The Accommodation by Jim Schutze
Jim Schutze . Unknown Year . English
The powerful, long-repressed classic of Dallas history that examines the violent and suppressed history of race and racism in the city. Written by longtime Dallas political journalist Jim Schutze, formerly of the Dallas Times Herald and Dallas Observer, and currently columnist at D Magazine, The Accommodation follows the story of Dallas from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement, and the city’s desegregation efforts in the 1950s and ‘60s. Known for being an uninhibited and honest account of the city’s institutional and structural racism, Schutze’s book argues that Dallas’ desegregation period came at a great cost to Black leaders in the city. Now, after decades out of print and hand-circulated underground, Schutze’s book serves as a reminder of what an American city will do to protect the white status quo.
Categories: Literary Fiction
About the Author
The Financial Times of London has called Jim Schutze's novel, Pontiac, "a beautiful , if at times difficult, telling of a young man’s formative and privileged school days." From the FTL review: "Pontiac evokes the voyeuristic psychological styles of Richard Yates, Evan S Connell and Fleur Jaeggy in its unsentimental dissection. Schutze writes in minimalistic prose, capturing emotional detail with a journalistic eye." Schutze is a a recipient of the National Association of Black Journalists’ award for commentary, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies’ national award for best commentary twice and Lincoln University’s national Unity Award for writing on civil rights and racial issues three times. He is the author of six non-fiction books including, The Accommodation: the politics of race in an American City, and Bully, which was the basis for a controversial film directed by Larry Clark. Two of his books were finalists for the national Edgar Allen Poe award for crime writing.
