{"product_id":"black-jesus-and-other-superheroes-9781496201867","title":"Black Jesus and Other Superheroes","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChronicles 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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 \u003ci\u003eBlack Jesus and Other Superheroes\u003c\/i\u003e, Blackburn is a writer to watch, but more importantly, to read.\"—Peter Dabbene, \u003ci\u003eForeword\u003c\/i\u003e starred review\u003cbr\u003e\"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, \u003ci\u003eMs. Magazine \u003c\/i\u003eblog\u003cbr\u003e\"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, \u003ci\u003eMid-American Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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 \u003ci\u003eReturn to Oakpine\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Kind of Flying\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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 \u003ci\u003eThe Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments    \u003cbr\u003e Black Jesus    \u003cbr\u003e Brim        \u003cbr\u003e A Savior, Belief, Tupac, and Balloons    \u003cbr\u003e We Buy Gold    \u003cbr\u003e The Hurt Will Make You Stronger    \u003cbr\u003e Chew        \u003cbr\u003e Take Me to the Water    \u003cbr\u003e In the Middle of Everything There Are Ribbons of Light    \u003cbr\u003e String Theory    \u003cbr\u003e A Brief Excerpt from the History of Salt    \u003cbr\u003e Ephemeros    \u003cbr\u003e Dog People    \u003cbr\u003e Barbers    \u003cbr\u003e End of the World    \u003cbr\u003e Ways to Mourn an Asshole    \u003cbr\u003e Rites        \u003cbr\u003e They Only Look Like They’re Smiling    \u003cbr\u003e The Immolator    \u003cbr\u003e There Are No Ninjas in the End    \u003cbr\u003e Hold ’til Warm    \u003cbr\u003e Ravished    \u003cbr\u003e Not Like You, Not at All    \u003cbr\u003e The Annie Oakley Gun Training for Women    \u003cbr\u003e Scars        \u003cbr\u003e Run Away Screaming    ","brand":"University of Nebraska Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49409216774487,"sku":"9781496201867","price":13.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781496201867.jpg?v=1730505986","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/black-jesus-and-other-superheroes-9781496201867","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}