Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Written in the spirit of Joan Didion's essay Notes from a Native Daughter and James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, a revelatory look at today's America from writer and activist Kevin Powell as told through an examination of three crucial figures in his life: his mother, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Through personal anecdotes and painstaking research, Kevin Powell delivers an autobiography of America as well as revealing portraits of three diverse and important people in his lifetime. First, he offers an intimate look at his mother, a product of the American South who lived through segregation, classism, and sexism--and still succeeded in raising her son to become a strong Black man.
Coinciding with the tenth anniversary of Barack Obama's first presidential victory, Powell also reflects on the legacy of the forty-forth President and his evolution from a revered figure to a hotly debated and polarizing leader by people of all backgrounds. Finally, drawing on his experience touring the South as an activist and public speaker, Powell observes the dynamic rise of President Donald Trump's popularity and the cultural influence of his supporters.
During this time of confusion, in a nation that's divided like never before but continues to become more and more diverse than ever, Powell addresses the urgent conversation about race, class, and identity with keenness and compassion.
Synopsis
Written in the tradition of works by Joan Didion, bell hooks, Toni Morrison, and Eve Ensler, a provocative and soul-searching "autobiography of America"--the past, the present, and the future Kevin Powell wants for us all, through the lens and lives of three major figures: his mother, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Ten short years ago, Barack Obama became president of the United States, and changed the course of history. Ten short years ago, our America was hailed globally as a breathtaking example of democracy, as a rainbow coalition of everyday people marching to the same drum beat. We had finally overcome.
But did we?
Both the presidencies of Obama and Donald Trump have produced some of the ugliest divides in history: horrific racial murders, non-stop mass shootings, the explosion of attacks on immigrants and on the LGBTQ community, the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, a massive gap between the haves and the have-nots, and legions of women stepping forth to challenge sexual violence--and men--in all forms.
In this gripping new collection of thirteen essays, My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man., Kevin Powell interweaves brutally honest personal stories with the saga of America, then and now. Be it politics, sports, pop culture, hip-hop music, mental health, racism, #MeToo, or his very complicated relationship with his mother, these impassioned essays are not merely a mirror of who we are, but also who and what Powell thinks we ought to be.