{"product_id":"most-american-notes-from-a-wounded-place-paperback","title":"Most American: Notes from a Wounded Place - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRilla Askew\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eSusan Kates\u003c\/b\u003e (Foreword by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2018 PEN America Literary Award Finalist!\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In her first nonfiction collection, award-winning novelist Rilla Askew casts an unflinching eye on American history, both past and present. As she traverses a line between memoir and social commentary, Askew places herself--and indeed all Americans--in the role of witness to uncomfortable truths about who we are. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Through nine linked essays, \u003ci\u003eMost American: Notes from a Wounded Place\u003c\/i\u003e evokes a vivid impression of the United States: police violence and gun culture, ethnic cleansing and denied history, spellbinding landscapes and brutal weather. To render these conditions in the particulars of place, Askew spotlights the complex history of her home state. From the Trail of Tears to the Tulsa Race Riot to the Murrah Federal Building bombing, Oklahoma appears as a microcosm of our national saga. Yet no matter our location, Askew argues, we must own our contradictory selves--our violence and prejudices, as well as our hard work and generosity--so the wounds of division in our society can heal. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In these writings, Askew traces a personal journey that begins with her early years as an idealistic teenager mired in what she calls \"the presumption of whiteness.\" Later she emerges as a writer humble enough to see her own story as part of a larger historical and cultural narrative. With grace and authority she speaks honestly about the failures of the dominant culture in which she grew up, even as she expresses a sense of love for its people. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In the wake of increasing gun violence and heightened national debate about race relations and social inequality, Askew's reflections could not be more relevant. With a novelist's gift for storytelling, she paints a compelling portrait of a place and its people: resilient and ruthless, decent but self-deceiving, generous yet filled with prejudice--both the best and the worst of what it means to be American.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRilla Askew\u003c\/b\u003e, born and raised in eastern Oklahoma, is the award-winning author of four novels, \u003ci\u003eThe Mercy Seat\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFire in Beulah\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHarpsong\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eKind of Kin\u003c\/i\u003e, and a collection of linked stories, \u003ci\u003eStrange Business\u003c\/i\u003e. She teaches creative writing at the University of Oklahoma. \u003cb\u003eSusan Kates\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor of English at the University of Oklahoma and author of \u003ci\u003eRed Dirt Women: At Home on the Oklahoma Plains\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 176\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 8.4 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 08, 2017\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47180175737081,"sku":"9780806157177","price":21.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/Y3hVd2VHbVlDNGxRVlhKeTZVZElCdz09.webp?v=1767733551","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/most-american-notes-from-a-wounded-place-paperback","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}