In this searing novel, Caryl Phillips reimagines the life of the
first black entertainer in the U.S. to reach the highest levels of
fame and fortune.After years of struggling for success on the
stage, Bert Williams (1874--1922), the child of recent immigrants
from the Bahamas, made the radical decision to don blackface makeup
and play the "coon." Behind this mask he became a Broadway
headliner-as influential a comedian as Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy,
and W. C. Fields, who called him "the funniest man I ever saw, and
the saddest man I ever knew." It is this dichotomy at Williams'
core that Phillips explores in this richly nuanced, brilliantly
written novel, unblinking in its attention to the sinister
compromises that make up an identity.
General
Imprint: |
Vintage Books
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Vintage International |
Release date: |
October 2006 |
First published: |
October 2006 |
Authors: |
Caryl Phillips
|
Dimensions: |
203 x 132 x 13mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
224 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-4000-7983-4 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General & literary fiction >
Modern fiction
Promotions
|
LSN: |
1-4000-7983-7 |
Barcode: |
9781400079834 |
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