This picture has nothing to do with anything...just makes me laugh (image: flickr - Bede Jackson)
Worthy of Mention: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
by James Weldon Johnson
Chosen for explaining the emotional torment of a man living a lie in order to survive. Its sad yet honest reflection on the question of race sheds light on a dark issue that is rarely acknowledged.
3. Man Gone Down
by Michael Thomas
Chosen for its gloomy depiction of a broken man in a broken family, trying to make the American Dream. The utter hopelessness in the stream-of-conscious narrative is raw, poetic and intellectual.
2. Drowning Ruth
by Christina Schwarz
Chosen for its somber portrayal of a family stripped down by shame, secrets and mental illness. The subtle mystery lining the flashbacks reveal imperfect characters that are perfect to read about and relate to.
1. Coal Black Horse
by Robert Olmstead
Chosen for its powerful language, and vivid and organic imagery of death. A seemingly impossible journey during a time of war instills unforgettable lessons upon anyone who reads them.
