White Boys

by Reginald McKnight

Book Overview

O. Henry Award-winner Reginald McKnight populates his daring and lyrical fiction with cultural hybrids and mulattos--rootless misfits. Here, conflicts blur rather than darken the so-called color... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805048294
• ISBN13: 9780805048292
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

All Shades of Gray within Both Black and White

I thoroughly enjoyed "White Boys". The prose went down easily, effortlessly, as if the narrators were familiar to me--sometimes colloquial, sometimes dream-like voices of people I already knew well. But the stories told created a great friction, exploring a realm of existence that writers rarely dare to flesh out. Reginald McKnight does not deal in extremes. He deals in all the shades of gray within both Black and White. A previous reader wrote, "The high-water mark for black-oriented short fiction remains James Alan McPherson's . . . Elbow Room" It would seem that this reader has missed the mark entirely. One should think twice before lumping together all black American writers, and comparing their works of fiction as such. McKnight's "White Boys" explores unique areas of identity. I hope people will read this book, not because they are looking to read the work of a wonderful and talented black American writer, but because they want to read the work of a brilliant writer who makes us feel at home as he exposes us to intense alienation. His voice is genuinely the voice of the characters, but it is also strangely our own.

Walkign the tightrope

Reg McKnight's book shows us the tightrope Blacks in America walk today. In stories that switch locale between Africa and the US, we always see the Black male as other--not African not American. In beautiful stories of voice and character, McKnight explores the tension inthe term of African-American and at the heart of the Middle Class black experience. This book is terrific.

An intriguing vocal work of the middle-class african/america

I find McKnight's prose enlightening and lyrical. His characters bring to the surface things unknown to themselves, and experiences the community shares. He understands the cacophony of the everday and how each moment can weigh upon people. The idea that racial tension and conflict often clears the lines is false, and McKnight successfully renders the problem as one that cannot be seen with clear cut boundaries. An excellent read for anyone seeking fresh prose.

Fascinating lyrical work of un-clear race relations

McKnight is a master of modern prose. His words jive and render his characters into powerful moments of heartbreak and joy. A rare find for anyone seeking the best fiction an African/American writer has to offer. "Palm Wine" is the most ingenious work he's written since "I Get on the Bus." The story offers much about the muddled race/culture line between blacks in America and blacks in Africa. You will discover something about yourself, and in turn, understand something more about the significance of community. Excellent.

Innovative in his use of language, riveting stories

Reginald McKnight's stories are innovative and challenge the conventional use of language. His writing is cutting-edge and keeps you interested in the book all the way through.