James McBride is an author, screenwriter, and musician, and won the National Book Award in 2013 for his novel “The Good Lord Bird.” His new work, “Deacon King Kong,” is his first since his win. His other works include “Song Yet Sung,” “Miracle at St. Anna,” and his memoir “The Color of Water,” which won the Aniseld-Wolf Book Award for Literary Excellence.
“Deacon King Kong” takes place in south Brooklyn in 1969, and is a crime story involving an elderly church deacon. What happens to him and the witnesses of the incident, and what at all reveals about human behavior, are the issues McBride explores in the book.
Reviewers have called the book “improbably hilarious” and “achingly funny,” noting that in offers:
“…a sardonic but humane sense of humor reminiscent of Mark Twain and cartoonish action scenes straight out of Pynchon.”
James McBride will be at the Parma-Snow Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library next Wednesday, March 4, from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm. Tickets are $25, which includes a donation to the Library Foundation, admission to the talk, and a copy of “Deacon King Kong.” Flyer printing can provide handouts that are perfect for events like this, helping remind attendees of their day.