White Boys:

Stories

by Reginald McKnight

Henry Holt & Co., $13 paper

This collection of short stories from Reginald McKnight, author of The Kind of Light That Shines on Texas, offers a shockingly powerful and profound examination of racial relations and the subsequent antagonisms that inevitably arise in modern society. The complexities of the characters’ attitudes toward each other move far beyond simple black and white to a realm where everything, even one’s thoughts about what race is, is questioned. From the shocking directness of “The More I Like Flies” to the sad statements of “Boot” to the brilliant suspense in the buildup of “The White Boys,” McKnight ties person to place to prejudice in a narrative manner that’s as subtle as a hidden rattlesnake — with as much potential for danger. “A neighbor’s smile might be a rose, or a flytrap — it took time to tell,” reads “The White Boys.” This book should be required reading for all of us — bigoted, enlightened, confused, or otherwise.

This article appears in September 17 • 1999.

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