Keynote
A Kafkaesque satire set in contemporary Lagos, by “a major talent” (Teju Cole)
Book Title
Blackass
Subtitle
A Novel
Cover Image
- “[Blackass] vividly captures the frenetic energy of one of the world’s fastest-growing cities . . . [An] engaging meditation on the mutability—and the stubborn persistence—of identity.”—The New York Times Book Review
Body
Furo Wariboko, a young Nigerian, awakes the morning before a job interview to find that he’s been transformed into a white man. In this condition he plunges into the bustle of Lagos to make his fortune. With his red hair, green eyes, and pale skin, it seems he’s been completely changed. Well, almost. There is the matter of his family, his accent, his name. Oh, and his black ass. Furo must quickly learn to navigate a world made unfamiliar, and deal with those who would use him for their own purposes. Taken in by a young woman called Syreeta and pursued by a writer named Igoni, Furo lands his first-ever job, adopts a new name, and soon finds himself evolving in unanticipated ways.
A. Igoni Barrett’s Blackass is a fierce comic satire that touches on everything from race to social media while at the same time questioning the values society places on us, simply by virtue of the way we look. As he did in Love Is Power, or Something Like That, Barrett brilliantly depicts life in contemporary Nigeria, and details the double-dealing and code-switching that is implicit in everyday business. But it’s Furo’s search for an identity—one deeper than skin—that leads to the final unraveling of his own carefully constructed story.
A. Igoni Barrett’s Blackass is a fierce comic satire that touches on everything from race to social media while at the same time questioning the values society places on us, simply by virtue of the way we look. As he did in Love Is Power, or Something Like That, Barrett brilliantly depicts life in contemporary Nigeria, and details the double-dealing and code-switching that is implicit in everyday business. But it’s Furo’s search for an identity—one deeper than skin—that leads to the final unraveling of his own carefully constructed story.
List Price
$16.00
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About the Author
Credit: Victor Ehikhamenor
Praise
- “Blackass makes a powerful statement.”—Vanity Fair
- “[Blackass’s] magical realism allows Barrett to probe society’s continuing bias [toward] whiteness, both explicit and covert . . . [Barrett's] two acclaimed short-story collections didn’t come close to exhausting his talent.”—Wired
- “In both concept and execution, [Blackass] is stunning. . . . This book is irresistible.”—Bustle
- “Very funny, very fierce. . . . Barrett conveys life in contemporary Lagos with sharp social insight and a searing examination of the prejudices that rule the modern world.”—Travel + Leisure
