This Week’s Independent Thinkers

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Paul Beatty wrote a book. Who hasn’t? But Beatty’s book, The Sellout, set judges of the Man Booker Prize, Britain’s loftiest literary accolade, into their own contest of describing how truly great Beatty’s work is.

The Sellout is a giant LOL and wince-like-nobody’s-watching book, said to nail us to a cross while tickling us,

like dropping a sacred flying cow out of an airplane over Yellville.

It’s about bringing back slavery and segregation, written from the soul of a man who does and doesn’t take himself very seriously. “Being offended is not an emotion,” Beatty said.

The judges – a writer, two publishers, a literary agent, a bookseller and a librarian – read 155 books in 10 months and awarded the MBP to this American – first ever!

Guess what else? He was bestowed his award by the Duchess of Cornwall, aka Prince Charles’ wife.

And since it was in Britain, he got 50,000 pounds of money.

Photo from therumpus.net