Michael Datcher – författare

Offers a new framework for reading American literatures that critically links African American and Latinx traditions and struggles for liberation.Animating Black and Brown Liberation introduces a vital new tool for reading American literatures. Rooted in both ancient Egyptian ideas about life and cutting-edge theories of animacy, or levels of aliveness, this tool-ankhing-enables Michael Datcher to examine the ways African American and Latinx literatures respond to and ultimately work to resist hegemonic forces of neoliberalism and state-sponsored oppression. Weaving together close readings and politically informed philosophical reflection, Datcher considers the work of writer-activists Toni Cade Bambara, Cherríe Moraga, Gloria Anzaldúa, June Jordan, Salvador Plascencia, and Ishmael Reed, in light of theoretical interventions by Jane Bennett, Mel Y. Chen, Bruno Latour, Michel Foucault, Paulo Freire, and Erica R. Edwards. How, he asks, can cultural production positively influence Black and Brown material conditions and mobilize collective action "off the page"? How can art-based counterpublics provide a foundation for Black and Brown community organizing? What emerges from Datcher's innovative analysis is a frank assessment of the links between embodied experiences of racialization, as well as a distinctive vision of twentieth- and twenty-first-century American literature as a repository of emancipatory strategies with real-world applications.

This New York Times–bestselling memoir about an African American man’s struggles and triumphs is “heartrending and beautiful” (Junot Diaz Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao).   A Today Show Book Club selection, Raising Fences tells the story of a man whose youth was spent committing petty crimes, experimenting with sex, and developing a mortal fear of police. Like many young black men, Michael Datcher’s childhood was marked by the gaping hole left by an absent father. Out of that absence grew the desire to fulfill a dream that seemed almost a fantasy: to leave the streets behind, build a family, and become what he had wanted so badly—a good father.   Moving past his self-destructive habits and taking responsibility for his mistakes wasn’t easy. Datcher’s journey nearly brought him to his breaking point—where he faced the threat of becoming what he feared most.   “Datcher’s voice is clear, bold, daring, and welcome.” —Junot Diaz, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao   “Honest, brisk and ultimately very moving . . . A beautiful story of real-life redemption.” —Kirkus Reviews   “Combines attitude, honesty and romance . . . A stunning tribute to perseverance, courage and the power of positive thinking.” —Publishers Weekly   “Brutally honest, hauntingly poetic . . . Heartbreaking.” —Essence   “Riveting.” —USA Today   “Poignant . . . Complex.” —The Seattle Times   “An inspiration to all who dare to dream of a better life.” —The Star-Ledger