{"product_id":"as-lie-is-to-grin-paperback","title":"As Lie Is to Grin - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eSimeon Marsalis\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eShortlisted for the 2017 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A portrait of a young man's unraveling, a depiction of how race shapes and deforms us, a coming-of-age story that is also a confrontation with American history and amnesia. The book achieves more in its brief span than most books do at three times the length.\" --Zachary Lazar, author of \u003ci\u003eI Pity the Poor Immigrant\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDavid, the narrator of Simeon Marsalis's singular first novel, is a freshman at the University of Vermont who is struggling to define himself against the white backdrop of his school. He is also mourning the loss of his New York girlfriend, whose grandfather's alma mater he has chosen to attend. When David met Melody, he lied to her about who he was and where he lived, creating a more intriguing story than his own. This lie haunts and almost unhinges him as he attempts to find his true voice and identity. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOn campus in Vermont, David imagines encounters with a student from the past who might represent either Melody's grandfather or Jean Toomer, the author of the acclaimed Harlem Renaissance novel \u003ci\u003eCane\u003c\/i\u003e (1923). He becomes obsessed with the varieties of American architecture \"upon land that was stolen,\" and with the university's past and attitudes as recorded in its newspaper, \u003ci\u003eThe Cynic\u003c\/i\u003e. And he is frustrated with the way the Internet and libraries are curated, making it difficult to find the information he needs to make connections between the university's history, African American history, and his own life. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn New York, the previous year, Melody confides a shocking secret about her grandfather's student days at the University of Vermont. When she and her father collude with the intent to meet David's mother in Harlem--craving what they consider an authentic experience of the black world--their plan ends explosively. The title of this impressive and emotionally powerful novel is inspired by Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem \"We Wear the Mask\" (1896): \"We wear the mask that grins and lies . . .\"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSimeon Marsalis\u003c\/b\u003e was born in 1990 and graduated from the University of Vermont in 2013. He has lived in New York, New Hampshire, and New Orleans. \u003ci\u003eAs Lie Is to Grin\u003c\/i\u003e is his first book.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 160\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 8.2 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 10, 2017\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51769912426784,"sku":"9781936787593","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/ef616af83bafa8a5ac1587a8f95cf866.webp?v=1780359636","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/as-lie-is-to-grin-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}