Harbors

Literary Nonfiction. African American Studies. Suspended between continents and cultures, Donald Quist charts the forceful undercurrents of an American identity. Through these essays Quist explores feelings of oppression and alienation as he wrestles with a single act of violence in a Washington, DC suburb, racial tensions in a rural South Carolina town, and the welcome anonymity of crowded Bangkok streets. These personal narratives are rich with Quist’s experience growing up as a person of color caught between parents, socioeconomic classes, and the countries he calls home.

In HARBORS, Donald Quist gathers those moments of clarity that shape one man’s consciousness about the black experience in a global environment. Whether it’s growing up in the American South or seeking adventure in places as far away as Thailand, there’s no escaping the fixed perceptions about class, race, and masculinity. Quist’s poignant essays show us, however, what it’s like to move through tension, conflict, and microaggression with hard-won dignity and grace–not unscathed, not unfazed, though certainly undefeated. A timely stellar collection!–Rigoberto González

Quist’s (Let Me Make You a Sandwich) collection of personal essays is tender, smart, funny, and rich with emotional truths and pop culture references. Each essay covers a range of emotions and topics, blending the serious with the playful…With an unpretentious yet searing quality to his writing, Quist can move from racial politics in the United States to lessons learned from growing up with Jerry Springer episodes, all with vivid detail and visceral imagery…Quist’s collection is poignant, shrewd, and delightful to read.–Publishers Weekly