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Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family Audiobook
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An electrifying, dazzlingly written reckoning and an essential addition to the national conversation about race and class, Survival Math takes its name from the calculations award-winning author Mitchell S. Jackson made to survive the Portland, Oregon of his youth.
This dynamic book explores gangs and guns, near-death experiences, sex work, masculinity, composite fathers, the concept of “hustle,” and the destructive power of addiction—all framed within the story of Jackson, his family, and his community. Lauded for its breathtaking pace, its tender portrayals, its stark candor, and its luminous style, Survival Math reveals on every page the searching intellect and originality of its author. The primary narrative, focused on understanding the antecedents of Jackson’s family’s experience, is complemented by poems composed from historical American documents as well as survivor files, which feature photographs and riveting short narratives of several of Jackson’s male relatives. The sum of Survival Math’s parts is a highly original whole, one that reflects on the exigencies—over generations—that have shaped the lives of so many disenfranchised Americans. As essential as it is beautiful, as real as it is artful, Mitchell S. Jackson’s nonfiction debut is a singular achievement, not to be missed.
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“A model of autobiographical writing that demonstrates how reportage and critical attention to the complexities of black life—in its intersectional textures—can be the source for an inimitable memoir.”
— New York Times Book Review
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“A timely narrative centered around what it takes to survive in America.”
— Time -
“He submits his own story to the harshest scrutiny, revealing his own failings as much as those of the nation that allows this kind of disparity and poverty.”
— USA Today -
“Vivid and unflinching…Puts a face on the cyclical nature of poverty.”
— Boston Globe -
“One of the best essay collections of 2019.”
— Paste magazine -
“Extensive and illuminating…exploring issues like sex, violence, addiction, community, and the toll this takes on a person’s life.”
— BuzzFeed -
“A stunning mix of internal monologue and historical and religious references that…shines an important light on the generational problems of America’s oft-forgotten urban communities.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Close-call scenarios threaten both the lives and freedom of Jackson’s family members…[An] inquisitive and unflinching investigation of the conditions that shaped him.”
— Booklist (starred review)
Awards
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A Boston Globe Pick of Most Anticipated Books of 2019
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A Paste Magazine Pick of the Month's 10 Best Books
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An Entertainment Weekly Pick of Most Anticipated Upcoming Books
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A Time Magazine Pick of 11 New Must-Read Books
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A Buzzfeed Best Books of the Year selection
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About Mitchell S. Jackson
Mitchell S. Jackson is the author of Survival Math. His debut novel The Residue Years won the Ernest Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence, and it was also a finalist for the Center for Fiction’s Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award for First Fiction, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. It earned high praise from the New York Times, Paris Review, and London Times. His honors include fellowships from the Whiting Foundation, TED, the Lannan Foundation, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and the Center for Fiction. His writing has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Salon, and Tin House, among other publications. He serves on the faculty at New York University and Columbia University.