That's How They Get You

An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor

By: Damon Young

Narrated by: Damon Young, André Santana, Cary Hite, Chanté McCormick, Deanna Anthony, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Janina Edwards, Je Nie Fleming, Ozzie Jacobs, Ryan Vincent Anderson

From the Thurber Prize-winning author of What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker comes a pioneering collection of Black humor from some of the most acclaimed writers and performers at work today

A critic explores the paradox of finding community in “the dozens” while grieving. A violent town ritual causes an all-too-familiar moral panic. An email thread between friends on why we need an updated Green Book but for public toilets. All across the nation, “Karens” become illegal overnight. These are just a few of the hilarious worlds contained in Damon Young’s groundbreaking anthology featuring the best, funniest, and Blackest essays, short stories, letters, and rants.

With words that roast, ignite, and burn while connecting to and coalescing around a singular thesis, That's How They Get You emphasizes how and why Black American humor is uniquely transfixing. This is a mixture of not just observational anxieties and stream-of-consciousness lucidities but also acute political clarity about America. Edited and with an introduction by Damon Young, the critically acclaimed author of What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker, the collection features new material from an all-star roster of contributors, including Hanif Abdurraqib, Mahogany L. Browne, Wyatt Cenac, Kiese Laymon, Deesha Philyaw, Roy Wood Jr., and Nicola Yoon.

What an incredibly thoughtful look into the world of black humor.

The sheer absurdity of the oppression faced by many of us living in a racist county has to be acknowledged in some way. For many of us facing racism in today's world it is easier (and healing) to laugh at the ignorance that surrounds us. There is so much skill in knowing how to craft a joke and who to target and the line between being a bully and being a comedian is thin. Damon Young has compiled a truly joyful sample of these comedians and their experiences that will make you laugh out loud and remind you of the humanity that oppression and racism try to blur. One last note-- "You gon' these teeth!"

I wanted to like this…

….but for starters, this should definitely NOT be marketed as black humor. These weren’t humorous stories. Also, the subject matter for each story was not relatable and at times seemed juvenile. I chose this book as a book club read and was sorry that I did. I actually apologized to the club for suggesting this book. Unfortunately, they agreed that although they had high hopes, and we wanted to support the authors’ artistry, the book wasn’t a good read. Others may like it, but we did not.