Adventurous and perceptive, Laughing to Keep from Dying reveals how African American satirists unmask the illusions and anxieties surrounding race in the twenty-first century.
|Acknowledgments< br/>Introduction: The Satirical Mode and African American Identity< br/>1 "The Storm, the Whirlwind, and the Earthquake": Slavery and the Satiric Impulse< br/>2 "Race is Just a Made-Up Thing": Abject Blackness and Racial Anxiety< br/>3 "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong": Vulnerability and Satiric Misfires< br/>4 "How Long Has This Been Goin' On, This Thang?": Centering Race in the Twenty-First Century< br/>Conclusion: Black Futurity and the Future of African American Satire< br/>Notes< br/>Works Cited< br/>Index|"Many comics hone their craft primarily to amuse, but with this thoughtful, academic work, Morgan explores the idea of Black satire with an added function: to more or less safely rock the boat, expressing ideas that might otherwise be tuned out or provoke uncomfortable or even dangerous backlash." —Library Journal"Morgan explores a radical impulse in recent Black comedy, arguing that performers like Dave Chappelle or films like 'Get Out' aim to highlight racial boundaries." —New York Times
"In Laughing to Keep from Dying, Danielle Fuentes Morgan crafts an innovative and well-considered account of African-American satire. . . . Morgan's prose is clear and engaging, and her language accessible and compelling." —Journal of American Culture
|Danielle Fuentes Morgan is an assistant professor in the Department of English at Santa Clara University.
