{"product_id":"a-little-devil-in-america-hanif-abdurraqib-9781984801197","title":"A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance","description":"\u003cb\u003eNATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST - A sweeping, genre-bending \"masterpiece\" (Minneapolis \u003ci\u003eStar Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e) exploring Black art, music, and culture in all their glory and complexity--from\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSoul Train, \u003c\/i\u003e Aretha Franklin, and James Brown to \u003ci\u003eThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, \u003c\/i\u003e Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Dallas Morning News, Publishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Gorgeous essays that reveal the resilience, heartbreak, and joy within Black performance.\"--Brit Bennett, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Vanishing Half\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"I was a devil in other countries, and I was a little devil in America, too.\" Inspired by these few words, spoken by Josephine Baker at the 1963 March on Washington, MacArthur \"Genius Grant\" Fellow and bestselling author Hanif Abdurraqib has written a profound and lasting reflection on how Black performance is inextricably woven into the fabric of American culture. Each moment in every performance he examines--whether it's the twenty-seven seconds in \"Gimme Shelter\" in which Merry Clayton wails the words \"rape, murder,\" a schoolyard fistfight, a dance marathon, or the instant in a game of spades right after the cards are dealt--has layers of resonance in Black and white cultures, the politics of American empire, and Abdurraqib's own personal history of love, grief, and performance. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTouching on Michael Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Billy Dee Williams, the Wu-Tan Clan, Dave Chappelle, and more, Abdurraqib writes prose brimming with jubilation and pain. With care and generosity, he explains the poignancy of performances big and small, each one feeling intensely familiar and vital, both timeless and desperately urgent. Filled with sharp insight, humor, and heart, \u003ci\u003eA Little Devil in America\u003c\/i\u003e exalts the Black performance that unfolds in specific moments in time and space--from midcentury Paris to the moon, and back down again to a cramped living room in Columbus, Ohio. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eWINNER OF THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL AND THE GORDON BURN PRIZE \u003cb\u003e-\u003c\/b\u003e FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD AND THE PEN\/DIAMONSTEIN-SPIELVOGEL AWARD\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review, Time, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe, \u003c\/i\u003e NPR, \u003ci\u003eRolling Stone, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBuzzFeed, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThrillist, She Reads, BookRiot\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBookPage, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eElectric Lit, The Rumpus, LitHub, Library Journal, Booklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Hanif Abdurraqib\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1984801198\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781984801197\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Random House\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/30\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.95lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.20h x 5.70w x 1.20d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAward:\u003c\/b\u003e National Book Awards - Finalist\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAward:\u003c\/b\u003e ALA Notable Books - Winner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAward:\u003c\/b\u003e Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence - Winner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal Prepub Alert\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/01\/2020 pg. 51\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/18\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/15\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2021 pg. 85\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2021 pg. 9","brand":"Hanif Abdurraqib","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44054075998463,"sku":"9781984801197","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_3d53ddd5-ae68-42df-ae9e-7648c3d178c6.jpg?v=1685027852","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/a-little-devil-in-america-hanif-abdurraqib-9781984801197","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}