I am not Sidney Poitier

English language

Published Dec. 23, 2009

ISBN:: 978-1-55597-527-2

(1 review)

I Am Not Sidney Poitier is a novel by Percival Everrett that was published in 2009 by Graywolf Press. In 2020, it was published by Influx Press in the UK. It follows the tumultuous life of a character named Not Sidney Poitier as the social hierarchy scrambles to balance his skin color with his wealth. Each adventure mirrors a prominent Sidney Poitier film, such as The Defiant Ones or Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and incorporates a significant twist. The novel reflects a Post-black writing style by parodying the traditions of Black literature.

1 edition

lokroma reviewed I am not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett

Review of 'I am not Sidney Poitier' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I'm on a mission to read all of Everett's books, and I keep not being disappointed on my journey. The narrator, christened Not Sydney Poitier, predictably grows up to look like the actor. His mother's early death coupled with her wise investments leads Not Sydney to become wealthy and through connections he's adopted by Ted Turner and lives in Atlanta.

In a wacky and disturbing road trip through the South, Poitier is arrested for being Black, agrees to build a new church for a bunch of nuns who are not Catholic, and is pursued by white supremacists after the money to build the church is wired to him. He calls on Ted Turner and his professor (named Percival Everett) to come to Smuteye, Alabama (real place) to try to rescue him.

This book is both totally hilarious and deeply sobering. Everett goes after the southern white racists big time, but …

I'm on a mission to read all of Everett's books, and I keep not being disappointed on my journey. The narrator, christened Not Sydney Poitier, predictably grows up to look like the actor. His mother's early death coupled with her wise investments leads Not Sydney to become wealthy and through connections he's adopted by Ted Turner and lives in Atlanta.

In a wacky and disturbing road trip through the South, Poitier is arrested for being Black, agrees to build a new church for a bunch of nuns who are not Catholic, and is pursued by white supremacists after the money to build the church is wired to him. He calls on Ted Turner and his professor (named Percival Everett) to come to Smuteye, Alabama (real place) to try to rescue him.

This book is both totally hilarious and deeply sobering. Everett goes after the southern white racists big time, but he also satirizes a caste system within the Black community that values people based on how light or dark their skin color is.

A maniacal exploration of Black identity and a parody of the racist myth that all Black people look the same, Everett engages in hallmark wordplay and absurdity to get his points across.