Colson Whitehead

In search of a new name for their town, the Winthrop town council decides to hire a nomenclature consultant best known for his crowning achievement, Apex, a multicultural bandage that has revolutionized the adhesive bandage industry, in a tour de force exploring the mysteries of identity, history, and marketing. 40,000 first printing.

Apex Hides the Hurt

Daryl Houston

This book seemed so promising at the start -- right up my alley with its playful approach to how naming works, what naming means, and tying it in the end to more sober matters like what it meant to be given a new name as a slave. I liked the book, but something about the breezy tone at times bugged me, and I felt like Whitehead could have done more with the material. But it's a quick two-day read with plenty to like, and it keeps me interested in Whitehead for sure.