A review by savvylit
A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, by Hanif Abdurraqib

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

A Little Devil in America is a spectacular blend of memoir and historical deep-dive. Discussing Black artists that range from magicians to singers & dancers to pro boxers, Abdurraqib's poetic prose is evocative and precise. This is indeed, as the title notes, a collection in praise of Black performance. However, A Little Devil in America is also about so much more. It's about mortality & grief on personal and communal levels. It's about the transformative power of artwork. It's about loneliness and connection. It's about the immense impact of Black performance on the world -- and how often that is improperly acknowledged.

Overall, Abdurraqib has a unique and heart-wrenching approach to the topics featured in these essays. I have genuinely never devoured a historically-focused collection quite so quickly. Needless to say, I'm quite eager to read more of his work ASAP!
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