Review
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Praise for Thick:
A New York Times Editor’s Choice selection
Shortlisted for the Museum of African American History Stone Book
Award
“Thick is sure to become a classic of black intellectualism, one
that ought to be read not only in African-American and gender
studies departments across the country, although its lens is
irrefutably and irresistibly black and feminist. It should be
required reading for anyone interested in making ‘trust black
women’ more than a hollow social media mantra.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“Cottom’s intersectionality is merely the work of a writer seeing
the world clearly and deeply, and connecting the dots in fresh
and revealing ways.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Thick confirms McMillan Cottom as one of our most fearless
public intellectuals and one of the most vital.”
—Literary Hub, “The 10 Best Essay Collections of the Decade”
“Thick gets into the messiness of US culture, exposing what
Americans want to say but are sometimes too afraid or too unaware
to say. . . . In essence, this book is about the compromises we
make for the sake of control.”
—Christian Century
“Incisive, witty, and provocative essays. . . . The collection
showcases McMillan Cottom’s wisdom and originality and amply
fulfills her of telling powerful stories that become a
problem for power.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The meshing of the personal and political and the author's
take-no-prisoners attitude make these essays sizzle. A
provocative volume bound to stir argument and discussion.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“This book is essential for anyone who wants to think deeply
about race, feminism, and culture.”
—BookRiot
“To say this collection is transgressive, provocative, and
brilliant is simply to tell you the truth. Thick is a necessary
work and a reminder that Tressie McMillan Cottom is one of the
finest public intellectuals writing today.”
—Roxane Gay, author of Hunger and Bad Feminist
“Thick is gorgeous, incisive, and hard. Tressie McMillan Cottom
is among America’s most bracing thinkers on race, gender, and
capitalism of our time and she is at her very best here. These
essays enlighten and complicate and push conversations further.
They are blisteringly smart and beautifully written. They are
also, simply, a pleasure to read.”
—Rebecca Traister, author of Good and Mad and All the Single
Ladies
“Black women are uniquely attuned to the hydra that bell hooks
names the imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy.
Publics should trust black women. Thick proves why readers should
trust Tressie McMillan Cottom’s black-people-loving writing that
is as deft as it is amusing. Her words are a . She comes out
swinging her blade at the hydra’s head with unmatched courage.”
—Darnell L. Moore, author of No Ashes in the Fire
“These essays show us the potency of actually existing black
feminist analysis and expose the deep structures of racism and
inequality that shape most black women’s lives. With biting humor
and razor-sharp political clarity, Thick is a crucial
contribution to contemporary black thought.”
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of From #BlackLivesMatter to
Black Liberation
“Reading Thick is like holding a mirror to your soul and to that
of America. [S]earingly and astute . . . at once
painfully honest and gloriously affirming.”
—Dorothy Roberts, author of Killing the Black Body
“Rich with layers of meaning . . . blaaaaaack and southern and
country and wise [and] pulsates with wit, self-awareness, and
unabashed expertise. For Professional Smart People with sense,
her writing is #goals.”
—Soraya McDonald, culture critic at The Undefeated
“Thick is aptly named, for McMillan Cottom is no intellectual
lightweight—she walks heavy, bringing together her singular
sociological ins with compelling and relatable
storytelling.”
—Brittney Cooper, author of Eloquent Rage
Praise for Tressie McMillan Cottom's Lower Ed:
“The best book yet on the complex lives and choices of for-profit
students.”
—The New York Times Book Review
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About the Author
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Tressie McMillan Cottom is an associate professor of sociology at
Virginia Commonwealth University and the author of Lower Ed. Her
work has been featured by the The Daily Show, the New York Times,
the Washington Post, PBS, NPR, Fresh Air, and The Atlantic, among
others. She lives in Richmond, Virginia.
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