First published 2011
Thelonious "Monk" Ellison is a respected Black novelist, but his latest book is a sly satire of the publishing world's racial biases. When his book is rejected for being "too black," Monk hatches a plan: he'll publish under a white pseudonym and see if the industry embraces his work. As his experiment spirals, Monk must confront his own assumptions about identity, success, and the blistering compromises writers face.
Genres: satire, literary-fiction, american-fiction, african-american, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: satire, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Washington (D.C.)
265 pages · Paperback · Graywolf Press