Synopses & Reviews
In his second major story collection, Ran Walker takes on issues of race, cultural appropriation, politics, family, relationships, and the value of Black lives.
In the title story, two young men go to participate in a handshake competition but find themselves up against an obstacle they did not anticipate. In "The Impersonator" a comedian finds a job that ultimately contributes to the legacy of another person. In "The Box" a college student home for vacation investigates whether his elderly Caucasian neighbor is holding the soul of a lynched Black man in a box. In "My Best Friend is Black" a recent college grad accepts a job as a friend to the 1 percenters. In the thirteen stories in this collection, Walker uses satire, humor, and horror to weave a tapestry of timely themes that are sure to resonate with readers.
Review
"Walker does an excellent job of pushing the racial envelope in this book, confronting preconceptions and notions while always helping readers see the shifting black persona." Shonda Buchanan, author of Equipoise: Poems From Goddess Country and Black Indian
About the Author
Ran Walker is the author of twenty-one books. He is the winner of the 2019 Indie Author of the Year and 2019 BCALA Fiction Ebook Awards. He teaches creative writing at Hampton University and lives with his wife and daughter in Virginia. He can be reached via his website, www.ranwalker.com.