--Laird Hunt, National Book Award finalist for Zorrie
Thot is a ground-breaking, fast paced, book length essay that experiments with poetry, dialogue, and memoir. At its epicenter are two competing forces. One is Chant's upbringing in the splendor, density, rhythms, and madness of Bronx, NY, including the murder of Chante's neighbor, Deborah Danner, killed by a police officer during his break-in. The other is Reid's academic life at Brown University, where she is completing a critical thesis on Toni Morrison's book, Beloved. Its characters--Sethe, Denver, Margeret Garner--wind in and out of the conversation, as do the Medea and Narcissus of Greek myths. Thot is a thrilling cacophony, a highly original mix of genre and voice, sure to please readers in search of something startling and new.