Trayvon Martin’s death and George Zimmerman’s acquittal are further proof that Obama’s two-term presidency and the spike in interracial marriage have not magically transformed America into some post-racial Shangri-la free of the demons of prejudice and discrimination. The country is post-black, as cultural critic Touré demonstrates in his book Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness? Blacks, he explains, are post-black in that they are “like Obama: rooted in but not restricted by Blackness.” Rejecting … [Read more...] about Things American: From Post-Black to Postmortem–The Tragic Death of Trayvon Martin
Things American
Introducing “Things American”
We're fiction people. We know that. You know that. We're American Short Fiction, after all. Today, though, we're launching a new essay series we're calling "Things American," which will feature authors tackling all manner of topical and literary issues in an attempt to heed Kurt Vonnegut's warning that "Literature should not disappear up its own asshole, so to speak." In truth, we’re interested in the broader experience of what it is to be an "American"—that funny, fuzzy-edged word. Inspired … [Read more...] about Introducing “Things American”