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in order to answer "certain questions I have about narratives and who is allowed to tell them and why...I wanted, as I always want, to even the playing field between the two voices, to demonstrate that they complement each other, and that neither was 'smarter' or 'more observant' than the other; they
226:
that has happened in
Brooklyn since her imprisonment. She returns home to her Afro-Colombian family, many of whom struggle to accept her new gender identity. Carlotta learns that her mother is significantly afflicted with dementia. Carlotta meets with her probation officer who informs her as part of
231:
for a recently deceased family friend. During the course of the weekend, Carlotta tries to avoid contact with alcohol while looking for work and reconciling with old friends, including Doodle, whose party she was travelling to the night she was arrested. Carlotta finds employment as a driver and
198:
In 1993, 22-year-old
Carlotta Mercedes accidentally becomes involved in the robbery of a liquor store by her cousin while travelling to a party, during which a woman is shot and permanently disabled. She is subsequently sentenced to 12 to 22 years in prison and spends the next two decades as an
407:
called the novel "energetic touching", and praised the character of
Carlotta as "comic controversial". Writing in the same publication, Lindesay Irvine called the book "an exuberant odyssey", and cited Carlotta's stream-of-consciousness as being "Joycean".
252:, where she meets an old friend, consumes substances, and wakes up the next morning, having slept on the beach overnight and been robbed of her money. Having missed her appointment with probation, Carlotta is recalled back to prison after two days.
359:
Hannaham described the character of
Carlotta as reflecting "modern existence" for people of colour and queer people, who are regularly exploited but who "have to try to get through it". Like Carlotta, many members of Hannaham's family grew up in a
232:
tries to find someone to teach her how to drive before she starts her new job. During the course of the day, Carlotta struggles to fight her impulses triggered by her traumatic experiences, and jeopardizes her freedom several times, including by
836:
207:, and she is raped by inmates and prison guards alike throughout her time in prison. As a result of her treatment, Carlotta spends six years in isolation, and goes on to form a romantic relationship with another inmate, Frenzy.
454:, Rachel León said "y drawing such a vibrant main character readers can’t help but fall in love with, Hannaham asks us to consider others in Carlotta’s situation and challenges us to give a shit about what happens to them".
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shoe, crashing a car, and getting into a verbal altercation with Ibe. She also speaks at length with Doodle about her experiences in prison, including sharing being regularly raped by a guard throughout her sentence.
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has received positive reviews from critics, particularly for the character of
Carlotta and the narrative style, including fluctuations between a
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holiday. Carlotta is excited to reconcile with her estranged son Ibe, who she hasn't heard from since he was nine, but is shocked at the
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Carlotta's probation officer becomes unhappy at the alcohol consumption happening at
Carlotta's family home, and makes her take a
975:
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described
Carlotta as "a tragicomic character... cursed with terrible timing" and said Hannaham "writes like a guardian angel."
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150:
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wrote "Carlotta deserves a lot of things society rarely provides to women like her—among them, a role in great fiction".
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her release she is not allowed to be near alcohol, a matter that is complicated by her family hosting an extravagant
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203:. While in prison, Carlotta comes out as a trans woman; however, prison authorities refuse to acknowledge her
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687:"Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta by James Hannaham review – a voice that can't be jailed"
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26:
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for its depiction of the experience of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. Writing for
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The book ends with
Carlotta on a bus back to Brooklyn, having completed the rest of her sentence.
384:
69:
566:
829:"Review: A hilarious, righteous transgender remix of 'The Odyssey' blows up the literary canon"
450:, Paula Woods called the novel "a scathing, heartbreaking takedown of the carceral system". In
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754:"Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta — a trans woman's post-prison trauma"
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that had been purchased in the 1950s prior to the gentrification of the neighbourhood.
327:
is
Hannaham's third novel. Hannaham has stated that the novel was loosely inspired by
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145:
720:"Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta review – an exuberant odyssey"
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55:
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called the novel "brash ambitious... carried by an unforgettable narrator".
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248:, which she indicates has come back positive. Panicked, Carlotta visits
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315:, a real estate agent who Carlotta convinces to teach her how to drive.
245:
75:
494:"James Hannaham Connects the Dots Between the Tragic and the Absurd"
273:, Carlotta's estranged son, a devout Christian who goes by "Iceman".
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88:
343:
788:"After 20 Years in a Men's Prison, a Trans Woman Returns Home"
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after spending twenty years incarcerated in a men's prison.
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called the book "sad" but with "humour that can be healing".
397:"spectacularly Brooklyn and devastatingly human". Writing in
338:
285:, Carlotta's grandmother, who accepts her and her transition.
164:
860:"We Should All Give a Shit About What Happened to Carlotta"
921:"By Hands Now Known wins The Hurston/Wright Legacy Award"
297:, Carlotta's mother, who is afflicted with dementia.
20:
Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What
Happened to Carlotta
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Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta
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Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta
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Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta
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Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta
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Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta
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Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta
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Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta
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Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta
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925:The Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project
417:praised Hannaham's "fresh voice and humour". In
567:"The PEN Ten: An Interview with James Hannaham"
309:, Carlotta's lover, who is an inmate at Ithaca.
175:weekend, it follows the titular character, an
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132:Print (hardback and softback), e-book, audio
601:Charlesworth, Antonia (October 24, 2022).
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218:to live with her family just before the
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751:Barekat, Houman (28 October 2022).
613:from the original on March 23, 2023
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827:Woods, Paula L (August 22, 2022).
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961:2022 LGBTQ-related literary works
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492:Linzy, Kalup (7 September 2022).
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603:"Author Q&A: James Hannaham"
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786:Irving, John (28 August 2022).
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167:by American writer
116:30 August 2022 (US)
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981:2020s LGBTQ novels
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539:. 30 August 2022.
499:Interview Magazine
420:The New York Times
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430:The Kirkus Review
383:and first-person
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435:Kalup Linzy
425:John Irving
344:The Odyssey
335:James Joyce
320:Development
234:shoplifting
180:trans woman
85:Set in
950:Categories
935:2024-04-29
906:2024-04-29
658:1338678902
474:References
362:brownstone
259:Characters
163:is a 2022
874:March 23,
843:March 23,
802:0362-4331
666:cite book
617:March 23,
405:John Self
372:Reception
246:drug test
96:Publisher
76:gay novel
929:Archived
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184:Brooklyn
89:Brooklyn
52:Language
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330:Ulysses
56:English
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307:Frenzy
295:Paloma
277:Doodle
102:(US),
91:, 2015
34:Author
339:Homer
283:Frona
165:novel
137:Pages
62:Genre
876:2023
845:2023
814:2022
798:ISSN
773:2022
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672:link
654:OCLC
644:ISBN
619:2023
585:2022
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351:and
313:Paul
301:Pam,
229:wake
194:Plot
146:ISBN
106:(UK)
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289:Lou
271:Ibe
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