Description

An artist, a cop, a cowboy, several fly fishermen and even a reluctant romance novelist inhabit these revealing and often hilarious stories. An old man ends up in a high-speed chase with the cops after stealing the car that blocks the garbage bin at his apartment building. A stranger gets a job at a sandwich shop and fixes everything in sight: a manual mustard dispenser, a mouthful of crooked teeth, thirty-two parking tickets and a sexual identity problem.

Everett skewers race, class, identity, surrealism and much more in this exceptional work.

Published for the first time in the UK, this is truly a masterful short story collection from a genius of American storytelling. The book is introduced by critically acclaimed British author, Irenosen Okojie.

Publisher Review

“Everett is a clever writer with a gift for parody and a formidable library in his head.”-The Washington Post; “It’s hard to pigeonhole Percival Everett. Working between the traditions of the academy and the African American tall tale, he writes with a sharp satirical voice only predictable in its provocation.”-Playboy; “Everett’s Damned if I Do should be a treat for both his devotees and the uninitiated. These dozen stories exhibit his characteristically sardonic humor and his well-modulated moral outrage, as well as a masterful command of narrative.”-San Francisco Chronicle; “What makes Everett’s prose stand out from others in high literary circles is how its intense intellect is harnessed by a playful and grounded aesthetic. . . Bring this book with you during your travels in the new year. The ride will go by in a snap.”-The Seattle Times