Summary of Hanif Abdurraqib's A Little Devil in America

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 It is safe to say that I was the only Muslim kid in my neighborhood who got to watch MTV after my parents cut the cable. I was not practicing dance moves, but I was learning the different directions my limbs could flail in.

#2 The dance marathon was a phenomenon that began in the 1920s. It was largely in farm towns, but as carnivals and fairs began growing along the American landscape, Americans became more obsessed with the impossible. They attempted flagpole sitting and long, horrific cross-country footraces.

#3 The dance marathon became a nationwide craze in the 1930s. It was a way for people to escape their circumstances and have a purpose for their lives. The competitions were held in barns or large gathering halls, and the dancers were given cash prizes and food.

#4 The most extreme marathons would have dancers who would swing between energetic movements and half-rhythmic walking. People would choose their partners not always by affection or romantic interest, but simply by the person they most trusted to keep them alive during the marathon’s most unforgiving moments.

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E-kirja: 8. heinäkuuta 2022