Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires

Heads of the Colored People

Nafissa Thompson-Spires

Beautifully written, mordantly humourous stories of common experiences such as relationships, health, bias vs apparent success, lived by C21 African/Americans. Two feature police killings of black men, with the latter ending (surprisingly?) on a note of hope. I really value novels that make me believe I'm inside the head of someone different, and I enjoy short stories. Not surprisingly, in mid 2020, I thoroughly recommend this superb read.

Extract
Although both men felt like unicorns in their grad program, Brian had the most trouble with his horn ... he was more self-conscious about his black maleness than his disability, though he felt at times that his cane, the wheelchair and the contusions on his legs gave him a streak of rainbow hair to accompany his horn.
Parallels
  • A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morris
  • Teach Me by Alexandria House
  • The Lottery by Shirley Jackson