Part memoir by the daughter of the iconic comedian Richard Pryor, part exploration of the historical and contemporary use of the N-word, this hybrid book peels back the curtain on the life of Pryor and interrogates the most perplexing word in the American lexicon, a word he helped popularize.
[A] remarkable hybrid memoir and linguistic history ... Pryor expertly combines intimate insights into her father’s legacy and a holistic view of the power of language, in particular the power behind the most infamous racial slur in the English language.
Wrapped around the life of Richard Pryor is the life of a word that straddles a line between danger and provocation, a word that author Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor refuses to say or even print ... It’s a push-pull balance that holds readers fast and keeps them there. It’s perfect for fans of this genre, or Richard Pryor, or of language – and it’s going to make you think. If you want a good memoir this week, one that may send you to your old album collection, Something We Said is rock-solid.
Pryor, a Smith College history professor, builds this perceptive memoir around a very tough question: 'Why is it so hard to talk about the n-word?' ... A moving reflection on family, belonging, and language’s power to wound and heal.
