Description
Book SynopsisChronicles ordinary people achieving vivid extrasensory perception while under extreme pain. The stories tumble into a universe of the jaded and the hopeful, in which men and women burdened with unwieldy and undesirable superhuman abilities are nonetheless resilient in subtle and startling ways.
Trade Review"Venita Blackburn makes an indelible impression with her first collection of short stories. . . . Whether she embarks on writing novels or sticks with more short work along the line of
Black Jesus and Other Superheroes, Blackburn is a writer to watch, but more importantly, to read."—Peter Dabbene,
Foreword starred review
"With thoughtful subtext and symbols that address themes of race, sexuality, family, love and (dis)ability, Blackburn’s remarkably short stories are characterized by a wild imagination and beautiful prose."—Taliah Mancini,
Ms. Magazine blog
"Vernita Blackburn's debut is a stunning collection of beautiful, sustained narratives and flash pieces that testify to Blackburn's visual, electric writing style. The stories are stylistically unified by her distinctive use of language: a realist narrative style punctuated by flat, dead-pan humor and stunningly specific, sensory description. The work focuses on the themes of family, race, and religion."—Kari Hanlin,
Mid-American Review“Prepare! This collection bears exuberant testimony to a striking new talent. Witness here the terrific imagination of Venita Blackburn as she lays out and plays out the harm and the succor that come with family. These are short, high-octane stories, funny and dark; open this book and read the story ‘Chew’ right now! It will lead you to the rest. This is an exhilarating debut.”—Ron Carlson, author of
Return to Oakpine and
A Kind of Flying“Electrically alive, funny, real—this is work that just begs to be read aloud and when it is it will fill a room with crackle and ache. What a delight!”—Aimee Bender, author of
The Particular Sadness of Lemon CakeTable of ContentsAcknowledgments
Black Jesus
Brim
A Savior, Belief, Tupac, and Balloons
We Buy Gold
The Hurt Will Make You Stronger
Chew
Take Me to the Water
In the Middle of Everything There Are Ribbons of Light
String Theory
A Brief Excerpt from the History of Salt
Ephemeros
Dog People
Barbers
End of the World
Ways to Mourn an Asshole
Rites
They Only Look Like They’re Smiling
The Immolator
There Are No Ninjas in the End
Hold ’til Warm
Ravished
Not Like You, Not at All
The Annie Oakley Gun Training for Women
Scars
Run Away Screaming
