincaid

Overview

Veteran authors Everett and Kincaid present an uproarious send-up of one of America’s most controversial American icons.

“[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

Everett and Kincaid present a fictitious 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, 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, kindly family friends, and an aspiring author named Septic. Strom Thurmond appears charming and open, mad and sure of his place in American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781888451573
Publisher:	Akashic Books, Ltd.
Publication date:	04/01/2004
Series:	Akashic Urban Surreal Series
Pages:	300
Sales rank:	151,023
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

PERCIVAL EVERETT is the author of fifteen novels, among them The Water Cure, Erasure, and Glyph. He is the author of the poetry collection Abstraktion und Einfühlung, the coauthor of A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond, as told to Percival Everett & James Kincaid (A Novel), and provided annotations for Akashic’s publication of The Jefferson Bible. He is Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California and lives in the Los Angeles area.

What People are Saying About This

James Sallis

Percival Everett has been wrestling the angel for years, in all its incarnations-literary novel, Western, naturalist story, experimental work, satire-and in each case he's pinned the angel, made it call uncle. Now he's gone tagteam with James Kincaid, so expect more damage. That Everett is not better known, that he fails to be mentioned alongside the like of Philip Roth,John Updike and Tony Morrison,shames us all.
—author of Chester Himes: A Life

Clarence Major

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. Among many other things, it's a treasure of satiric humor. Don't pass it up!
—author of Configurations

Editorial Reviews

"James Kincaid has an easy familiarity, an often-charming wit, and a cool sense of the absurd."

Washington Times

"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

"If Percival Everett isn’t already a household name, it’s because people are more interested in politics than truth."

Madison Smartt Bell

"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. Among many other things, it’s a treasure of satiric humor. Don’t pass it up!"

Clarence Major

The mere broaching of the outrageous titular book proposal is enough to keep this hilarious high-concept satire humming along. Among the characters who try to make sense of it are the fey, omnisexual Tennessee Williamsish congressional aide proposing the book, who attempts to clarify things by suggesting that the Methuselan segregationist senator "is, properly understood, a black writer"; the fatuous Simon & Schuster editor who thinks such a project might make for a fashionably "hot" manuscript (but said editor doesn't have "enough holes in his bowling ball"); and the authors, inserting themselves into the novel as academic ghostwriters whose curiosity and greed overcome their revulsion at the idea. And then there's the slyly charming Thurmond himself, who's far from fully committed to the project, and cagily justifies his own racist record by throwing away the concepts of objective truth and personal responsibility as casually as he throws out homespun anecdotes ("You know, my brother Bill used to stutter something terrible. He couldn't say grace and have his food be hot"). 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 sendup of the corrupt politics of academe, the publishing industry and politics, as well as a subtle but biting critique of racial ideology. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

I'll bet you didn't realize that Sen. Strom Thurmond was actually the best thing that ever happened to African Americans-at least, that's what one of the octogenarian's aides sets out to prove in this fictional account of a publishing snafu. Painfully insecure, sexually confused, and schizoid, Barton Wilkes imagines a chronicle of Thurmond's contributions to the black community and attempts to con a major house into publishing it. Confusions, con jobs, coercions, and conflicts cross and become convoluted in mysterious ways as ever more editors, editorial assistants, authors, various would-be lovers, and even Thurmond himself swirl through the project. Everyone has a piece of the puzzle, but nothing fits. Everett and Kincaid cast themelves as major characters, only slightly saner than the rest, and use an epistolary style that includes letters, memos, contracts, and interview notes to create a unique voice for every character. The result is an outrageously funny satire of race relations and racism, U.S. history, contemporary sexual mores and behavior, academia, and the publishing industry. It could become a cult classic or even that rarest of rarities-a small-press best seller. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.-Jim Dwyer, California State Univ. Lib., Chico Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal