Lover Man

Anderson (1924–2008) published this remarkable collection in 1959, before his novel All God’s Children, and it shines as a gem of Americana. Mostly concerning the Jessup family, these stories span the early decades of the 20th century and address with nuance the Black characters’ negotiations with youthful turmoil, sexual desire, and race in the U.S. In “Schooldays in North Carolina,” preacher’s son Aaron Jessup falls in love with school beauty Del Adams. However, their chemistry fizzles abruptly at the end of their courtship. In “The Checker Board,” Aaron hears his mother say, “If I could do it all over again, I’d marry a white man.” In “Comrade,” a Black soldier befriends the dog of a German civilian during WWII. Though these entries deal with heavy topics that range from racial alienation to drug addiction and war, there is a light, slice-of-life quality to them, whether in a game of checkers between father and son or as kids wait by the radio to listen to Glenn Miller. Anderson’s feat is in finding the poetry of everyday moments among marginalized people. This deserves a place on the shelf of mid-century classics. (Feb.)