John Henry Days: A Novel
by Colson Whitehead
- Used
- Fine
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Fine
- ISBN 10
- 0385498195
- ISBN 13
- 9780385498197
- Seller
-
Brentwood, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Doubleday, 2001. 1. Fine. In a glowing review of Colson Whitehead's first novel, The Intuitionist, the New York Times Book Review concluded, "Literary reputations may not always rise and fall as predictably as elevators, but if there's any justice in the world of fiction, Colson Whitehead's should be heading toward the upper floors." With John Henry Days, Colson Whitehead delivers on the promise of his critically acclaimed debut in a magnificent new novel: a retelling of the legend of John Henry that sweeps across generations and cultures in a stunning, hilarious, and unsettling portrait of American society.Immortalized in folk ballads, John Henry has been a favorite American hero since the mid-nineteenth century. According to legend, John Henry, a black laborer for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, was a man of superhuman strength and stamina. He proved his mettle in a contest with a steam drill, only to die of exhaustion moments after his triumph. In John Henry Days, Colson Whitehead transforms the simple ballad into a contrapuntal masterpiece. The narrative revolves around the story of J. Sutter, a young black journalist. Sutter is a "junketeer," a freeloading hack who roams from one publicity event to another, abusing his expense account and mooching as much as possible. It is 1996, and an assignment for a travel Web site takes Sutter to West Virginia for the first annual "John Henry Days" festival, a celebration of a new U.S. postal stamp honoring John Henry. And there the real story of John Henry emerges in graceful counterpoint to Sutter's thoroughly modern adventure.As he explores the parallels between the lives of these two black men, and between the Industrial Age, which literally killed John Henry, and the Digital Age that is destroying J. Sutter's soul, Whitehead adds multiple dimensions to the myth of the steel-driving man. And in dazzling set pieces, he traces the evolution of the famous ballad over the past century. John Henry Days is a novel of extraordinary scope and mythic power that juxtaposes history and popular culture, the blatant bigotry of the past with the more insidious racism of the present, and laugh-out-loud humor with unforgettable poignancy. Hardcover
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Details
- Bookseller
- Oasis in the Diaspora (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 9780385498197
- Title
- John Henry Days
- Author
- Colson Whitehead
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Edition
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10
- 0385498195
- ISBN 13
- 9780385498197
- Publisher
- Doubleday
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2001
- Pages
- 389
Terms of Sale
Oasis in the Diaspora
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Oasis in the Diaspora
Biblio member since 2022
Brentwood, California
About Oasis in the Diaspora
Oasis in the Diaspora is a literary, cultural and artistic emporium featuring a collection of books and ephemera each of which have led their own marvelous lives. Consisting of more than 12,000 rare Black books, small press poetry, multicultural children's books, and unique cultural artifacts, the collection primarily reflects the visions and voices of Black writers, historians, activists, artists and scholars across the African diaspora. Sweet smelling pages housed in pristine dust jackets, illustrated by the likes of artists Romare Bearden, Tom Feelings and Lois Malou Jones, are graced with the signatures and inscriptions of icons including Octavia Butler, Alice Walker, Amiri Baraka, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Roy DeCarava, and contemporary writers of equal brilliance.
The Oasis in the Diaspora archives also includes a collection of more than 5,000 letters documenting Black lives and cultures from the late 19th century to the present, including correspondences from Jennifer Lawson, Afeni Shakur, Barack Obama, Richard Pryor, June Jordan, Shirley Graham DuBois, Angela Davis and hundreds of others.
Amassed by writer, activist, cultural broker and former manager of the iconic DC bookstore Drum and Spear Daphne Muse, the collection is now being sold to the people in order to preserve the legacies of those who have been an integral part of forging the paths of Black lives and cultures across two and into three centuries. Take a beat to browse, and behold the collective knowledge of Black lives across the Diaspora.
The Oasis in the Diaspora archives also includes a collection of more than 5,000 letters documenting Black lives and cultures from the late 19th century to the present, including correspondences from Jennifer Lawson, Afeni Shakur, Barack Obama, Richard Pryor, June Jordan, Shirley Graham DuBois, Angela Davis and hundreds of others.
Amassed by writer, activist, cultural broker and former manager of the iconic DC bookstore Drum and Spear Daphne Muse, the collection is now being sold to the people in order to preserve the legacies of those who have been an integral part of forging the paths of Black lives and cultures across two and into three centuries. Take a beat to browse, and behold the collective knowledge of Black lives across the Diaspora.
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