"Two remarkable works that have profoundly influenced me are James and Wounded, both by the brilliant Percival Everett. I had the privilege of attending the Booker prize ceremony last year, where I was in the same room as Everett. Although he didn't win for James, the reading by Nonso Anozie was both devastatingly moving and hilariously insightful. Everett is a masterful African-American author who captures the complexities of contemporary Black identity in the US."
"James is a literary remix of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, told from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved character. It's a funny and thrilling exploration of racism, slavery and humanity's capacity for cruelty. Everett's retelling allows Jim and his fellow plantation workers to communicate in a way that transcends the often parodic depictions of Black speech. The line, Dey takes the lies dey want and throws away the truth dat scares 'em, reflects a deep wisdom."
Black culture continually reshapes identity and worldview through art. Two novels, James and Wounded, offer powerful perspectives on racism, slavery, identity, and love. James retells Huckleberry Finn from Jim's viewpoint, using humor and satire to confront cruelty and to render Black speech with dignity. Key lines emphasize truth, wisdom, and the liberating power of literacy when Jim realizes that seeing words prevents others from controlling meaning. Wounded, set in Wyoming, follows a Black horse trainer helping an ostracized young man, navigating homophobia and love with grace and humor. Both novels reveal unexpected compassion and insist on empathy amid hardship.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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