THAT'S HOW THEY GET YOU by Damon Young (epub)(Nonfiction)

That's How They Get You by Damon Young (ePub) (Nonfiction)
First Published: June 2025
Category/Genre: Nonfiction, Anthology, Black American Humor, Essays

That's How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor is a groundbreaking collection edited and introduced by Damon Young, the Thurber Prize-winning author of What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker. This anthology gathers the funniest, sharpest, and most insightful essays, short stories, letters, and rants from some of the most acclaimed Black writers and performers working today.

The collection explores the unique power and complexity of Black American humor, blending biting social critique with laugh-out-loud storytelling. Essays and stories tackle topics ranging from the paradox of finding community in “the dozens” while grieving, to the absurdity of a violent town ritual sparking moral panic, to an email thread about the need for an updated “Green Book” for public toilets. In one memorable piece, “Karens” become illegal overnight, skewering contemporary anxieties with wit and political clarity