That’s How They Get You // An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor

From the Thurber Prize-winning author ofWhat Doesnt Kill You Makes You Blackercomes a pioneering collection of Black humor from some of the most acclaimed writers and performers at work today.

A critic explores the paradox of finding community in the dozens while grieving. A violent town ritual causes an all-too-familiar moral panic. An email thread between friends on why we need an updatedGreen Bookbut for public toilets. All across the nation, Karens become illegal overnight. These are just a few of the hilarious worlds contained in Damon Youngs groundbreaking anthology featuring the best, funniest, and Blackest essays, short stories, letters, and rants.

With words that roast, ignite, and burn while connecting to and coalescing around a singular thesis,That’s How They Get Youemphasizes how and why Black American humor is uniquely transfixing. This is a mixture of not just observational anxieties and stream-of-consciousness lucidities but also acute political clarity about America. Edited and with an introduction by Damon Young, the critically acclaimed author ofWhat Doesnt Kill You Makes You Blacker,the collection features new material from an all-star roster of contributors, including Hanif Abdurraqib, Mahogany L. Browne, Wyatt Cenac, Kiese Laymon, Deesha Philyaw, Roy Wood Jr., and Nicola Yoon.

Damon Youngis the cofounder and editor in chief of VerySmartBrothas, a senior editor at The Root, and a columnist forGQ. His work has appeared in outlets such as theNew York Times,theWashington Post,CNN, MSNBC, Al-Jazeera, Slate, Salon,The Guardian(UK),New Yorkmagazine,Jezebel,Complex,EBONY, Essence, USA Today,and thePittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• Publisher: Pantheon
• Publish Date: June 3, 2025
• Pages: 256
• Dimensions: 6.1 X 9.3 X 0.7 inches | 1.1 pounds
• Language:English
• Type:Hardcover
• EAN/UPC: 9780593317112
• BISAC Categories: Literary, Coming of Age, Satire, Anthology, Humorous – Black Humor