Absurdist and erudite, the much-garlanded writer Percival Everett is a master at making you laugh, and then making you wonder why you did. Erasure, the story of a scholarly Black novelist who writes a satirical book full of racial stereotypes that, to his horror, becomes a massive hit, was itself a massive hit. He’s written two dozen other books on subjects ranging from hyper-eloquent babies (Glyph) and nihilistic Bond villains (Dr. No) to, most recently, a deadly serious comedy on lynching (The Trees). His latest book, James, flips Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on its head, retelling the American classic from the point of view of Huck’s friend the enslaved Jim. Who better to mull over the worst things in life than this master of dark laughter? —George Pendle
LEAST FAVORITE NUMBER: Three.
LEAST FAVORITE COLOR: Mustard.
LEAST FAVORITE TEAM: Angels.
LEAST FAVORITE BOND: Daniel Craig.
PREFERRED DEADLY SIN: Sloth.
FOOD THAT MAKES YOU GAG:
Coconut.
BOOK YOU NEVER FINISHED: Infinite Jest.
FILM YOU WALKED OUT OF: Sideways.
SONG YOU NEVER WANT TO HEAR AGAIN: “Imagine.”
CHARACTER FROM HISTORY YOU MOST DISLIKE: Woodrow Wilson.
ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU WOULD NEVER WEAR: A dickie.
WORST FORM OF TRANSPORT: Balloon.
PREFERRED FORM OF REVENGE: Indifference.
FAVORITE CURSE WORD: “Fuck.”
IDEA OF MISERY: No art.
THING YOU SAID BUT WISH YOU HADN’T: “Go ahead, put a saddle on him.”
WORST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER GOT: “Don’t use split reins.”
WORST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER GIVEN: “Trust your gut.”
LAST WORDS BEFORE EXECUTION: “My bad.”
Percival’s Inessentials
