A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance

How do the historical and pop culture connections combine with Abdurraqib’s personal experiences? Why did he choose to combine them?

How does Abdurraqib imagine his audience? Does he address white or Black readers? Academics or general audiences? Are different essays for different audiences? Why or why not?

Why are the essays grouped in Movements? How do these Movements compare to those in music? Why did Abdurraqib order the Movements and essays how they appear? What effect does the repetition of some titles have?

How does Abdurraqib’s writing style reflect his claims about performance? Why are different essays written in different voices or registers?

What does the title of this collection mean? Why did Abdurraqib choose it?

How does Abdurraqib use individual Black experiences to comment on the larger Black experience?

How does Abdurraqib balance trauma and criticisms with healing and hope? Does he favor one over the other? Why?

How are the performances of Blackness and masculinity tied together?