Suder
by Percival Everett

Now with a brilliant new package, this reissue of Suder by Percival Everett—New York Times bestselling author and winner of the 2024 National Book Award for James—reintroduces readers to the stunning debut of one of America’s most singular literary voices.

Craig Suder, third baseman for the Seattle Mariners, is deep in a mid-season slump. His batting is off, his marriage is fraying, and he’s haunted by the fear that he’s inherited his mother’s mental illness. When the team suggests a break, Suder packs up his essentials—his record player, Charlie Parker’s Ornithology, and his saxophone—and hits the road in search of something more.

What follows is a surreal, thrilling journey through memory and myth, filled with unforgettable encounters—including a runaway girl, a pet elephant, and a reckoning with his Southern childhood as a Black boy in America. Everett’s first novel is at once comic and profound, unflinching and exuberantly alive.

Originally published in 1983 by Louisiana State University Press, Suder marked the beginning of Everett’s extraordinary career. Over five decades, Everett has written more than twenty-five books, won the Pulitzer Prize (James, 2025), longlisted twice for the Booker Prize, and received widespread acclaim for James, a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. James was a #1 New York Times bestseller and is currently in film development with Steven Spielberg.