by Danielle Evans - to be released in September 2010
I've never been a big fan of short stories. They remind me of the 45 records I used to buy when I was a teenager. On the "A" side was the hit song you wanted to purchase, but the "B" side was usually a song you had never heard or didn't like but the music companies weren't going to sell you two "A" songs on one 45.
BEFORE YOU SUFFOCATE YOUR OWN FOOL SELF is a wonderful book of short stories that doesn't have any "B" sides; they're all "A"s. Danielle Evans has written stories that deal with the difficulties of family life, friendships, reaching adulthood and inequality in equal measure for African-American and biracial protagonists.
There is honesty, pain and beauty in each of the stories. My favorite was "SNAKES", the story of a young biracial girl's summer with her white grandmother. Ms. Evans' characters find hope and joy despite their heartbreaking situations making BEFORE YOU SUFFOCATE YOUR OWN FOOL SELF a delight to read.
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