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What doesn't kill you makes you blacker : a memoir in essays
2019
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The co-founder of VerySmartBrothas.com presents a provocative and humorous memoir-in-essays that explores the direct impact of racism on his life, the shifting definition of black male identity, and the ongoing realities of white supremacy. - (Baker & Taylor)

The co-founder of VerySmartBrothas.com presents a provocative and humorous memoir-in-essays that explores the direct impact of racism on his life, the shifting definition of black-male identity and the ongoing realities of white supremacy. 200,000 first printing. - (Baker & Taylor)

A Finalist for the NAACP Image Award

A Finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Nonfiction

A Finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor

Longlisted for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay

An NPR Best Book of the Year

A Washington Independent Review of Books Favorite of the Year

From the cofounder of VerySmartBrothas.com, and one of the most read writers on race and culture at work today, a provocative and humorous memoir-in-essays that explores the ever-shifting definitions of what it means to be Black (and male) in America

For Damon Young, existing while Black is an extreme sport. The act of possessing black skin while searching for space to breathe in America is enough to induce a ceaseless state of angst where questions such as 'How should I react here, as a professional black person?' and 'Will this white person's potato salad kill me?' are forever relevant.

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker chronicles Young's efforts to survive while battling and making sense of the various neuroses his country has given him.

It's a condition that's sometimes stretched to absurd limits, provoking the angst that made him question if he was any good at the 'being straight' thing, as if his sexual orientation was something he could practice and get better at, like a crossover dribble move or knitting; creating the farce where, as a teen, he wished for a white person to call him a racial slur just so he could fight him and have a great story about it; and generating the surreality of watching gentrification transform his Pittsburgh neighborhood from predominantly Black to 'Portlandia . . . but with Pierogies.'  

And, at its most devastating, it provides him reason to believe that his mother would be alive today if she were white.

From one of our most respected cultural observers, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker is a hilarious and honest debut that is both a celebration of the idiosyncrasies and distinctions of Blackness and a critique of white supremacy and how we define masculinity.

- (HARPERCOLL)

A Finalist for the NAACP Image Award

A Finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Nonfiction

A Finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor

Longlisted for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay

An NPR Best Book of the Year

A Washington Independent Review of Books Favorite of the Year

From the host of podcast "Stuck with Damon Young," cofounder of VerySmartBrothas.com, and one of the most read writers on race and culture at work today, a provocative and humorous memoir-in-essays that explores the ever-shifting definitions of what it means to be Black (and male) in America

For Damon Young, existing while Black is an extreme sport. The act of possessing black skin while searching for space to breathe in America is enough to induce a ceaseless state of angst where questions such as “How should I react here, as a professional black person?” and “Will this white person’s potato salad kill me?” are forever relevant.

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker chronicles Young’s efforts to survive while battling and making sense of the various neuroses his country has given him.

It’s a condition that’s sometimes stretched to absurd limits, provoking the angst that made him question if he was any good at the “being straight” thing, as if his sexual orientation was something he could practice and get better at, like a crossover dribble move or knitting; creating the farce where, as a teen, he wished for a white person to call him a racial slur just so he could fight him and have a great story about it; and generating the surreality of watching gentrification transform his Pittsburgh neighborhood from predominantly Black to “Portlandia . . . but with Pierogies.” 

And, at its most devastating, it provides him reason to believe that his mother would be alive today if she were white.

From one of our most respected cultural observers, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker is a hilarious and honest debut that is both a celebration of the idiosyncrasies and distinctions of Blackness and a critique of white supremacy and how we define masculinity.

- (HARPERCOLL)

Flap Cover Text

Aprovocative and humorous memoir-in-essays that explores the ever-shifting definitions of what it means to be black (and a man) in America

For Damon Young, existing while black is an extreme sport. The act of possessing black skin while searching for space to breathe in America is enough to induce a ceaseless state of angst, where questions such as “How should I react here, as a Professional Black Person?” and “Will this white person’s potato salad kill me?” are forever relevant.

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker chronicles Young’s efforts to survive while battling and making sense of the various neuroses his country has given him.

It’s a condition that’s sometimes stretched to absurd limits: creating the farce where, as a teen, he wished for a white person to call him a racial slur just so he could fight him and have a great story to tell about it afterward; provoking the angst that made him question if “being straight” and being more confident around girls was something he could practice and get better at, like a crossover dribble;   and generating the surreal experience of watching his Pittsburgh neighborhood gentrify from predominantly black to “Portlandia but with Pierogies.”

And, at its most devastating, it provides him reason to believe that his mother would be alive today if she had been white.

From one of our most respected cultural observers, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker  is a hilarious and honest debut that is both a celebration of the idiosyncrasies and distinctions of blackness and a critique of white supremacy and how we define masculinity.

- (HARPERCOLL)

Aprovocative and humorous memoir-in-essays that explores the ever-shifting definitions of what it means to be black (and a man) in America

For Damon Young, existing while black is an extreme sport. The act of possessing black skin while searching for space to breathe in America is enough to induce a ceaseless state of angst, where questions such as 'How should I react here, as a Professional Black Person?' and 'Will this white person's potato salad kill me?' are forever relevant.

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker chronicles Young's efforts to survive while battling and making sense of the various neuroses his country has given him.

It's a condition that's sometimes stretched to absurd limits: creating the farce where, as a teen, he wished for a white person to call him a racial slur just so he could fight him and have a great story to tell about it afterward; provoking the angst that made him question if 'being straight' and being more confident around girls was something he could practice and get better at, like a crossover dribble;   and generating the surreal experience of watching his Pittsburgh neighborhood gentrify from predominantly black to 'Portlandia but with Pierogies.'

And, at its most devastating, it provides him reason to believe that his mother would be alive today if she had been white.

From one of our most respected cultural observers, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker  is a hilarious and honest debut that is both a celebration of the idiosyncrasies and distinctions of blackness and a critique of white supremacy and how we define masculinity.

- (HARPERCOLL)

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Table of Contents

Introduction Living While Black is an Extreme Sport 1(14)
1 Nigger Fight Story
15(14)
2 Street Cred
29(26)
3 Bomb-Ass Poetry
55(22)
4 Your Turn
77(10)
5 Nohoho
87(20)
6 Driver's Ed
107(20)
7 Three Niggas
127(18)
8 Osama Bomaye
145(14)
9 Broke
159(18)
10 How to Hake the Internet Hate you in 15 Simple Steps
177(24)
11 Banging Over Bacon
201(12)
12 Yolo
213(22)
13 Living While Black Killed my Mom
235(14)
14 East Liberty Kutz
249(22)
15 Thursday-Night Hoops
271(20)
16 Zoe
291(14)
Acknowledgments 305

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