October Book Club Modern + Myth

In conjunction with New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations, the MFA is proud to introduce Book + Belonging, a four-part book club that encourages participants to ponder the widely held ideas of the “anonymous African artist” and assumptions that masquerade is an unchanging, static art form solely rooted in the distant past. This month’s book club pick, Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, is a piercingly raw and, at times, heartbreakingly satirical look at what it’s like to be young and Black in America. By placing ordinary characters in extraordinary situations, Adjei-Brenyah reveals the violence, injustice, and painful absurdities that Black men and women contend with every day in this country. Each session will feature a specially paired wine, unlimited popcorn, a carefully facilitated book club discussion, and a gallery talk to bridge the artworks in the exhibition to the relevant and resonant conversations shaping our society today. Held in partnership with Book + Bottle. Books can be purchased at the MFA Shop and Book + Bottle. Thu, Nov 5, 6 PM – 8 PM Marly Room $25 for Members $35 for Not-Yet-Members Ticket includes program and one glass of wine. Additional wine available for purchase. TICKETS Not yet a member? Become a member today and enjoy all the benefits membership at the MFA offers! Enjoy free admission, special access, discounts at the MFA Shop and Café Clementine, and more. BECOME A MEMBER More about Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Paperback – Published in 2018 – 208 pgs “An unbelievable debut, one that announces a new and necessary American voice.”—New York Times Book Review The acclaimed debut collection from the author of Chain Gang All Stars; a piercingly raw and, at times, heartbreakingly satirical look at what it’s like to be young and Black in America. From the start of this extraordinary debut, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s writing will grab you, haunt you, enrage and invigorate you. By placing ordinary characters in extraordinary situations, Adjei-Brenyah reveals the violence, injustice, and painful absurdities that Black men and women contend with every day in this country. These stories tackle urgent instances of racism and cultural unrest, and explore the many ways we fight for humanity in an unforgiving world. In “The Finkelstein Five,” Adjei-Brenyah gives us an unforgettable reckoning of the brutal prejudice of our justice system. In “Zimmer Land,” we see a far-too-easy-to-believe imagining of racism as sport. “Friday Black” and “How to Sell a Jacket as Told by Ice King” show the horrors of consumerism and the toll it takes on us all. Entirely fresh in its style and perspective, and sure to appeal to fans of Colson Whitehead, Marlon James, and George Saunders, Friday Black confronts readers with a complicated, insistent, wrenching chorus of emotions, the final note of which, remarkably, is hope. About Book + Bottle Book + Bottle is a bottle shop, an independent bookstore, a coffee café, and a wine bar all rolled into one exquisite little package. They have the most passionate, friendly, and helpful team in town to help you choose a book or a bottle or to take care of you and your friends on your night off. They’re an independent, woman-owned, values-driven, sustainably run, local-first business that believes little kindnesses can make our community—and the world—a better place. bookandbottlestpete.com Sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts.