It seems to me that there is a contemporary wave of black satire, drawing from the well of Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison's) and updating it to today. We Cast A Shadow (Maurice Carlos Ruffins) opens as strongly as the Battle Royale complete with humiliation, nudity, and horrifying racial dependencies. The Sellout had all the cadencies of contemporary speech and today's pace with unexpected (seemingly stream of consciousness) scenarios and pitch-perfect class divisions. Both authors were able to sustain these narrators for the entire novels.

 

Do you know of others doing this kind of work? I read really widely--histories to fiction to memoirs and across continents. I found these books to be really innovative. 

 

Hey Fatima! Thanks for joining us.

 

There are a few titles which employ satire (identified as such by the publisher)

Thank you, Troy. I've been meaning to join. I've definitely read Maurice Carolos Ruffin and now will check out Reginald Martin--published in my hometown.