Damned If I Do: Stories Paperback – November 1, 2004

I enjoyed this superb collection which shows that Everett is an accomplished storyteller with a wide range of subjects and styles. I am glad I read his latest books Erasure and James. Damn If I Do show where he began.

This collection of short stories covers a wide range of characters and topics. Laced with humor, you become quite invested in the characters and eager to see how the story will end. A couple of them have potential to become a short novel.

Love this writer. These are earlier stories that are worth the read. My favorite (of course) is "Appropriation of Culture." Talk about turning hate on its ear.

The Appropriation of Cultures is one of my favorite short stories of all time. I'm moved each time I read it. The collection itself is wonderful, but that story is unforgettable.

I first heard the reading of Percival Everett's story, "The Appropriaton of Cultures" read by an actor on National Public Radio. I was immediately drawn to the clever irony and refreshing take on culture, race and social class. The story was funny and touching and drove home a point about these topics in a much stronger way than I'd ever come across. So I bought the collection of his short stories, Damned if I Do, and found much of the same, refreshing themes. Some of the stories were odd and it took a while for them to settle in, but others were just as powerful as the one I (continue to) like best, the one I heard on the radio. Everett was able to weave together the hobbies of fly fishing and horseback riding with the geography of the southwest mixed in with the quintessential American theme of race. Everett's voice is unique and uses humor to reveal who we all are or might yet be.

Astounding and profoundly memorable short stories. If you've heard them read on NPR, you'll enjoy them even more on the page.

I heard one of the stories on NPR and I had to read the book. The book is good and enjoyable. I can't look at a Confederate flag without thinking about the Black Power flag...

Okay...so much hoopla about this book, mostly weird short stories that go no-where, some might say it is cool/artsy but I thought it was boring...