Ancient History

Praise

Praise for Victor LaValle and Slapboxing with Jesus:

“Reminiscent of James Baldwin, LaValle does a remarkable job of capturing the sometimes-harsh realities of young people growing up in urban cities.” —The Source
 
“Earnest . . . high-wire prose about the lower depths. The no-hopers . . . are offset by one sterling character, who sees through the destructive swagger of the neighborhood streets and eventually gets himself out.” —The New Yorker
 
“LaValle’s work is first-rate and it reminds us that by accepting our imperfections, we have a chance to become beautiful.” —The Village Voice
 
“The characters in Victor D. LaValle’s astonishingly good story collection . . . are tough young men and women of New York City’s outer boroughs, old in experience of tawdry pleasures and arbitrary cruelties, yet the inventiveness and soulful vigor of their voices make these tales of thwarted longings not just wrenching but exhilarating to read.” —Elle