Elefante's childhood nickname given by his parents. Otherwise, Deacon King Kong feels historically unmoored; not a single character mentions Vietnam or Martin Luther King Jr. None of the men appear … A Dominican beauty who poured a glass of water on man's head. “Deacon King Kong is deeply felt, beautifully written and profoundly humane; McBride’s ability to inhabit his characters’ foibled, all-too-human interiority helps transform a fine book into a great one.” (The New York Times Book Review) deacon king kong by James McBride ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2020 The versatile and accomplished McBride ( Five Carat Soul , 2017, etc.) James McBride's Deacon King Kong is a feverish love letter to New York City, people, and writing. On its surface, Deacon King Kong is about the tension between wayward souls and those on the straight and narrow. Paperback $14.99 $17.00 Current price is $14.99, Original price is $17.00. I have no idea of what life in a 1960’s housing project in Brooklyn was like but, after reading Deacon King Kong, I am persuaded that it was probably just as James McBride portrays it, so compelling are his characters, tales, events and locations. He is indeed a deacon, serving … “Deacon King Kong” is many things: a mystery novel, a crime novel, an urban farce, a portrait of a project community. From there, the past and present swirl around the fallout from that incident, drawing in gangsters, cops, smugglers, an ancient artifact, and a few old secrets. That’s the days the old deacon, known as Sportcoat to his friends, marched out to the plaza of the Causeway Housing Projects in South Brooklyn, stuck an ancient .45 Luger in the … “Deacon King Kong,” the new book from author and musician James McBride, is a hilarious, pitch-perfect comedy set in the Brooklyn projects of the late 1960s. One day, he gets trashed and goes to the neighborhood plaza and shoots Deems Clemens, a ruthless 19-year-old local drug dealer. My vocabulary word for today is “ballyhoo." Poignant. Gladys: Knight: American singer-songwriter. McBride’s novel opens in September 1969. In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .45 from his … Posted in Fiction. Sportcoat was born and raised in South Carolina. Aka: The Elephant. “Deacon King Kong is a quintessential New York story. Brilliant. American television host, producer, and Presbyterian minister. This alone may qualify it … His mother died when he was ten, his father was verbally abusive, and his stepmother despised him. Clamor or uproar. * NPR * Deacon King Kong reaffirms James McBride's position among the greatest American storytellers of … Set in the Brooklyn projects in 1969, a perpetually inebriated deacon called Sportcoat aims a gun at the neighborhood’s main drug dealer in the public plaza and pulls the trigger. There’s even some western in here. Ginny: Rodriguez: A tenant living at Building 19. American actress and former fashion model. Previous selections include The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, and Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker. As an infant and child, he was extremely sickly, accident-prone, and suffered bad luck. returns with a dark urban farce crowded with misjudged signals, crippling sorrows, and unexpected epiphanies. Funny. Without giving too much away about the path of “Deacon King Kong,” the story uses an incident more than a character for its epicenter. Told with insight and wit, Deacon King Kong demonstrates that love and faith live in all of us. The giant constrictor from the Queensbridge Projects. The name used by Hot Sausage in Cause House. Overview. American television reporter, journalist and anchor. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Deacon King Kong. deacon king kong by James McBride ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2020 The versatile and accomplished McBride ( Five Carat Soul , 2017, etc.) Deacon King Kong. In James McBride's novel Deacon King Kong, Sportcoat spends his Wednesdays helping an elderly Italian woman scour the parking lots of their Brooklyn neighborhood for plants — weeds, really — that she feels compelled to "rescue. Sportcoat was born and raised in South Carolina. “Deacon King Kong is a quintessential New York story. In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and, in front of everybody, shoots the project's drug dealer at point-blank range. Cuffy Lambkin (“Sportcoat”) Cuffy Lambkin is the given name of the character referred to as “Sportcoat.” (Deacon King Kong is another nickname for Sportcoat, used only briefly.) deacon king kong character list She said to Oprah Magazine in selecting the book, “I am hoping readers will find in it what I did: sorrow, joy, resilience, humanity, and an understanding that while we struggle with pain and trauma, we can find shelter in one another.”. Set in the Brooklyn projects in 1969, a perpetually inebriated deacon called Sportcoat aims a gun at the neighborhood’s main drug dealer in the public plaza and pulls the trigger. Synopsis. Deacon King Kong James McBride, 2020 Penguin Publishing 384 pp. returns with a dark urban farce crowded with misjudged signals, crippling sorrows, and unexpected epiphanies. The novel is, in other words, a lot . “Deacon King Kong is a quintessential New York story. Tell me what you are reading as … He eventually married his childhood sweetheart Hettie. By Patty Shlonsky on April 19, 2021. Sixteen people see the shooting, but no one talks. In New York, Hettie began to care for and raise a little boy named Pudgy Fingers, and she and Sportcoat raised him as their son after he was abandoned by his mother. The first-ever black detective in the Cause Houses. With Sportcoat (aka Deacon King Kong, for his two most prominent passions), the author has created an unforgettable protagonist for the ages. by James McBride. American Christian minister and activist. Deacon King Kong is a book about a community under threat, ... McBride's ability to inhabit his characters' foibled, all-too-human interiority helps transform a fine book into a great one." Add to Wishlist. Brilliant. If you are looking for something to read, go check it out. My personal ‘Best Read’ for 2020. "One plant she obsesses about finding is pokeweed, a poisonous shrub she believes can help lower her blood pressure if prepared correctly. The last surviving umpire from baseball's legendary Negro League. A fictionalized version of that church, Five Ends Baptist, anchors and animates Deacon King Kong, a rollicking tale set spinning in 1969 by an elderly, alcoholic deacon who crosses a courtyard full of neighbors to shoot an ear off the most notorious drug dealer in the history of the local housing projects. My personal ‘Best Read’ for 2020. Poignant. Sensational or extravagant promotion. “Deacon King Kong” is a nickname on top of a nickname: everyone in the Cause Houses knows the title character as Sportcoat. There’s a sense of distributive justice in “Deacon King Kong,” as the characters who desperately seek change tend to find it. I have no idea of what life in a 1960’s housing project in Brooklyn was like but, after reading Deacon King Kong, I am persuaded that it was probably just as James McBride portrays it, so compelling are his characters, tales, events and locations. “Deacon King Kong is deeply felt, beautifully written and profoundly humane; McBride’s ability to inhabit his characters’ foibled, all-too-human interiority helps transform a fine book into a great one.” (The New York Times Book Review) Deacon King Kong was published in 2020 and written by American author James McBride.It is an example of near-historical fiction written about American cities and social issues. Deacon King King received the 2021 Anisfield-Wolf … Set in the Brooklyn projects in 1969, a perpetually inebriated deacon called Sportcoat aims a gun at the neighborhood’s main drug dealer in the public plaza and pulls the trigger. The head of Moon Rental Cars and Moon Steak N Go. Praise for DEACON KING KONG: “Deacon King Kong is deeply felt, beautifully written and profoundly humane; McBride’s ability to inhabit his characters’ foibled, all-too-human interiority helps transform a fine book into a great one.” —The New York Times Book Review “A hilarious, pitch-perfect comedy set in the Brooklyn projects of the late 1960s. American actress, singer, model, and activist. Deacon King Kong Character Analysis. Aka: Bum-Bum. In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and in front of everybody shoots the project's drug dealer at point-blank range. Brilliant. Definition: 1. In December 2020, Emily Temple of Literary Hub reported that his novel Deacon King Kong had made 16 lists of the best books of 2020, while in February 2021 it won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. A Colombian worker from the Preston chicken-processing plant. James McBride's Deacon King Kong is a feverish love letter to New York City, people, and writing. In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and, in front of everybody, shoots the project's drug dealer at point-blank range. American baseball payer, manager, and exec. Oprah selected Deacon King Kong for her June 2020 book club pick. Runs a bagel shop in the Bronx. American pitcher and outfielder for the Kansas City. Cuffy Jasper Lambkin, or Sportcoat as he is mostly referred to in the book, is the protagonist and titular character of Deacon King Kong. Sportcoat is the deacon of the title - a deacon of Five Ends Baptist Church who prefers the illicit hooch King Kong to … “Deacon King Kong is a quintessential New York story. I have no idea of what life in a 1960’s housing project in Brooklyn was like but, after reading Deacon King Kong, I am persuaded that it was probably just as James McBride portrays it, so compelling are his characters, tales, events and locations. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: McBride, James. A major Italian crime figure in Brooklyn. deacon king kong by James McBride ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2020 The versatile and accomplished McBride ( Five Carat Soul , 2017, etc.) Deacon King Kong. This Study Guide consists of approximately 67 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - My personal ‘Best Read’ for 2020. The vice president of the Puerto Rican Statehood Society. An anarchist political activist and writer. Deacon King Kong was published in 2020 and written by American author James McBride.It is an example of near-historical fiction written about American cities and social issues. The sheer volume of invention in Deacon King Kong commands awe...And the sentences!The prose radiates a kind of chain-reaction energy. Funny. American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon. There’s even some western in here. Aka: Jet. You Have No Idea What’s Coming – May God Hold You…. 71 year old old timer, Five Ends Baptist Church Deacon Cuffy Lambkin, aka Sportcoat, is drunk on his buddy Rufus Harley's special blend of hooch named King Kong. “Deacon King Kong,” the new book from author and musician James McBride, is a hilarious, pitch-perfect comedy set in the Brooklyn projects of the late 1960s. His addiction affected almost every other aspect of his life. Deacon King Kong is the 85th-ever selection for Oprah's book club, and her fifth since her partnership with Apple. Editorial Reviews. Deacon King Kong – by James McBride. Overview. The reasons for this desperate burst of violence and the consequences that spring from it lie at the heart of DEACON KING KONG. American political scientist and African studies expert. Cuffy Jasper Lambkin, or Sportcoat as he is mostly referred to in the book, is the protagonist and titular character of Deacon King Kong. I’m often asked about books and authors that I enjoy reading. A sensationally brilliant character and community driven historical fiction by James McBride, set in 1969 in the Causeway Housing Projects in South Brooklyn, New York. Deacon King Kong “An amazing cast of characters and compelling storyline coupled with fantastic dialogue delivers a dynamic novel. As an infant and child, he was extremely sickly, accident-prone, and suffered bad luck. Poignant. Available Online. Brazilian model, businesswoman and reality television personality. Deacon of Mighty Hand Gospel Tabernacle. Set in the Brooklyn projects in 1969, a perpetually inebriated deacon called Sportcoat aims a gun at the neighborhood’s main drug dealer in the public plaza and pulls the trigger. In fact, McBride does a wonderful job fleshing out all of the many, many characters—Hot Sausage, Sister Gee, The Elephant, Deems, Hettie, and Officer Potts, to name but a very few—that populate this sprawling patchwork of a story. In Deacon King Kong, Cuffy "Sportcoat" Lambkin is a 71-year-old deacon for a church in the projects. My personal ‘Best Read’ for 2020. Grammy Award-winning pianist of Puerto Rican ancestry. In Deacon King Kong, there is a powerful lesson about the unknowns of life, about how one can never truly understand a neighbor, and how connection and love can form despite that. Poignant. In James McBride’s Deacon King Kong, an old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the crowded courtyard of a Brooklyn project and shoots the local drug dealer, a violent act that causes the lives of those impacted to overlap in unexpected ways.McBride is speaking with Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. author of The Last Thing You Surrender: A Novel of World War II. One one level this is a great story, but on so many other levels it touches on the Great Migration and class and society - and also how regular folks cross many divides to simply just support each other through life. American center fielder in Negro league baseball. 2. A woman who was busted for shoplifting at the grocery store. Cuffy “Sportcoat” Lambkin, a deacon at the Five Ends Baptist Church, shoots 19-year-old drug dealer Deems Clemens at the flagpole, Deems’s usual selling spot. Best Books of 2020. Mar 03, 2020 | ISBN 9780593166987 James McBride is an accomplished musician and author of the National Book … Cuffy Jasper Lambkin, or Sportcoat as he is mostly referred to in the book, is the protagonist and titular character of Deacon King Kong. His mother died when he was ten, his father was verbally abusive, and his stepmother despised him. Wit and warmth light James McBride’s ‘Deacon King Kong’ The National Book Award winner sets his new comic novel in a Brooklyn housing project in 1969. in the Negro league. Deacon King Kong A Novel (eBook) : McBride, James : "From James McBride, author of the National Book Award-winning The Good Lord Bird, comes a wise and witty novel about what happens to the witnesses of a shooting. Funny. Funny. Hettie moved to New York when she and Sportcoat were in their fifties, and he joined her there three years later. King, Jr. American Christian minister and activist. The latest Oprah's Book Club pick is here: Deacon King Kong by James McBride. See All Formats. Aka: The Governor. One of the members of the Puerto Rican Statehood Society. “Deacon Cuffy Lambkin of Five Ends Baptist Church became a walking dead man on a cloudy September afternoon in 1969. Through writings about his own uniquely American story, and his works of fiction informed by our shared history, his moving stories of love display the character of the American family." “Deacon King Kong is by turns cacophonous, slapstick, violent and meditative; it is both frightening and tender, disillusioned and romantic… McBride’s prose is rollicking and unpredictable… The banter among characters is breathtakingly funny.” Riverhead Books, 2020. The president of the Cause Houses Tenant Association. American professional boxer. A receptionist at Brewster Memorial Home. All 134 characters in Deacon King Kong are alphabetically listed along with character descriptions. Sportcoat. Otherwise, Deacon King Kong feels historically unmoored; not a single character mentions Vietnam or Martin Luther King Jr. None of the men appear … Runs a trucking and construction business. activist and philanthropist. Deacon King Kong (Book) : McBride, James : "From James McBride, author of the National Book Award-winning The Good Lord Bird, comes a wise and witty novel about what happens to the witnesses of a shooting. “Deacon King Kong” is many things: a mystery novel, a crime novel, an urban farce, a portrait of a project community. I have no idea of what life in a 1960’s housing project in Brooklyn was like but, after reading Deacon King Kong, I am persuaded that it was probably just as James McBride portrays it, so compelling are his characters, tales, events and locations. The head usher at Five Ends. The novel is, in other words, a lot . Brilliant. Without giving too much away about the path of “Deacon King Kong,” the story uses an incident more than a character for its epicenter. ISBN-13: 9780735216723 Summary One of the most anticipated novels of the year: a wise and witty tale about what happens to the witnesses of a shooting—from James McBride, author of the National Book Award-winning The Good Lord Bird. Sportcoat has suffered from alcoholism since he was a teenager. A Latin and jazz percussionist of Puerto Rican ancestry. I’m pleased to share a recent read: Deacon King Kong by James McBride. A negro who was armed and very dangerous man. But on a deeper level, James McBride’s first … It's that good. With humor, range and a colorful cast of characters, you won’t be able to put down ‘Deacon King Kong’ March 25, 2020 at 6:00 am Updated May 6, 2020 at 11:13 am “Deacon King Kong… Deacon King Kong (Book) : McBride, James : In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .45 from his pocket, and in front of everybody shoots the project's drug dealer at point-blank range. With Sportcoat (aka Deacon King Kong, for his two most prominent passions), the author has created an unforgettable protagonist for the ages. She said to Oprah Magazine in selecting the book, “I am hoping readers will find in it what I did: sorrow, joy, resilience, humanity, and an understanding that while we struggle with pain and trauma, we can find shelter in one another.”. 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