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A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance
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About This Book
A stirring meditation on Black performance in America from the New York Times bestselling author of Go Ahead in the Rain At the March on Washington in 1963, Josephine Baker was fifty-seven years old, well beyond her most prolific days. But in her speech she was in a mood to consider her life, her legacy, her departure from the country she was now triumphantly returning to. "I was a devil in other countries, and I was a little devil in America, too," she told the crowd. Inspired by these few words, 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. Abdurraqib writes prose brimming with jubilation and pain, infused with the lyricism and rhythm of the musicians he loves. 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, A Little Devil in America 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.
Reviews
"his prose is reliably razor-sharp."
"Little Devil in America sheds light on repeated small acts of joy that lift us during traumatic experiences."
"his writing, far from being the usual top-down music criticism, is spotted with small revelations and fleeting instances of recognition ..."
"The author also calls out the use of blackface and the sanitization of race relations in today's films and laments the exploitation of violence against and by African Americans ..."
"features Hanif Abdurraqib's considerable talents as a poet, essayist and thoughtful social commentator."
"Those not interested in Abdurraqib's musing on Green Book and Altamont may find themselves moved by his aching writing on his family — leading to the book's devastating final chapter."
"Startling, layered, and timely, this is an essential, illuminating collection that advances Abdurraqib's already impressive body of work."
"In sections like these which cover relatively unknown artists, one often desires more straight reportage to supplement the book's predominantly lyrical style."
"Abdurraqib cherishes this power to enlarge oneself within or beyond real or imagined restrictions ..."
"It's fascinating to witness Abdurraqib go from place to place and end up somewhere unexpected, but somehow perfect."
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