Synopses & Reviews
View the
Table of Contents. Read the
Preface.
"Possibly the best title of the season."Books to Watch out For
"A thrilling, imaginative, and brilliant reading of contemporary cultural politics from one of the freshest voices in the field today. Dwight McBride's graceful prose, sharp wit, and sound judgments leap from every page. His essays sparkle with abundant intelligenceand a striking personal investmentas they lead the reader through a complex array of ideas, practices, and situations without losing sight of the ultimate intellectual and political liberation at which they aim. Bravo!"
Michael Eric Dyson, author of The Michael Eric Dyson Reader
"A fair warning from an intelligent, well-informed writer"
Alter Magazine
"McBride has emerged as one of the most eloquent public voices in both queer studies and black studies. In this wide-ranging bookwritten with intelligence, passion, and humorhe brings the insights of each field to the blind spots of the other. We all have something to learn from him."
Michael Warner, Rutgers University
"McBride's heady collection is an accessible think piece, starting with its agreeable title and its pointed essay of the same name."
Time Out New York
"This collection breaks new ground for contemporary cultural criticism. McBride's look at homophobia in traditional African-American studies is an emphatic but penetrating critique of the discipline, and his explication of the ghettoization of black men in gay male porn is truly original work with ramifications well outside of queer studies."
Publishers Weekly
"McBride's prose is smart, on-target, and very readable. These essays are not simply illuminating, but some of the most eye-opening commentaries on gay culture to be published in years."
Between the Lines
"This is one thought-provoking book."
HX/HOMO XTRA
"Dwight A. McBride writes eloquently about the issues of race and homosexuality."
Philadelphia Gay News
"McBridge expends more intellectual energy justifying his dislike of the popular clothing chain than perhaps any other person on the planet."
Evenings Out Chronicle
"Eloquent collection...engagingly- and, for an academic, unorthodoxly- autobiographical."
San Francisco Bay Time
"McBride's volume is a provacative and wide ranging exploration of a range of issues relating to race and sexuality."Bay Area Reporter
"The book's namesake essay- a scathingly detailed and systematic study of the history, advertising practices, and hiring policies that comprise the "cult of Abercrombie"- makes the collection a mindblowing must-read...timely, disconcerting, and riveting in a way that academic writing should be, but rarely is."Girlfriends
"Working across cultural studies, gay and lesbian studies, and race, ethnicity, and feminist studies, McBride attempts to ponder, address, and, where possible, rescue both African American studies and queer theory from the pitfalls of ignoring each other. This project is admirable to the extent that, not unlike black feminists a decade or more ago, scholars and intellectuals of McBride's generation refuse to make choices between race and sexuality- especially when that sexuality is considered deviant."
GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies
Why hate Abercrombie? In a world rife with human cruelty and oppression, why waste your scorn on a popular clothing retailer? The rationale, Dwight A. McBride argues, lies in "the banality of evil," or the quiet way discriminatory hiring practices and racist ad campaigns seep into and reflect malevolent undertones in American culture.
McBride maintains that issues of race and sexuality are often subtle and always messy, and his compelling new book does not offer simple answers. Instead, in a collection of essays about such diverse topics as biased marketing strategies, black gay media representations, the role of African American studies in higher education, gay personal ads, and pornography, he offers the evolving insights of one black gay male scholar.
As adept at analyzing affirmative action as dissecting Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, McBride employs a range of academic, journalistic, and autobiographical writing styles. Each chapter speaks a version of the truth about black gay male life, African American studies, and the black community. Original and astute, Why I Hate AbercrombieandFitch is a powerful vision of a rapidly changing social landscape.
Praise for Impossible Witnesses:
"A necessary and compelling work.
Toni Morrison
"McBride teases out complexity and depth heretofore overlooked. Don't miss this important text!"
Cornel West
"Ambitious and thought-provoking."
The Journal of American History
Review
“McBrides heady collection is an accessible think piece, starting with its agreeable title and its pointed essay of the same name.”
-Time Out New York,
Review
“A thrilling, imaginative, and brilliant reading of contemporary cultural politics from one of the freshest voices in the field today. Dwight McBrides graceful prose, sharp wit, and sound judgments leap from every page. His essays sparkle with abundant intelligence—and a striking personal investment—as they lead the reader through a complex array of ideas, practices, and situations without losing sight of the ultimate intellectual and political liberation at which they aim. Bravo!"=”
-Michael Eric Dyson,author of The Michael Eric Dyson Reader
Review
“A fair warning from an intelligent, well-informed writer.”
-Alter Magazine,
Review
“McBride has emerged as one of the most eloquent public voices in both queer studies and black studies. In this wide-ranging book—written with intelligence, passion, and humor—he brings the insights of each field to the blind spots of the other. We all have something to learn from him.”
-Michael Warner,Rutgers University
Review
“Possibly the best title of the season.”
“A thrilling, imaginative, and brilliant reading of contemporary cultural politics from one of the freshest voices in the field today. Dwight McBride’s graceful prose, sharp wit, and sound judgments leap from every page. His essays sparkle with abundant intelligence—and a striking personal investment—as they lead the reader through a complex array of ideas, practices, and situations without losing sight of the ultimate intellectual and political liberation at which they aim. Bravo!"=”
“A fair warning from an intelligent, well-informed writer.”
“McBride has emerged as one of the most eloquent public voices in both queer studies and black studies. In this wide-ranging book—written with intelligence, passion, and humor—he brings the insights of each field to the blind spots of the other. We all have something to learn from him.”
“McBride’s heady collection is an accessible think piece, starting with its agreeable title and its pointed essay of the same name.”
Review
“One frightening by-product of the American struggle over capital punishment is the proliferation of Life Without Parole as its bastard offspring. LWOP is embraced without scrutiny by abolitionists who assume that anything is better than execution. It is enshrined as a prosecutorial consolation prize when cases meet the technical standards for “capital” murder but defendants lack blameworthiness. The unqualified condemnation of LWOP comes from a crazy displacement of distrust that puts extra suffering on offenders because citizens dont trust those who govern. Fighting capital punishment must be a central concern in the United States. But threats to human rights rarely develop one at a time, so injustice must be fought on multiple fields of engagement. Ogletree, Sarat, and their distinguished contributors perform an important public service by taking a sustained look at yet another dangerous punitive excess.”-Franklin Zimring,
Synopsis
Reflections on the ways discriminatory hiring practices and racist ad campaigns seep into American life
Why hate Abercrombie? In a world rife with human cruelty and oppression, why waste your scorn on a popular clothing retailer? The rationale, Dwight A. McBride argues, lies in "the banality of evil," or the quiet way discriminatory hiring practices and racist ad campaigns seep into and reflect malevolent undertones in American culture.
McBride maintains that issues of race and sexuality are often subtle and always messy, and his compelling new book does not offer simple answers. Instead, in a collection of essays about such diverse topics as biased marketing strategies, black gay media representations, the role of African American studies in higher education, gay personal ads, and pornography, he offers the evolving insights of one black gay male scholar.
As adept at analyzing affirmative action as dissecting Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, McBride employs a range of academic, journalistic, and autobiographical writing styles. Each chapter speaks a version of the truth about black gay male life, African American studies, and the black community. Original and astute, Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch is a powerful vision of a rapidly changing social landscape.
Synopsis
View the Table of Contents. Read the Preface.
Possibly the best title of the season.--Books to Watch out For
A thrilling, imaginative, and brilliant reading of contemporary cultural politics from one of the freshest voices in the field today. Dwight McBride's graceful prose, sharp wit, and sound judgments leap from every page. His essays sparkle with abundant intelligence--and a striking personal investment--as they lead the reader through a complex array of ideas, practices, and situations without losing sight of the ultimate intellectual and political liberation at which they aim. Bravo
--Michael Eric Dyson, author of The Michael Eric Dyson Reader
A fair warning from an intelligent, well-informed writer
--Alter Magazine
McBride has emerged as one of the most eloquent public voices in both queer studies and black studies. In this wide-ranging book--written with intelligence, passion, and humor--he brings the insights of each field to the blind spots of the other. We all have something to learn from him.
--Michael Warner, Rutgers University
McBride's heady collection is an accessible think piece, starting with its agreeable title and its pointed essay of the same name.
--Time Out New York
This collection breaks new ground for contemporary cultural criticism. McBride's look at homophobia in traditional African-American studies is an emphatic but penetrating critique of the discipline, and his explication of the ghettoization of black men in gay male porn is truly original work with ramifications well outside of queer studies.
--Publishers Weekly
McBride's prose is smart, on-target, and very readable. These essays are not simplyilluminating, but some of the most eye-opening commentaries on gay culture to be published in years.
--Between the Lines
This is one thought-provoking book.
-- HX/HOMO XTRA
Dwight A. McBride writes eloquently about the issues of race and homosexuality.
--Philadelphia Gay News
McBridge expends more intellectual energy justifying his dislike of the popular clothing chain than perhaps any other person on the planet.
--Evenings Out Chronicle
Eloquent collection...engagingly- and, for an academic, unorthodoxly- autobiographical.
--San Francisco Bay Time
McBride's volume is a provacative and wide ranging exploration of a range of issues relating to race and sexuality.--Bay Area Reporter
The book's namesake essay- a scathingly detailed and systematic study of the history, advertising practices, and hiring policies that comprise the cult of Abercrombie- makes the collection a mindblowing must-read...timely, disconcerting, and riveting in a way that academic writing should be, but rarely is.--Girlfriends
Working across cultural studies, gay and lesbian studies, and race, ethnicity, and feminist studies, McBride attempts to ponder, address, and, where possible, rescue both African American studies and queer theory from the pitfalls of ignoring each other. This project is admirable to the extent that, not unlike black feminists a decade or more ago, scholars and intellectuals of McBride's generation refuse to make choices between race and sexuality- especially when that sexuality is considered deviant.
--GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies
Why hate Abercrombie? In a world rife with human cruelty and oppression, why wasteyour scorn on a popular clothing retailer? The rationale, Dwight A. McBride argues, lies in the banality of evil, or the quiet way discriminatory hiring practices and racist ad campaigns seep into and reflect malevolent undertones in American culture.
McBride maintains that issues of race and sexuality are often subtle and always messy, and his compelling new book does not offer simple answers. Instead, in a collection of essays about such diverse topics as biased marketing strategies, black gay media representations, the role of African American studies in higher education, gay personal ads, and pornography, he offers the evolving insights of one black gay male scholar.
As adept at analyzing affirmative action as dissecting Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, McBride employs a range of academic, journalistic, and autobiographical writing styles. Each chapter speaks a version of the truth about black gay male life, African American studies, and the black community. Original and astute, Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch is a powerful vision of a rapidly changing social landscape.
Praise for Impossible Witnesses:
A necessary and compelling work.
--Toni Morrison
McBride teases out complexity and depth heretofore overlooked. Don't miss this important text
--Cornel West
Ambitious and thought-provoking.
--The Journal of American History
Synopsis
Why hate Abercrombie? In a world rife with human cruelty and oppression, why waste your scorn on a popular clothing retailer? The rationale, Dwight A. McBride argues, lies in “the banality of evil,” or the quiet way discriminatory hiring practices and racist ad campaigns seep into and reflect malevolent undertones in American culture.
McBride maintains that issues of race and sexuality are often subtle and always messy, and his compelling new book does not offer simple answers. Instead, in a collection of essays about such diverse topics as biased marketing strategies, black gay media representations, the role of African American studies in higher education, gay personal ads, and pornography, he offers the evolving insights of one black gay male scholar.
As adept at analyzing affirmative action as dissecting Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, McBride employs a range of academic, journalistic, and autobiographical writing styles. Each chapter speaks a version of the truth about black gay male life, African American studies, and the black community. Original and astute, Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch is a powerful vision of a rapidly changing social landscape.
About the Author
Charles J. Ogletree, Jr., is Jesse Climenko Professor of Law and executive director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute at Harvard Law School. He is co-editor (with Austin Sarat) of
From Lynch Mobs to the Killing State: Race and the Death Penalty in America and
When Law Fails: Making Sense of Miscarriages of Justice (both from NYU Press).
Austin Sarat is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science at Amherst College. He is author or editor of more than seventy books, including ,When the State Kills: Capital Punishment and the American Condition and (with Charles Ogletree) The Road to Abolition? On the Future of Capital Punishment (NYU Press, 2009).