Shackling WaterAt the age of nineteen, saxophone prodigy Latif James-Pearson boards a bus to Manhattan to find his aging idol, the great Albert Van Horn. The centers of Latif’s universe soon become a Harlem boarding house, where he spends his days practicing intensely, and the downtown club where Van Horn's group performs and Latif hides in the shadows, listening. There, he begins a complex affair with an older white painter named Mona, and starts working for Say Brother, a charismatic drug dealer. But as Latif’s frustrations with his playing mount, and the demands of balancing artistry, hustling, and love push him toward crisis, he is forced to confront his music, his past, and himself. A virtuosic story told with lyrical intensity, Shackling Water heralds the arrival of an important new voice in American literature. |
Contents
TAKEOFF SOLO HOOKS UPS CORNERMEN | |
WALKING IN RHYTHM MANDATES SONNY BURMA | |
TIME AND TIME AGAIN TRANSLATIONS MORNING | |
THE GHOST OF PRESENTS PASTCONVERGENCE CIPHERING | |
ATONES PLAY THE BODY POLITIC | |
LAMENT THE UNREQUITED TRISTAN | |
HEADCUTTINGROAD SONGS REMEMBER THAT | |
VAMP BLOODLINES DRINKS | |
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Common terms and phrases
Albert Amir asked band better block body Burma cats closed corner didn't don't door drink Dutchman's everything eyes face feel felt fingers floor fuck give gonna hand hard he'd head hear heard Higgins hold hoping Horn inside keep kind knew Latif laughed leaned legs lips listen living looked Marlon mean mind minutes Mona Mona's mother mouth moved Murray musician never night nodded once past play pulled pushed remember Say Brother seemed Shane shit shoulder sitting smiled smoke Sonny sound Spliff started stepped stood stopped street talking Teef tell thing thought told took tried trying tune turned Van Horn waiting walked wall watched week Wess whole window wondered young