{"product_id":"white-rat-short-stories-paperback","title":"White Rat: Short Stories - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eGayl Jones\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe acclaimed author's first collection of stories\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Gayl Jones's work represents a watershed in American literature. From a literary standpoint, her form is impeccable . . . and as a Black woman writer, her truth-telling, filled with beauty, tragedy, humor, and incisiveness, is unmatched.\" --Imani Perry\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGayl Jones has been described as one of the great literary writers of the 20th century and was recently a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and The National Book Award. This collection of short fiction was her third book, originally edited and published by Toni Morrison in 1977, and is reissued now alongside her second collection, BUTTER, in paperback for the first time. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe collection contains twelve provocative tales that explore the emotional and mental terrain of a diverse cast of characters, from the innocent to the insane. In each, Jones displays her unflinching ability to dive into the most treacherous of psyches and circumstances: the title story examines the identity and relationship conundrums of a black man who can pass for white, earning him the name \"White Rat\" as an infant; \"The Women\" follows a girl whose mother brings a line of female lovers to live in their home; \"Jevata\" details eighteen-year-old Freddy's relationship with the fifty-year-old title character; \"The Coke Factory\" tracks the thoughts of a mentally handicapped adolescent abandoned by his mother; and \"Asylum\" focuses on a woman having a nervous breakdown, trying to protect her dignity and her private parts as she enters an institution. In uncompromising prose, and dialect that veers from northern, educated tongues to down-home southern colloquialisms, Jones illuminates lives that society ignores, moving them to center stage.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginally published in 1977, \"White Rat is a collection of twelve provocative tales that explore the emotional and mental terrain of a diverse cast of characters, from the innocent to the insane, which will inspire new debate and dialogue among general readers and academics alike. \u003cbr\u003eIn each, Gayl Jones displays her unflinching ability to delve into the most treacherous of psyches and circumstances: The title story examines the identity and relationship conundrums of a black man who can pass for white, earning him the name \"White Rat\" as an infant; \"The Women\" follows a girl whose mother brings a succession of female lovers to live in their home; \"Jevata\" details eighteen-year-old Freddy's relationship with the fifty-year-old title character from the perspective of her old friend Floyd; \"The Coke Factory\" tracks the thoughts of a mentally handicapped adolescent abandoned by his mother; and \"Asylum\" focuses on a woman experiencing a nervous breakdown, trying to protect her dignity and her private parts as she enters an institution. \u003cbr\u003eIn uncompromising prose, and dialect that veers from Northern, educated tongues to down-home Southern colloquialisms, Jones limns lives that society readily ignores, moving them to center stage. Her words and ideas will linger for years to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGayl Jones\u003c\/b\u003e was born in Kentucky in 1949. She attended Connecticut College and Brown University, and has taught at Wellesley College and the University of Michigan. Her landmark books include \u003ci\u003eCorregidora\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEva's Man\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Healing \u003c\/i\u003e(a National Book Award finalist and\u003ci\u003e New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Book of the Year), \u003ci\u003ePalmares \u003c\/i\u003e(a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction), and most recently, \u003ci\u003eThe Birdcatcher\u003c\/i\u003e (National Book Award finalist).\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 0.21 x 8.53 x 5.58 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 06, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51765105721632,"sku":"9780807012949","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/4bd1dd0251f8822770fdbfc7ef7d5181.webp?v=1780262177","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/white-rat-short-stories-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}