Lowest White Boy

This is a well-intentioned book that feels completely obvious in its narrative and certainly makes an argument that white privilege doesn’t work as a literary device. Maybe it’d be a better book if you haven’t read Bottoms. I love all of his books, aside from his first, which reads like an MFA manus......more

Well worth a read for anyone looking to better understand the cultural subtleties of racism embedded in our country's foundation. Rather than focus on grand acts of hate crimes or blatant injustice, Bottoms presents a picture of fundamental racism displayed by the attitudes of the people around him......more

A memoir composed of brief heartfelt stories of growing up poor white in working class Hampton, VA in the desegregation era of the 1970s. Bottoms lived and grew up in a complex racist society; he did so without realizing it. That is, the racism that surrounded him was invisible to him; invisible unt......more

Introspective short memoir of a white man who recalls growing up in post-segregation era, amidst black neighbors and a mother who drove the black student school bus due to poverty. The author brings forth the argument that racism is learned, not intuitive and provides numerous examples from his yout......more