{"product_id":"a-very-special-episode","title":"A Very Special Episode","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCamille Acker \u003c\/b\u003eis the author of the short story collection \n\u003ci\u003e Training School for Negro Girls\u003c\/i\u003e. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and holds a B.A. in English from Howard University and an M.F.A in Creative Writing from New Mexico State University. Her work has been published in \n\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eElectric Literature\u003c\/i\u003e, and in the anthology \n\u003ci\u003eOn Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library.\u003c\/i\u003e Her writing has received support from the Tin House Residency program, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Voices of Our Nations Arts, and Millay Colony for the Arts, among others. She was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and named a Fellow by the Pew Center for Arts \u0026amp; Heritage. She lives in Philadelphia, PA with her partner.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"As inventive as it is incisive, \n\u003ci\u003eA Very Special Episode\u003c\/i\u003e pulls us into a world where hunger for representation leads to wicked deception. With its brilliant portrayals of both comforting and complicated Black folks--on and off the TV screen--Camille Acker offers us a biting satire about the ever-shifting ways to perform Blackness. This is a very special book.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Bridgett M. Davis, author of\u003ci\u003e The World According to Fannie Davis\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Camille Acker joins the pantheon of great American humor writers with \n\u003ci\u003eA Very Special Episode\u003c\/i\u003e. A raucously hilarious, deeply felt, and imaginative novel that probes the future of Black identity in America and asks what it means to be a good daughter, sister, lover, and friend.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Naomi Jackson, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Star Side of Bird Hill\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eA Very Special Episode\u003c\/i\u003e is a hilarious, moving shoutout to the generations of Black show watchers, who tried to live in TV worlds, but could only see themselves one stingy half hour at a time. Finally, in what may be the twilight of the TV era, we get Acker's brilliant director's cut in this satirical novel about family, class, representation, and (sort of) space travel.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Asali Solomon, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Days of Afrekete\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"Hella funny, and boldly irreverent, \n\u003ci\u003eA Very Special Episode\u003c\/i\u003e offers a glimpse into the world of the Bougie through the eyes of a badass. Satire this biting can only come from a combination of brilliance and love. Sentence by sentence, Camille Acker proves she is a rare talent with a unique ability to capture the moment.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Mat Johnson, author of \u003ci\u003eInvisible Things\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"Camille Acker's \n\u003ci\u003eA Very Special Episode\u003c\/i\u003e is as smart and insightful as it is suspenseful and entertaining. Come for the laughs, stay for the spot-on commentary about race, class, and family. This is masterful storytelling from a writer I adore!\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Deesha Philyaw, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Lives of Church Ladies \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eIn Washington, D.C.'s powerful Black elite, legacy is everything. When a young heir to one of the city's most influential institutions seeks funding to cement her future, a shadowy organization offers to help--but it could cost her far more than she's willing to give.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\"A biting satire about the ever-shifting ways to perform Blackness. This is a very special book.\"--Bridgett M. Davis, author of \u003ci\u003eThe World According to Fannie Davis\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNina Johnson has always taken pride in belonging to The Tenth. After all, she's following in the footsteps of her ancestors: Her great-great-grandmother founded the prestigious DC society--a space for influential African Americans--just forty years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Nina's been elected to helm the organization, but she's determined to escape the influence of her mother, who has led the organization with a steadfast commitment to tradition, all while keeping Nina under her freshly manicured thumb. Nina's determined to forge her own path and do things differently: fewer stuffy, out-of-touch meetings and boring galas, more young people, and a swankier headquarters. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTo realize her ambitions, Nina needs funding. So, when a wealthy white benefactor named Sienna Masters offers financial support in exchange for her participation in a mysterious project at a former public housing complex, The Orchard, Nina ignores her initial skepticism and agrees to a partnership. But as Nina and those closest to her piece together Sienna's true motives, they discover far more sinister forces at play, ones that exploit Nina's community for profit, with stakes that extend far beyond her ambitions for The Tenth. But how far is Nina willing to go to shape her future? And what is she willing to sacrifice along the way? \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA whip-smart and sly social commentary on the complex interplay of race, class, and family legacy, \n\u003ci\u003eA Very Special Episode\u003c\/i\u003e will keep you on the edge of your seat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496060092694,"sku":"9780593597507","price":33.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9780593597507.jpg?v=1783052208","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/a-very-special-episode","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}