Reading Groups

The Genius of Percival Everett with Zack Graham

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4 Sessions Thursdays, 6:30 pm EDT - 8:00 pm EDT July 10 to September 11, 2025

The Center for Fiction

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The ‘With Books’ option includes the titles required for this group at a 10% discount from our Bookstore.

Meeting Dates:
7/10, 7/31, 8/28, 9/11
In Person at The Center for Fiction

In the wake of the Academy Award-winning film American Fiction (an adaptation of his novel Erasure) and the publication of his National Book Award-winning novel James, Percival Everett has risen from a relatively unknown but critically acclaimed writer to one of today’s most celebrated American authors. In this reading group, we will explore the versatility of Everett’s oeuvre by discussing four of his novels and his masterful work with racial satire, experimental fiction, the western, and autofiction.

What to read in advance of the first meeting: Please read Erasure in its entirety in advance of the first meeting.

What to expect from this reading group: The instructor will open each class with a few remarks about the book we’ve read, why it’s a work of genius, and its significance in the context of Everett’s body of work. Then the group will discuss the work in any way they want, with some conversation-starting questions provided if necessary.

Reading List:

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Led by

  • Zack Graham

    Zack Graham

    Zack Graham

    Zack Graham’s writing has appeared in or is forthcoming in the New York Times, The Nation, Rolling Stone, GQ, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and the Brooklyn Rail, among other publications. He is the editor of a magazine called Lampblack that publishes Black writers from around the world, and serves on the Advisory Council of Kismet, a new literary magazine offering a fresh perspective on spirituality, religion, and mysticism. He grew up in Chicago and lives in New York City.

About this series

Reading Groups

Whether you’re looking to catch up on great novels or you’re interested in exploring a new writer or literary period, our reading groups offer high-level literary discussion led by experts in the field.

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