Cotillion, or One Good Bull Is Half the Herd
New York: Trident Press, 1971. 1st Edition. Octavo, publisher’s yellow cloth, spine and upper board stamped in black, top edge stained tangerine, original illustrated dust jacket.
First edition of writer John Oliver Killens’s fourth novel. Considered the spiritual father of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, Killens is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-nominated Youngblood (in which he is said to have coined the phrase "kicking ass and taking names"), a semi-autobiographical novel that portrays the life of a Black family in Georgia during the early 20th century. A satire critiquing the social, cultural, and political dynamics of Black life in the US, Cotillion revolves around Yoruba Lovejoy, an upper class Black woman and burgeoning activist preparing for a debutante ball. Critiquing class divisions within the community from a Black Nationalist perspective, the novel received mixed reviews upon publication, although earned Killens his second Pulitzer Prize nomination. Dust jacket designed by Lawrence Ratzkin. Light soiling to board edges; unclipped dust jacket with moderate soiling and edgewear, including several small closed tears and a triangular chip to top edge of upper panel. Good. Item #9823
$50.00