Black Buck

This #thankyouthursday, I’m grateful for Black Buck, by Mateo Askaripour.

It’s been a while since I expressed my thanks for a good book, and it’s also been a while since I talked explicitly about racism, and Black Buck is a snappy, compelling read that motivates me to do both.

I’m about 80% through and will probably find a way to finish tonight, especially because Part V introduced a twist I didn’t see coming and am eager to turn the corner of. And although I’m tempted to offer my own summary, I’ll stick with the description the author shares:

For fans of Sorry to Bother You and The Wolf of Wall Street—a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.

A hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of America’s workforce; it is a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream.

I’d say the description is spot on—which, as someone whose full-time job used to be writing those exact kinds of descriptions, I well know is not always the case. But with Black Buck? Yep! The book is fun and snarky and makes me laugh out loud, but it’s also meaningful and provocative and filled with uncomfortable truth.

So if you’re looking for something great to read, I definitely recommend Black Buck.

(Or you can wait for the movie, because I am sure there will be a movie—I already feel like I’m watching it as I read.)

And if you’re able, I also recommend donating to Defy Ventures, an organization the author supports that’s in alignment with the themes of Black Buck.

Love > fear,
Christina